Need to buy new fly lines

[Nik_B 3,790]

I'm mostly fishing reservoirs and I have a hardy de-lux graphite 6/7 weight rod.

 

I've found some advice online that says a good start would be a forward weight wet/intermediate line and a double taper dry line, does this make any sense? I assume that the double taper is for a lighter presentation of the fly.

 

Also which weight should I go for 6 or 7 weight?

 

Cheers

[Cajunrules 8]

Hi mate, I do most my fishing with a 7 weight floating double taper. The double taper will help with presentation; the weight forward will help with casting distance. I used to have a 6/7 weight rod that felt overweighted with a 7 on, I guess that depends on the rod, but then mine was'nt a Hardy's! Personally I prefer Orvis lines. Hope that is any good to you. Cheers

[bunny tickler 876]

mullarkys sell mill ends for about £3.50 why not get one of each , ive got every make of fly line there is (nearly ) & the mill ends are really good starters ,other than that snowbee xs are brilliant cheers pete

[Nik_B 3,790]

Cheers mate. I rang up sportfish for a bit of advice as well, they recomended a WF 7 airflow sixth sense Di3 medium sinker and a Guideline 4 Cast Dry line. I think as my casting is pretty mediocre they advised the WF lines rather than double taper. We tend to fish sinking flies like buzzers on the dry line that drop just below the surface. I'm fishing on friday so it will be interesting to see if the change in line makes any difference. If not I'll have to find something else to blame!!

[J Darcy 5,871]

Hi , all my fly rods are hardy and i always think it is better to goforthe lower line rating. If the rod is a 6/7 i would always go for a six. The Hardy rods seem to be able to work a lighter line better. Airflow are superb...

Personally i would plumb for the WF sinker, but the dry fly always a DT unless you are talking very light line (eg #4).

Good luck....

[consett lad 43]

i would go for cortland line i dont like airflow the have far to much memory the sinking line are ok but floter are shit. i bought a cortland on ebay for a tenner about a month ago and i love it

[foxlamper80 28]

cortland 444 they are hard to beat i would in use any thing else

[J Darcy 5,871]

I have used Hardy lines too with good results.... Not in the larger numbers but in the lighter ones. Maybe a bit cheaper if you need to save the cash.....

[Water Badger 26]

Cheers mate. I rang up sportfish for a bit of advice as well, they recomended a WF 7 airflow sixth sense Di3 medium sinker and a Guideline 4 Cast Dry line. I think as my casting is pretty mediocre they advised the WF lines rather than double taper. We tend to fish sinking flies like buzzers on the dry line that drop just below the surface. I'm fishing on friday so it will be interesting to see if the change in line makes any difference. If not I'll have to find something else to blame!!

with the air flow sixth senthes they have a no strech core this improves bite sensitivity especialy on buzzer fishing where takes can be realy gentle on a slow reterive. Air flow had a bad reputation years ago but i have had dealings with these new lines and they are good especialy the Di`s you would in my opinion be best with your WF on resivoirs you can be exposed to wind and other elements take all the help you can get your DT is for chalk streamS. atb

[consett lad 43]

Cheers mate. I rang up sportfish for a bit of advice as well, they recomended a WF 7 airflow sixth sense Di3 medium sinker and a Guideline 4 Cast Dry line. I think as my casting is pretty mediocre they advised the WF lines rather than double taper. We tend to fish sinking flies like buzzers on the dry line that drop just below the surface. I'm fishing on friday so it will be interesting to see if the change in line makes any difference. If not I'll have to find something else to blame!!

with the air flow sixth senthes they have a no strech core this improves bite sensitivity especialy on buzzer fishing where takes can be realy gentle on a slow reterive. Air flow had a bad reputation years ago but i have had dealings with these new lines and they are good especialy the Di`s you would in my opinion be best with your WF on resivoirs you can be exposed to wind and other elements take all the help you can get your DT is for chalk streamS. atb

i have just cut a sixth sense line up i didnt like it. The di lines are class tho

[Nik_B 3,790]

I've had a chance to use both the GuideLine 4 Cast dry and Sixth Sense Di 3 intermediate.

 

The guide line was very very nice to cast with. It has a belly near the end of the line which gives extra weight and then tapers off. It might be a bit heavy for presentation fishing dry flies but with my casting ability it is well matched and also works well with the rod.

 

The Sixth Sense Di3 wasn't as nice but maybe intermediate lines aren't. It did tend to get tangled more when I had a lot of line at my feet and made casting harder. It sank well, much faster than I expected it to. I used it at Pennine Fishery near Littleborough. The fish on that day were very deep, I fished most of the day with an orange and olive lure called a Dawsons Olive. In the first hour I had 2 fish on but lost and another 3 takes nipping at the tail of the fly. The line sank well and I fished a fairly quick retrieve. The middle of the day was quiet and then at 3:30 I caught my first fish. By 4pm most people were packing up but less than ten minutes later some cloud came over and the fish instantly surfaced to take flies and buzzers on the surface. I fished with the lure for a bit then switched to a floating line on my dads rod. Two takes but again the fish got away. When the sun came out the fish stopped surfacing. I went back to the lure on my Di3 and caught a very nice fish which looked around 6+ Lb. I was well pleased with than and saddly the day ended at 5pm when it was time to leave.

 

I'd like to try a different brand of intermediate just to see the difference.

 

All in all though I'm fairly happy with my purchase and the new lines has made a world of difference to my casting. Glad to bin those old ones!

[Water Badger 26]

Glad to hear you had a good day when the fish are just nipping at the tail try pinching the yail with one hand and tearing the tail feathers to a shorter length

[J Darcy 5,871]

Nik,the intermediates are meant to sink very slowly. I think if you try a different model then you may see a difference.

[sleepy_saluki 5]

i use a cortland clear 5ft sink tip line on still waters and the res it works really well

[J Darcy 5,871]

i use a cortland clear 5ft sink tip line on still waters and the res it works really well

 

I think my clear line may be a Cortland, must have a look. I have used sink tip years ago but i must confess to not being exactly "sold" on its benefits. On rivers it never seems to perform as good as a nice floater and on stillwaters i just think you get better presentation with either a slow sinker or a floater. That said, i havent used a modern one, and lines these days are in a different league to those from 20 years ago......

Tight Lines....JD