The construction of fly lines took a huge leap forward when shortly after the second world war, manufacturers began to build lines with a level braided nylon core coated with plastic. The taper in the line is built into the coating, not into the core. With this technique, lines could be made that floated better […]
When I started fly fishing in 1955, fly lines were designated with a lettering system, beginning at A and running through I. The letter designation specified a diameter, with “A” being the largest diameter and “I” the smallest. This brought line designations up to par with leader “X” designations, each “X” representing a diameter (for […]
I occasionally get questions on old line designations, so in this post I want to discuss the old, old system of line sizing. Originally, silk lines were not designed by the weight standards that are in play today. Rather they were designated by a simple numbering system, 1, 2, 3, etc. Later the numbering system […]
What I didn’t mention earlier is that the monster brown John Beth caught was taken on a cane rod and silk line. This has become a tradition for John during the fall salmon and trout runs. I didn’t mention it because I wanted to give everyone a source for silk lines–just in case, you know. […]
Joshua asked about dull colored lines. During the fluorescent wave a few years back, I couldn’t find lines that weren’t so hot they melted the packaging they came in. So I started dying them dull colors. it’s easy to do. In fact, all one needs is Rit dye. Use 2 tsp. in 2 quarts of […]