The earliest fly lines were typically of a fixed length of eight to ten feet and constructed of horsehair. Long strands of horsehair from horse tails were woven to construct a tapered line of typically two strands at the tip and some 40 strands at the butt. Fixed length horsehair lines were the norm well into the 17th century and the hair from a stallion was the preferred material.[1] Until the 19th century, fly lines were being made with woven silk which replaced horsehair as the material of choice. By the 19th century, fly lines were longer and called running lines that were stored on a fly reel and cast through guides on a fly rod.
By the late 19th century, fly lines were still being constructed with silk but were braided instead of woven. Braiding created a hollow core which improved flotation. Nylon, invented by Dupont and in the 1930s found it way into fly line manufacturing in the late 1940s. Braided Nylon fly lines were cheaper than silk but suffered from their tendency to stretch when wet. In the post-WWII era, Dacron also known as polyester, became the material of choice for braided fly lines. Braided Dacron fly lines floated well and were lighter, more durable and cheaper to manufacture than silk lines. In 1952, the Cortland Line Company pioneered the use of vinyl to coat braided cores creating the first plastic coated fly lines that are the mainstream today. Throughout the last half of the 20th century, plastic fly line technology facilitated all manner of fly line innovation to address fly fishing for cold-water, warm-water and saltwater species globally. The most recent innovation in fly line materials came in 2007 when Scientific Anglers introduced textured fly lines. Texturing the surface of the plastic coated fly lines reduced friction improving casting distance and line pickup.[2]
Fly line buoyancy
Fly lines are designed to float (F) or sink (S). Floating lines generally designed with positive buoyancy for their entire length. Some fly lines have both a sinking section at the tip and a floating running line (F/S). Sinking lines can be fast sinking or slow sinking generally have a specified sink rate in inches per second. Floating fly lines are created by embedding minute air bubbles in the plastic coating around the core. Sinking fly lines or sinking sections of fly lines created by embedding minute particles of tungsten or other heavy metal in the plastic coating.[3]
Fly line sizes and weights
In the 1930s, the National Association of Accuracy Casting Competition (NAACC) established size standards for fly lines based on the diameter of the woven silk lines. The standard was alphabetical with A being the largest and I being the smallest. Tapered fly lines were designated with multiple letters, i.e. HDH which indicated it was a double tapered (DT) line.
NAACC Official Standard Table of Fly Line Calibrations with Letter Designations, Maximum Permissible Tolerances, and Maximum Permissible Average Deviations[4]
Letter Size
Nominal Diameters in 1000th of an Inch
I
.022
H
.025
G
.030
F
.035
E
.040
D
.045
C
.050
B
.055
A
.060
AA
.065
AAA
.070
AAAA
.075
AAAAA
.080
Notes
1. Sizes larger than 5A shall be specified only by diameter in thousandths of an inch.
2. The maximum permissible tolerance, plus or minus, shall be one-half of the difference the nominal diameter and nominal diameters of adjacent sizes or 2 1/2 one thousandths on all letter sizes except I and I to H 1 1/2 one thousandths.
3. The maximum permissible deviation throughout the length of the line shall not exceed one thousandth of one inch, plus and/or minus.
The advent of lighter Dacron and vinyl coated fly lines rendered the NAACC alphabetic size standard problematic. It was conceived when most all fly lines were braided silk and one manufacturer’s HDH line was similar in performance to another’s. Fly rod manufacturers had confidence in recommending a specific size fly line for their rods and that any silk line with that designation would perform well regardless of brand. However, it was the weight of the fly line that really mattered, not the size and the lighter synthetic lines performed differently than silk lines of the same size. This caused confusion for consumers and fly rod manufacturers. In 1960, after several years of collaboration between casting experts, rod and line manufacturers and industry media, the American Fly Fishing Tackle Association approved a weight standard for fly lines that persists today. The standard establishes a numbering system of fly lines from 1 to 15, with 1 being the lightest. The standard establishes the desired weight in grains or grams for the first thirty feet of fly line minus any level tip. [5]
Fly lines are designed for compatibility with fly rods of specific actions and recommended line weights. Dimensions of fly line tapers vary widely to meet the needs of different casting situations, rod types, fly selection and target species. Although there is no industry standard naming convention, most fly line manufacturers use: Taper-weight-buoyancy to identify any given line. Example: WF-5-F would indicate a weight forward taper, a line recommended for a 5 weight rod and a floating line. Some fly lines, especially heavier sinking fly lines and sink-tip line are merely identified by their grain weight, i.e. WF- 150 gr. (grain) - S. . Common fly line terms include:
Tip - the section of fly line (if any) just in front of the front taper.
Front taper - the section of fly that tapers from the tip to the beginning of the belly
Belly — the level section between the front taper and the rear taper
Running line - the level section of line from the rear taper to the end or butt of the fly line
Loop - Some modern fly lines have loops built-in to the tip and/or butt to facilitation the connection of leaders and backing
Sink-tip - A fly line where only the tapered portion of the fly line is designed to sink
Sink-rate - The nominal rate at which the line will sink in inches per second.
Sink-rates are usually expressed as Types 1-6 in either numerals or Roman numerals with the lowest number being the slowest sink rates. However there is no industry standard for fly line sink-rates and one manufacturers rates may be different than another’s for the same type rating. [7]
Fly line manufacturers and brands
(Year founded)
Historic (now defunct or no longer producing/selling fly lines) [8]
Ashaway (1824)
Gudebrod, Inc (1870)
U.S. Line Company (mid-1800s)
Western Fishing Line Company (c. 1930)
Sunset (1932)
Hall Line Corporation (1821)
Rain-Beau (1821)
Weber (1868)
Bevin Wilcox (1919)
Norwich Line Company (S.A. Jones Line Company (1930)
↑ Johnson, Victor R. "The Modern Line-Early 1960s Through the Early 1990s". America's Fly Lines-The Evolution of the Modern Fly Line from Its Horsehair and Silk Beginnings. Vallejo, CA: EP Press. pp.116–118. ISBN0974053104.
↑ Johnson, Victor R. "The U.S. Fly Line Industry: 1800-WWII". America's Fly Lines-The Evolution of the Modern Fly Line from Its Horsehair and Silk Beginnings. Vallejo, CA: EP Press. pp.23–91. ISBN0974053104.
↑ Johnson, Victor R. "Scientific Anglers". America's Fly Lines-The Evolution of the Modern Fly Line from Its Horsehair and Silk Beginnings. Vallejo, CA: EP Press. pp.121–127. ISBN0974053104.
↑ Johnson, Victor R. "Specialty Lines". America's Fly Lines-The Evolution of the Modern Fly Line from Its Horsehair and Silk Beginnings. Vallejo, CA: EP Press. pp.142–144. ISBN0974053104.
Trolling is a method of fishing where one or more fishing lines, baited with lures or bait fish, are drawn through the water. This may be behind a moving boat, or by slowly winding the line in when fishing from a static position, or even sweeping the line from side-to-side, e.g. when fishing from a jetty. Trolling is used to catch pelagic fish such as salmon, mackerel and kingfish.
A fishing rod is a long, flexible rod used by fishermen to catch fish. At its simplest, a fishing rod is a simple stick or pole attached to a line ending in a hook. The length of the rod can vary between 2 and 50 feet. To entice fish, bait or lures are impaled on one or more hooks attached to the line. The line is generally stored on a reel which reduces tangles and assists in landing a fish.
A fishing reel is a cranking reel attached to a fishing rod used in winding and stowing fishing line.
A fishing line is a cord used or made for angling. Fishing lines generally resemble a long, thin string, and vary in material. Important attributes of a fishing line include length, material, weight, and thickness. Other factors relevant to certain fishing environments include breaking strength, knot strength, UV resistance, castability, limpness, stretch, abrasion resistance, and visibility. Most modern lines are made from nylon, braided polymers, or silk.
Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting. The flies may resemble natural invertebrates, baitfish, or other food organisms.
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing, is fishing for pleasure or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival.
A fishing lure is a type of artificial fishing bait which is designed to attract the attention of predatory fish, using prey-like appearances, movements, vibrations, bright reflections and flashy colors to appeal to the fish's predation instinct and entice it into striking. Many lures are equipped with one or more hooks that anchor into the fish's mouth when it bites and swallows the lure. Some hookless lures are placed to bait the fish nearer so it can can be impaled with a spear or be captured by hand. Most lures are attached to the end of a fishing line and have various styles of hooks attached to the body and are designed to elicit a strike resulting in a hookset. Many lures are commercially made, but some are hand made such as fishing flies. Hand-tying fly lures to match the hatch is considered a challenge by many amateur entomologists.
In angling, casting is the act of throwing bait or a lure using a fishing line out over the water using a flexible fishing rod. The usual technique is for the angler to quickly flick the rod from behind toward the water. The term may also be used for setting out a net.
Horsehair is the long hair growing on the manes and tails of horses. It is used for various purposes, including upholstery, brushes, the bows of musical instruments, a hard-wearing fabric called haircloth, and for horsehair plaster, a wallcovering material formerly used in the construction industry and now found only in older buildings.
Fishing tackle is the equipment used by anglers when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used for fishing can be called fishing tackle. Some examples are hooks, lines, sinkers, floats, rods, reels, baits, lures, spears, nets, gaffs, traps, waders and tackle boxes.
A fishing float is an item of angling equipment. Usually attached to a fishing line, it can serve several purposes. Firstly, it can suspend the bait at a predetermined depth; secondly, due to its buoyancy, it can carry the baited hook to otherwise inaccessible areas of water by allowing the float to drift in the prevailing current; and thirdly, a float also serves as a visual bite indicator. Fishing with a float is sometimes called float fishing.
Fly rod building is the art of constructing a fly fishing rod to match the performance desires of the individual angler. Fly rods are usually made of graphite or cane poles. There are several commercial manufacturers of fly rods, including Echo, Hardy, Zephrus, G. Loomis, Orvis, Reddington, Sage, Scott, St. Croix, Temple Fork Outfitters, and R. L. Winston; however, many individuals make fly rods for personal pleasure or profit.
A bamboo fly rod or a split cane rod is a fly fishing rod that is made from bamboo. The British generally use the term "split cane." In the U.S., most use the term "bamboo." The "heyday" of bamboo fly rod production and use was an approximately 75-year period from the 1870s to the 1950s when fiberglass became the predominant material for fly rods. Nevertheless, bamboo fly rods made from skilled makers continue to be 'state-of-the-art' in performance and are cherished and revered by their owners.
Braided line was one of the earliest types of fishing line, and in its modern incarnations it is still very popular in some situations because of its high knot strength, lack of stretch, and great overall power in relation to its diameter. Braids were originally made from natural fibers such as cotton and linen, but natural fiber braids have long since been replaced by braided or woven fibers of a man-made materials like Dacron, Spectra or micro-dyneema into a strand of line. Braided fishing lines have low resistance to abrasion, sharp objects can easily cut braided line. Their actual breaking strength will commonly well exceed their pound-test rating.
Fishing techniques are methods for catching fish. The term may also be applied to methods for catching other aquatic animals such as molluscs and edible marine invertebrates.
Fly fishing tackle comprises the fishing tackle or equipment typically used by fly anglers. Fly fishing tackle includes:
Tenkara fly fishing is a simple type of fishing practiced in Japan. Primarily used for mountain stream trout fishing, tenkara is still a fairly rare method of angling among fresh-water mountain anglers in Japan. Most use bait.
Scientific Anglers is a fly fishing company specializing in a variety of fly fishing tackle products. Scientific Anglers is noted for the invention of PVC coated floating fly line and continued innovations in fly line cores and coatings. Scientific Anglers's products currently include a variety of lines, fly boxes, reels, and fly fishing educational materials.
A furled leader is a type of knotless tapered fly fishing leader. It is known for high performance, low memory, and soft artificial fly presentation when casting. These attributes are due to the way these leaders are constructed which is similar to creating rope. The big difference is that furled leaders are created with a taper. The twisted style of construction and being made from many filaments leads to a flexible leader with low to no memory like a section of rope.
The wacky rig is a skill technique used for fishing with a soft plastic lure, such as the Gary Yamamoto 'Senko'. Notable for its unique action even among soft lures, wacky style is used to heighten the chance at catching finicky fish on harsh days, although at the expense of lowering the chances of very large fish, because the size of the bait is very small, allowing bass of all sizes to take the bait. Unlike the Texas rig and Carolina rig, both sides of the wacky rig flutter, creating a more natural action. The name comes from its unusual style of attaching a plastic worm through the middle of the body instead of on one end.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Typical Level (L) Fly Line Profile
Typical Double Taper (DT) Fly Line Profile
Typical Weight Forward (WF) Fly Line Profile
