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)
↑ 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, thin rod used by anglers to catch fish by manipulating a line ending in a hook. At its most basic form, a fishing rod is a straight rigid stick/pole with a line attached to one end ; however, modern rods are usually elastic and generally have the line stored in a reel mounted at the rod handle, which is hand-cranked and controls the line retrieval, as well as numerous line-restricting rings that distribute bending stress along the rod and help dampening down/prevent line whipping and entanglement. To better entice fish, baits or lures are dressed onto the one or more hooks attached to the line, and a bite indicator is used, some of which might be incorporated as part of the rod itself.
A fishing reel is a hand-cranked reel used in angling to wind and stow fishing line, typically mounted onto a fishing rod, but may also be used to retrieve a tethered arrow when bowfishing.
A fishing line is a flexible, high-tensile cord used in angling to tether and pull in fish, in conjunction with at least one hook. Fishing lines are usually pulled by and stored in a reel, but can also be retrieved by hand, with a fixed attachment to the end of a rod, or via a motor.
Fly fishing is an angling technique that uses an ultra-lightweight lure called an artificial fly, which typically mimics small invertebrates such as flying and aquatic insects to attract and catch fish. Because the mass of the fly lure is insufficient to overcome air resistance, it cannot be launched far using conventional gears and techniques, so specialized tackles are used instead and the casting techniques are significantly different from other forms of angling. It is also very common for the angler to wear waders, carry a hand net, and stand in the water when fishing.
Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techniques such as handlining also exist. Modern angling rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a cranking device for storing, retrieving and releasing out the line, although Tenkara fishing and traditional cane pole fishing are two rod-angling methods that do not use any reel. The fish hook itself can be additionally weighted with a denser tackle called a sinker, and is typically dressed with an appetizing bait to attract and entice the fish into swallowing the hook, but sometimes an inedible fake/imitation bait with multiple attached hooks is used instead of a single hook with edible bait. Some type of bite indicator, such as a float, a bell or a quiver tip, is often used to relay underwater status of the hook to the surface and alert the angler of a fish's presence.
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival and livelihood.
A fishing lure is any one of a broad category of artificial angling baits that are inedible replicas designed to mimic prey animals that attract the attention of predatory fish, typically via appearances, flashy colors, bright reflections, movements, vibrations and/or loud noises which appeal to the fish's predation instinct and entice it into gulping the lure. Angling activities using lures are known as lure fishing.
A fish hook or fishhook, formerly also called angle, is a hook used to catch fish either by piercing and embedding onto the inside of the fish mouth (angling) or, more rarely, by impaling and snagging the external fish body. Fish hooks are normally attached to a line, which tethers the target fish to the angler for retrieval, and are typically dressed with some form of bait or lure that entices the fish to swallow the hook out of its own natural instinct to forage or hunt.
Monofilament fishing line is fishing line made from a single fiber of plastic material, as opposed to multifilament or braided fishing lines constructed from multiple strands of fibers. Most fishing lines are now nylon monofilament because they are cheap to produce and can be produced in a range of diameters which have different tensile strengths. Monofilament line is also manufactured in different colors, such as clear, white, green, blue, red, and fluorescent.
In angling, casting is the act of the angler throwing the bait and hook as well as other attached terminal tackles out over the water, typically by slinging a fishing line manipulated by a long, elastic fishing rod. The term itself may also be used for setting out a net when artisanal fishing.
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 in fishing can be called fishing tackle, examples being hooks, lines, baits/lures, rods, reels, floats, sinkers/feeders, nets, spears, gaffs and traps, as well as wires, snaps, beads, spoons, blades, spinners, clevises and tools that make it easy to tie knots.
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.
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 fishing is a type of simple rod angling traditionally practiced in Japan. Primarily used for mountain stream trout fishing, tenkara is still a fairly rare method even among freshwater anglers in Japan, and was largely unknown outside Japan until 2009, when the company Tenkara USA, founded by Daniel Galhardo, introduced and popularized tenkara outside Japan.
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.
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
