fly lines losing it's effectiveness?

[bwagner]

Ok....my current line is an old Cortland wf4f that I've had for a while(3-4yrs.). I use glide regularly, and clean it frequently after fishing(though not every time), but it's seeming to lose it's slickness lately. I'm only a beginner, but I think his line should be retired, whats the average life expectancy of the lower end lines such as mine?

[ducksterman]

Mine last a long time but they spend relatively little time in the water...I think you need to tell the folks how much they are used and perhaps what model is "low end". Good question I've wondered the same....think I tend to use mine too long.

[lee s]

"seeming to loose it's slickness lately"

Have you checked your guides lately?

[oldfrat]

Talk your significant other out of a pair of panty hose. Run a piece of the "nylon" part through your guides to see if there are any friction points.

Get some of the cleaning pads. Cortland makes good ones. Use them and see what happens.

If the guides are fine and the pads don't work, get a DT next time. You can just switch ends around when you hit this problem again. In the past year I have become a big fan of Cortland peach 444s in DT.

Dear bwagner,

It's a good idea to check your guides, but frankly most flylines last for about 400 to 500 hours of use.

Flylines used to last a lot longer, but once manufacturer's figured out they could whack you $ 60.00 for a fly line they had to figure out a way to make them self-destruct faster.

Regards,
Tim Murphy

[1wt]

I replace almost all of mine every year, but I fish every day also. On some of the rods that I don't use as often, I'll replace the line every 2 years, or whenever the line quits.

And yes, my lines get cleaned and treated after every use.

[ducksterman]

JC,
Would you elaborate...

If a line after "several" years of use..however often...shows evidence of cracks... doesn't float well [a floating line of course]... and doesn't glide through smooth ferrules as well...what is the cause of that?....old age...deteriation of a product [pretty much the same as old age]...a flawed product....poor care...just worn out [old age again perhaps]...
Are you saying you are using lines for 35 years that function as well as when they were new????

I'm not trying to argumentative here....I honestly am wondering .....

[billknepp]

Try also cleaning and polishing your rod and it's guides also if you fish alot it is possible to wear through the pvc coating right down to the braided core, Have done this many times,I've used and like Glide dressing, Allow time for it to dry and give the line a good buffing after it has, Gives the best results with glide...Just some thoughts, I clean Line,Reel and rod after each and every outing,Amazeing how much crud can build up after just a few hours on the water!...Preticularly on lakes.

------------------
"I've often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before" A.K.Best

Everyone wants to excel in this sport but at the same time we let traditionalists place restrictions on our tactics, methods, and ideas. I always assumed that fly fishing was a sport that allowed imagination, creation, adaptation, investigation, dedication, education, revelation? : Fox Statler, On Spinners (Not the dainty Dry Fly kind) "Spinner'd Minner Fly"

"Wish ya great fishing"

Bill

[1wt]

I don't have any further comment really. I just wanted to tell Bill that I really like his signature quotes. Those are good ones, by a couple of the best (no pun intended) in the business!

[billknepp]

I think the BEST Sig. belongs to RW....That one just hits it dead on,Wish a certian person would take note of it and give it some thought....But prolly never happen..... Thanks for taking the time to read em,They are deffinitely fav's of mine that jumped out at me while reading them...