Am I correct in thinking the first 30 ft of fly line that is to be the same for each weight includes the taper?
I’ve been marking some lines and note that at 30 ft there is still maybe 8 to 10 ft of the weight forward section toward the reel???
redacted,.,
It’s the first 30’ exclusive of level tip. This was put into the specs, I imagine, because back in 1962 it was common for manufacturers to leave a substantial length of level tip so that users could trim it back to suit their own casting style. Some English silk lines had as much as 12’ of level tip.
So, suspend the level tip and don’t weigh it. Don’t worry about weighing only 30’ of line; that length was a rational choice in that most stream fishermen need no more than 30’ of line beyond the rod tip. With a 9’ leader, plus 30’ of line, plus 9’ of rod, less 2’ for catenary, you are reaching a rise 46’ away. JMO
Speak for yourself. :lol:
Thanks omw…I had this in to Cortland and here is the reply…
"Thank you for your e-mail requesting information. The weight of our fly lines is determined by the first 30 feet of the line minus the tip. This includes the front taper.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Again, thank you for contacting the Cortland Line Company, Inc."
and here’s what Rio said…
“Hello- Thanks for your email. The weight includes the taper but the
level tip is excluded from the total 30ft weight.
I hope this info helps, please email back if you have anymore questions.”
Two companies agreed? Amazing!
That is the value of having a standard. Unfortunately, that is the only one that fly fishing has.
OK ! Now I know how much line I am to measure and where to start end end the measurement. What weight am I supposed to get for each weight line?
Well not exactly… the weight you ask about is out there on many web sites…
but I’m not finding the manufactures specifically stating what their tapers or tips are …splitting hairs… but if I wanted to weigh the first 30ft they don’t say how much tip to ignore???
The LEVEL tip ignore…THEN measure 30’
Some vary the length of this portion (the level portion) for various reasons.
…lee s.
I understand that but I’m not finding them say how long that level section is on any particular line…I can generally feel the changes [thickness] but they tend to be so gradual it’s hard to tell…of course one can mic it…this is such a trivial point it hardly seems worth it…but if it’s worth doing it’s worth doing well…just read that some where 
You will find the info here under AFTMA Fly Line Standards…
Ducksterman: Thanks for the site. Had it but didn’t know it!!!
PopnesetBay
Pete Readel
Actually, I’ve weighed a bunch of fly lines lately. For what it is worth…
The tip section length is often given on the box or company website. Usually it is 6" for a WF and 12" for a DT. I’ve found the tip sections weigh 2-6 grains.
I use a little digital scale that measures directly in grains. Because little digitals can struggle with very light weights, I weigh the tip section by difference. I place something on the scale and note the weight. I plunk the tip section on top, note the weight, and do the math. For the line weight I measure off 30’ of line (plus tip), weigh the line, and subtract the tip weight.
Most fly lines were very close to their marked AFTMA size. Every DT line I checked was within specification. But one new WF line, from a box clearly marked “weighted heavier”, was well into the tolerance for the next line size.
If all this sounds like too much effort, you’re right. Don’t bother with the science. Just read the box and use 'em.
Tom
Thanks Tom. I have long agreed with your results. For some odd reason there are folks who just must impress everyone with their wisdom, like how much the fly line makers lie about line weights. I never really understood their reasons for doing that. Might make them feel superior and important maybe. Dunno…
Wow,
You gentlemen are FLYFISHERMEN in fact. If you care THAT much about this subject, you’re demonstrating an interest in the passion FAR greater than mine. My fly lines are blue ,creme, grey and orange and that’s ALL I know and I’ve been fly fishing for over a million years.
Mark
Must be the same guys who count the hooks in a package of 100.
This has intrigued me ever since someone… maybe at least a year ago… posted about weighing and reported one of his lines as being two weights heavier than labeled…I’d think that could screw thing up :roll:
Mark, I’m inclined to like my blue flylines that I got from LL Bean the best and I think I’ve been fly fishing for about half again as long as you.
Was that you at the edge of the glacier 1,599,98 BC ? I think it was somewhere around what is now Prophets Town…wait…or was it Bishop Hill? I remember thinking, 'now where did that flyfisher find graphite in this epoch?
Cheers,
MontanaMoose