I clean every fly line I use after each outing using the method recommended by the manufacturer. In most cases I use Ivory soap & water, followed with a light dressing of Poo Goo which is what Rio recommends for the lines I use most often. I tried this cleaning regime on my Sylk with results that faded in short order necessitating re-dressing.
With all due respect to the fans of Zip Cast, Glide or Agent X, I kinda figure that if Cortland packages the Sylk with a little cleaning pad, (which they do), that the cleaning pad would be the optimum thing to use on the Sylk line to keep it working the way it is supposed to. So I gave that a whirl as well and the result were the same…
…it was a great line as long as it wasn’t a really hot day and I didn’t plan on fishing for more than an hour or so which made it hardly worth owning for me.
A very interesting discussion and most informative.
I would have to give the Cortland Sylk a thumbs down for all of the reasons previously posted by others. In the heat of summer the line became so sticky it required a real effort just to strip line off the reel. Could not keep the first few feet afloat.
In my opinion, its only pro is its color, which is cosmetically agreeable with bamboo.
I have a #6-WFF Sylk line and it’s ok…just ok. On my line the first few inches of the tip sink, period. I’ve never fished it in really hot weather so I can’t comment on that. IMO I don’t believe it is anywhere near as good a line as Hook & Hackles.
More often than not I fish one of two Thebault silk lines or a new Terenzio silk line and I much prefer them to any plastic line I’ve used on my bamboo rods. I don’t mind the maintenance because in reality it’s quite minimal. To me the break in of the silk lines was more frustrating than the maintenance is. But then one has to bear in mind that I MUCH prefer doing things in the old ways. I haven’t fished graphite or glass in over 4 years or hunted with other than a flintlock in 6 years. I’m just glad there are so many of us doing so many things in so many different ways!! We can all learn!
