As I checked the gear this spring getting the bigger bass rods ready, I noticed a #7 and a #8 are both cracked and badly worn. This is in addition to a #4 line that I’d already intended to replace as I had to cut the first 10 feet off the head it was so badly worn.
Now these weren’t chep lines, the #4 and #8 were SA Ultra4s and the #7 was a 555.
So I went online to you-know-where and priced out replacements. Huuhhhh wanah? Just short of $200 with shipping!!! What the freak?
That’s just crazy! I must be out of touch, but $60 for a fly line? I can’t do it. As Mrs. Grouse says, I may be cheap, but I make up for it by being really thrifty.
What are my choices for good value fly lines?
I cannot for a minute believe that there aren’t perfectly good WF lines out there for around $40 or less. There’s absolutely no way a plastic made-in-China-like-everything-else fly line should cost $60 and $200 for fly lines in one year is just crazytalk.
I’ve used Aquanova lines before and was pleasantly surprised. They are sold by Global Dorber and sell for $14.40 per line. Plus shipping I would imagine. Global Dorber is a sponsor here.
O.K. They are NOT cheap, but Airflo lines do not crack. They will however cost a bit more than $40.
I have tried cheaper lines and I have to say I am yet to try one that would last more than one season without cracking. The Hook and Hackle lines sound promising, has anyone had a high floater for more than a season or two?
All the best.
Mike.
Lets look at it this way…buy the best you can afford and it will last. Lines aren’t the place to cut corners. Cheap lines will give you cheap casting experiences.
With that said,
No one needs to spend too much for lines that can be purchased with some thought behind it. Take a look at Cabelas Prestege and Prestege plus.
Prestege plus is actually Scientific Angler but sells for $39.99 versus $65. for the SA.
Prestege is Cortland and it goes for $30.00
I don’t measure my lines by years but by the number of hours of usage on the water.
I myself buy the prestege plus and I get 200 hours plus from the line. Anything past 200 hours on a fly line is a gift from the trout gods. Anything less than that is cheap line,no matter what you paid for it.
I really like the Cortland 444 classic peach lines, but their prices have gone up quite a bit in recent years. The good news is that you can still get them on e-Bay for under $40 delivered to your door.
Sage fly lines are made by RIO. If you look around, you can find some closeout Sage Performance Taper II fly lines for $29.95 instead of $65. That’d be what I’d do first for budget fly lines. I had one on my 8wt for several years and it performed just fine.
OK, now we’re getting somewhere. I hadn’t heard anything good or bad about the Cabelas own brand lines, so that’s one thougth. Also, the Hook and Hackle lines are looking interesting.
Interesting to hear about Cabelas lines being made by SA, but it just confirms my suspicion that prices have risen beyond what can be justified by any tiny “improvements” that have been made. Most of my lines are dying from what I believe is just wear and tear, beause all the damage is in the first 20 or so feet. Those factors considered, I can’t justify spending $60+ on lines that give me nothing more than I got 5+ years ago for 30% less.
If I were a competition caster, I’d pay more attention to lines, but, since I’m not and usually fish subsurface, I get the least expensive lines offered by well known purveyors.
I have heard, but cannot confirm, that H&H “Hi-Floater” lines are Cortland 444 “peach” lines in an olive-colored disguise.
I do know that I’ve bought and fished several 444 Peach lines in the past and the H&H line is very, very similar in characteristics.
H&H lines…No question at all. I will replace my Airflo, Rio and SA lines with it when I need to. I tested them head to head last year. IMO, they are that good.