I am looking for a fly line that has the greatest ability to “lose it’s memory”. Some of the still waters that I fish have fish that just sip the midge and spit it out before I am able to get the slack line moved to set the hook.
What line do you folks use? I try to keep the slack out but my current line insists on not lying straight on the water.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Dick xfishcop
Of all the lines I’ve tried, the Sylk line has the least memory.
About the only line I’ve had that didn’t respond well to a good stretching prior to fishing was a Cortland Laser.
Regards,
Scott
Airflo- urethane, rather than PVC construction. I’ve had more problems with leaders, Any movement in the line is usually enough to set the hook with small midges. Unlike fishing dries in current, where some slack is great for a perfect drift, stillwater is better approached with a straight leader and tippet. Make sure you’re getting good turnover, and the first thing I do when the fly lands is use a hand twist to get the slack out. In lots of stillwater situations, the problem is waiting for the fish to actually turn down and close its mouth. Very easy to pull it away at the first sign of surface disturbance near your fly. I’d suggest using flurocarbon tippet, if you’re not already. If they are just bumping the fly, change to an emerger and keep it high up by greasing the tippet to within a foot of the fly. I’ve had lots of practice just south (and NW) of you, my friend, hope you are blessed with lots of success.
Charlie
A quality silk line (as in real silk) has virtually no memory once it is well broken in. But that can take quite awhile in some cases. Phoenix silk lines are the lone exception to this (in my limited experience thus far) and are ready to go right out of the box. But you pay for that level of finish.
Aside from real silk, my experience (in cold water fisheries) is that all of the plastic lines will retain some memory, but I’ve had good luck with the Cortland Sylk lines (which Lotech suggested), and the Rio Trout LT lines. The S/A Supra lines also seem to be a pretty good line in this regard, and are a bit less expensive.
Having offered that, I’m not sure a different line is the solution to your problem. My guess is the line you have is likely to be adequate if you are getting the fish to “sip the midge”. I think all of us have fish that can frustrate us in this regard. But for me, improving my abilities, and developing techniques to overcome the angling challenges I face is probably the real solution to them. Despite the fact that I often buy another piece of equipment in search of the answer. Whether it be a different fly, or a whole new rod, reel, and line. Oh, and don’t forget a new furled leader, and…
—David
Of all the lines I have personally used, Cortland 444 classic (peach) has the least memory. Of all the lines that I have cast and looked at, Snowbee line has the least memory. In fact I would say it had no memory and is what I will most likely purchase for my next line.
Upon reflection, I fished with a WF5F Peach line this last weekend and it performed flawlessly. Except for the occasional wind problems, it laid the fly out perfectly. By the way, that line is somewhere between 8-10 years old and it floated like a cork.
I think one of the lines with the least amount of memory is the SA Mastery XPS WF and DT line. Not sure if they still offer them. They are very soft and really a specialty line for gentle presentations of DRY flies. For a good general purpose line that retains Low memory, is true to the line weight, and not overly agressive, I go to my Cortland 444 Peach lines, and SA Ultra III/IV and/or Supra lines. These are some of the best value fly lines IMHO.
aa
Every fly line I’ve ever used had memory after being on the spool overnight.
On all but one of them (an off brand ‘new design’ clear mono line that I was asked to 'test") a simple stretching took the memory away. That applies to everything from Sharkskins to $9.99 reduced to $5 clearance lines I’ve found at WalMart.
If your line still has memory after you stretch it then I’d try changing lines. If you aren’t stretching it every time out, that could be your problem.
Buddy
Thanks for all of the responses.
I do stretch the line as I pull it off the reel. The line I was using the other day at Pyramid Lake wanted to keep its “kinks”. I even went back to the beach and had a friend hold the end while I stretched the length of line I was casting. Still a little memory. Fishing an indicator and zebra type midges.
I guess that I goofed when I posted that the fish just “sip” the midge. I was refering to fishing a very slow moving run/hole in clear water using an indicator and midges. I could see the fish open their mouth and the indicator didn’t even twitch. Set on the fish movement and connected. I guess that I was hoping that someone had the “ideal” set up. Silly me.
I will try a Cortland 444 for my next line purchase. Anybody know who makes Cabela’s Prestige lines?
Thanks for all of your comments.
Dick xfishcop
A big ditto on the 444. I don’t fish when the air temperature gets below about 35. The 444 is the only line I’ve found that works well when it is that cold.
I have been told that SA makes Cabela’s lines. I use several Cabela’s Prestige Plus lines, and have used several SA Mastery (and other) lines. I find the Cabela’s lines to be every bit as good, and even better sometimes, than much more expensive brand name lines. My last several fly line purchases have been Cabela’s lines. In fact I only look at other brands when I want something that Cabela’s doesn’t offer, such as fast full sinking lines. (last I looked, anyhow.)
All of my fly lines are still in “good as new”, after 10 years or more of fly fishing.
After each day of fly fishing I wash the line in soapy water and rinse the line in clean water, and then dry it as I wind the line back on the reel. I also clean the reels, removing anything picked up when fishing.
Once I month I use the wax pads for recoating the surface of the fly line.
Winter storage I take the line off the reel, and hang in on a peg in large loops.
~Parnelli
[QUOTE=.
I will try a Cortland 444 for my next line purchase. Anybody know who makes Cabela’s Prestige lines?
Thanks for all of your comments.
Dick xfishcop[/QUOTE]
Actually two different companies make that.
Prestege is made by Cortland
Prestege plus is made by SA.
Two different companies and two different lines. Stay with the plus.
Randy
Buy Airflo and you don’t have to bother streching the line!
I can’t remember if mine coil or not… 