Has anyone used it, is it any good.
Thanks for the help,
Joe
It is pretty nice for working short distances with big flies. I have one in an eight weight, but replaced it with a Scientific Anglers Expert Distance, as I spend a lot of time bank fishing a lot of local ponds that won’t allow water craft. The Expert distance is exceptionally good at turning over big flies at both short and long distances, in my opinion.
If you’re not going to be making a lot of long casts, the Clouser Line should work out.
I just bought one for my 6 wt. A Friend highly recommended it for local stream smallmouth fishing where we usually wade. We’ll see how it works out.
-wayne
I have one, a tropical version, and have found it to be very good at both short and long distances. I also have a Rio Mainstream Saltwater line, which is based on the same taper, and also found it to be exceptional. These have become my standard warmwater lines for 8 through 10 wt lines. My first usage for both of these lines was making presentations with large weighted flies and 60-90 foot distances in the tropics. I now use them for bass fishing closer to home.
The Mainstream Saltwater line even works well in cooler weather if given a little stretching before fishing. I have found the tropical line to work well during the summer here (Southern California) and in the spring and fall on the lower Colorado river where it gets quite hot.
Thanks for the info, looking for a line that will smooth out the weighted fly bump without opening up my loop so much. What else would be good for big and heavy bass flys on an 8 weight?
Again, thanks for all the information
Joe
The flyline choice won’t completely eliminate that kick you get from a weighted fly, though it will help. One way to help eliminate that bump or jump when the back cast straightens out is to start your forward cast just before the line and leader straightens out behind you - you would start your cast when the line looks like a “J” on its side. I picked this up when learning to cast heavy flies with leadcore shooting heads, then later saw it described in print by Lefty Kreh, Ed Jawaroski, Dan Blanton, and others. This casting technique as allowed me to eliminate that unpleasant kick even with a standard weight forward line, though I still find it more pleasant to cast such offerings with one of the specialty taper lines.
The shorter front taper on the specialty lines like bass, pike, and Clouser tapers will help turn the fly and leader over for a better presentation. I find the Clouser taper lines, including the Mainstream Saltwater, to do this better with weighted flies than a standard bass taper.
That Rio Mainstream Saltwater line is a really good economical choice at $35 as is the Rio Mainstream Bass line.
I have also used several Scientific Anglers and Cortland bass taper lines and find that they help also but my current favorites, based on function and price, are the Rio Mainstream lines.
I have a Coldwater Clouser line for my 8-wt St. Croix, which is a fast (stiff) rod. I am not a particularly good caster (see “understatement”) but I have found that, WITH THE RIGHT LEADER, it will reliably turn over BIG streamers and popping bugs. Some of the streamers that I have been able to cast with it are bigger and heavier than a Mepps spinner in size 0. I am certainly not saying that other lines won’t serve you as well, or even better, but I feel very comfortable with that line on that rod.
Ed
I am no expert caster, but having used 2 Clouser lines, I love it on a fast rod, but I had some difficulty with it on a softer rod. It’s just me, I’m sure, but figured I would throw that in.
Mike
The rod I have is a White River cv2, 9’ 8 weight. I would say the action is medium, the line that is on it now is a standard WF. Thanks again guys,
Joe
Hey Joe,
My primary fishing involves Lake Hartwell in South Carolina. It’s a huge, deep, man-made impoundment with lots of shoreline cover and deep cover in the form of standing, submerged trees. I fish primarily for brim and LMB but stripers and hybrids are also frequent possibilities. Large flies and heavily weighted flies are often required. Most of my old, bass-boat buddies had a saying that big bass wanted big lures. I believe the same holds true for flies. If you fish large or heavy flies, you can’t beat the Clouser Line. I have the cold-water variety on both of my nine weights, on my six weight and, yes, even on my four weight. The Clouser line does just what it claims to do. It handles big flies very well in terms of both control and added casting distance. Clouser lines—don’t leave home without them. 8T 
I have it on 4wt, 6wt, and 8wt rods. I like for warm water fishing.