I know this is not a new question but there are alot of conflicting opinions on the subject of weight forword vs. double taper fly lines. I have always been a weight forward guy since I fish some larger warm water flies and have to contend with the south Texas winds. But I also fish some smaller flies at shorter distance and a good presentation is needed. Some say the double taper is the only way to go. What do you perfer and why?
I think there is probably still a good article in the archives here by Leon Chandler, who was Cortland’s ambassador to the fly fishing world. See if you can find it.
The gist of it, as I recall, was that you will normally have no difference in your casts until you get to a distance where the weight forward’s running line (the thin part) comes into play. I fish streams, so runnig line never comes into play for me. If I tried to fish at a distance where I was into my running line, I would not be able to get a good drift. So I buy DTs as they have the advantage of being able to be turned around on my reel when the first end gets worn out, thus doubling the effective life of my fly line.
Many catalogs will show you the profile of the lines they offer. If the line profile looks about the same for WF and DT at the distances you cast, I think DT is your best bet.
Weight Forward here. But they are the same at 30’…
I cast farther than 30’…LOL
I also know a lot of people that cut a DT in half and attach Amnesia so they get two lines…but, I prefer the thinner running line and like buy new line once in awhile. How else do you get to try out the new stuff.
I prefer double taper. Never actually did a scientific comparison to settle the argument within my own mind, so my opinion is just that. An opinion with no real basis for its existence.
Allan
Since I see no difference in how they cast, I prefer DT lines, so that when I wear out the business end, I can turn it around and fish it some more. I get twice as many fly lines as if I bought WFs.
I do see a difference in how they cast. Big difference for me. I prefer the smaller diameter running line, plus all the specialty lines are WF. Windcutter, Grand, Bass taper, Trout taper…etc.
Almost all of my lines are Weight Forward, either a standard WF fly line or a heavier WF nymphing line, plus some bass lines and spey lines, shooting head lines, sink tip lines, etc.
I do use a double taper line on my dry fly rod. I most likely don’t have to but in theory you get a better presentation for a dry fly with a double taper. Naturally, a lot of the presentation is determined on how I cast and I am not an expert caster, so like I said, it most likely doesn’t make a difference, but why not go with the double taper for dries.
Larry —sagefisher—
I would love to go fishing and do so with just dries. Sadly, on every outing I do end up adding a nymph at one point or another.
DT on the little mountain streams I fish here in the east; can’t remember the last time I had (or needed) more than 20’ of line out. I like the fact that once one end wears out I’ve got another line ready to go just by swapping; also like the way it roll casts. Out west I normally use a WF; bigger water, bigger flies, more wind. Last summer, I was playing around on the Madison one evening with a DT 4wt, wind stayed down, little caddis/epeorus were coming off, casts were short, so I stayed with it; ended up fishing it the whole week in the mornings & evenings, and the WF 6wt during the day with hoppers and bigger attractor dries.
Regards,
Scott
Out to 40 feet or so I find very little, if any, difference. 40 to 90 feet (pretty much my limit), WF is an absolute advantage. especially in shooting line. Some extreme distance casters like DT because they use the entire line as a shooting head. I have never seen this but I have heard it can be done. Only my small stream 4 and 3 wt have DT. I really don’t know why brcause I usually just buy a new line rather than switch ends. A new gizmo or a differend color, maybe. Maybe tradition too, I guess.
Bob
Bruce Richards, who knows a bit about fly lines, wrote the following two articles:
www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/dtvswf.php
www.danblanton.com/WFvsDT.html
Most of the line Manufactures publish the technical details and measurements of their line tapers on their websites and/or print catalogs. If you look up this material you will find that the front 30 to 40 of basic WF and DT lines are often the same, in which cases there is no difference in performance until you get into the back taper of the WF line.
Now there are many specialty tapers available that it is difficult to make a blanket statement that a WF or DT is better for presentation. For instance some DT lines have a longer front taper for more delicate presentations. But some WF lines do too. In my fishing I really haven’t found there to be a significant difference, the ability to make a good cast having a greater impact on presentation.
Hi Texfly,
This is one of those questions that you are never going to get agreement on. If you get thirty responses, there will be at least twenty differing opinions. So let me add my opinion and bring the total to 21 different points of views. I use WF on everything except my #1 weight rod because DT line came with that outfit and I’m a little afraid of stressing such a light system. Everything else I own from a #2 weight, all the way up to a pair on #9 weights is lined with WF line. If I find that I will need a more delicate cast, I adjust the cast itself. I decrease the power of the cast that I use, make sure that the line straightens out in the air before it drops on the water, and try to shorten the casting distance by carefully wading, bank creeping and general stealth (as much as an old, fat guy can muster). I don’t think that your ultimate choice of WF or DT will make all that much difference in your fishing success. I hope this helps—good luck! 8T 
My take on these lines is that the tapers incorporated in the designs are a bit oversold. I really can’t think of what can not be accomplished by an L line, a Level Taper along with a balanced leader to match whats on the end of the manufactured lines to produce a nice gentile extension and presentation.
One quality of a fly line I always looked for was that it float. The plastic lines float relative to the amount of air bubbles incorporated in the line, hence fatter line, more bubbles, thinner line less bubbles. As the line tapers there are fewer bubbles to float the line (the tips sink). A level line has no taper and the bubbles go to the tip to insure it’s float-ability. A plus. I think what’s bad about the WF is that it’s more dense at both ends and sinks at both ends, something I wasn’t after.
The question of weight distribution in a lines design occurred to me after switching from a DT to a WF when I was experimenting with streamers and skating flies. I made longer casts to the far bank in these experiments and was out past the normal 30 ft. range of the normal designs. The subtle rod tip movements I was able to give to the fly at distance with the DT were not possible with thin running line of the WF. The rod movements simply died in the thin running line. It was a disappointment. I was convinced the DT was the line for me. Really…in the air neither line made any difference to me. It was on the water, where controlling the line made it important.
In my opinion, I think that fly lines are designed basically for the Dry Fly fisherman on moving water that floats a #14 hackled fly on the surface with enough esses or curves in the end of the subtle line to provide a drag free float and the rest of the fly fishing community just has to work around it. So to my way of thinking that’s what your paying for and that’s the way it is.
PS: After you turn your DT around for the last time, don’t throw it away. Chop all the cracked taper off of it and use it with the blunt end that still has the life of the line left in it usually thought of as worthless and I’ll bet you really can’t tell the difference.
But by all means if you got the cash, buy a new fly-line, no biggy.
Absolutely my take. So heck with it, just get a Triangle Taper…LOL
I’m surprised to see any debate on this topic. It is really very simple for me. If your running line leaves your reel during your casting often or occasionally, WF is best for you. If your running line stays on your reel always or almost always, a DT will be more economical. The line that stays on your reel has absolutely no effect on your casting or fishing. It is not a matter of which is best in the absolute. It is a matter of which best fits your personal fishing needs.
I’m sure really good casters can see a difference by using some of the newer specialty tapers. Sadly, I am not a really good caster, so I can’t.
Happily, I can cast further than 30’. But I fish moving waters for trout almost exclusively and I can’t get good drifts with more than a 30’ cast. And I’m frugal. So a DT is best for me. It might not be best for you.
I’ve also discovered that I was disappointed by the performance or the value of the lines I have tried other than the Cortland Classic Peach 444, so I’m now loyal to this line. But I sure would not argue with somebody who has a line that fits them better. I might argue with a recommendation for a line that I know has huge memory problems when fished in cold weather, but not if that person intended to use that line in Louisiana.
FG, I thought you attached a sleek nymph every time you picked up fly rod.
Ed
Only about 98%…Love Dry Dropper, but did I tell you of the times I have doubled by using a dry as a dropper off another dry.
My dream is to land a Henry’s Hybrid on a dry off the lake…
I use primarily WF lines. The reason; I fish some streams and rivers that are wider than my casting distance, and those streams and rivers typically have some high winds. When I fish lakes, I also prefer WF lines because it’s typically tough to sneak up on a rising fish so I need longer casts. When I’m trolling behind my pontoon, it’s easier to cast most of the distance needed to get to the required depth to troll, rather than feed line out by hand.
Ding, ding.