Fly line for a beginner

[bartdezwaan]

If you get to choose, which fly line would you use for a beginner or not proficient caster?

I was at an Orvis demo, a couple of weeks ago, and most people I saw where not able to cast the rods well.
One line that was used had a belly length of close to 50ft and the rear taper was 10ft.
I quite liked the combi. The people I asked dit not like it.

I think an other line (shorter belly and rear taper) might have made most people happier.

What do you guys go for?

Cheers, Bart

[Michal Duzynski]

Hi Bart
It is no so simple to write about it and then do it.
Here in Brisbane I've been asked( ok I forced it) to do some casting sessions.
I thought I will get ready for few fishing situations and prepared few different outfits
- light orange line- to show them what is all about
- OBS INTERMEDIUM in 8wt
- OBS shooting head with Rio slickshooter
- and a set up with Rio Leviathan 400gr, or similar staf with T14

I did that as I knew they are saltwater guys and might come to different situations.
All went SHIT ( with Big S), they came with their own sets, and after I asked them to shaw me few loops, I had no use for all of my prep.
Yes I used the orange one to show them what loops are about, but that is about it,all my,other set up was a,waist of time.

Saying that- Line for the beginer-what he/she wants to do??

A week ago I ofered my help to a new flyfisho from Brisbane, I asked him to bring what he is using at the moment and set the course with few targets.
He came with 9wt intermedium line- lucky I did not set my 5wt orange setup.
After few loops I had an idea what is missing there, and he was a beginer. It wasnt a poor choice of line, it was a lack of technique of what he wanted to do.
1h after he was ready to hit the flats, or any water in Australia.He had a good line, and I just showed him how to use it.

With your question, ask the person what would they like to do and then addapt your teaching.
Dont spend your time with orange DT line, or recomend it to the beginer if they want to chase a pike with big flies the whole season....
cheers
mike

[crunch]

My favorite fishing line for overhead casting is SA Trout Taper. It is possible to cast 10ft...55ft line loops but also do quite efficient line shoot casts when there is only 30ft of line head out of rod tip because line begins to thin there and of course shoot to 100ft after a long carry. Roll and Spey casts normal fishing distances as well so a beginner does not have to buy a new line very soon.

Esa

[Graeme H]

G'day Bart,

I'd need to know the goal before recommending a line. Are they aiming to improve their casting or are they aiming to go fishing tomorrow?

I always recommend a bright DT line to practice with. DT lines allow lots of carry and allow aerial mends at all distances. If they learn to cast one of these at any distance, they'll become excellent casters.

If they want to fish tomorrow, something like an integrated shooting head line (e.g. Rio Outbound Short) will have them fishing immediately. They do inhibit the learning process though, because (in the hands of a beginner) they are limited to casting short or shooting long. They don't handle much overhang well, so the caster can never carry more than about 35' of line.

Get both.

Cheers,
Graeme

[Paul Arden]

Hi mate,

Usually a nicely balanced fishing 6WT outfit. I don’t teach with weird lines. Sure when it comes to the double haul a shooting head can make life quicker as a teaching tool. I know that but have never done it. Usually by the time you’ve rigged up another outfit they are already hauling.

I’m very happy to teach with a DT, or a line with a head that they will never reach the end of in that first lesson. Teach someone to get proficient casting a brick on a string and you give yourself or someone else a headache later on when you/they have to take them back to basics.

I don’t know your goals but my goal is to put everyone at CCI level casting level as a standard. Or for that matter SL essential level which is around the same. Personally I wouldn’t introduce shooting heads until this point - not unless their fishing absolutely requires it.

I could give all my students a Skagit line and teach them to throw it overhead. But that’s not going to help them in the long run to master fly casting. And it’s not going to help them to learn proper fishing techniques either.

I think to spin it around I would say what is the best outfit to learn fly fishing? Tailor the equipment to the fishing and then teach with that.

Cheers, Paul

[Lasse Karlsson]

I could give all my students a Skagit line and teach them to throw it overhead. But that’s not going to help them in the long run to master fly casting. And it’s not going to help them to learn proper fishing techniques either.

Cheers, Paul

How do you know that?

Cheers
Lasse

[Paul Arden]

Which bit?

Cheers, Paul

[Paul Arden]

Put it this way, Lasse, when teaching fly casting we teach someone how to adapt their stroke for casting different distances and lengths of line. What we don’t do is put a heavy brick on a string that fits their default stroke. Or if we do then they have a lot more to learn later.

As Bernd wrote in his FP most anglers fail to fish the water effectively and just whack it out there. Fishing delicately within 3 rod lengths is the essence of many good techniques on both rivers and Stillwaters. Using clumsy tackle on educated fish is not going to help our new student learn.

Of course if his or her fishing calls for roll casting bombs or heavy streamers then Skagit is the preferred choice. But if they don’t know what they’re going to do, and would simply like to learn fly fishing, which is most students, then something a bit more versatile will give them a broader casting skills range.

Cheers, Paul