The Board

Matt - Look at the SLX (Barrio) as well. I know lots of guys use it for the professional and Advanced. It’s lighter than the Rio and a hell of a lot cheaper. £32 inc shipping.

The conversation has really turned to what line should be used for a Spey orientated test, which wasn’t really my original idea for the discussion.

It was more to understand what lines do what, what are they good at, what are they not good at. When a client turns up for a lesson, understanding what line they have and being able to explain its limitations and positives. I know that the taper diagrams on boxes are not always that accurate (I think Lasse had this conversation with the guy that’s mentoring me recently) and there are compound tapers within tapers that know-one ever publishes. etc etc.

Also, which brands/lines are good alternatives. EG The SA MED is £90. It ‘looks’ on paper very similar to a GT125 (£28.50). Is the MED worth 3x more than the Barrio for someone wanting to fine tune their overhead casts and learn a bit about distance casting?

As Mel said, "Every answer to every question about fly fishing begins with 'it depends". I use an orange DT lines for most of my demonstrations and for teaching and encourage CI and MCI candidates to do the same for a time. Love the RIO shs line and use it for most of my trout fishing long fine front taper, plenty at the back of the head for rolls and Speys and then its more or less a shooting head when you need to go longer. You do need to understand overhang to use it properly at length. I also know quite a few guys working toward their MCI who will use it in the water tasks. A line I fished with recently and which also really impressed me was RIO's single hand steelhead line.

3 times better I don’t know. You can buy Chinese lines online for less than 5USD. 20 times better? I still don’t know Certainly I think SA make the best lines and RIO a close second.

However the only lines I’ve paid for in donkeys years are the ones we have made for us by RIO. I know if I had to pay full prices I would wash my lines every night!

What I always say is that you should spend money on the line first, rod second and reel last. Or in other words, save money on the reel first, then rod and lastly the line in that order!

Cheers, Paul

Boisker wrote: ↑Sat Mar 07, 2020 6:43 am

Lasse... I was toying with getting a wulff triangle taper, although the Rio SH would make the test easier, the distance required on the Spey make it less of an advantage... and I think I would rather use a line I enjoy casting for both Spey and overhead...
but I need to settle on a line soon, they’re too expensive to keep chopping and changing

Hi Boisker

I wasn't suggesting the wulff triangle taper, though it is a good line, it was a comment on the profile of spey specific lines. They all have a loooong fronttaper, a fat bit and a shortish backtaper, looking like a triangle from the side.

These tests, work backwards from the minimum headlength you will need to make all the casts, and then start looking for something with that at least, and more likely a tad longer.

The wulff TT is a great line for both overhead and speys, so is the rio LT. But both will be on the long and light side if you need help from the line.
Rio single hand spey tend to get clunky in overhead as it has a very short head.

Cheers
Lasse

Thanks Lasse that’s really helpful..

... as it is allowed it’s tempting to go with a line that ‘helps’... but I like to think I’m capable of passing the first level instructors without it... the Spey casts only require 30’ of line out the tip and then being able to shoot a further 10’; overhead the same and double haul to 60’..

I went to the BFCC meet today and chatted with Vince and some others about line choice, Vince bought along 3 lines to try. One definitely seemed a step forward and would meet what you describe above... head 58’, from the diagram the ‘fat bit’ approx 12’-32’...

Pretty certain I’ll move away from the Rio SH Spey... I just don’t like the kick from the line when casting overhead... obviously I cam modify my cast to stop the kick, but it’s not as enjoyable way to cast.

Cheers...

Morsie wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 2:01 am I use an orange DT lines for most of my demonstrations and for teaching

Hi Peter,
I’m seeking for years for a good DT orange line number 3 or 4 for Italian style casting demo and for teaching the style. Barrio produced one some years ago, developed with Maggliocco If I’m not wrong, but give up in 2015, as far as I know. The best line I ever had for the style was the SA Ultra4 no 3 but it is a yellow line and I used all my stock. Any recommandations for an orange DT ?
Best regards
Malik

Malik mine are made for me by RIO. I get them in 5,6 and 7's. I have to buy plenty at a time and sell them here in Oz for $45.

Peter

If I was to take these tests again I would without question use the RIO single hand Spey. We spent hours on the river going through all the prototypes that were sent and like any rear biased line they work best with the head plus some outside of the rod top (a hauls length worth at least).
If you are to progress up through the certs then it makes sense to marry yourself to an outfit which will do it all and hammer the training. It won’t take long before your hitting the masters distances both in Spey and overhead with this line.

Which one would I choose? A 6# and I might also be tempted to knock a foot or two off the tip to get the length into the mid 30’s.

When all this blows over you are more than welcome to come up for a day of training to this place where many aapgai instructors have honed their skills prior to testing.
Cheers
Lee

Lee Cummings wrote: ↑Fri Mar 27, 2020 8:15 am If I was to take these tests again I would without question use the RIO single hand Spey.

Which one would I choose? A 6# and I might also be tempted to knock a foot or two off the tip to get the length into the mid 30’s.

Headlength on the singlehand spey is targeted at 33 feet, I wouldn't knock anything of it

And I'd go with it too, since no one follows the standard in tests, using a overweight line is fine, and as always mass is king and a 8 weight does go further than a 6 weight, and the rio is really a 8 in the 6...

Cheers
Lasse

Lee and Lasse that’s really interesting and very much worth listening to

I have the Rio sh in 6w for my 6w rod and didn’t really enjoy the feel of it overhead.... but certainly it makes the distance easier.... it flies to the backing from a 5’ overhang... currently not necessarily with enough ‘style’ though

I may have to reconsider and accept what I feel as a downside when casting overhead for the obvious advantage on the Spey.

particularly worth considering as unless I am remembering this incorrectly you were very much behind the Spey element of the test Lee?

I’ve been spending money on finding the right line I want to make a choice and as Lee says “stick with it”... I’ve also bought the Rio sh in a 5w (for a 6w rod) with which the overhead is more enjoyable, and more recently purchased a 6w ballistic line that I haven’t had chance to play with a lot yet.... which has a longer head.

Lasse... as you say there isn’t a requirement to follow the standard in tests... do you think you should be able to use 1 or 2 lines?