# Line Choices



## deerhunter5

I'm looking for the best saltwater 8wt floating line to spool up my Allen Kraken. I mostly fish marsh for reds with a little bit of shallowish (1-3ft) reefs for specks, along with maybe 1 trip a year for bones and baby tarpon. I will be throwing it with a TFO BVK or mangrove. Currently I'm looking at the Airflo products such as the Bonefish and the Tropical Punch. Would this suit my needs the best? And if not, what would be your recommendation?


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## Ish

well, that depends....are you casting left-handed or right-handed?

and are you gonna be triple-hauling?


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## Meadowlark

I have and still own a bunch of them including: Orvis, Scientific Angler, Cortland, AirFlow, etc. but hands down my first choice now is always something with these three letters in the name: Rio. 

They make a Rio redfish line specifically with head and taper designed for our coast and it sells in shops including Bass Pro for about $90. 

They also sell an excellent quality general purpose saltwater fly line...really a good product for all flats fish. 

You just can't go wrong with Rio. 

p.s. congrats on your choice of the Kraken....you won't regret it whether on reds or bones or Permit or Tarpon or whatever you get into, it will handle them.


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## karstopo

I would and do agree with Meadowlark about Rio. Great lines. The only issue I had with Rio lines was or is with their bonefish quick shooter. The running line is pretty thin and I seemed run into a lot of tangles while casting standing from my kayak or a boat. The line might have been a little worn out and it definitely had some embedded marsh mud that would not come out with cleaning. The coating seperated from the core near the welded loop. But it cast great for me and loads very easily. 

I took the Rio bonefish Quickshooter off recently and put on Airflo Bruce chard and went from having a tangle about every 3rd or 4th cast to having three or four tangles in a morning of fishing. The cover, coating is very different between the two lines. The Airflo seems to repel mud better than Rio coating. The running line on the Airflo Chard has a bigger diameter than the Rio bonefish Quickshooter.


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## Bill Gammel

I have been testing some Cortland liquid crystal lines. I have been very pleased. They are slick and deliver the cast very quickly. I was able to pick them up at great distance for a recast. This is not to say that Rio and SA are not great. They are. However, John Wilson is really trying to get the salt water fisherman's attention.

The Liquid Crystal Guide line is a short head that is over weighted ( a full line weight I think) I have little knowledge of Airflow.

Bill


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## karstopo

Bill Gammel said:


> I have been testing some Cortland liquid crystal lines. I have been very pleased. They are slick and deliver the cast very quickly. I was able to pick them up at great distance for a recast. This is not to say that Rio and SA are not great. They are. However, John Wilson is really trying to get the salt water fisherman's attention.
> 
> The Liquid Crystal Guide line is a short head that is over weighted ( a full line weight I think) I have little knowledge of Airflow.
> 
> Bill


I always put Cortland in the freshwater category, I had some that I gave to a friend along with an old reel and a rod, but I liked the line. It was orange, but I can't remember the model.

I'll have to check out Cortlands saltwater liquid crystal line. Seems like Rio is known to be heavy for the weight rating vs. SA. I like a heavy head. I like a slick coating too. The Airflo might be a bit lighter than Rio, but loads easier than the SA I've tried.


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## deerhunter5

Well I went to order Rio Redfish line tonight but it seems like they have broken it up into summer and winter redfish. Are the still the same lines, just with different coatings for temperatures?


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## karstopo

deerhunter5 said:


> Well I went to order Rio Redfish line tonight but it seems like they have broken it up into summer and winter redfish. Are the still the same lines, just with different coatings for temperatures?


I've used tropical lines on what passes for cold winter days here in SE Texas without any noticeable issues. I've heard that using cold water lines in our summer conditions does cause line issues, but I don't have any cold water lines so I never have experienced the issues.


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## Ish

karstopo said:


> I took the Rio bonefish Quickshooter off recently and put on Airflo Bruce chard and went from having a tangle about every 3rd or 4th cast to having three or four tangles in a morning of fishing.


do you stretch your line after you take it off the spool, before using it?


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## Popperdave

*Cold water lines*

I have had issues with some warm water lines when I tried to use them in the winter. One SA saltwater line from several years ago was real bad. When the temperature got below 65 it would look like a coil spring. I could not get it to lay straight.
My current favorite line is Orvis "hydro bass". While it's not rated as a saltwater line I have used it for about a year and it has worked very well for me. From a price to quality you can't beat it.
The summer/winter lines is probably a marketing issue to get you to buy two lines when you only need one line.
If you want the Rio Redfish line which I was using, and liked, I would get the summer line and before I put it on a reel I would put it in the refrigerator for an hour and see How bad it holds a coil. If it comes off the spool and lays flat it should work great. If it look like a "slinky" then you way want to consider how much cold water fishing you are going to be doing and opt for the winter line. A line that is a little soft is a lot better than ones that's too stiff.
Good fishing and good luck.


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## Ish

Bill Gammel said:


> I have been testing some Cortland liquid crystal lines. I have been very pleased. They are slick and deliver the cast very quickly. I was able to pick them up at great distance for a recast. This is not to say that Rio and SA are not great. They are. However, John Wilson is really trying to get the salt water fisherman's attention.
> 
> The Liquid Crystal Guide line is a short head that is over weighted ( a full line weight I think) I have little knowledge of Airflow.
> 
> Bill


tricking me into overlining my rod would definitely get my attention.


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## Ish

karstopo said:


> I've used tropical lines on what passes for cold winter days here in SE Texas without any noticeable issues. I've heard that using cold water lines in our summer conditions does cause line issues, but I don't have any cold water lines so I never have experienced the issues.


yaw, what he said...get the warm one.


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## Meadowlark

deerhunter5 said:


> Well I went to order Rio Redfish line tonight but it seems like they have broken it up into summer and winter redfish. Are the still the same lines, just with different coatings for temperatures?


That's an interesting development.

A quick check of the specs showed 75-100 deg on the tropical series and 50-80 deg on the winter line.

Looks like the design is the same just different coating. Pick your poison I guess, but if it were me I would go with the tropical series.


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## boomer21

All rods cast better with a line that seems to be specific to them. I like the Airflo tropical punch for the 8wt BVK, followed closely by the Rio general purpose tropical. 

Go with the summer or tropical series of lines for Texas. The lines developed for cooler climates will not have enough stiffness for fishing at the coast the majority of the year.

I used the Airflo tropical line this summer for pike fishing in Canada and it worked much better than a SA GPX line rated for cool weather. The overnight lows were in the mid '40's. The GPX line coiled up like a wet noodle, didn't shoot well and was constantly tangled.


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## karstopo

Ish said:


> do you stretch your line after you take it off the spool, before using it?


I take it off the packaging spool and spread it out on the grass and then reel it on to the reel. But I didnt have trouble with Rio line initially. It developed after some time and may be related to the visible dirt that got embedded in the line in spite of my efforts to clean it. The quickshooter line definitely has a slightly porous coating that will trap fine particles of marsh mud. Airflo uses a different texture that has repelled dirt better for me.

My Rio Tarpon 10wt line has not had the tangling problem nor has it gotten visibly dirty, but it's not being used in a kayak with marsh mud everywhere.


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## southpaw

karstopo said:


> I take it off the packaging spool and spread it out on the grass and then reel it on to the reel. But I didnt have trouble with Rio line initially. It developed after some time and may be related to the visible dirt that got embedded in the line in spite of my efforts to clean it. The quickshooter line definitely has a slightly porous coating that will trap fine particles of marsh mud. Airflo uses a different texture that has repelled dirt better for me.
> 
> My Rio Tarpon 10wt line has not had the tangling problem nor has it gotten visibly dirty, but it's not being used in a kayak with marsh mud everywhere.


I stretch my line every time I go fishing. I strip the line off my reel and give it a little stretch as I put it into my stripping basket. Seems to help a lot with tanglingespecially if it's line I haven't used in awhile


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## karstopo

southpaw said:


> I stretch my line every time I go fishing. I strip the line off my reel and give it a little stretch as I put it into my stripping basket. Seems to help a lot with tanglingespecially if it's line I haven't used in awhile


Good idea, I haven't had much a problem with the Airflo, but I'll give it a stretch if it starts to be an issue. A few tangles in a few hundred casts seems reasonable, but should I expect tangle free fishing?

I have noticed starting out on a day things work better if I just randomly cast some to work out the kinks before I fire at living targets.

P.S. Am I the only one that hates stripping baskets? I'd rather find any other option than have one of those on my hip.


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## Joe. T.

Bill Gammel said:


> I have been testing some Cortland liquid crystal lines. I have been very pleased. They are slick and deliver the cast very quickly. I was able to pick them up at great distance for a recast. This is not to say that Rio and SA are not great. They are. However, John Wilson is really trying to get the salt water fisherman's attention.
> 
> The Liquid Crystal Guide line is a short head that is over weighted ( a full line weight I think) I have little knowledge of Airflow.
> 
> Bill


 half line size. plus they're purty. i have the flats taper7wt and guide 8wt.
they nailed it with this line


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## Joe. T.

Ish said:


> well, that depends....are you casting left-handed or right-handed?
> 
> and are you gonna be triple-hauling?


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## Ish

karstopo said:


> Good idea, I haven't had much a problem with the Airflo, but I'll give it a stretch if it starts to be an issue. A few tangles in a few hundred casts seems reasonable, but should I expect tangle free fishing?
> 
> I have noticed starting out on a day things work better if I just randomly cast some to work out the kinks before I fire at living targets.
> 
> P.S. Am I the only one that hates stripping baskets? I'd rather find any other option than have one of those on my hip.


yaw, stretch it everytime you take it off the spool.


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## Ish

and to answer your other question, the only use i have for a stripping basket is on the rocks or walking the beach with a slime line.


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## Joe. T.

also a must have on the jetties


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## Meadowlark

karstopo said:


> ....P.S. Am I the only one that hates stripping baskets? I'd rather find any other option than have one of those on my hip.


Nope, you are not alone in that regard.


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## karstopo

http://oregonflyfishingblog.com/201...rio-airflo-sa-fly-lines-review-product-guide/

A comparison of SA, Rio, and Airflo. A little dated, but there are differences in how each are manufactured, materials used, and how the line is self-lubricated. If I read it right, the two american companies use a PVC coating with a liquid lubricant infused into the porous coating. Being porous by design to allow the lubricant to move to the surface also allows fine particles to travel into the line. Having the line lay about on the muddy deck of my Commander on repeated trips got the line to where it is a mottled color of blue head combined with marsh mud or yellow running line spotted with brown.

Airflo uses a dry coating of Teflon to lessen friction vs the liquid lubricants. No need for a porous line with the Teflon coating. And that has been my experience with The Airflo Bruce Chard. I have 2 rods and reels at the ready when I'm out in my kayak and had been using one strung with Airflo for some time now on many outings before switching the other reel with the Rio to Airflo. I soaked the Rio in warm soapy water to no avail. I used a Cortland line cleaner with nothing to show for it.

I've fished the marsh and bay now for about 10 years (3 years with flyrod) averaging about 40 outings a year and really don't know how to keep the mud out and don't think I need to. So a line that stays clean and more importantly doesn't tangle if that is available is the one I want.

I went on the Airflo website and looked at what they recommend to counteract memory. Their power core lines are known not to have as much memory issues as other lines in their line up, according to their website. That has been my experience.

I saved my Rio Bonefish Quickshooter and if and when I put it on again I'll give it a good stretch before I start casting. The welded loop broke and in a separate event, the coating separated from the core just inside where the loop was. I tied a perfection loop to serve as a new loop connection for the leader and the line is fully useable for what I do if I can tame the tangling issue. Maybe it's just a matter of giving it a good stretch, but I think the dirt load impregnated into the line has started to affect performance.


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## Joe. T.

Karstopo have you ever tried a fly line mat.when i kayaked i used a diy one i made from a car mat and some zip ties and just laid it across my legs.if it gets dirty you could just rinse it off.


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## karstopo

Joe. T. said:


> Karstopo have you ever tried a fly line mat.when i kayaked i used a diy one i made from a car mat and some zip ties and just laid it across my legs.if it gets dirty you could just rinse it off.


I really only stand and cast instead of sitting and casting. I did make something like that for a stripping basket, but found out I don't like baskets. I made a platform to stand on that levels the floor of the Commander, but it changes the CG too much for my tastes. The Airflo line hasn't had a tangling issue so far, unless one's tolerance is zero tangles. The uneven deck of my kayak helps spread the line out pretty well and putting my spare rod in the space between my legs and forward of my legs actually helps the line spreading effect.

I guess that's why different line makers come up with different lines to fit different situations. A person in a relatively clean casting environment isn't going to value the line's dirt repelling nature like I might in my dirty marshes and bays. One of the ways I like to fish is to spot a red or flounder making a wake feeding along a shoreline or thrashing bait in the cord grass. Up here in Mudsville, USA, that means seeing wakes, hearing fish, and spotting boils more than seeing the fish for very long many times. I will stake out in position and wait out the fish and then fire into the wake zone. It might take several casts to find the fish or for the fish to find the fly, but the muddy water helps to prevent spooking the red or flounder so typically it isn't one shot and the matter is decided. But every time I stake out and reposition, a quantity of marsh or bay mud comes inside the kayak. It's a basic way I have fished for years (even before fly rodding) and it surely produces fish, but it is messy. I swish and wipe off the mud that I can, but the mud is of the nature that a teaspoon can cover a lot of the deck.

I think for now, I'm going to stick with the Teflon coated non-porous Urethane Airflo line for dirty kayak work and reserve the porous PVC liquid lubricated Rio lines for boat and beach/jetty action. Sand is too coarse to find its way into the tiny pores of the Rio line.


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## southpaw

karstopo said:


> Good idea, I haven't had much a problem with the Airflo, but I'll give it a stretch if it starts to be an issue. A few tangles in a few hundred casts seems reasonable, but should I expect tangle free fishing?
> 
> I have noticed starting out on a day things work better if I just randomly cast some to work out the kinks before I fire at living targets.
> 
> P.S. Am I the only one that hates stripping baskets? I'd rather find any other option than have one of those on my hip.


A tangle every now and then isn't too bad, but it always seem that tangle happens when I'm casting at a big fish or have hooked a big fish and it gets caught in the guide. So I stretch my line to get any remaining memory out to really limit it. If your line makes any small coils when off the reel you should probably go ahead and stretch those out.

As for stripping baskets, I don't use the on the waste kind but even mine gets annoying since it's fixed. I use it more to set my rod on so I can quickly transition from poling to casting. I keep my cockpit relatively tangle free so the stripping basket becomes kind of irrelevant at a point, but it does help some in keeping my line from blowing overboard.

I also hear you on marsh mud. Get one little chunk of it onboard and the next thing you know everything is covered. I've never had much of a problem with it getting in my line, at least not that I've noticed. I soak my line in a bucket of warm water after every trip though. If my line gets really dirty then I soak it in warm water and a little bit of dish soap then pull it through an old swim sham and rinse it in plain warm water. Just part of my clean up routine at the end of the day.


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## Joe. T.

i guess im spoiled fishing on hard sand most of the time. i just strip out about 50 feet of line and let it float behind me.


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## Ripin' Lips

I really like the bruce chard from airflo. Ive been throwing it the past month and its been great. I threw a heavy 5" fly with a rattle this weekend and that line turned the fly over nicely. Ive always had problems turning over heavy flies. Ive also been practicing lately so im not 100% sure if its the line or my better casting that is helping me turn over the heavy flies. 

I have a stripping bucket on the skiff at all times. Its a tiller skiff so if i fish off the platform then the bucket is a must have. If i fish off the bow i typically use my dock line as a toe rail. Its easy enough to coil and lay around the deck of the bow and the added texture helps hold the fly line against the rope. Anything more than 15mph and its bucket time.


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## Moondog94

I've been a RIO guy for a while , but the quality of their lines is beginning to be over shadowed by others in the line business.I have the RIO Redfish on my Sage Method 8 wt, and have SA Mastery Grand Slam on my 12 wt Scott Meridian. The quality and shootablility of the new scientific anglers lines makes me want to switch all of my rods to it. Another line a lot of my friends in Florida use for spooky fish is Cortlands Liquid Crystal lines, which is a clear floating line that could really be a game changer for shallow reds which is worth a look. Although fish don't see the color of your line, they can get spooked by the shadow of the line on the surface. just my 2 cents

-Moondog


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## RUFcaptain

deerhunter5 said:


> Well I went to order Rio Redfish line tonight but it seems like they have broken it up into summer and winter redfish. Are the still the same lines, just with different coatings for temperatures?


Go down to the fishing tackle store, most likely they still have the standard Rio redfish line on the shelf. The summer/winter line is a new product, at least FTU had all versions in stock. If any question just go with the summer line, the differences aren't that significant IMO.


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## easoutdoors

For me the scientific professional maystery texture 8 weight is awesome on the bvk 8 wt.


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## Laguna Freak

Winter line will stay more pliable in cold water. I use a cold water floating line in winter. Can't remember which one I have on my spool. I think it's labeled as a trout line. Not a big difference in the head or how it shoots. I have a 8 wt Nautilus reel with 3 interchangeable spools for different conditions with my 8 wt Xi3.


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## Fishsurfer

Karstopo fishes the most in the area, at least as far as I can tell, so I would take what he says as the right direction. I like the Cortland Liquid crystal line but then again I don't like wading in mud or bog. I also have the SA saltwater line but it seems to tangle more and the line diameter also seems like it is too small so it tangles more than I prefer. As far as Rio lines go I don't like the weight of the head but then again I have only cast the redfish one. If I were you I would pick one out and try to use it in the situations that you will be fishing in and try to get it to work. Once you figure out where you are weak in the cast or the situation that is not working for you then try to improve on it. There is no one line that is the best, just one that is best for you and your style of fishing.


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## salty_waders

I was recently looking for a new 10 wt line and I went with Wulff Bermuda Triangle. I love it!! I was fed up with SA lines.


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## southpaw

Fishsurfer said:


> As far as Rio lines go I don't like the weight of the head but then again I have only cast the redfish one.


Some guys over on microskiff claim that an 8wt Rio redfish line actually almost qualifies to be a 10wt in terms of grain. I just don't see much of an application for that other than trying to load an extra fast rod for close shots.

I keep hearing great stuff about the Wulff BTT. I may need to give it a try.


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## Laguna Freak

Laguna Freak said:


> Winter line will stay more pliable in cold water. I use a cold water floating line in winter. Can't remember which one I have on my spool. I think it's labeled as a trout line. Not a big difference in the head or how it shoots. I have a 8 wt Nautilus reel with 3 interchangeable spools for different conditions with my 8 wt Xi3.


Identified my cold water floating line as Rio Clouser that I really like for my 8 wt Xi3. Loading and shooting performs very much like their Redfish does in warm water. Not the greatest inside 25' on this line but performs very well beyond 30' and in high winds = 20 mph range. Hope this info helps.


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## karstopo

southpaw said:


> Some guys over on microskiff claim that an 8wt Rio redfish line actually almost qualifies to be a 10wt in terms of grain. I just don't see much of an application for that other than trying to load an extra fast rod for close shots.
> 
> I keep hearing great stuff about the Wulff BTT. I may need to give it a try.


This is such a good point. Some of the shorter and heavier head lines might not work as well if you are into the running line and trying to carry that heavy head in the air. In other words, a longer head with less weight in it might not load as fast, but it allows you to carry more line in the air to reach out if you need to. But I'm no casting expert. This might be a good time to visit a fly shop where they have different lines and rods to try and maybe someone knowledgeable and willing to teach.

I'm really trying to adapt my casting to different elbow positions and rod tip angles and just experimenting out there. I do some lawn practice in controlled conditions, but you have to do some practice on the water in fishing conditions too. I enjoy on the water practice and you might even catch something while doing it. I've read so much about people who say they kill it on the lawn but suck on the water. From what I've seen and read, even good casters do things that hold them back.

I've been reading about line and the Lefty Kreh style of casting versus the Joan Wulff. Seems like a lot of people in the know and with vast experience on the water value being adaptive with your casting stroke and developing the skill to call upon whatever style might work better in different circumstances. Maybe like the overhead, elbow forward Joan Wulff style offers more chance at precision and the Lefty Kreh style better performance in windy situations. Then you add rod actions and different lines it gets almost to be too much. Someone said if you can somehow to get your rod to be an extension of your arm and be able to directed the fly exactly where it needs to go, then that's where you need to be. Sounds good anyway.

I think its fun to go out on the water and look for fish to cast to but if there aren't any of those in sight, just pick targets like a shoreline or a reef margin and just shoot for those with different casting strokes and look at your loops and get a feel for how the rod loads with the line and fly. A heavy fly requires a different stroke or that has been my experience. I personally believe there is a lot of good line out there and there are trade offs with each. Wouldn't it be great to be able to pick up any rod loaded with any reasonably appropriate line and be able to, in the span of several casts, figure out just exactly how to best cast the line and rod?

I guess if you have spent Beaucoup coin to travel to some exotic place maybe you want to have worked all this out by then. My strategy is just to get out when I can on the closest water I can find and mess around, have fun, experiment, improve, hopefully learn a thing or two. Some say don't try to cast without intensive hands on lessons teaching you the fundamentals you will learn bad habits, but I have read other information from instructors that say they want a student that understands something about how the rod loads and then work on fine tuning some skills.

Line and fly casting is a meaty subject. Sorry for the long ramble. I've just shifted a little on how I think about this. I'm much more willing to try some new to me techniques and lines.


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## southpaw

karstopo said:


> I've been reading about line and the Lefty Kreh style of casting versus the Joan Wulff. Seems like a lot of people in the know and with vast experience on the water value being adaptive with your casting stroke and developing the skill to call upon whatever style might work better in different circumstances. Maybe like the overhead, elbow forward Joan Wulff style offers more chance at precision and the Lefty Kreh style better performance in windy situations. Then you add rod actions and different lines it gets almost to be too much. Someone said if you can somehow to get your rod to be an extension of your arm and be able to directed the fly exactly where it needs to go, then that's where you need to be. Sounds good anyway.


At it's core the Wulff and Kreh casting styles are pretty much the same. Kreh just expands it to a third dimension so you can cast the rod in different positions. His method becomes much more functional and adaptive to any situation bc of this. My dad first taught me to cast with the Wulff style cast. Rod overhead, clock positions etc. Naturally, over time I began dropping the rod tip to the side to cast under branches or trying different rod positions in order to make the cast. It was ugly, but it got the job done. Much much later I picked up Fly Fishing in Saltwater by Kreh and learned about the casting essentials which tied everything together.

I'll say when I first started getting really serious about fly fishing in saltwater I'd practice a lot. I made the whole hulahoop on a stick and tried threading the needle at varying distances, would cast to different targets in my yard and all sorts of other stuff. I hardly practice off the water now a days. I have a little redington training rod that I mostly just cast at my dog for giggles. I'd say I'm a good caster at best but when I'm on the water, I've found when I don't think about my casts and just focus on my targets is when I make the best casts. I've noticed just naturally, I'll position the rod in different positions depending on the conditions. Maybe it's all the practice I used to do, but I think it's kind of like shooting skeet. Trust your instincts and don't overthink it. If I notice I'm throwing bad tailing loops or doing something else goofy, I'll slow things down, pay attention and figure out what I'm doing wrong, but for the most part I'm more zoned in on spotting the fish and getting the fly out there. The exception to this is when it's really windy blowing into my casting side and have to consciously turn around and make a backcast at a fish, but that's pretty rare.



> Some say don't try to cast without intensive hands on lessons teaching you the fundamentals you will learn bad habits, but I have read other information from instructors that say they want a student that understands something about how the rod loads and then work on fine tuning some skills.


IMHO there's a breaking point to this. I think people should watch some youtube videos or read some books and try casting on their own before getting lessons, but don't get to the point where you've done it on your own for so long that you develop really bad habits that will be hard to fix. I personally have never taken a lesson, but I know I fall into the bad habit category. Hindsight is 20/20 right?


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## Ish

southpaw said:


> Some guys over on microskiff claim that an 8wt Rio redfish line actually almost qualifies to be a 10wt in terms of grain. I just don't see much of an application for that other than trying to load an extra fast rod for close shots.
> 
> I keep hearing great stuff about the Wulff BTT. I may need to give it a try.


yaw the micro-clowns know more about rio lines than rio does...


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## Laguna Freak

Ish said:


> yaw the micro-clowns know more about rio lines than rio does...


LOLOL! I'm with you! :cheers:

Rio Redfish is a good line weighted properly for its intended purpose. If you're trying to pick up much more than the head, you're trying to pick up too much line. If you've got good haul form and a quality rod in your hand, you can easily carry 40' of this line with a heavy fly on 10' of leader in most fishable wind conditions. 40' with a 10' leader is at least 20' more line than you need for 95% of saltwater sight casts. Blind casts are a different story. For all of the longer casts, learn how to manage your line and shoot it. I cheat and mark my line at the end of the head and 10' beyond the head. It ain't rocket science. It's just physics. There are lots of good rods out there that will perform these functions. Idk if the "economy" rods are in that group or not.


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## Laguna Freak

Fishsurfer said:


> If I were you I would pick one out and try to use it in the situations that you will be fishing in and try to get it to work. Once you figure out where you are weak in the cast or the situation that is not working for you then try to improve on it. There is no one line that is the best, just one that is best for you and your style of fishing.


Wise words!

Also, pay for some lessons from an accomplished casting instructor. There are a few around. My personal favorite is Stacy Lynn at Bayou City Angler. She is a phenomenal teacher.

Good luck!


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## Ish

Laguna Freak said:


> LOLOL! I'm with you! :cheers:
> 
> Rio Redfish is a good line weighted properly for its intended purpose. If you're trying to pick up much more than the head, you're trying to pick up too much line. If you've got good haul form and a quality rod in your hand, you can easily carry 40' of this line with a heavy fly on 10' of leader in most fishable wind conditions. 40' with a 10' leader is at least 20' more line than you need for 95% of saltwater sight casts. Blind casts are a different story. For all of the longer casts, learn how to manage your line and shoot it. I cheat and mark my line at the end of the head and 10' beyond the head. It ain't rocket science. It's just physics. There are lots of good rods out there that will perform these functions. Idk if the "economy" rods are in that group or not.


post some more/bigger pictures of the split-tail in your avatar.

please and thank you.


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## 8wt

I use the Orvis redfish taper most of the time. No tangle issues and love the taper. I am now trying the Cortland Liquid Crystal.


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## Laguna Freak

Ish said:


> post some more/bigger pictures of the split-tail in your avatar.
> 
> please and thank you.


LOL! :rotfl:

Sorry bro. She's off limits...


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