[BigNick]

Just purchased a Sage SLT 8'9, 3wt. Now I need some advice on which line to go with. At $65 a pop I thought it better to ask rather than experiment. I have read some of the threads about going up in line wt but I'm not sure I need to do that, also there is the Rio line that is 1/2 wt heavier. Maybe this will help: I fish for large bream here at home and mostly cast popping bugs and I use droppers alot. (They add wind drag) Poppers tend to grap some air so a Double Taper is prefered. Roll casting is used a lot also. I know some perfer the RIO Selective Trout II fly line and it comes in DT. Others like the SA Mastery trout taper which also comes in DT. Plus there's Mastery XPS Dry-Tip DT and Orvis Wonderline in DT. I really would like to get a line that will allow me to utilize the SLT's action most efficently and allow me to improve my casting ability as well. As always I appreciate your input.
Nick

[plland]

I own that very rod and have tried it with a few lines. Of all my fly rods, it's the one that I'm not able to easily roll cast with. I don't know what it is about that rod. I can roll cast short distances and rarely will nail medium distance a roll cast with it, but otherwise I don't bother roll casting this rod. Anyway that's irrelevant because the SLT is easily the smoothest casting rod I own. It has plenty of delicacy in close, but when you dig in, you can shoot a lot of line out with very little effort. I would say that it is a rod that is definitely true to line weight. One thing I noticed when I first bought it is that I couldn't cast it very well right out of the box. It took the most casting practice and visual feedback of any rod I own to get the casting rhythm memorized. Maybe that's why people overline these rods, because they don't have the patience to learn the proper casting stroke. Well, if you give it a half hour of practice, I'm sure anybody could completely adjust their cast for this rod. I'll get to the point, though. This rod likes a Rio Selective Trout WF 3wt line.

[Joe D]

You're not talking about a fast rod here, so I would shy away from the 1/2 heavier lines. You can roll cast further with a DT than with a WF, so if long roll casts are what you need go with the DT. A Wulff Triangle Taper is another option. Any of those lines would also help you in improving you basic casting skills.

If you just need a short answer: Rio Gold

[BigCliff]

I fish a SA XPS line on my long 3 and like it quite well. Its gonna be better at delicate presentations than turning over poppers though.

[BigNick]

Thanks for the info, that's the stuff I need to know. More?
Nick

[RDRogers]

I just got a Rio Gold for my 8 1/2' zxl 3wt and love it. Will be getting one for my 4 wt SLT soon. I really like that line a lot. Tip floats like a cork all day.

[philthy]

I use the Rio Grand on my 586 and my 389-5. I also use it on my ZXL 490-4. I think my SLTs are terrific rods, but the ZXL sure is a Cadillac of a rod . I had gotten an Airflow Ridge for the 5 wt, but I'm totally unimpressed with it. New out of the box, and the first 15' or so sank like a rock. I don't throw poppers and what not - mainly 22-28 midges. I was sad to see Sage discontinue the SLT, but they could have done a whole lot worse than the ZXL. Both are WAY above my abilities. Coupled with the Lamson Velocities on the SLTs and a Lamson Lightspeed on the ZXL, I've got some pretty suweet sticks. Prices may be a little high for some folks, but at age 50 it's nice to "deserve" the finer things in life LOL! Oh yea, you can find the Rio Grand on eBay for about 40 bucks if you look hard enough

[racine]

Originally Posted by philthy

I use the Rio Grand on my 586 and my 389-5. I also use it on my ZXL 490-4. I think my SLTs are terrific rods, but the ZXL sure is a Cadillac of a rod . I had gotten an Airflow Ridge for the 5 wt, but I'm totally unimpressed with it. New out of the box, and the first 15' or so sank like a rock. I don't throw poppers and what not - mainly 22-28 midges. I was sad to see Sage discontinue the SLT, but they could have done a whole lot worse than the ZXL. Both are WAY above my abilities. Coupled with the Lamson Velocities on the SLTs and a Lamson Lightspeed on the ZXL, I've got some pretty suweet sticks. Prices may be a little high for some folks, but at age 50 it's nice to "deserve" the finer things in life LOL! Oh yea, you can find the Rio Grand on eBay for about 40 bucks if you look hard enough

Philthy, I'm surprised at your assessment of the Airflow Ridge??! It was something I was considering for my 4 & 5 wt. I use Rio's Selective Trout/DT Floating line with very good results. I can't say I have trouble roll casting even with my 7'6" 3 wt but I do not use it for bigger water than 30' across. There are other casts besides the roll that work equally well. In a 4 wt my Rio ST/DT/F does fine on bigger rivers mending and roll casting with a med/fast rod.

[BigNick]

Ok, I took the plunge. I found a good deal on a SA Mastery Trout taper-wf-
3w- I just couldn't stand have a new rod and nothing to cast it with. So, rather than wait for a DT, I went with what I found.
I must say it is a pleasure to cast but it doesn't roll cast poppers very well with that line. It's ok for close work but not any kind of distance. I also noticed it cast different than my 6wt. medium action rod.(Hello?) I found if I put a little snap in my wrist on the forward stroke it layed out better. Not being a professional fly caster I'm not sure this is correct procedure but it does work well for me with the SLT. When I went back to the 6wt, I could stop the wrist snap.
I am going to keep my eye out for a DT because I'd really like to see if there's any difference between lines. Thanks for all the comments and help.

Nick

[GeorgeMcFly]

once ya find what line ya want give ebay a try. I have gotten my steelhead scientific anglers mastery line for my 7wt that cost $65 for only $40 bux on ebay including shipping.