A Question For the Experts

[newby]

Yes I need an opinion on fly lines. I am considering what to match my Winston 8' 3wt BIIt with. It will be used for fairly small spring creeks. I want a high floating, supple line that I can also use when it gets hot. And I want it to roll cast well. I want something that feels lively with this medium action rod.

I've been considering Rio Light Touch DT but have heard some think it inferior to the original Selective Trout.

I've heard high praise from the SA Mastery Textured Trout.

I am mainly going to be fishing dries. So I want something that turns over extremely well and lays down like a feather.

I usually like DT on smaller rods, and the SA is a WF, which I can't turn around and re-use, but I wouldn't mind if it is a better line.

Anybody use both? Any advocates for either line or another presentation fly line? What do you think would pair best with this rod?

 

[mojo]

Yes I need an opinion on fly lines. I am considering what to match my Winston 8' 3wt BIIt with. It will be used for fairly small spring creeks. I want a high floating, supple line that I can also use when it gets hot. And I want it to roll cast well. I want something that feels lively with this medium action rod.

I've been considering Rio Light Touch DT but have heard some think it inferior to the original Selective Trout.

I've heard high praise from the SA Mastery Textured Trout.

I am mainly going to be fishing dries. So I want something that turns over extremely well and lays down like a feather.

I usually like DT on smaller rods, and the SA is a WF, which I can't turn around and re-use, but I wouldn't mind if it is a better line.

Anybody use both? Any advocates for either line or another presentation fly line? What do you think would pair best with this rod?

SA Textured or Sharkskin if you want to spend the extra money. I use SS on a 6'6" Scott F2 3 wt. and a Shelbyville 3 wt 7'6". It works great for me whether roll casting or overhead. On small streams or ponds, I don't think it matters if it's DT or WF. I do have the Rio ST on a 4 wt. spool, but very rarely use it. SS is my go to floating on all my rods.

 

[rangerrich99]

You might want to test drive a couple lines before buying. Last year I borrowed a friends 9 ft. biit 4 wt. and discovered that it cast much better with 4.5 wt. line as opposed to 4 wt. As for my suggestions, I like SA Mastery textured over Sharkskin. Also, Rio Gold and Airflo Ridge line roll casts well on Winston Biit rods that I have tried.

Peace.

 

[nickj]

I have the Selective Trout on my 3 weight Superfine. I had it on my 5 weight as well, when it became neccessary nto replace it I tried the new Trout LT, which is nowhere near the same line, even though RIO says it's the replacement. It does roll cast better, but that's it. It does not have the same delicate presentation of the Selective Trout line. I ended up with the SA Mastery Trout, a very nice line. I'll add that RIO never responded to my online questions. SA responded immediately and knew exactly what I was looking for.

 

[newby]

Airflo lines are great, and I have more than one, but they seem to not have as advanced a presentation taper as Rio or SA. I tried a friend's 8' 3wt BIIt before buying and he had selective trout on it, I believe. Felt very nice. I think I want to go with the SA mastery trout, as it seems like a perfect presentation fly line and gets good reviews.

 

[newby]

Bumping this up to see if anyone else has an opinion or idea. Going to get a line for my 8' 3wt BIIt in the next week or so before spring and don't want to mess up and get a line that doesn't pair well and costs $80.

Rio LT DT vs Scientific Anglers Mastery Textured Trout Stalker vs Others for general dries and small hoppers, lots of roll casting, etc.... Any more opinions?

 

[Sage & Abel]

Airflo lines are great, and I have more than one, but they seem to not have as advanced a presentation taper as Rio or SA. I tried a friend's 8' 3wt BIIt before buying and he had selective trout on it, I believe. Felt very nice. I think I want to go with the SA mastery trout, as it seems like a perfect presentation fly line and gets good reviews.

Actually, Airflo does have a presentation taper that earns high praise - Technical Trout. It's different that the Tactical Trout line. It sports their delta taper for delicate presentations. I love Airflo line and use Ridgeline Tactical taper on my 4 weights. I will eventually actually try the Airflow Technical taper when I'm due for another dry fly line. However, I just purchased the SA Textured Trout Stalker line for my 3 and 4 weights. It's a wonderful line for dry fly fishing or fishing small nymphs. It's most definitely not a nymphing line or a streamer line per se. But it's as fine a dry fly presentation line as I've used. I use it on a variety of rod tapers as well, from 389 and 490 LL's to a 490 Z-Axis. Love it.

cheers,
Mike.

 

[sweetandsalt]

Airflo does have a presentation biased line called Ridge Rangefinder, better than their Delta but not as good ad the SA Textured Trout Stalker or RIO Gold. Read my review of Trout Stalker in "Gear Reviews", a terrific line that might be just right, however, optimally you must try a few lines to truly fine tune a rod/line mating. So many times a new rod I acquire does not like the line "I" like, but one I might well not have considered. I would call Winston and ask their opinion (but not take it as "fact"). Assuming the rod is true to weight rating, the designs I prefer in light dry fly rods are (the envelop please): SA Trout Stalker, Mastery Distance (#4 and above), RIO Gold (NEW VERSION!), Airflo Tactical (better in 5 and 6 because it has "kick") and I am anxious to fish Cortland's new "Boss".

 

[Jackster]

Scientific Anglers XPS since it seems to still be available. I've used it on my light rods for years with no problem or need to look further for a better line. And then came the Textured Trout. Two things that I thought could use improvement on the XPS were a longer rear taper and head which the Textured Trout has and a tip that actually floats (not just an SA premium line issue at the time when the XPS and GPX were right up there at the top of the heap) The Textured has a new Dry Tip technology that might actually work.

Rio Trout LT for the same reasons as above but claims to be designed to help with roll casts and single-handed spey casts which sure come in handy in places that many 3 weights are used.

The above two lines would be my first picks. Having the same BIIt as you I'm still using the XPS but that's because that rod has been on the back burner while I've been using heavier weight rods more because of the places I've been fishing.

I have the Cortland Trout Boss but in a 6 weight which may or may not transfer well into the 3 weight class. It has all of the attributes I like in a line so far so I can't imagine it not being as good in the 3 weight. One of my very pet peeves with a floating line is a tip that won't float and if it doesn't it always seems to be the job or fault of the operator to make sure it does. I have 3-4 year old Cortland lines with the Dyna-Tips and have never had lines float so well without a lot of babysitting and hoop-jumping on my part. My 6 weight Trout Boss I have will have some of that Dyna-Tip cut off because I feel it affects the cast somewhat as if that magic material is a bit stiffer than the line itself.

Airflo Ridge Supple Technical with its long front taper that promotes a nice, soft presentation and might be worth a shake, especially if you lather up in DEET as the polyurethane coating isn't as affected by it.

Whatever you decide, consider a line that is true-to weight. The BIIt series needs no ½ line weight crutch.

 

[newby]

Actually, Airflo does have a presentation taper that earns high praise - Technical Trout. It's different that the Tactical Trout line. It sports their delta taper for delicate presentations. I love Airflo line and use Ridgeline Tactical taper on my 4 weights. I will eventually actually try the Airflow Technical taper when I'm due for another dry fly line. However, I just purchased the SA Textured Trout Stalker line for my 3 and 4 weights. It's a wonderful line for dry fly fishing or fishing small nymphs. It's most definitely not a nymphing line or a streamer line per se. But it's as fine a dry fly presentation line as I've used. I use it on a variety of rod tapers as well, from 389 and 490 LL's to a 490 Z-Axis. Love it.

cheers,
Mike.

Yup, I realize they have one made for presentation and it happens to be the only line I've tried so far on my 3wt.

I had one before I even got the rod- the ridge supple technical trout or delta taper as it says on the box. I tried it out on my winston and it just didn't seem to fit too well. It made delicate casts and would cast as far as I needed to, but with the BIIt (this may just be a personal casting stroke thing) it didn't deliver the same depth of feeling and ability to roll cast that I noticed with the Techincal trout DT that made me buy the rod.

And the SA Textured trout seems to fit the bill perfectly from what you all say- at largest this rod might occasionally see a single #14 nymph.

 

[noirwest]

I've been following this thread for a while for clues as to which line to choose for a 6'6" Echo Carbon paired with a TFO BVK 0. Both rod and reel are around two ounces and will see use on small streams and creeks for tossing dries and not much else. I'm new to the small stuff and gather I should look for a weight forward line but have to keep a lighter presentation in mind. I like what I read about the airflo lines but for what I'm going to use it for I'm wondering if I'd be just as happy with a no name Cabela's line in a ziplock bag?

 

[sweetandsalt]

ECHO Rods, ably designed by Tim Rajeff, who, as it happens , is also the US distributor of Airflo lines. It is very relevant what lines a designer is employing in the development of his rods and I strongly suspect your ECHO would function optimally with a Ridge Tactical...call Rajeff Sports and ask! Also you will enjoy your little rod much more with a good line than the bargain line you refereed to.

For those that have wondered about Airflo's Technical or Delta Taper; this line is a riff on the Wulff Triangle Taper so it has a very, very long front taper and shoots like a shooting head. It does not load well for a very in close cast just like Triangle Taper.

Jackster, I have the Cortland "Western Drifter", the precursor to the Boss on a 6-weight and like it, however, I definitely also feel the kick from the Dyna Tip which also translates into a wrinkle in the forward portion of the loop. Yes it floats but does it cast? The Boss I have is a #5 so I will fish it under more refined circumstances and pay critical attention to the tip.