What tapers for beginners?

[gr8johnson]

I am not a total beginner, I have fumbled along without any real pro help. I have done most of my fly fishing in south west Florida. I am actually using the same rod, a 6/7 wt, that I started with before I moved to Florida. I just upped the wt of the line done in the saltwater. I just got back into the sport after 4 years.

My main question is what taper is easiest for beginners? Weight forward or double taper. Which one is easiest to cast.
It seems like I still have a large loop in my back cast. Now, it probably is still my technique, but I was wondering if it was the forward weight line being heavier in the tip. It is a 7 wt line by the way.

Also, what are the advantages in the better( more expensive) line as far as casting goes. I know I went cheap with my line. I bought some Cortland Fairplay
FW7F on eBay for $5.00 new. So I picked it up. Now what is the big disadvantage using this low end line? It doesnt have any memory, but I am sure there is some reason Some costs more than others.
Thanks for any help gang.

[Trucha]

I would go with the DT. The price of line isn't too much of a factor as long as you take care of it, especially in salt water. Keep it clean and treated. As you become a better caster, you may want to specialized depending on the target species you are seeking; reds, snook, bones, etc. A weight forward (or other similiar lines) have the majority of the taper in the front making it easier to cast into the wind, large flies, or so it is said.

The loop in your back cast is due to your technique. If at all possible, get someone to give you some casting tips; local fly shops, instructors. It helps get the learning curve out of the way.

Fish hard.

[BigCliff]

The size of the loop has basically nothing to do with the quality or taper of the line and everything to do with the casting stroke. I would guess that you are not stopping your back cast high enough, or not applying the power stroke correctly. Doug is the expert on these issues, if he doesn't jump onto this thread, I'd suggest creating another with the casting question in the title.

You could definitly benefit from upgrading your line. A WFF line will be the best for distance casting on the stillwaters (fresh or salt) you are fishing. Higher quality lines will have better coatings that make them shoot through the guides better and also that may help them not become too soft to the point of being "gummy" in your heat down there. Some "Bass" taper lines are designed for warmer weather, but not all. Any line you find called a "Bonefish", "Redfish", or "Tropic" line will be ideally set up to deal with your hot conditions down there.

If I were you, I would get a top quality "Redfish" line and use it in freshwater as well. Most Redfish lines are basically Bass Bug tapers that have the same ingredients as Bonefish lines in order to deal with the saltwater and the heat. This line will turnover large flies better than a Bonefish line.

[gr8johnson]

Oh boy, I must not have been clear. I am back in south east Michigan now. I was just mentioning I was in florida as a comparison to the difference in equipment. sorry for the confusion.

[BigCliff]

Yep, sure missed that. That being said, don't dare get a redfish line. The thing will be a durn slinky. If you're going to be fishing moving water, I might go with a DT line, due to its better mending and roll/spey casting qualities. I'm still a WF fan on anything over 5wt though muhself.

And quit moving so much, all that packing and unpacking interferes greatly with fishing. It has kept me from fishing for about a month now. My blood pressure probably reflects this change in lifestyle.