SA Expert Distance Line...Price and Performance!

[FrankB2]

LL BEan has SA's Expert Distance on sale for $20 ! I had to buy and try one before dropping the big $$$$ . I used it this afternoon for several
hours, and love it. In close and out far, great accuracy and ease of casting.
I like the green mist color as well, but while it has the AST coating, it lacks
the welded loop. No problems with a nail knotted section of butt material.
It's thinner than SA's GPX, and I might like it better. That's unfortunate as
I have several GPX lines still in the box. Hopefully I kept the receipts, and can
get 3 Expert Distance lines for the price of one GPX!!!! The line float great,
and nothing odd or funky to report.

 

[Tracker12]

Frank
You must live at the LL Bean store. You get more deals there than anyone I know. Do they have any sinking line on sale?

 

[Troutwhisperer]

Hey frank,

Thats the line i use but i didn't get it that cheap. man what a steal.

I like it because it has low memory, even when it is cold and theres snow on the ground, and cuts through the wind good wich is what i need on the prairie up here in montana. I like it much more than that GPX line. was never impressed by GPX like i was by expert distance.

 

[FrankB2]

LL Bean has several lines on sale at the retail stores right now. They had
some sort of sinking lines on sale, but I can't recall which.

 

[BigCliff]

Its about my favorite out there. I decided to go the grass-is-greener thing and bought a diff't one last time I needed a trout line, and I think I still like the Distance/XXD/Expert Distance taper best.

I've been singing the praises of it on here for years. It does make long casts really well, but its mending and roll casting qualities make it extremely versatile and practical. It also doesn't overload the soft rods that I prefer for trout.

 

[FrankB2]

Hi Cliff,
I had seen your comments about the Expert Distance here, and that played
a big part in spending $20 ......Seriously.......

 

[FrankB2]

It does make long casts really well, but its mending and roll casting qualities make it extremely versatile and practical. It also doesn't overload the soft rods that I prefer for trout.

I forgot to mention that I returned two GPX lines, and got SIX Expert
Distance lines! My wife has some kind of OCD thing going, and throws out
receipts before we even leave a store, so I had to give LL Bean ID, an MRI,
etc :icon_roll :icon_mrgr. I have some soft 7.5' St. Croix 4wts, and this
line should be the ticket!

 

[Jackster]

I sure wish I could get in on that deal! I searched the Bean website high and low last night. I guess it's a deal for walk-ins only!

As for using it for a fishing line, I never really liked it as such... the running line is just too thin and doesn't lend itself to floating well at all. I learned that the hard way when untying it from my 'toon fins! :icon_redf

As far as a casting line though, it is very hard to beat! That long front taper just lends itself to lots of aerialized line and the slick finish and thin running line shoots like no other floater.

B2, if you have any 4 or 5 weights hanging around, help a brother out here! :icon_wink

 

[BigCliff]

As for using it for a fishing line, I never really liked it as such... the running line is just too thin and doesn't lend itself to floating well at all. I learned that the hard way when untying it from my 'toon fins! :icon_redf

I never had issues with running line sinking. Were you making super long casts, or maybe trolling from the tube?

Did have issues with tip sink, but no more than average. (pertains only to nail knotted tips, haven't bought one since welded loops were available)

 

[FrankB2]

I had a bit of tip sink with yesterday, but only the first couple of inches. I
wiped the line off, and was back in business. Making welded loops
might be in the near future.

Hi Jackster,
Yeah....walk-in only. LL Bean puts lots of stuff on sale like that at the retail
stores, but not in the catalog. Don't have a clue as to why.....????? What
kind of line did you want, GPX or Expert Distance?

P.S. The head length for a 6wt Expert Distance is 70 feet, with only 34 feet of running line. The
overall length is 105 feet, so the 4wt stuff might see a pair of scissors .

 

[Jackster]

I had a bit of tip sink with yesterday, but only the first couple of inches. I
wiped the line off, and was back in business. Making welded loops
might be in the near future.

Hi Jackster,
Yeah....walk-in only. LL Bean puts lots of stuff on sale like that at the retail
stores, but not in the catalog. Don't have a clue as to why.....????? What
kind of line did you want, GPX or Expert Distance?

P.S. The head length for a 6wt Expert Distance is 70 feet, with only 34 feet of running line.

Frank, XD if you would be so kind.
If you can do this, I'll PM you my contact info so we can iron out payment before you ship!
I just added to your good rep points!

 

[FrankB2]

I bought the last two 4wt and last 5wt, so........

 

[BigCliff]

Hi Jackster,
Yeah....walk-in only. LL Bean puts lots of stuff on sale like that at the retail
stores, but not in the catalog. Don't have a clue as to why.....????? What
kind of line did you want, GPX or Expert Distance?

They likely do this when they've got excess stock of a discontinued item at a given location, and don't want to pay for shipping it elsewhere only to sell it at cost. You likely wouldn't get such a deal if they were having to ship the items around.