Rio fly lines

[Nemekar]

Hello, I´d love you to share your experience with Rio lines with me. They are kinda pricey, so I want to pick up right for the first time. There is a lot of advertisement bias around them, so I wanna hear real angler´s recommendations. Till now I´ve tried just Rio Gold and liked it, so I want to buy more Rio lines.

Rio Gold vs In Touch Gold (is In Touch version better for something?)

Rio Perception (what are it´s adventages over the Gold?)

Rio Grand (I suppose it´s just for fast rods and heavy stuff)

Rio Technical Trout (just for dries?)

I need some more universal lines for Sage X 486 and Scott Radian 905.

Thank you very much!

Karel

 

[jdwy]

I need some more universal lines for Sage X 486 and Scott Radian 905.

Not too long ago I sprung for the SA Smooth Infinity Amplitude for my Radian 905 and in my opinion it WAY out performs my Rio Gold in all respects. Same with my new Scott GS 905, I lawn cast it a few times with the Rio Gold, then tried an old Cortland 444 Lazerlite and I like the Cortland better. If I do buy a new line for the GS, from what I read and is recommended, it will be the SA Trout taper.

Rio Gold vs In Touch Gold (is In Touch version better for something?)

If you read up on their website, the In Touch is advertised as having no stretch, but as I posted on another thread, I was cleaning my older Rio Gold and another SA line and for the heck of it I anchored both of them and with 50-60 feet of line out neither one had any stretch when I pulled on them.

 

[scotty macfly]

Not too long ago I sprung for the SA Smooth Infinity Amplitude for my Radian 905 and in my opinion it WAY out performs my Rio Gold in all respects. Same with my new Scott GS 905, I lawn cast it a few times with the Rio Gold, then tried an old Cortland 444 Lazerlite and I like the Cortland better. If I do buy a new line for the GS, from what I read and is recommended, it will be the SA Trout taper.

You sir have made some good choices.

The Rio Gold is too much for a softer rod like the GS. The 444 by Cortland would be a better choice, but the SA Trout Taper is absolutely perfect for it.

As for the Intouch series of lines vs. the former series of Rio line, are they really any better? They may have slight (slight) improvements, but not enough to justify the new price, and not enough to write home about.

And that includes the new SA lines as well. But if it was me, I'd take SA over Rio any day. JMHO

 

[jdwy]

Thanks, Scotty, I always appreciate yours and some others advice and opinions here. You're going to make me desperately hunt for a flaw in the Cortland coating so I've got an excuse to buy the SA Trout. (But not at 22° temp today)

 

[scotty macfly]

Thanks, Scotty, I always appreciate yours and some others advice and opinions here. You're going to make me desperately hunt for a flaw in the Cortland coating so I've got an excuse to buy the SA Trout. (But not at 22° temp today)

You won't find really any flaws in that Cortland. It's an awesome line, but it would go better with fiberglass or bamboo rods. Oh look, now you have a reason to get a new rod!

 

[sweetandsalt]

I fish lines from all three of these makers and the rod gets to chose its line based on taper design and mass distribution. Of course, your angling method is a contributor too.

Of the rods mentioned in this thread, Scott GS loves SA Trout, I have not tried Cort. Omni-Verse on it though which is surly a contender. Sage X; I fish the 8 1/2'/#5 not the 4 and favor the RIO Technical Trout on it fishing dry flies, very sharp outfit, one of the best. I'm not a Radian owner but have cast a bunch and my pard fished the #6, a sweet spot. We've tried several lines on it and Gold rules. Gold is one of the best modern lines because its taper proportions, front, to compound head to elongated rear taper is so just right. It is 6 grains heavier than AFTA dead on spec but that seems almost irrelevant to beneficial for most rods. Its handling and loop stability are perfect. I do slightly preferer the InTouch particularly for #'s 5 & 6 as its sensations are more sharply communicated. Newly popular SA Infinity is a full 1/2 heavy line with a long rear taper improvement over their popular but limited G/MPX. Infinity may excel for indicator nymphing or streamers but is no dry fly presentation line and too heavy for most fine rods that preferer a closer to true line weight. I find its weight distribution radically forward biased. I am interested in its saltwater version for windy conditions though...as long as it is available in smooth not textured.