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Fly Lines --- Land of Confusion

    My first fly fishing line cost 98 cents: a forest green piece of string that always landed in a heap when I cast it, unless I had a strong tailwind.  It took me years to discover that most fly lines are tapered.  How are you with some of the basic principles of physics?  When a tapered line is properly cast, the transfer of momentum (p = mv) is passed smoothly along the length of the fly line causing it to unfurl on the final forward cast.   The line lays out fully extended on the water.  As you might now suspect, mine was of the taperless variety.  (mv + taperless fly line = a coiled mess = lousy presentation of the fly + frustration)

            To keep it simple, there are essentially two fly line tapers: double taper and weight forward.  Most of my beginning students have heard of the double tapered fly line.  Those who have purchased a line with little or no knowledgeable counsel have purchased a double tapered fly line.  This, most likely, is not the best choice for a fly angler’s first line, though it is a quantum leap better than my initial purchase with no taper.

            A double taper 

fly line is, typically, 82 to 90 feet long.  As the name would imply, the line gradually decreases in diameter over a length of about 30 feet at each end.  The midsection, or belly, is about 25 to 30 feet long.

            Assuming the line is cast with some modicum of skill, here are the advantages of a double taper:

1.       The line and fly are presented very softly, delicately upon the water.  Minimum disturbance to the trout caused by line splash.  If a dry fly is being used, a delicate presentation decreases the possibility of a hard landing that might sink the fly upon impact.

2.       The double taper is an excellent choice for roll casting.  A roll cast is used when the angler has a high bank, high grass, bushes, or trees to his or her immediate rear.  With a standard back cast, the caster risks breaking off the fly.  A roll cast alleviates the problem as the fly line passes barely to the rear of the angler during the presentation.  More on casting in a later chapter.

3.       Economy.  Because the double tapered line is tapered at both ends, when the fishing end of the line has cracked and no longer floats (assuming it is a floating line), merely pull the line off the reel and turn the line around, re-attaching it to the backing, to fish the un-used tapered end.

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