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How To Choose the Right Fly Line Weight
Written on the rod blank or handle is a code number which indicates the line that the rod manufacturer suggests is best for most customers; i.e., 6 line. To most fly anglers, this means that they should use nothing but a 6 weight line with this rod. But to get the full potential from different fishing situations, you may want to consider using several line sizes on your rod - perhaps varying as much as two line sizes from the one suggested on the rod. Manufacturers know your rod may be used in a host of fishing situations, but they can't judge your casting style and fishing skills. So when they place a recommended line number on your rod, it is implied that it's for average fishing conditions. First, understand that you're not going to damage a fly rod using fly line a little lighter or heavier than is recommended. Certainly, at times, the rod will fish better if different line sizes are used. Match line weight to conditions Let me cite several examples of when you might want to use various line weights on the same rod for different fishing conditions you may encounter. First, if you fish a swift, tumbling mountain brook, you can use a rather short leader with a dry fly. A leader of 7-1/2 feet in length would probably do the best job. But if you fish for trout with the same outfit and dry fly on a calm spring creek, beaver pond or quiet lake, that short leader could prevent you from catching many fish. While many fishermen automatically know that on calmer water they have to use longer leaders, many of them don't really probe any deeper into "why" they need a longer leader. It isn't the leader's length that's so important. In calm water, what frightens the trout is the line falling to the surface. The longer the leader, the farther away from the fly is the splashdown of the line. But with a longer leader, the more difficult it is to cast and there is a reduction in accuracy. Thus, a 9-foot leader is more accurate and easier to turn over than a 15-footer. Considering this, plus the fact that the splashdown of the line is what is frightening the trout, there is a simple solution. Use a fly line one size lighter than the rod manufacturer recommends. Jim Green, who has designed fly rods for years and is a superb angler, mentioned to me more than three decades ago that he almost always used a line one size lighter when fishing dry flies where the trout were spooky or the water was calm. I tried it and have routinely followed his advice. So, for example, if you are using a six weight rod, you can drop down to a five weight line with no problem. In fact, in very delicate fishing conditions, I often drop down two sizes in line weights. There is a reason. Weight and speed need to vary. Fly rods are designed to cast a particular weight of line, with a good bit of line speed. If you drop down a line size, you benefit in two ways. One, the line is going to alight on the water softer than a heavier line. Two, because it is not as heavy, it doesn't develop as much line speed. A line traveling at high speed often comes to the water with a heavier impact than one that is moving slower. Even with a line two sizes lighter, you can still cast a dry fly or nymph far more distance than what is called for in delicate trout fishing situations. So you don't hamper yourself at all by using a line lighter than the rod suggests. Best of all, you can now use a shorter leader, since impact on the surface has been lessened. There is a second situation where a lighter than normal line will help you if you are a fairly good caster. The wind is blowing and you need to reach out to a distant target. Many try to solve this common problem by using a line one size heavier. The usual thinking is that a heavier line allows them to throw more weight and, they hope, get more distance. Actually, going to a heavier line means that they complicate the problem. On a cast, the line unrolls toward the target in a loop form. The larger the loop, the more energy is thrown in a direction that is not at the target. When fishermen overload a fly rod with a line heavier than the manufacturer calls for, they cause the rod to flex more deeply, which creates larger loops on longer casts. Overloading the rod wastes casting energy by not directing it at the target. If you switch to a lighter line, you may not have enough weight outside the rod tip to cause the rod to load or flex properly - if you hold the normal amount of line outside the rod during casting. But if you extend this lighter line about 10 feet or a little more outside the rod than you normally would for this cast under calm conditions, you can cast a greater distance into the wind. By extending the additional amount of lighter line outside the rod, you cause it to flex as if you were false casting the normal length of the recommended line size. Since the rod is now flexing properly, it will deliver tight loops, but the lighter line is thinner. This means that there will be less air resistance encountered on the cast. If you are forced to cast a longer distance into the wind, switch to one size lighter line and extend a little more line outside the rod tip than you normally would. This means, of course, that you need to be able to handle a longer line during false casting. But the line that is lighter than the rod calls for will let you cast farther into the breeze. About The Author Brett Fogle is the publisher of Fly Fishing Secrets, an insiders guide to flyfishing tips and techniques of the pros. To sign up for free flyfishing tips and other articles, please visit www.fly-fishing-secrets.com. brett@macarthurwatergardens.com
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news News Corp. says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Mark Williams, a News Corp. executive named late on Wednesday as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere, has taken over in an interim capacity, a News Corp. spokeswoman said on Thursday. News Corp exec becomes chief of Germany's Premiere (Reuters via Yahoo! News) News Corp's chief financial officer for Europe and Asia has been named chief executive of German pay television group Premiere, following the resignation of Michael Boernicke, Premiere said on Wednesday. Premiere CEO Is Replaced by News Corp.'s Williams (Update2) (Bloomberg.com) Sept. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Premiere AG , the German pay- television company partly owned by News Corp., said Chief Executive Officer Michael Boernicke is being replaced by a senior News Corp. executive. News Corporation to redevelop London Wapping site (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is to redevelop its Wapping site in London, moving all its UK businesses, including News International, Harper Collins, MySpace and Dow Jones, under one roof. DeJesus, Royals sad at Sweeney news (MLB.com) DeJesus, Royals sad at Sweeney news Phila. mayor to announce grim budget news (Philly.com) The Nutter administration is expected to announce grim budget news today, which is all but certain to lead to significant spending cuts - perhaps as high as 10 percent - in some city departments, according to three sources familiar with the budget. Tribune blames Google for damaging news story (Market Watch) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Tribune Co. said Wednesday that the mistaken online publishing of an old news story that cratered UAL Corp.'s stock price earlier this week was because of a repeated technology failure at Google Inc. Get the latest news in racing (Daily Racing Form) In order to read Daily Racing Form's free daily news stories it is required that you have a DRF.com free membership. If you do not have a DRF.com free membership, please register here . You will NOT need to be logged in to read each day's free news stories. UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News (UPI) Chesney nominated for 7 CMAs ... Hoffman: I'm not playing Penguin ... 'RocknRolla' No. 1 at U.K. box office ... Jessica Simpson stops song on 'GMA' ... News from United Press International. Kyodo News agency says three inmates executed (AP via Yahoo! Malaysia News) Kyodo News agency says three death-row inmates have been executed in Japan. Site: news - Google News Amid Gaza violence, a new task for Obama - USA Today
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for fishing Fly-fishing for these salmon is simple, fun (Detroit Free Press) SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario -- Going after pink salmon is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to catch salmon on a fly rod. The techniques are so simple and so much fun that they should call this Salmon Fishing 101. INSIDE THE OUTDOORS: Fishing by the numbers? Try a 7 (Detroit Free Press) My standard fly-fishing tackle for chinook salmon and steelhead used to be a nine-foot, eight-weight rod with a traditional floating line. But for pink salmon I've sometimes used a six-weight trout rod for fish that run two to five pounds. They're considerably stronger than trout of the same size, so using a six-weight really revs up the sporting factor with these fish. Fishing report: Sept. 11 (The Tennessean) FISHING REPORT South Florida fishing report (Miami Herald) With water levels more than 15 feet in Lake Okeechobee, Howard Kleeman of Slims Fishing Camp in Clewiston reported that largemouth bass are scattered and moving further up into the grassy areas, where they have not been able to get in years. . . . Largemouth bass are being caught in the Moon Shine Bay area, Pelican Bay and the west side of Red Island. The bass are eating swimming frogs, shiners, ... Fishing derby designed to promote sport of fishing to kids - and parents, too (Morris Daily Herald) The third annual Just 4 Kids Fishing Derby is just as much for the parents as for the kids, Troop 471 leader and derby organizer Dana Morse said. Pittsburgh hooks big-money fishing tournament (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Pittsburgh will host another big money fishing event on the Three Rivers in July and August, 2009, with $1 million guaranteed to the winner. Fishing report: Sept. 11 (The Longview News-Journal) AUSTIN (AP) ? Here is the weekly fishing report as compiled for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for Sept. 10. (Report also available on Web as www.txfishing.com.) Of the Outdoors ? Jig Fishing: The Ultimate Catching Tool (Yankton Press & Dakotan) With all of the traveling I do, I have the opportunity to talk with a lot of anglers. At a recent in store promotion, I was talking with a group of fishermen talking about different fishing techniques. Boy Scouts set to host fishing derby Sept. 13 (Morris Daily Herald) Morris Boy Scout Troop 471 will host its free Just 4 Kids Fishing Derby on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Gebhard Woods State Park in Morris. PHOTO GALLERY: Fishing Rodeo in Fairview Heights (St. Clair County Journal) The pond at Everett Moody Park in Fairview Heights was the place to be for young anglers on Aug. 30 as Elk?s Lodge 664 and Mayor Gail D. Mitchell sponsored the 16th annual Kid?s Fishing Rodeo. Site: fishing - Google News Fishing/hunting report - San Diego Union Tribune
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