What say ye? Any experience?
I was all over the idea after reading about it all over the net, but then the instructors and guides at Orvis recommended against it, so I went with 9wt line for a 9wt rod & reel set up (SA Aircel btw, not Orvis lines). Hope I won't end up wishing I had gone with 10.
I was all over the idea after reading about it all over the net, but then the instructors and guides at Orvis recommended against it, so I went with 9wt line for a 9wt rod & reel set up (SA Aircel btw, not Orvis lines). Hope I won't end up wishing I had gone with 10.
The line weight is matched to the rod weight for a reason, so always start there. If your line/rod combination allows you to make the casts you want with the flies you want there there is no reason to overload. You can always purchase a spare spool and put 10wt on it later. If you want to obsess on something turn to the business end of your line, leaders and tippets. That's where the magic happens.
Try this to help understand more about line weight, and rod designations:
1. AFTM Fly Line Components: http://www.common-cents.info/aftma.pdf
2. Common Cents System: http://www.common-cents.info/
It all depends on how far you intend to cast, and what "9 wt" means to that TFO fly rod of yours. It may be that the Orvis rep you talked to knows that a 9wt TFO fly rod is usually closer to a 10 wt. The rod designations (9 wt, 10 wt, light, medium, heavy) are a very broad range and often overlap from one manufacturer to another. It may require some trial and error to find the right match for your application(s).
1. AFTM Fly Line Components: http://www.common-cents.info/aftma.pdf
2. Common Cents System: http://www.common-cents.info/
It all depends on how far you intend to cast, and what "9 wt" means to that TFO fly rod of yours. It may be that the Orvis rep you talked to knows that a 9wt TFO fly rod is usually closer to a 10 wt. The rod designations (9 wt, 10 wt, light, medium, heavy) are a very broad range and often overlap from one manufacturer to another. It may require some trial and error to find the right match for your application(s).
Lilpixieblue,
I agree with both Bloomagoo and tacklesmith. The line weight and matching are important because companies that research and manufacture the rods, reels and lines have put a lot of effort into the physics of flycasting. Having the rod, reel and line properly matched should make casting easier.
Overweighting the line changes the “balance” in the entire system. The higher weight line will take up more room on the reel. The added weight will throw off the center of balance, as you hold the rod, forcing you to compensate, which could lead to developing bad casting habits.
IMO most guys that advocate overweighting the line have not properly learned how to fly cast in the first place.
Also as Bloomagoo, states you should focus more attention on the length and composition of your leader and tippet. Most pre-assembled fly rod combos are “tuned” to fishing for trout with a dry fly presentation. Thus you start out with 9 foot knotless tapered leaders. IMO, it is the 9 foot leader that makes fly casting more difficult than it has to be. I started out with one of those long leaders and it was a nightmare to cast. I caught lots of trees in the beginning. Then when I shortened the leader to about 36 inches, casting became much easier.
Let me explain why: if you have a 9 foot leader, which is effectively weightless, you also need to have another 9 foot of line out in front of you before you can reasonably attempt to cast. So just starting out, that means you have to lift and back cast 18 feet of line! Most fly fishing scenarios do not afford you an 18 foot radius to begin casting.
You can purchase lines with different heads and tapers to compensate for this.
I recommend that you put your trust in the rod & reel manufacturers and their recommendations before you go “customizing” your gear based on some internet “guru’s” advice.
I agree with both Bloomagoo and tacklesmith. The line weight and matching are important because companies that research and manufacture the rods, reels and lines have put a lot of effort into the physics of flycasting. Having the rod, reel and line properly matched should make casting easier.
Overweighting the line changes the “balance” in the entire system. The higher weight line will take up more room on the reel. The added weight will throw off the center of balance, as you hold the rod, forcing you to compensate, which could lead to developing bad casting habits.
IMO most guys that advocate overweighting the line have not properly learned how to fly cast in the first place.
Also as Bloomagoo, states you should focus more attention on the length and composition of your leader and tippet. Most pre-assembled fly rod combos are “tuned” to fishing for trout with a dry fly presentation. Thus you start out with 9 foot knotless tapered leaders. IMO, it is the 9 foot leader that makes fly casting more difficult than it has to be. I started out with one of those long leaders and it was a nightmare to cast. I caught lots of trees in the beginning. Then when I shortened the leader to about 36 inches, casting became much easier.
Let me explain why: if you have a 9 foot leader, which is effectively weightless, you also need to have another 9 foot of line out in front of you before you can reasonably attempt to cast. So just starting out, that means you have to lift and back cast 18 feet of line! Most fly fishing scenarios do not afford you an 18 foot radius to begin casting.
You can purchase lines with different heads and tapers to compensate for this.
I recommend that you put your trust in the rod & reel manufacturers and their recommendations before you go “customizing” your gear based on some internet “guru’s” advice.
That's exactly what I ended up doing, put my trust in the pros & manufacturers. I definitely didn't get the highest end line I could get. After the expenses of the rod, reel, Orvis slingpack, more flies & boxes, I just couldn't dump a lot into a line. It does have great ratings. It's just not the ideal line for what I'm using the rod for. I'm not worried about that, though, because the next thing will be a spare spool with some quality intermediate or sinking line. At least I'll be able to cast the thing right now.
I've done surprisingly well on my 5wt with ridiculously long leader & tippet. We'll see with the 9wt. That may be a game changer.
Wow, a lot of info to take in here. Thanks for your input, guys!
I've done surprisingly well on my 5wt with ridiculously long leader & tippet. We'll see with the 9wt. That may be a game changer.
Wow, a lot of info to take in here. Thanks for your input, guys!