darrinhurst Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 I have a TFO 9' 2-pc. 5wt rod that came as an outfit with reel, line and all. After going out the other day with leadhead and bigbadbrown, I was able to try out one of lead's older rods once we determined that my reel was buggered. What I discovered is that his rod felt much smoother casting than mine, and I asked the guy at Wholesale who was re-backing my spool, if the line was any good. His words were "There's worse, but its not bad". I am thinking that I want to get a new fly line as mine appears to sink at the tip (water logged maybe?) and it didn't really cast as smooth as lead's old rod. So my question is, what fly line gives you the best bang for the buck? Right now I am only using the 5wt to fish trout. Not looking at really doing much else at this point so I don't require a sinking or sink tip line. What are your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
126barnes Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Cortland 444 for $40 bucs............can't go wrong there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j5ep00 Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 darrin the courtland444 is a decent line for sure. i would get that or one of the sa headstart or ultra 4 they are all fairly cheap and are pretty good lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Airflo Freshwater Tactical. I have three, including one that's 2 years old and it still casts and floats great. They have bad memory in the cold but otherwise they're the only way to fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrinhurst Posted August 4, 2008 Author Share Posted August 4, 2008 Awesome, so I don't need to spend $60 or more to get a good fly line. Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agbff Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 I just got a new rod and reel.... teton tioga with the floating ridgline.... $70 line but the will replace it for up to five years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j5ep00 Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 I just got a new rod and reel.... teton tioga with the floating ridgline.... $70 line but the will replace it for up to five years. the ridge line is crap from what ive seen. the coating cracks and seperates. maybe other people have had good experinces but from what i have seen its garbage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agbff Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 well...... its brand new and awesome so far. I guess when they crack.... take it in and get a new one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish432 Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Airflo Freshwater Tactical. I have three, including one that's 2 years old and it still casts and floats great. They have bad memory in the cold but otherwise they're the only way to fly. I just pitched a tactical series in the garbage the other day. Casts just fine but its handling characteristics sucked. I second the recs for the 444 peach or the headstart for cheap but very usable lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowbonehead Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 You get what you pay for but the cortlands good bang for the buck! The SAs are my fav but it just depends on your budget and how much you'll you value your fishing. Its a habit and you need to feed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchy Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 I like the SA's as well.. the only thing I'm noticing is that every SA line i've had so far (including the sharkskin) sinks at the tip after a few times out.. I'm not sure if it's something I'm doing wrong. I try to clean my line after every 8 or 10 times out.. make sure I rinse it off real good afterwards.. but I DON'T have any line dressing to coat it with, so maybe that's the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrinhurst Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 You need to clean your line? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbowtrout Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Also you can cut off the section that is sinking and use it for a bit longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headscan Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 More expensive than the other lines mentioned, but I think the SA GPX lines are the best all around overhead casting lines out there. Spend the extra money and you won't regret it. Another thing to consider is that your line might not be the problem so much as your rod, or more specifically the rod's action. When you say the other rod "felt much smoother casting" than yours, was it the same rod with a different line or a completely different outfit? If it was a different rod, then maybe the one you have doesn't have an action that suits your casting style but the one you borrowed does. No point in spending money on a new line if the rod is actually where the problem lies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headscan Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 I like the SA's as well.. the only thing I'm noticing is that every SA line i've had so far (including the sharkskin) sinks at the tip after a few times out.. I'm not sure if it's something I'm doing wrong. I try to clean my line after every 8 or 10 times out.. make sure I rinse it off real good afterwards.. but I DON'T have any line dressing to coat it with, so maybe that's the problem? I had the same problem with my Sharkskin line fresh out of the box. I was told that it sounded like a warranty issue and to contact SA about getting a replacement. My old GPX line never had that problem, so it probably isn't a line dressing thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMAX Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Where are you getting Cortland 444 for $40? Cheapest I could find it out this way was $60. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrinhurst Posted August 6, 2008 Author Share Posted August 6, 2008 I picked up the Cortland444SL WF5F. I do believe it was $46 at Wholesale Sports. Wonder her on for me and all. Tried casting it when I got home and it made a world of difference. I look forward to me next trip to try it on the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMAX Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Mine's just the regular 444 DT4F. I probably could have gotten it cheaper at Wholesale but with the gas to get to Cowtown it probably would have worked out the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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