Fly Line Weight

[bob bolton]

Nice post Zach.

Bob

[spencer ballard]

Thanks for the rational explanation, I agree with almost all your points but still like a double taper line for trout fishing here in the midwest.

[Zach Matthews]

Spencer –

Consider what a DT is and what the application would be.  A true double taper line simply tapers from the point to the “head”, which then extends all the way to the other end of the line, where it tapers back to an identical point.

Weight forward lines share characteristics of DT lines for their first 30 feet; once again we have a pointed tip that tapers up to the “head,” which is thicker.  The distinction occurs on the *back* side of the head, where in a weight forward, of course, the line tapers back to a point (the running line), and it then continues in that finer diameter for many yards all the way to the end of the line.

The DT has the advantage of being able to be flipped around to be reused, but manufacturers report that very, very few people actually do this.

Why was the DT created in the first place?  Because old silk lines relied on oil to repel water, and after about a half day of fishing, the angler would have to turn his line around to fish the dry end.  In those days, anglers carried large spools for winding off the line and then flipping it to rewind onto the reel.

Here’s the crux of the matter: if you never fish past the length of the head of a WF line, then there’s little difference between a WF and a DT.  For simpler WF tapers, there’s *no* difference, because the transition between head and tip is a smooth, straight line.  For more complex WF tapers (like Rio’s Nymph or SA’s XPS, for example), there may be “steps” in between the head and the tip, which affect how hard the line will turn over.  Think of a bullet being necked down from its cartridge size to the ultimate bullet diameter; some bullets have a smooth transition, while others “neck down” in a variety of steps of different lengths.  Lines are the same way, only stretched out.

When I say the DT is the “absolute worst performing line,” you have to consider the application.  Inside 20 feet, there’s little to no difference between a DT and a simple WF.  That’s your baseline; the worst a line can perform might be perfectly adequate for 90% of your fishing conditions.  If you move up to a complex tapered WF, like the Nymph, you may get some kind of performance advantage (and in fact, the Nymph taper will turn the tip over harder-for bigger bugs-even inside 20 feet, because of its complex “neck down” design).  

Now consider what happens if you try to lengthen your casts.  Here a DT becomes a liability; because there is no running line, you have no opportunity to develop a “shooting head” style cast.  Releasing a DT with 40′ of line out causes the “head” to drag through the guides all the way to the other end, creating considerable drag and wind resistance.  No distance caster would ever choose a DT (unless he intended to carry the *entire* head and use the *whole line* as an elaborate shooting head, which I have actually done with a 15′ 10 weight two handed rod).

So, please don’t think I am criticizing your choice of a DT; for short distance fishing conditions like those you probably see in the Midwest, you’re giving up only the marginal advantage of a complex line’s more sophisticated taper.  (And you may save enough money to make this well worth the trade).  A qualified angler should certainly be able to get the job done with a DT or with any line; it’s just that he is choosing to play with a base model rather than with any upgrades.

Zach

[Mike McKeown]

Thanks Zach, your research and understanding of the topic is exceptional. You must have debated this subject on many other occasions. I discussed this with a very good mate of mine today, while we fished a tiny stream for Yellowfish.

One question I would love answered is to do with the theory that Sage made the TCR in conjunction with Scientific Angler, who developed their expert distance tapper for that rod.

I agree that today’s rods are too fast and lining-up slows them down, makes them easier to cast and more efficient at transferring energy, but if Sage and SciAngler developed them in conjunction, should they nor be fished as a unit?? 5w TCR and a 5w Expert Distance tapper??

[Zach Matthews]

Mike –

Thanks man, but actually, I think my understanding is still relatively sketchy compared to what it hopefully will be in the next few months.

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