Tim Pommer
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It’s ironic that elk hunters find wolves and bears such a hindrance to their hunting experience.
Give me an outdoor experience, but please, don’t involve the wilderness…
I think that you may be reading way more into what I was trying to get across. I was simply trying to provide some firsthand examples to back up my answer to Zach’s question. Since the reintroduction of wolves to YNP, the behavior of bears has changed dramatically which, in my opinion, has resulted in more bear maulings.
That wasnt directed at you, but a broad generalization directed at elk hunters who blame bear and wolves for spoiling their hunt.
I will add to it saying I do not hunt, I have never hunted in bear country, and would admit to being scared shitless to trek off into bear country with the intent of dragging out a dead carcass (handling fish gives me enough heartburn in bear country). Screw the hand gun, I’d want a bazooka.
It’s ironic that elk hunters find wolves and bears such a hindrance to their hunting experience.
Give me an outdoor experience, but please, don’t involve the wilderness…
Note: Yes, I’m typing this from wolf infested, black bear filled, but grizzly-free, Minnesota
You know those Youtube videos you see every couple years where some moron in Yellowstone tries to pet a bison or throw sticks at a moose from 15 feet away? Would it give you any peace of mind if you saw that same moron walking up the path toward you and he had decided he needed to pack a .44 for the bears?
bd
Truth.
I am not aware of any documented attacks on parties of three or more.
Last summer was a hot one for bear attacks.
Great info! I do think that the ability to flip the line around is a big one, especialy if your line gets badly damaged while on the water or your just a cheapa– like me! With lines north of $50, double the lifespan is a big one to me. 😮
That’s a perfectly good reason to go with a DT!
After taking the time to write all that, I was just reminded that the work was already done for me once before.
Of course, if you like DT lines, continue to buy DT lines. However, the age old debate of WF vs DT is more fueled by false assumptions than true facts. It really depends on the specific line and the specific application.
Yes, it is true that a DT line can be used twice if you’re willing to turn it around and reuse the other side. No, this is obviously not an option on a WF line.
Where it gets foggy is when people claim that a DT can pick up easier, can carry more line, can mend better, and my favorite, can roll cast better than a WF line. All of these claims assume that you are fishing distances beyond the rear taper of the WF line. If you are fishing distances less than the length of the Front Taper+Belly of the line, you are virtually fishing the exact same line.
Use the Mastery Trout as an example.
WF:
DT:
Until the rear taper of the WF line, these two lines are identical. I wont post the the taper specs but for this specific line, the Front Taper and the Belly add up to 28′ (for the WF-5). So if you have out 28′ feet of line or less, you are fishing the same line. It’ll pick up the same, carry the same, mend the same, and yes, roll cast the same.
Once you go past that 28′ foot mark, things change.
The WF line will allow you to shoot the line since a thin running line goes through the guides much better than the thick belly of the DT. On the flip side, the DT can allow you to carry more line since a longer head usually always translates to more line control at distances. However, there is a point that it becomes difficult to carry a significant amount of line due to the amount of weight beyond the rod tip and at this point, a DT become more cumbersome than a WF line. You may find that by shooting a WF line you can achieve greater distances than a DT line.
This same principle applies to picking up line. Picking up more than 30′ of line off the water and generating enough energy to cast is very difficult, no matter your casting ability. It’s simple physics – you cannot generate enough speed with the rod to move that much weight of the line.
The ‘DT lines mend better’ argument is probably the most sound of them all. More belly in the rod tip, the more control you have on the water. However, unless you’re stack mending down stream, nymphing presentations beyond 30′ are pretty ineffective and pretty susceptible to drag. Not only that, again, it’s pretty difficult to pick up more than 30′ of line (see above argument).
And then my favorite one, ‘DT lines roll cast better.’ Roll casting more than 30′ with a 6 weight or less is pretty difficult. Unless you are a very skilled single hand spey caster, you’re not likely to roll cast beyond 30′. If you are roll casting beyond 30′, a WF line will give you even more of an advantage since the transition to a thin running line will buy you even more distance! Take a look at a skagit line’s taper and you’ll understand. There’s a reason all spey lines are WF.
Remember, all this hinges on whether or no you are fishing beyond the length of the front taper+belly. Those that fish small streams or pocket water will rarely cast beyond 30′ and most lines on the market happen to have a front taper + belly that’s 30′ or beyond. So aside from the fact that you can flip a DT line around, there are virtually no differences between the two lines until you get beyond that 30′ mark.
Not sure why you’ve got your heart set on a DT line. For better or worse, the world is demanding WF lines and the DT’s are disappearing!
Mastery Trout is SA’s last remaining DT line in the Mastery series. Otherwise, if you’re looking for a value line, there is a DT in the Supra Series and there is always the Sharkskin option you noted.
But geez, it’s still fun to stop and think “I get $300.00 per hour back at the office, so I’m floating in a $40,000.00 Gheenoe now,” isn’t it?
bd
I think I need a new profession…
Magnum is a compressed version of the Mastery Saltwater profile. There are some other differences, obviously, being one’s a saltwater line and one a freshwater line. And yes, half size heavy for the Magnum.
Titan will roll cast and it will handle a sink tip if you throw one on it. It can achieve distances through shooting, carrying more than 40′ of line in the air will be clunky. Let the line go, you’ll get the distance you want without casting all day.
Textured has been a huge success and I pretty much fish it exclusively. It’s no different to clean than a standard line and shoots so much better (not to mention floatation, durability, memory…)
You still havent said exactly what you’re fishing for and how, so I’m still sorta stumbling in the dark here . It sounds like Magnum is your choice if you’re staying in close or see yourself accurately presenting flies with a high amount of accuracy. If you want to cover water, throw big stuff efficiently, and not false cast all day, Titan is your ticket.
The VPT is a European inspired line. We worked closely with our European team to make a line that fit their style of fishing, which usually involves as much single hand spey as it does overhead casting. Initially, the line was only going to be available to the European market but after playing with it here, we found it fit our need pretty well too.
The line is a multipurpose line, hence the Versatile Presentation Taper (VPT). Think of it as the European version of the GPX. It works well up close while still having good loop stability to get major distances. Being that it has a long front taper, it’s a good choice for accuracy and delicacy.
To answer your questions:
It’s not a bass line, so if you’re trying to throw poppers with it, it wont happen without some serious work – hoppers or big stoneflies, yes. It can throw some bunny leeches and heavy streamers but not as well as it can throw a dry fly or a wet fly. And as with all lines, dont expect the 3wt to throw your big stuff – always use the right tool for the job.
Line control at distances is awesome with this line. Again, this is more European – meaning it requires a bit more grace than good old fashion American brute strength. Compare American soccer to European soccer and you’ll have a good analogy to the differences in American casting vs European casting.
I’ve cast the line a lot but havent fished it as much as I should. I used it a bit for swinging wet flies for trout during the development phases of this line last year. It’s a blast to use it with wets. However, being that I live in warm-water mecca, my trout season is pretty short and I havent spent as much time with this line as I did with some of our other new products, like the Titan Taper.
Keep me posted with questions!
