Time For New Line

[Mississippi Punk]

I've been using the same Cortland 444 Rocket Taper for the past 13 years now, and I am past due on an update. The question of course is which one? I have a small, spring creek-like home water that produces many 8-12" fish that looooooove streamers and bucktails. With the water as skinny as it is I've been fond of floating lines, but should I stick with the WF or move to a DT?

[Flyjunkie]

Todays DT lines are not that different from today's WF lines, at least in the first 30 feet... I use to always get DT lines for my 4wts' and smaller rods.. but nowadays i have been replacing the older DT lines with WF lines and honestly I can't tell much of a Difference... Seems the line companies have altered the DT line Front tapers to be just copies of the WF Line tapers....

[RiverRat]

Todays DT lines are not that different from today's WF lines, at least in the first 30 feet... I use to always get DT lines for my 4wts' and smaller rods.. but nowadays i have been replacing the older DT lines with WF lines and honestly I can't tell much of a Difference... Seems the line companies have altered the DT line Front tapers to be just copies of the WF Line tapers....

I agree with FJ and would like to addd that most modern WF seem to be oversized from line tapers of the past. You'll also be the luckiest man alive to get 13 years out modern lines. The new techology in lines sure makes them float better but they do not last anywhere as long.

shane

[fly addict]

I agree with FJ also. I fish 3 wts most of the time and like DT lines because I cut them in two. There is no need for 90' of flyline on a 3wt. And they way you use line it will last you 26 years!

Mark

[fancyboy]

A double taper line can also be flipped (instead of cut in half) after it gets worn.
Noah

[anacrime]

If you can't tell the difference b/w WF and DT, why buy WF? Just buy DT, two lines for the price of one

[briansII]

13 years! That line should have a special place to retire.

I'm going to go against the crowd. If a WF line is what you've used the past 13 years, I'm guessing you really liked it. I'd lean toward another WF, 444 Rocket Taper.

You did not say what weight rod, but personally, I don't care for a DT on my rods over a 3wt. Much of what I fish now, requires some longer casts, and I prefer WF for that. If I was a better caster I could do that with a DT. I'm not, and I don't like carrying a lot of line in the air to make those longer casts. I do use DT lines on my 0 & 2 weights.

briansII

[unskunkable]

With the advancements in taper technology today a WF is a much better choice. You have a lot more options when it comes to presentation with a WF over a DT. The only reason line companies even bother with a DT is because of a few dinosaurs that still object to composite rods (lol). IMHO there is no reason to ever bother with a DT.

[Bernard]

With the advancements in taper technology today a WF is a much better choice. You have a lot more options when it comes to presentation with a WF over a DT. The only reason line companies even bother with a DT is because of a few dinosaurs that still object to composite rods (lol). IMHO there is no reason to ever bother with a DT.

I love being a brontosaur!

I'd love to see a picture of that line close up. How has it held up? Does it sink? Is it cracked etc?

B.

[RiverRat]

With the advancements in taper technology today a WF is a much better choice. You have a lot more options when it comes to presentation with a WF over a DT. The only reason line companies even bother with a DT is because of a few dinosaurs that still object to composite rods (lol). IMHO there is no reason to ever bother with a DT.

I love being a brontosaur!

I'd love to see a picture of that line close up. How has it held up? Does it sink? Is it cracked etc?

B.

Brontosaur here! Of course companies don't want to make DT when they know old schoolers will use them twice. Not much money in us tight wads. We're so dang specialized that even buying a simple flyline is complicated these days

If MP buys a DT then he could get 26 years out of a line

If your happy with the Cortland lines, you can buy them cheap on Ebay. Personally my old 444 sink tip and 555 still work just fine. Buy one of each for the same price as one of the latest fancy gotta have it linew designed to empty your wallet..

shane

[fancyboy]

With the advancements in taper technology today a WF is a much better choice. You have a lot more options when it comes to presentation with a WF over a DT. The only reason line companies even bother with a DT is because of a few dinosaurs that still object to composite rods (lol). IMHO there is no reason to ever bother with a DT.

Another dinosaur here! I like my Sage DT on my 4 weight and my 5 weight casts great with a Orvis WF even though both a made of that new-fangled graphite (carbon fibers I'm told!) And there's no reason to write "In My Humble Opinion", there's no one on this board with a humble opinion.

[fly addict]

With the advancements in taper technology today a WF is a much better choice. You have a lot more options when it comes to presentation with a WF over a DT. The only reason line companies even bother with a DT is because of a few dinosaurs that still object to composite rods (lol). IMHO there is no reason to ever bother with a DT.

Most line companies have the same taper on both their WF and DT so how does a WF give you more options over a DT? The first 30’ of both lines are the same. If you wish to shoot line to a distant target get a WF, if you want to aerosolize line to a distant target get a DT. The best choice of line is the one that works well with the rod in question. It may be a WF or DT; it might be made by Rio or Airflo. It really does not matter on a 5wt fly-rod or smaller.

Mark

[unskunkable]

With the advancements in taper technology today a WF is a much better choice. You have a lot more options when it comes to presentation with a WF over a DT. The only reason line companies even bother with a DT is because of a few dinosaurs that still object to composite rods (lol). IMHO there is no reason to ever bother with a DT.

Most line companies have the same taper on both their WF and DT so how does a WF give you more options over a DT? The first 30’ of both lines are the same. If you wish to shoot line to a distant target get a WF, if you want to aerosolize line to a distant target get a DT. The best choice of line is the one that works well with the rod in question. It may be a WF or DT; it might be made by Rio or Airflo. It really does not matter on a 5wt fly-rod or smaller.

Mark

look at it this way in a DT line you have 1 option. With a WF just from 1 company you have a Trout taper, Distance taper, Extreme presentation Taper, Magnum Taper and so on. The first 30' of a WF and DT then are not the same. They are only the same if you use a standard WF taper which very few people actually do. I agree about using whatever line works best with the rod but notice that you are the first person that even brought that up. I think that there is hardly ever a time/place that a DT will outperform a WF line. If you ever intend to see your backing (aside from turning your reel sideways) then a double taper also eats up a heck of a lot more room on the reel. This would also translate into having to use a larger/heavier reel to accomplish the same purpose.



And for the record the dinosaur thing was a joke hence the (lol) following it. Get it?

[Mississippi Punk]

I gotcha unsinkable
I'll have to take a picture for you to see what has become of the line. It has cracked and split and repaired again. The business end is now lashed into a loop as it was down to about ten foot of the shooting head. It is more of a sink tip now than a floating line, which makes it a pain to mend.
I don't think I'll toss it though, it was my first line on my first rod- a two piece 5wt White River job. Is it the fanciest? No. However, it is the first rod I owned- or even casted for that matter. It has also become the tool I am using to teach my children with.
I guess the conscern here is the roll casting and mending I do with those streamers. The WF has been awfully good to me. The more I think of it, the shooting head of the Rocket Taper has helped me cast Clousers, Murdich Minnows, and Dahlburg divers on a cheap rod. As for the short game it casts comparaduns and caddis patterns without a dimple. Thanks for the advise!