The age old fly fishing question: Tropical vs Cold Water Fly Lines?
As soon as you’ve gone fly fishing a few times, you will have heard the discussion in a fly shop about tropical fly lines vs. cold water. The common theory is that you can use a tropical line in a cold environment, but that you can’t use a cold water line in a tropical scenario.
For the best fly fishing results, dig deeper into the tropical fly line debate.
The thing is, tropical lines can become taught and show troublesome symptoms of memory loss when the water gets colder. Which in summary means that the temperature can play havoc with your fly fishing techniques… so take note of these top tips to beat the heat!
For your fishing pleasure… tropical fly line tips from top fishers around the world!
“Fly lines which are designed to be used in tropical climates have a monofilament core, while those designed to be used in temperate climates are made up of a multifilament (i.e. braided) core. The monofilament is stiffer than braid so in any temperatures above around 75 degrees the mono will hold its stiffness, while below 75 degrees mono will become too stiff and also hang onto an enormous amount of memory when you strip it off of the reel. Conversely, cold water lines and those with the braided core will work well in cooler temperatures, but tend to cast like a limp piece of spaghetti in higher temperatures.”
“I’ve run into some stiffness with tropical lines in the winter. The lines haven’t become unusable, but just stiff and not as fun to use, so I just put up with a less than ideal line for the whole season. I think there is a big personality component to fly fishing. Do you demand first class perfection in your line and everything else, or do you work around less than ideal line and other potential issues.. Only you can answer that question, there isn’t a right or wrong answer…”
“Thinking more about, I use more tropic than I might think. Between freshwater and glass rods for salt, I bought eight or nine lines this year. Some places I shop, tropical is all they sell. In fact in one shop after someone left having bought non-tropical line, the shop keeper said it was only the second time in five years that someone had asked. So my advice, don’t discount the tropical, wherever you’re fishing.”
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Flyline Backing
So, what’s the big idea with Fly Line Backing?
Fly line backing is the thin but very strong section of line which is affixed straight to the arbor of your fly reel, then to the back end of your fly line, in order to provide a safety net of sorts for your otherwise limited tackle options when hooking, playing and landing strong or fast game fish.
The essential fly fishing facts about backing.
Backing is normally sold in one of two types: Dacron or gel-spun. The Dacron type is constructed of strong polyester called Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), a synthetic resin made for use in many of the planet’s most popular plastics… from fizzy pop bottles to speed boats.
Insider tip: “Dacron” is a trade name of a PETE product which has slipped into the flky fisher’s consciousness s a noun, much like “Hoover”. It can be spooled in long strands to produce a strong synthetic line with really minimal friction, which means it’s ideal for fly line backing. Dacron is available everywhere in 20 to 30 pound test ratings… it’s by far the most popular and trusted brand of backing in fly fishing.
Why some fly fishers rejoice in gel-spun backing.
The word on the rivers among many fly fishers is that many of them have fallen in love with the other big choice in fly line backing: gel-spun backing. Gel-spun backing is made of different polymer called high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE), which was originally developed for use in body armor, ultra-safe climbing ropes and high performance sailing lines.
The polymer chains in gel-spun backing lend it very high break strength and a drastically reduced diameter, ensuring one of the big benefits of gel-spun backing over traditional Dacron… its unique taken of being able to withhold up to 75 percent more capacity than over Dacron backing. This means you get a massive insurance policy when chasing the longest-running fish in the sea.
Insider tip: Get to grips with attaching your backing!
Your backing needs to be affixed directly to the arbor of your fly reel’s spool by way of with a sequence of two or three easy overhand knots. Wind the right amount of backing onto the your reel with a motorized rigging tool or a manual line winder. Take care that when you’re rigging a reel or spool with gel-spun fly line backing, it’s really crucial that the backing is wound evenly.
Fly line cleaner
Fly line cleaner: Take care of your fly line & it will take care of you.
There’s no two ways about it, fly fishing line is expensive. We all wish it wasn’t, but it is. So choosing to protect your investment and take good care of your fly line is a smart move. This will make sure you don’t keep having to buy a new fly line, emptying your pockets to fill your net. More info on our website.
Stop spending needlessly on fly line, clean up your act.
Let’s get straight down to business, here’s the essential steps to great fly line care:
~ Gather some liquid soap, two buckets of warm water & two soft cloths.
~ Add a few pumps of the liquid soap to one of the buckets and stir to make bubbles.
~ Get your fly line off the reel & place it in the bucket with soapy water.
~ Run one of the cloths down the line from one end to the other.
~ Move the line to the bucket of water without the soap & rinse well.
~ With the second cloth, dry off the line as you remove it from the water.
~ Respool the line back onto your reel.
You won’t be the first to wonder why you need to clean your line.
If this seems like hard work and looks to you like a fly line doesn’t seem like it should need much cleaning, you wouldn’t be the first, but be warned! There are a number of crucial reasons why you should take good time to clean your fly line. It will last longer, be more buoyancy, and cast further.
You see, when you use your fly rig ongoing, even though you can’t necessarily see it line will gain dirt and algae, which will ultimately weigh down your line and therefore increase the difficulty in ensuring you get a great presentation with a surface floating fly.
Your essential supply list for effective Fly Line cleaning.
When cleaning your fly line it’s crucial ensure you the right products. For example the soap used should be liquid soap only. Bar soap will make a film on the line which will negatively affect performance. Dish washing liquid is abrasive and will reduce the life of your fly line.