When starting to learn the art of fly fishing, an understanding of the different types of fly line is very important. When most anglers think of the fly line, they think of that bright colored line floating on the water after being cast. This is the most common type of fly line, especially for beginners, but there are actually three main categories of fly line based on their diameter and densities. These include sinking, intermediate, and floating fly line.
Sinking fly line is line that completely submerges itself beneath the surface of the water. It is classified by desired the depth you want the beginning of the line to sink at. Generally, five feet, ten feet, fifteen feet all the way up to thirty feet are the most common depths of sinking line used. You can also choose how fast you want the fly line to sink by its sinking speed, which are generally categorized as extra fast, fast, medium, and slow. The speed of sinking achieved by line is controlled by its density and diameter. The density is much more and the diameter much less for sinking line. This is great for trying to fish low depths. Depending on the season or the hatch, certain insects you are trying to imitate may be further toward the bottom of the lake or stream. Also in the summer months, while it is hotter, fish tend to stay in the deeper cooler water.
Intermediate fly line is used for fishing the bottom depths of shallow lakes and streams. This type of line typically weighs just a bit more that the water itself. This allows for a very natural and gradual sinking motion of the line so as not to scare away fish. Instead of heavy metals, this type of line is typically coated with a waxy substance such as paraffin to make it buoyant enough to only sink a couple feet. This is typically used for fishing nymphs and wet flies in two to five feet of water.
Floating fly line is the typical bright colored line associated with fly fishing. Just as the name states, it floats on top of the water. It is best used for dry fly fishing where the fly sits on top of the water when fish are rising. Spring and fall are when a majority of hatches occur and when fish are rising to the surface. This type of line is also used to fish in shallow water with nymphs that sink just slightly below the surface. The floating line is the same weight as the other sinking lines, but less dense. This is achieved by increasing the diameter of the line.
These three types of fly line are mixed and matched according to species of fish, fishing conditions, season and hatch. While all may have the same weight, it is the changing density and diameter that allows some lines to sink and other to float. The denser and less diameter is ideal for sinking line. The less dense and wider diameter is ideal for buoyancy and floating line. The ability to get line out casting decreases with less density and more diameter.
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