fly lines

A fly line is a quintessential piece of gear for fly fishing. Without a properly functioning fly line it becomes extremely hard to fly fish effectively. To cast a fly rod, you must be able to load the rod effectively. To load the fly rod, the correct weighted fly line is required. Too light of a fly line and the cast will go nowhere and too heavy of a fly line will be hard to have the proper stroke. Matching the proper fly line weight to the weight of the rod is required to be able to fly cast effectively. Fly line weight refers to the grain weight of the first 30 feet of the head of the fly line. A grain is 1/7000 of a pound, luckily for us, we have a system that takes the guessing out of the grains and what grain weight matches up with each fly rod. For example, now we can associate a "5 Weight Fly Line" with a "5 Weight Fly Rod". The grain weight of a 5 weight will never change but a 5 weight rod may differ from another 5 weight rod. It is up to the fly rod designer to associate the weight of the rod. Thus, some 5 weight faster action rods may cast a 5 weight fly line a little different from a slower action 5 weight fly rod. A fly line is like the ski or snowboard boots of the kit. Without proper boots, you're skiing and snowboarding will be impacted greatly. Without a proper fly line, your fly fishing will be affected greatly. Buying the right fly line can be a little intimidating because there are such a variety of different fly lines out there. Below you will find some tips to find the right trout fly line and the Best Fly Lines for Trout. What Trout Fly Line Is Right for You? Figuring out which weight of fly line is quite easy as we associate fly line weight directly with the fly rod weight. For example, if you have a 5 weight fly rod you will get a 5 weight fly line. But, there are a variety of different 5 weight fly lines, so which one should you choose? The most important factor when deciding on a fly line is to buy a fly line that suits the conditions that you are fly fishing in. Will you be fishing mainly dry flies? Are you just planning to nymph or throw streamers with it? Or will you be planning to fish a variety of conditions? The taper of a fly line dictates how each fly line will perform in these conditions, every fly line has a different taper. Tapering allows line designers to mold the fly line mass into different areas. Understanding the Taper of a Fly Line According to Scientific Anglers, "The belly is the main part of the line where most of the mass is located. The rear taper is the transition from the thin running line to the belly. The front taper is the transition from the belly to the tip. The section of the line that includes all of these parts is called the head. By varying any of these components, the performance of the line is influenced. A Weight Forward Line (Photo: Scientific Anglers). Looking at the diagram above you can see a classic weight forward fly line. This fly line is suited for Universal trout fly fishing. It would be perfect for throwing dry flies, nymphs, and streamers. A Longer Tapered Fly Line (Photo: Scientific Anglers). Now, looking at the diagram above of a fly line you can see the front end of the fly line is more prolonged. The shooting head (Rear Taper, Belly, Front Taper) is longer and thinner. This fly line design will allow for a more delicate presentation when fly casting. It takes a slower stroke to load the road and would be preferred for a lighter-weight setup like a dry fly. Thus, this longer tapered fly line is built with dry fly anglers or light fly anglers in mind. This specific make up of a taper can be more challenging for a beginner fly caster to cast as it takes a refined fly cast to load the fly line. A Shorter Tapered Fly Line (Photo: Scientific Anglers). Looking at this fly line diagram above we can see a shorter and fatter tapered design. The taper is squished compared to the last diagram. This fly line is designed for more powerful presentations, like fly casting heavy nymphing rigs, streamers, or flies with more weight. The shorter fatter taper allows for these flies to be delivered more easily but not more accurately. This specific taper can be easier for beginner fly casters as it takes less of a refined casting stroke to the load the fly rod. It is easiest to classify most fly line tapers as either a Presentation Taper, Universal Taper, or a Power Taper. For the everyday trout fly angler, a universal fly line taper will do the job and more. Floating vs. Intermediate Fly Lines and Tropical vs. Cold Water Fly Lines: One more technical aspect to mention about fly lines is different chemical properties are added to them to make them perform in different environments. Floating fly lines, which are what we mainly use for trout fly fishing are made up of tiny micro balloons which is what makes the fly line float. Manufacturers also make fly lines that sink. To do this lead is added to the makeup of the fly line in order to sink the line. These fly lines are used for specific conditions like streamer fishing bigger rivers and for targeting other fish species. Fly lines act differently in different water temperatures based on their chemical makeup. For trout fishing, we use exclusively cold water fly lines, as our water temperatures are anywhere from 40 degrees to the low 60 degrees. But if you head to the tropics where water temperatures are 70 and 80 degrees, your cold water fly line will not act correctly in the water. It tends to coil up. The same goes for when you use a tropical fly line in a cold water setting. For the sake of just starting out and general trout fly fishing, a floating cold water fly line is all that is needed. So what are the best fly lines for trout on the market? Best Fly Lines for Trout 2023 5. Orvis Pro Trout Fly Line - Textured $129.00 Orvis is no stranger to quality fly fishing gear and their lineup of fly lines doesn't fall short of the mark. Their Orvis Pro Trout Fly Line is an all purpose trout fly line that can do just about anything. It's the flagship product of their fly lines. The added texture to the fly line allows it to sit higher in the water, offering less drag, easier mending, less water spray and easier pick-ups. The 50' head has a gentle front taper followed by a powerful belly for easy casting and delicate presentation. The longer rear taper is designed for better line control, casting, and on-water mending. 4. Rio Elite Perception - $129.95 Rio Fly Lines have had a corner in the market for a number of years, they have been known for their high floatabiility and dependabiliy in fly line construction. The Rio Perception is a new age fly line with a more aggressive front taper to be able to cast faster action fly rods. By far it is still an all purpose trout fly line that can casts nymphs, dry flies, streamers and soft hackles with ease. The short head makes this a particularly good line on smaller rivers and lakes when long distance line control is not necessary. 3. Rio Elite Gold - $129.99 Another solid fly line from Rio Products is the Rio Gold. This is by far the flagship standard fly line and taper for trout fly fishing. The amount of Rio Gold's that have been sold at Vail Valley Anglers over the last decade is quite astonishing. It is the do it all, easy to cast, long lasting, can't go wrong taper. With a long head and back taper this line is an excellent all around fly line on rivers and lakes when long casts and complete line control are required. Unlike the Rio Perception, the Rio Gold has a longer taper, which may suggest it will do better casting dry flies and medium to slower action fly rods. So if you have to choose from the Rio Gold or Rio Percpetion, go for the gold if you are more of dry fly angler focused on presentation. If you are more likely to do a variety of fly fishing like nymphing, streamer fishing, and dry flies go with the Rio Perception. 2. Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX - $129.95 Scientific Anglers has set the bar with their new Amplitude series of fly lines. The Ampliture MPX is a new age fly line built a half-size heavy to take into account the revolution of faster action rods taking over quivers of many anglers. Redesigned with more mass toward the front of the head, the MPX provides the same benefits of the GPX, with an added emphasis on presentation. This is the premium in all around trout fly lines. If you want a line that can shoot a country mile yet can be dialed back to hit a dinner plate target at 40 feet, this is the line. The added texture to the line, adds floatability and shooting power. Match this fly line with any premium fly rod on the market and you won't be disappointed. 1. Scientific Anglers Infinity Smooth Fly Line - $99.95 The Scientific Angler Infinity Smooth fly line is #1 selling fly line at Vail Valley Anglers and for a good reason. It is built with the average angler in mind. The Amplitude Smooth Infinity has the power to bomb out streamers, yet retains delicacy for dry flies. It mends like an absolute dream, and delivers flies at all distances. Built a half-size heavy, with a long head and substantial front taper, it’s perfect for everything from trout and panfish to pike and steelhead. This fly line is going to match almost any fly rod on the market. It is a perfect fly line for beginners and expereinced anglers. To Conclude: While a fly line can seem like a burden of a cost after buying a fly reel and fly rod, it is crucial to find one that will match your setup. Premium fly lines have a shelf life so you can expect to be trying out different ones throughout the years. Everyone has a preference, but the 5 fly lines listed above you can't go wrong with, they are the best fly lines for trout for 2023. If you are purchasing a new fly line be sure to give us a call (970-926-0900) or stop by the shop and we would be happy to put it on your fly reel free of charge. Check out our full selection of fly lines HERE. Patrick Perry, Former Float Fishing Guide, and Content Contributor @patperry Subscribe to get access Read more of this content when you subscribe today. Log in