Fly Line Weight Question From the Mail Bag

Here is an email exchange I thought might make for an interesting discussion. What do you think? Am I full of it or making sense?


Hi Steve;

...Fenwick sent me a beautiful, brand-new AFTM 7-weight rod. I tried it with an 8-weight line and it threw it out beautifully. In your opinion, does it hurt a rod to use a line one number heavier than the specified weight recommended by the manufacturer?... Cheers, Dan

Hello Dan;

My opinion for what it is worth on line weights:

The normal conditions we face here in N.S. with its almost constant wind, defy the guidelines established by another region's conventional wisdom or even the physics of average conditions calculated by rod manufacturers.

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If one uses the low end of the recommended line weight for a rod, one has to overpower the cast with a haul or two which takes away all delicacy of presentation and also promotes fatigue. That certainly re-enforces a tendency towards a sloppiness of fly presentation.

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The result is on an average Nova Scotian day one could expect to miss a lot of chances due to poor line control as the wind blows the cast and bags the line, as well as squandered opportunities because of simply bad presentation - totally missing the target or crashing the fly on top of it .

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In a more moderate climate where wind is less of a factor I believe the lighter the line weight, that will still load the rod, the better the finesse side of the game can be practised and enjoyed.

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For here, my inclination is to go a weight heavier than recommended to load the rod on shorter casts. That will give the power needed, the finesse comes in calculating the line of attack so that the wind will assist in straightening the leader and aiming the cast.

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I suspect that the reason most fish here are caught on wet flies as opposed to dries is not because most of their diet comes in the form of nymphs and other sub-aqueous creatures but rather that the days when a dry fly can be presented with the accuracy and subtlety required for success are so rare as to be remarkable.

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Unfortunately on perfect dry fly days, when they do come, most of us are rigged so heavily because of our constant battle with the wind that we can't really take complete advantage of the unusual conditions.

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Traditions such as "an upstream dry fly being the only really sporting way to take a fish" could never have evolved here because of our climate and topography.

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Other traditions and tactics, that most of us in the fly fishing community cherish as gospel, are equally inappropriate for this area but that's a rant for another day.

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Despite what I said above there is really nothing like a good fish on the lightest possible tackle.

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See ya'
Steve