of Lines and Rods

Is there some clever way to identify line weights?

I seem to have amassed a selection of lines, but I have no idea what
weight most of them are. This is because my primary rod for several
years was a handmade rod that was "in the 4 or 5 wt range", so I ended
up trying out and accumulating a selection of 4 and 5 wt DT lines,
some sink tips, all in different brands.

Now I own a bonafide 4wt (8 ft) and a 5wt (9 ft), so rather than buy
new lines, I'd like to figure out what goes with what. I've tried
casting them with the different rods, but unfortunately my casting is
so mediocre, I really can't tell the difference. The only one that
casts REALLY well is the 5 wt that came with the 5wt rod.

But my instincts tell me that there should be a significant difference
between a 4 wt 8-ft and a 5 wt 9-ft, so I think the problem is
psychological....since I'm not certain the line fits the rod, I don't
have the confidence casting. So I'd really like to figure out the line
weight, rather than toss 5 or 6 perfectly good lines and buy new ones.

--riverman

"riverman" wrote in message
...
Is there some clever way to identify line weights?

I seem to have amassed a selection of lines, but I have no idea what
weight most of them are. This is because my primary rod for several
years was a handmade rod that was "in the 4 or 5 wt range", so I ended
up trying out and accumulating a selection of 4 and 5 wt DT lines,
some sink tips, all in different brands.

Now I own a bonafide 4wt (8 ft) and a 5wt (9 ft), so rather than buy
new lines, I'd like to figure out what goes with what. I've tried
casting them with the different rods, but unfortunately my casting is
so mediocre, I really can't tell the difference. The only one that
casts REALLY well is the 5 wt that came with the 5wt rod.

But my instincts tell me that there should be a significant difference
between a 4 wt 8-ft and a 5 wt 9-ft, so I think the problem is
psychological....since I'm not certain the line fits the rod, I don't
have the confidence casting. So I'd really like to figure out the line
weight, rather than toss 5 or 6 perfectly good lines and buy new ones.

--riverman

I found this. I have never tried it myself.

Standard line weights listed on this page:
http://www.flyfishusa.com/lines/choose-line-home.html

Mark

Just a little tip from having this happen again. Get a indelible marker,
like a Sharpie and draw bands on the line a few feet back from the tip.
5 bands for a 5 weight, 6 for a 6-weight, etc. I am sure you get the
idea.

Dave


--
DaveMD

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On Jan 26, 6:24 pm, riverman wrote:
Is there some clever way to identify line weights?

I seem to have amassed a selection of lines, but I have no idea what
weight most of them are. This is because my primary rod for several
years was a handmade rod that was "in the 4 or 5 wt range", so I ended
up trying out and accumulating a selection of 4 and 5 wt DT lines,
some sink tips, all in different brands.

Now I own a bonafide 4wt (8 ft) and a 5wt (9 ft), so rather than buy
new lines, I'd like to figure out what goes with what. I've tried
casting them with the different rods, but unfortunately my casting is
so mediocre, I really can't tell the difference. The only one that
casts REALLY well is the 5 wt that came with the 5wt rod.

But my instincts tell me that there should be a significant difference
between a 4 wt 8-ft and a 5 wt 9-ft, so I think the problem is
psychological....since I'm not certain the line fits the rod, I don't
have the confidence casting. So I'd really like to figure out the line
weight, rather than toss 5 or 6 perfectly good lines and buy new ones.

--riverman

Just weigh them on an accurate scale, or use something like this;

http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbette...beam/index.php

The AFTM # * 3 ( AFTM is for thirty feet of line. Full DT is 90
feet) will get you close enough.

http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbette...eads/aftm.html

For WF lines, weight the first thirty feet.

TL
MC

On Jan 27, 6:34*am, DaveMD wrote:
Just a little tip from having this happen again. Get a indelible marker,
like a Sharpie and draw bands on the line a few feet back from the tip.
5 bands for a 5 weight, 6 for a 6-weight, etc. I am sure you get the
idea.

Dave

--
DaveMD

[url="http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZdastineQQfrppZ50QQfsopZ1QQfsooZ1QQrdZ0"]Dave's
Flies[url]
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Yeah, I've started that with the ones that I know (I wasn't entirely
truthful in the OP. I have about 7 fly lines, but fortunately 3 of
them have labels on them). At first, the patch with the sharpie was
not slick, and I had a moment of terror that I had ruined the coating,
but then a layer of slickem and it was good as new. Instead of doing 6
or 7 bands, I'm using a code: one wide band is 5, so a 7 wt has one
wide, 2 small.

--riverman

On Jan 27, 5:42*am, "Opus--Mark H. Bowen"
wrote:
"riverman" wrote in message

...





Is there some clever way to identify line weights?

I seem to have amassed a selection of lines, but I have no idea what
weight most of them are. This is because my primary rod for several
years was a handmade rod that was "in the 4 or 5 wt range", so I ended
up trying out and accumulating a selection of 4 and 5 wt DT lines,
some sink tips, all in different brands.

Now I own a bonafide 4wt (8 ft) and a 5wt (9 ft), so rather than buy
new lines, I'd like to figure out what goes with what. I've tried
casting them with the different rods, but unfortunately my casting is
so mediocre, I really can't tell the difference. The only one that
casts REALLY well is the 5 wt that came with the 5wt rod.

But my instincts tell me that there should be a significant difference
between a 4 wt 8-ft and a 5 wt 9-ft, so I think the problem is
psychological....since I'm not certain the line fits the rod, I don't
have the confidence casting. So I'd really like to figure out the line
weight, rather than toss 5 or 6 perfectly good lines and buy new ones.

--riverman

I found this. I have never tried it myself.

Standard line weights listed on this page:http://www.flyfishusa.com/lines/choose-line-home.html

Mark- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, I tried it. Interesting experience. First, I weighed out
precisely 30m of my new 5 wt line, and discovered that it was just at
the very top of the 5wt range (8.6-9.5 g). That accounted for why it
cast on the 5wt rod so nicely...since I prefer shorter casts, a
heavier line will load the rod with less line out.

Then I weighed a new 4 wt line (same model: SA Mastery Series Trout
taper), and guess what? It also weighed out precisely at the top of
the 4wt range (7.4-8.2g). So at least I'm comfortably sure that this
particular model is weighted on the heavy side.

Then I went after the unknown lines. One of them that seemed to cast
fairly similar on both my 4wt and 5 wt rods weighed 8.8g, which put it
at the lower end of the 5 wts (kind of right between a 4wt and a 5wt
if you prefer heavier lines). Duh...that made sense.

Another, that I thought was a 5wt, but seemed to cast OK on my 6-7 wt
rod turned out to weigh 10.5g, which made it a middle-of-the-road 6
wt. The line I had been using on the 6-7 wt rod turned out to be a
middle-of-the-road 7 wt, which again made sense, and explained why I
felt that the 6wt line was a bit light for the rod.

I hvaen't made any headway on the sink-tip lines. That's for later.

Anyway, I've now made some labels for the lines and marked them as 5+
or 5-, for example, to distinguish the ones that are weighed heavy or
light for different situations.

So the weighing process is pretty good...far from exact, but for this
boy, it sure made a lot of things make sense.

--riverman

"riverman" wrote in message
...

Well, I tried it. Interesting experience. First, I weighed out
precisely 30m of my new 5 wt line, and discovered that it was just at
the very top of the 5wt range (8.6-9.5 g). That accounted for why it
cast on the 5wt rod so nicely...since I prefer shorter casts, a
heavier line will load the rod with less line out.

Then I weighed a new 4 wt line (same model: SA Mastery Series Trout
taper), and guess what? It also weighed out precisely at the top of
the 4wt range (7.4-8.2g). So at least I'm comfortably sure that this
particular model is weighted on the heavy side.

Then I went after the unknown lines. One of them that seemed to cast
fairly similar on both my 4wt and 5 wt rods weighed 8.8g, which put it
at the lower end of the 5 wts (kind of right between a 4wt and a 5wt
if you prefer heavier lines). Duh...that made sense.

Another, that I thought was a 5wt, but seemed to cast OK on my 6-7 wt
rod turned out to weigh 10.5g, which made it a middle-of-the-road 6
wt. The line I had been using on the 6-7 wt rod turned out to be a
middle-of-the-road 7 wt, which again made sense, and explained why I
felt that the 6wt line was a bit light for the rod.

I hvaen't made any headway on the sink-tip lines. That's for later.

Anyway, I've now made some labels for the lines and marked them as 5+
or 5-, for example, to distinguish the ones that are weighed heavy or
light for different situations.

So the weighing process is pretty good...far from exact, but for this
boy, it sure made a lot of things make sense.

--riverman

Since it's SA Mastery Series Trout DT line,
might try putting a mic to it and check diameter, then go down to your local
fly-shop and mic a new 4wt DT line and the 5wt as well.

btw: I also use the SA Mastery Series Trout DT (5wt) line and love it.
It's got a nice presentation taper for dry-flies...beautiful turn-overs.
-tom

On Jan 29, 4:43*am, "Tom Nakashima" wrote:
"riverman" wrote in message

...

Well, I tried it. Interesting experience. First, I weighed out
precisely 30m of my new 5 wt line, and discovered that it was just at
the very top of the 5wt range (8.6-9.5 g). That accounted for why it
cast on the 5wt rod so nicely...since I prefer shorter casts, a
heavier line will load the rod with less line out.

Then I weighed a new 4 wt line (same model: SA Mastery Series Trout
taper), and guess what? It also weighed out precisely at the top of
the 4wt range (7.4-8.2g). So at least I'm comfortably sure that this
particular model is weighted on the heavy side.

Then I went after the unknown lines. One of them that seemed to cast
fairly similar on both my 4wt and 5 wt rods weighed 8.8g, which put it
at the lower end of the 5 wts (kind of right between a 4wt and a 5wt
if you prefer heavier lines). Duh...that made sense.

Another, that I thought was a 5wt, but seemed to cast OK on my 6-7 wt
rod turned out to weigh 10.5g, which made it a middle-of-the-road 6
wt. The line I had been using on the 6-7 wt rod turned out to be a
middle-of-the-road 7 wt, which again made sense, and explained why I
felt that the 6wt line was a bit light for the rod.

I hvaen't made any headway on the sink-tip lines. That's for later.

Anyway, I've now made some labels for the lines and marked them as 5+
or 5-, for example, to distinguish the ones that are weighed heavy or
light for different situations.

So the weighing process is pretty good...far from exact, but for this
boy, it sure made a lot of things make sense.

--riverman

Since it's SA Mastery Series Trout DT line,
might try putting a mic to it and check diameter, then go down to your local
fly-shop and mic a new 4wt DT line and the 5wt as well.

btw: I also use the SA Mastery Series Trout DT (5wt) line and love it.
It's got a nice presentation taper for dry-flies...beautiful turn-overs.
-tom

The SA Trout lines are the ones that I know the weight of...they are
new and in the box. One of the unknown ones was a SA line, the bright
green one...cheaper end of the spectrum. I totally forget what brand
the other one was.

I agree that the Trout series is a nice line. Turns over like a dream,
and has no memory at all. That green SA line is like a slinky. The
next type I'm going to try is a triangle taper.

--riverman