Favorite 5-weight lines for mending?

I'm just full of questions lately.

I was out fishing today with a 3-weight Sylk line (as opposed to my
usual 5-weight SA GPX WF)... and suddenly, I could mend just like I've
read about. Picked up the line, mended, maybe even twice -- all
without my dry fly moving a millimeter. Amazing!

Normally when I mend with the SA 5 GPX, I get a nice little pull on my
fly for a second. (Nice, meaning, bad.) Maybe it's my poor technique.
Probably. But the fact that it worked so easy with the light Sylk
like has me wondering. Anyone have any particular lines they like for
mending - talking 5-weight, trout-fishing here? (I know that DT mends
better than WF, at least that's what I've read. Just wondering, I
don't know, how much difference it makes, or if some lines are
significantly better than others outside of WF vs. DT, etc.)

For the record - I think I'm generally pretty good about keeping my
line clean. So I don't think that should be an issue...

Thanks as always for your insights, Tim

wrote:
I'm just full of questions lately.

And you ought to have your butt whipped for making us think about
fishing


I was out fishing today with a 3-weight Sylk line (as opposed to my
usual 5-weight SA GPX WF)... and suddenly, I could mend just like I've
read about. Picked up the line, mended, maybe even twice -- all
without my dry fly moving a millimeter. Amazing!

I like the Sylk lines on slow rods, the sylk line is more supple than a
GPX which probably accounted for your perceived easier mending. The GPX
is a stiffer slicker line.

Normally when I mend with the SA 5 GPX, I get a nice little pull on my
fly for a second. (Nice, meaning, bad.) Maybe it's my poor technique.
Probably. But the fact that it worked so easy with the light Sylk
like has me wondering. Anyone have any particular lines they like for
mending - talking 5-weight, trout-fishing here? (I know that DT mends
better than WF, at least that's what I've read. Just wondering, I
don't know, how much difference it makes, or if some lines are
significantly better than others outside of WF vs. DT, etc.)

First off, what type of rod are you using with the GPX line? If you are
using the GPX line with anything other than a fast action rod, you
might want to consider replacing it with an SA Trout Taper replacement,
a Wulff Triangle Taper or one of the RIO lines I keep hearing good
things about but have never tried. Tho I use mostly DT lines, I don't
find it any easier to mend with a DT than a WF line.

I don't think today's modern fly lines are significantly better than
others but given the breath of fly rod actions available, matching a
line to a specific rod for a specific task is not as easy as it used to
be.

Having said all that, I suggest trying the Wulff Triangle Taper fly
line

wrote:
I'm just full of questions lately.

I was out fishing today with a 3-weight Sylk line (as opposed to my
usual 5-weight SA GPX WF)... and suddenly, I could mend just like I've
read about. Picked up the line, mended, maybe even twice -- all
without my dry fly moving a millimeter. Amazing!

Normally when I mend with the SA 5 GPX, I get a nice little pull on my
fly for a second. (Nice, meaning, bad.) Maybe it's my poor technique.
Probably. But the fact that it worked so easy with the light Sylk
like has me wondering. Anyone have any particular lines they like for
mending - talking 5-weight, trout-fishing here? (I know that DT mends
better than WF, at least that's what I've read. Just wondering, I
don't know, how much difference it makes, or if some lines are
significantly better than others outside of WF vs. DT, etc.)

For the record - I think I'm generally pretty good about keeping my
line clean. So I don't think that should be an issue...

Thanks as always for your insights, Tim


Until you get the head of a WF line outside the tiptop, it's behavior,
mending and otherwise is the same as the same length of DT. Once the
head is out and you're into the thinner running line, it is noticeably
harder to mend or roll cast than the same length of DT. Front end tapers
can have quite an effect on line behavior. Long gradual tapers turn over
and land more gently than short abrupt ones, but the latter are better
for turning over heavy wind resistant flies. The line manufacturers have
quite a zoo of different front tapers out there, claimed to be
advantageous for various things--caveat emptor!

Mike

I'm using it on an 8 1/2 foot Winston Boron IIx - I'd call it a fast
action, but not exremely so - not like the XP...

wrote:
I'm using it on an 8 1/2 foot Winston Boron IIx - I'd call it a fast
action, but not exremely so - not like the XP...

FWIW, I played with my 9 1/2 BIIx last night and had strung it up with
a gpx, I was disappointed and got much better results with the trout
taper and the XPS tapers. I think in Winston's case, the *fast* action
BII is closer in action to the old Sage SP than to an XP.