Fly Fishing Lines and a
guide on how to select the right fly line

Today's Fly Fishing lines come in a variety of options. They come in an array of different weights, tapers, and colors. Fly lines are also available in different densities. The density determines whether it is a floating line, intermediate line or a sinking line. This could make selecting the right fly line very confusing.

If you are not sure what fly line to choose, there is a guide below which will explain the different options that are available when shopping for fly fishing lines. We will be discussing the different tapered fly fishing lines that are available and fly line densities so you will be able to select the right one for the type of fishing you will be doing.

There are also alot of different fly fishing line manufacturers to choose from. You want to choose a fly line that is of the highest quality and has the best performance.

Here is a quick guide that discusses the different types of fly line tapers and line densities that are available today.

Tapered Fly Fishing lines -Top of Page

Just about all fly fishing lines today have some sort of tapered design to them. There are several types of fly line tapers on the market today. There is a weight forward, double taper, and shooting taper.

Weight Forward (WF) - Weight Forward fly line starts out thin at the tip and gets thicker going back about thirty feet. This is probably one of the most popular Fly lines because they are one of the easiest lines to cast. This is a good Fly line to choose if you are a beginner.

Double Taper (DT) - Double Taper fly line is similar to the Weight Forward fly line. The Double Taper line has a Taper at both ends and remains thicker through the center of the line. One of the advantages of a Double Taper line is they perform well when roll casting. This is a good fly line to choose if you will be fishing small stream's and need to do a lot of roll casting. Another advantage that this fly line has is that you can reverse it if one end gets damaged.

Shooting Taper (ST) - Shooting Tapers are designed similar to the weighted forward fly line except they are lighter. The fact that they are lighter you can cast them long distances. Because you can cast these fly lines long distances, this means you have more line to manage and not get tangled.

Fly Fishing Line Densities -Top of Page

Fly fishing lines also come in different densities. The density of the fly line determines whether it is a floating line or sinking line.

Floating Fly Lines - This is the most popular fly line type. It is also the most versatile because it is the easiest to work with. If you're a beginner this is your line of choice.

Sinking Fly Lines - There are three types of sinking lines. There is the sink tip fly line, sinking fly line and the intermediate fly line.

Sink Tip Fly Lines - The sink tip fly line is similar to floating line except about 10 to 20 feet of the tip sinks.

Sinking Fly Lines - The sinking fly line is a full sinking line, which means the entire line sinks. All sinking fly lines have a sink rate, which is usually stated on the package in inches per second.

Intermediate Weighted Fly Lines - This line is ideal for fishing just below the surface of the water. This is a good choice if fishing shallow water or there is an area that has a lot of weeds on the bottom.

How to read Fly line designations

If you look on the package that the fly line is in, you will see a code like WF6S or DT8F. This code indicates the taper, weight and density of the line. For example, if the code on the package was WF6S the first two letters (WF) would indicate that the line taper is weighted forward. The number 6 in the code is the line weight and the last letter S indicates that the line type or density.

In this case the S indicates the fly line is a sinking line type and because it is a sinking line, there should be sink rate in inches per second on the package. If the last letter in the code were an F, this would indicate that it is a floating line type.

Also remember when choosing a fly fishing line the weight of the fly line should match up with the rest of your fly fishing gear. So if your reel and rod is rated for a 6 weight that would be the weight of the fly fishing line to select.