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cutting fly line question

Started by benben, July 12, 2011, 08:20:54 AM

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benben reincarnated

The first few feet of my fly line is getting a little frazzled.  I was wondering how far back you can trim it before it can cause problems?  I assume it is fine as long as you aren't getting into the larger diameter section as it tapers up from the end, right?

Also, how long is the useful life on a fly line anyway? 


Big J

As far a useful life, for me it depends on how often you use it.  I have one fly line that is going on three years strong, but I only use it maybe once a month now and I clean it.  Now my 7 wt line lasted me a year but was in rough shape and is used 3 times a week.  If you clean your line and take good care of it, you can get to close to 2 years with one line depending on how often you use it.

Trout Maharishi

Go ahead and cut it, the way you cast it won't make any difference /"\
"We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing."
― Charles Bukowski

snagaluffaguss

Unless you are a really poor and agressive caster it is probably time to change the fly line.   It was probably time to change the fly line a long time ago ::) :D.  If the rest of the line is good but you have just done alot of false casting and popping with out a leader when you were learning to cast then you can probably cut off some of the front.

I have had clients tie knots in the fly line when they cast (dont ask me how that happens) and so I cut the front sections off all the time.  Youve got about 5 feet on most lines before you start getting into the taper.  It will make the line turn over more agressivley, but alot of time that can be a plus. 

I have on stream taken the leader off and cut some of the end of the fly line off and remade the nail knot and perfection loop connection for someone on their equipment so that the taper of the line suited their casting style a bit better. I have also cut off and extended the 20lb mono connection for someone with an agresive tapered line and agressive casting style.

Bla Bla Bla Bla.....

Go ahead and cut it off and try it. If you mess it up its probably time for a new line anyway.

benben reincarnated

Thanks guys!

With Snags advice and TM's logic, I'm going to have a go at cutting it.  Agreed that nothing would be lost if I end up getting too far into the taper and just need to get some new line anyway.

Silver Creek



Fly lines have a short level "tip" that is about 6" for most lines. Then comes the front or forward taper to the body than the rear taper to the running line for a WF or just a level body and rear taper for a DT line. In a DT line the front and rear tapers are identical.

When you cut a section off of the front of the line, you can cut off the level 6" and have the same performance. But once you start cutting off the front or forward taper, you are changing the line profile. The new tip will get thicker and thicker, the more you cut off. It will hit the water harder. Cut off enough and you change the lien rating of the fly line.

Front tapers vary from about 6 feet to about 10 feet depending on how "soft" you want the line to fall. The Spring Creek or "precision" tapers will be about 10 ft and the normal fly line like a Cortlnd 444 WF will be about 8 feet.

To determine the length of your front taper, measure out about 12 feet from the tip and use this for the diameter of the body. Put the tip of the fly line next to it and gradually pull the line further from the tip and measure it against the diameter at the 12 ft point. When you get a match, measure the distance to the tip, subtract 6 " and you have the length of the forward taper.

Now go to where you are going to cut off the line and compare how much of the taper you are going to lose.

To answer how long a fly line should last, it lasts until the surface starts to get "ring" cracks. Once those cracks reach the core of the line, that line is done.
Regards,

Silver

http://tinyurl.com/kkctayx


"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought"..........Szent-Gyorgy

Phil

#6
Better yet --

Don't cut into your fly line (unless it's just a foot or less). Just buy a new one for $50.
If it's a 3 weight or smaller, buy a DT that you can swap ends with. If it's a 5 weight or larger for bigger streams, buy a FT and replace it every year -- year 1/2 when it gets worn out.
If you can't afford $50, get a better job.  :D

croaker

Quote from: benben on July 12, 2011, 08:20:54 AM
Also, how long is the useful life on a fly line anyway?

As long as you can still cast it.  With more grins than, dammits...   ;D
4-10 years.   With minimal care...  Yer mileage may vary...
-you can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him.  Robert A. Heinlein.

Woolly Bugger

Quote from: croaker on July 12, 2011, 22:13:22 PM
Quote from: benben on July 12, 2011, 08:20:54 AM
Also, how long is the useful life on a fly line anyway?

As long as you can still cast it.  With more grins than, dammits...   ;D
4-10 years.   With minimal care...  Yer mileage may vary...

that's what I was going to say.... I cast the floating lines until they become sinking lines... and then start thinking about replacing them
;;-
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

The Dude

I keep fly lines forever and never clean them.  It doesn't matter because I can't cast for shit.  Plus, I usually like to fish with a glass bead egg pattern under a thingamobobber, anyways.
I was born by the river in a little tent, And just like the river I've been running ever since, It's been a long, long time coming, But I know change is gonna come.

benben reincarnated

Quote from: The Dude on July 13, 2011, 08:40:32 AM
I keep fly lines forever and never clean them.  It doesn't matter because I can't cast for shit.  Plus, I usually like to fish with a glass bead egg pattern under a thingamobobber, anyways.


I bet I cast worse than you do.

FWIW, I ended up trimming my line and putting a leader loop back on last night.  Didn't look like I got into the taper so I guess we'll see how it goes.



diaz dassie

Ben, cut that shit, or start buying DT instead of WF. You get 2 flylines in one, tie the fucked up end to the backing and you have a new leader tip. I go thru at least one flyline a season, coz up on them bluelines, if youre not tearing up the line drifting it over rocks, getting tangled in rhodo or being that guy casting 30-40 ft on a blueline, youre not fishing hard enough :-*
Best flyline in the world for bluelining? SA GPX DT3F

MarshStomper

While being distracted by a nice pod of reds behind me I had the trolling motor eat up about 10-15 feet of my fly line in about a half second  b'; , line on the motor was cut and trashed. Cut it off and it worked fine for the next 6 months then my line started cracking but it was 2.5 years old I beat that line to shit (Cortland bonefish taper), oysters arent a fly lines best friend, guy at the shop said to try airflo so far not impressed. Going back to Cortland.
"In this world there are two kinds of people my friend those with loaded guns and those who dig, you dig" --The Good

benben reincarnated

Quote from: Transylwader on July 13, 2011, 21:14:56 PM
Ben, cut that shit, or start buying DT instead of WF. You get 2 flylines in one, tie the fucked up end to the backing and you have a new leader tip. I go thru at least one flyline a season, coz up on them bluelines, if youre not tearing up the line drifting it over rocks, getting tangled in rhodo or being that guy casting 30-40 ft on a blueline, youre not fishing hard enough :-*
Best flyline in the world for bluelining? SA GPX DT3F

yeah that's me, all up in the rhododendrum...thanks for the tip for the line, will definitely look into that when this one needs replacing.