Try throwing a unweighted, small trout fly such as a midge as far as you can. You can’t
throw it very far, can you? That is because in fly-fishing, it’s the line you cast, not the fly.
Even a large fly, such as a bass popping bug is still very light. Casting it isn’t any easier
than casting the trout fly because the weight still isn’t a factor in casting distance. In fact,
the bug just increases the problem of air resistance and consequently, it requires a
heavier fly line than the midge to cast well.
The fly line is also a link between the angler and the fish but since fly lines are strong,
always stronger than the leader, the breaking strength of the fly line is not a factor in
fighting a fish as it is with lines used by other types of fishing tackle. So, the fly line
serves a very important purpose, but much more so in casting than in landing a fish.
When you are considering a fly line for a certain type of fishing, there are several things
that need to be taken into consideration. Knowing that, many manufacturers have taken it
way to far. Some are offering fly lines for specific fish species that are intended more to
fool anglers into thinking they need a certain kind of fly line (when they really don’t) than
a real need or purpose. For example, a Carp Fly Line should be no different from a Bass
Fly line. In fact, many of these specific use fly lines are almost identical to another fly line.
Minor changes were made only for marketing purposes.
This doesn’t mean that all lines designated for certain species of fish are a waste of
money. There are some species of fish that demand specific types of fly lines. Just make
sure you study what it is your buying and confirm the differences in the fly line are
justified.
Different types and methods of fishing does require different type of fly line. For example,
a fly line designed for a regular single handle fly rod may not work for a double handle
Spey rod. Even a single handle Spey rod should have a different type of fly line than a
regular single handle fly rod of less than nine feet.
As you can see, the type of fly rod and type of flies should dictate the specific type of fly
line, not necessarily the species of fish you are pursuing. As you will see in this series of
articles, there are many different types of fly lines that have different advantages and
disadvantages depending on their use. For example, a floating fly line and a sinking fly
line each have different applications but it doesn’t necessarily relate to the species of fish
you are pursuing.