How to repair damaged fly line?

[a23fish]

I took advantage of an unseasonably warm & sunny day to dust off an old fly rod. After getting skunked in the last 2 hours of the day, I noticed the fly line that came on my Orvis Encounter reel has a very rough spot about 10" from the end of the loop. I can not only feel it with my fingers but if I fold the line I can see it looks like it has a semi-permanent "crease" in it. Perhaps it's a good thing that I didn't hook into a 20" rainbow this afternoon; I didn't hook into anything else either but that's for another thread.

I am fairly certain the original Orvis fly line is compromised at that point, and I want to fix it. So, what is the best way to do that? Should I cut the last 10-12" off and put in another loop? If so, what is the best way to do that? I'd like to keep the loop-to-loop ability so I can swap out leaders as needed.

Or, should I tie a "permanent" leader to the end of the remaining fly line? If so, what is the best way to do that? If I go that route, what size of what type of leader material should I use, in what lengths? As in, how many feet of what pound/diameter from end of fly line to how many feet of what pound/diameter, etc. If I go this route I will put a 2mm tippet ring at the end to make final tippet size & length selection easier.

Anybody done this? How'd it work out?

 

[Bamboozle]

IF the damaged spot is relatively small, UV Knot Sense is what I use.

If it's the coating you want to fix, get some clear heat shrink tubing with an ID as small as possible and slip that over the damaged area.

I HIGHLY recommend using something like this versus a lighter but heat & shrink the tubing which will melt and fuse the coating at the same time.

Carefully cut off the shrink tubing with a fine tipped scissor and you should be good to go!!

I've been using this same method for a LONG time to make or repair line loops.

Good luck!

 

[hooker-of-men]

Is it possible this is just a kink where the fly line has pressed against your top guide? If you had, say, a 7 ft leader on a 9 foot rod, that might be about where your line would bend with a fly in the fly holder. If that's the case, the line is fine; the bend will also go away with time / different line placement when resting.

If that's not it, does the "crease" flop or otherwise show weakness? If you're really set on cutting it - which would, in theory, actually change how the line casts - I would try as hard as I can to pull the line apart and break it with my hands first. If it doesn't break and the crease doesn't cause a flop, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[krayfish2]

Repairing a fly line = buying a new one

Hate to be the bearer of bad news

 

[falcon]

The tips on fly lines are generally 5 to 10 feet long. Cutting off 10in really won't effect it. Myself I would buy another line.

 

[BrookieChaser]

You can cut the fly line behind the damaged area and double it up (to form your leader loop) and snell knot it together. I would personally just snell a new butt section on and build a new leader. I don't like the loops on the front of fly lines anyway and cut them off.

Now I'd have to see the line in your case, but usually damaged coatings mean new fly lines on my reels.

 

[krayfish2]

I can't remember the exact brand or taper but it might have been an old 444 SL. I cut off the damaged portion on the tip and redid the connection. It delivered the line tip and the flies to the water as gently as an anvil. Test casted in your yard for a local pond and you will immediately know if it's going to work or if it's ruined

 

[MBWCC]

If the outer sheath is damaged down to the fly line core I would cut off the fly line behind the damage, nail not a section of 30# Amnesia leader (0.023" diameter) to the fly line, and tie a small perfection loop in the Amnesia 6" or so from the fly line. I would also coat the damaged stump of the fly line with UV Knot Sense to seal the sheath/core interface against water intrusion. It will cost less than $5 for the spool of Amnesia.

 

[falcon]

A popular line on the Upper D is Wulff Triangle Taper. Many cut 10 to 18 inches off the tip to enhance turnover of long leaders. Cutting 10in of damaged tip on a fly line with the average tip of 7ft should not be problematic. If it is a new line is in order.

 

[PennKev]

If it's damaged only 10" from the tip, I'd just cut it back and either form a whipped loop (google it) or needle knot a permanent mono butt onto the end of the line.

And then not worry about it again.

 

[Swattie87]

Yeah. Most folks loop to loop now, but it wasn’t that long ago that a nail knot was how you attached your leader to the fly line. And every time you attached a new leader you trimmed back a little bit of fly line. 10” isn’t gonna hurt anything. Good advice above. I’d just cut it and tie in a perfection loop and be done with it, assuming the the line is in good condition otherwise.

I still like to buy DT lines as opposed to WF. When the one end gets cracked and worn out you just reverse it on the reel and you have a basically brand new business end. DT’s keep getting harder and harder to find though. The line manufacturers are on to me!

 

[Blackhackle]

For those looking for true to weight double taper fly lines try 406 Fly Lines or Cortland Sylk.

 

[troutbert]

For those looking for true to weight double taper fly lines try 406 Fly Lines or Cortland Sylk.

How about double taper Cortland 444? Is that still available? That's always been my go to line.

 

[falcon]

DT lines are available. SA, Rio and Cortland.

 

[redietz]

How about double taper Cortland 444? Is that still available? That's always been my go to line.

Yep.

 

[sarce]

What about if the line snapped about 30 ft from the end? Happened to me recently, not sure how. Luckily I already had a replacement lying around, but just curious how I'd reconnect the two pieces without creating a big knot that will snag and hamper casting. I'm sure it will happen again someday when I don't have an extra line in the same weight and style handy.

 

[falcon]

At some point you guys are going to have to buy another fly line. Pay now or pay later.

 

[sarce]

At some point you guys are going to have to buy another fly line. Pay now or pay later.

Or win one in a raffle. 😁

 

[Swattie87]

What about if the line snapped about 30 ft from the end? Happened to me recently, not sure how. Luckily I already had a replacement lying around, but just curious how I'd reconnect the two pieces without creating a big knot that will snag and hamper casting. I'm sure it will happen again someday when I don't have an extra line in the same weight and style handy.

Yeah, I’d say that one’s totaled.

 

[sarce]

Yeah, I’d say that one’s totaled.

Well, damn.
My best guess is the slack line at my feet caught a jagged piece of metal and got sliced. Gonna have to get a stripping basket for these more industrial trout streams around here.