I need help with smallmouth fly line..

Redfin

Redfin

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Joined
Jan 31, 2017
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58
I have everything going for smallmouth this year except the line.. I have been watching a lot of videos and reading whatever i can find.

Fishing a 7wt on a medium fast action rod.
Be throwing topwater balsa and foam flys, and streamers like clouser varieties, large wooly buggers, crayfish patterns. Nothing im planning of throwing with be huge. most everything i have tied up so far is 2 1/4- 3 1/2 inches. And have either bead, cone or med size dumbbell eyes. on size 6 and 4 hooks mostly.

All the looking i have done i need about 35ft WF head give or take a few. Only thing i have seen negative about that is the ability to not cast very gently. I have never done it so what i read is the line lands hard. That means i would have trouble casting to carp if i wanted to try those i see. Or possibly spooking fish in low clear water. which i run into a lot on the Juniata river in late summer.

The some guys dislike the heavier bass line cause they are very “ heavy” to cast the bigger flys. And they do good at that. But i don't know that what im fishing is considered heavy? or is it?
I was looking at the warm water bass type fly lines. Like rio smallmouth. or any bass variety.
I have never used a warm water line before. Every thing i have ever used was trout stuff. on smaller streams.
Read that if some lines are not for warmer water can get strange or like sticky? In the heat. I have no clue if thats true or not. All my fishing is done wet wading.
Basically looking for a line that i can cast what i stated above without difficulty and also want a line that can present flys without to much disturbance i guess. I had a guy at a fly shop recommend Scientific Anglers MPX line. its only a 1/2 size over rated. He cautioned me on the bass specialty lines cause they are very heavy and really load a rod and my rod being a st croix med fast. Im also not a professional fly faster either. So keep that in mind.
First line i want is a floating line.

Any suggestions on a line for me?
 
Yeah - you are over complicating it. A 7wt wf floating line will be just fine.
 
Most lines will work from 1/2wt over standard Scientific Angler Infinity to any Standard weight line (185grains). But some line configurations work better. I would avoid lines with a longer front taper such as Rio Tech Trout or SA Trout. These are presentation type lines with a 10ft front taper that wont turn over a leader and larger wind resistant fly as well as a line with a shorter front taper. A line like Rio Gold with a 6.5ft front taper would be good compromise for good turnover and delicate presentation. There are other lines as well (Cortland, Airflow). I would even check out Cortland 444 DT as I believe the front taper is not very long. The less expensive Cortand 444 lines are another option. If only using large bass type poppers, the overweighted front weight loaded lines with short front tapers work as designed. Just look at the line diagram and grain weight. The myriad of line choices can be confusing but if you understand the nuances it is to your advantage.

SA MPX would certainly work as it is designed as a general purpose line to turn over indicator rigs, large nymphs and dries. I tend to like SA Infinity better in that regard as it has a longer head and is a little less aggresive for better presentation as with carp fishing.
 
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You are way overthinking the simplicity of fly fishing. I catch plenty of SMB without knowing how many grams my fly lines are. Don’t go down the fly line rabbit hole. Get Cortland 444 WFF7, go fish it and have fun.
 
Im am trying to learn, i enjoy the learning process as well. I have nothing but time as im not planning on hitting the river with fly rod till beginning of June. I have other species to chase right now.
The one line i was looking at was the Rio smallmouth line. Now its $100. I want to spend my money wisely and be informed on my choices. Match what im doing to the best of my knowledge.
Having never fished these type of patterns or fly fished for smallies i just have to go off what i read and what you guys tell me.
 
I use a Scientific Anglers Titan long on my "bass" rod. I like it. If I was worried about a 2 line weight heavier line spooking fish I would have just bought a line size down (buy a 6 weight line instead of a 7 weight). I haven't noticed the line spooking any bass, but I can't speak to Carp.
 
Redfin said:
Im am trying to learn, i enjoy the learning process as well. I have nothing but time as im not planning on hitting the river with fly rod till beginning of June. I have other species to chase right now.
The one line i was looking at was the Rio smallmouth line. Now its $100. I want to spend my money wisely and be informed on my choices. Match what im doing to the best of my knowledge.
Having never fished these type of patterns or fly fished for smallies i just have to go off what i read and what you guys tell me.
Click to expand...
I tried that line.
Don't do it.

It cast great and works great in the summer, but during the pre-spawn when it can be a bit "chilly" out it coiled too much and has too much memory. It needs heat to lay nice in my experience and if you are used to supple trout lines, you will hate it.

Take others advice, get a good WF line.
444 is pretty decent line.
 
Thank you guys. I do appreciate it.
I don't mind honesty. And im not the least upset if you tell me how it is.
Cause i just don't know not having any experience. Thank you for the info about the line getting stiff in the cold. Thats the kind of stuff i don't know. 👍🏼
 
Any weight forward floating line. You don’t need to spend $100 dollars. I catch as many with $15 dollar max catch line as my buddy does with rio smallmouth line. The fish see the fly not the fly line.
 
Redfin:

I was in a similar place a few years ago with a new fast action 6wt I purchased specifically for smallies & other warmwater critters...

So I called SciAnglers and Rio and asked the experts there what they thought after I explained the rod action, the size & type flies I planned to cast and how much line I typically aerialize when casting under those conditions.

FWIW - I was talked OUT of a lot of lines I thought would be perfect including the Rio Gold and other bass bug-type lines. After some back & forth consultation, I purchased a Rio Smallmouth line and couldn't be happier with the paring.

I'm NOT suggesting that line is YOUR answer, but I am suggesting you make a few calls to fly line manufacturers, get the CORRECT person on the phone, give them your specifics and see what they suggest.

This MO has worked for me a few times and saved me a LOT of trial & error and $$$ in the process.

Good luck!!
 
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YMMV but I was not the only one with that criticism of the RIO smallmouth line.

Again if you at all plan to fish early season smallmouth, I highly suggest you get another line.

"Rio Smallmouth has a stiff warm water coating that leads to lots of frustrating coils in cold trout waters, even with a good stretch before and during fishing. It's fantastic for chucking top water bass bugs in July, but really is not a good pick for any type of cold water fishing. Even in my early spring smallmouth trips where the water is in the high 50s to low 60s it's been troublesome for me."

RIO Smallmouth vs SA MPX

I am looking for a new line to go on my six weight Douglas DHF. It will be used for streamers, fishing for Trout and Smallmouth Bass. Looking at the Rio Smallmouth line and the SA MPX they seem to be very similar in weight and profile. Am I wrong on this? Would one be better than another? Can I...
www.theflyfishingforum.com

Save yourself the money and get a good WF line.
 
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nymphingmaniac said:
a little off topic, but you mentioned it. I stopped using hard poppers years ago. I fish foam exclusively. The cast easier and land softer - wiggles and gurglers
Click to expand...
That’s kinda the way I’m headed. I already have the stuff to tie all those. That will be my main top water. My foam ties.
Thank you.
 
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