Are there any floating lines that actually float, for more a day or two? I'm all ears on techniques to get and keep a line floating. Any lines that you find superior?
Keeping Lines Afloat
- Thread starter Wetswinger
- Start date
I’ve been having good luck with Scientific Anglers lines lately. Not the new ones, either. GPX from close out sales, and AirCel models. Even my stash of old RIO Golds float fine, as long as they are reasonably clean and not all dried out and cracked. What new lines are you having issues with?
Cleaning your line is severely underrated and the little towelettes are very convenient.
I like to make my own using a floating line cleaner and some with a sinking line cleaner. Wet pieces of blue shop towel with it and seal in small 2” cut food saver packs.
Buddy was having trouble maintaining a clean swing with a mono rig and was amazed by how much dirt mono can even hold.
I like to make my own using a floating line cleaner and some with a sinking line cleaner. Wet pieces of blue shop towel with it and seal in small 2” cut food saver packs.
Buddy was having trouble maintaining a clean swing with a mono rig and was amazed by how much dirt mono can even hold.
I've just put some older Airflo and Redington lines into use lately and they start sinking after an hour or so. Frustrating..
Damage, dirt or perhaps degradation?
If your lines are old definitely clean them ,if there are any micro cracks in the line water will get in and algae will grow on the inside of pvc coating causing the line to expand and soak up more water faster this in not noticeable to the eye or touch but it dose happen you will never dry out the inside of the line it will just grow more algae making your problem worse,this is all happening on a microscopic level throw the line away and start over
I have a problem throwing away fly lines. The floating double taper on my Sage 486 LL has been flipped and now both ends have thousands of tiny cracks. But I keep using it with some fly line cleaner treatment once in a while.
I have a new to me replacement waiting in the closet, but I have trouble getting past my New England yankee upbringing (use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without).
I have a new to me replacement waiting in the closet, but I have trouble getting past my New England yankee upbringing (use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without).
Buzzy
I prefer to call them strike indicators.
My Cortland WF intermediate usually floats very well for the first ten minutes or so that I'm using it.
Matt and Divad mention line cleaning - after a days fishing, what seems to work best for me is to run cool water into a dishpan with a little bit of Woolite. I strip the "dirty" fly line into the solution, stir it around and let it sit for awhile then drain it and rinse the line. I then use a clean towel to dry the line as I wind it back onto the reel. This seems to keep some of my dry fly lines floating.
When I'm on the water and my floating line starts sinking (a real pain in the butt if your using a long leader indicator fishing), then I cheat and drag out my tub of Mucilin, rub a little on: the line floats. Flip Pallot refers to "mucilin" as something to be avoided, I forget his term of disdain. Sorry Flip, it works when the microbubbles in my floater are overcome by whatever it is that makes the floating line sink. (Huh - maybe I should rub Mucilin on my intermediate, I bet it would float all day.)
Good luck.
I buy cheap lines and replace them as often as I feel that I need to. I reject the notion that the fly line is the most important part of an outfit. There’s very few bad fly lines on the market, these days.
I’ve been more disappointed by expensive lines than cheap ones. SA AirCel and Cortland 444 have stood the test of time. This years latest HyperTouch SuperMegaTexture Elite fly line has not.
I’ve been more disappointed by expensive lines than cheap ones. SA AirCel and Cortland 444 have stood the test of time. This years latest HyperTouch SuperMegaTexture Elite fly line has not.
Last edited:
