"Tech Tips"- Over/Under Lining (Good or Bad Idea?)

A regular topic on many Fly Fishing forums (especially here in New England), it never ceases to amaze me that my fellow anglers continue to wrestle with this one. A pet peeve of mine, I never recommend trying to "outthink" the Rod Manufacturers by using a line weight other than that which is recommended!

The most common violation of this rule is to "over-line". In my opinion, this is a sign that the angler purchased the wrong rod for their casting stroke (i.e., too fast in most cases). Worse is that in most cases, the angler intentionally bought a specific weight rod (say a 5-weight) because they felt it was the right tool for their specific needs and then made it something else (i.e., a 6-weight!) by over-lining it.

Further complicating the issue is that unbeknownst to many anglers, some of today's more popular fly lines (e.g., Scientific Anglers GPX, RIO Grand, etc.) are in fact already oversized by one half to a full line-weight by the manufacturer. As such, over-lining with the certain lines can result in a double jump in line weight (you just made that 4-Weight "Dry Fly" rod you paid $500 for a 6-Weight!)

A far better idea is to buy a rod that best suits your specific casting style and local conditions (e.g., size of water, wind, etc.) and use the line recommended by the manufacturer. The absolute best way to ensure that you select the correct rod for you is to "Field Test" as many rods as possible before buying on.