Dear Sirs,

Your recent week-long West Yellowstone clinic on “Long Lost Secrets of Fly Fishing Returned From the Grave and Brought back with Us,” was ill conceived, disgusting and worthy of a refund.

While both lodge and private streams are Orvis endorsed, neither of your featured speakers were licensed or bonded, and neither said much or, as far as I could tell, ever fished.

As I’d brought my family I couldn’t take part in the midnight seminars, and suggest you get more experienced speakers who won’t crumple into ashes at with the first rays of dawn.

My wife is a basket-case and has foresworn all future family Togetherness outings. Your repeated demands to use my daughter as a “ritual zombie sacrifice” was tactless and without regard to her motherly instincts. I didn’t mind so much, but you should’ve offered a significant discount on lodging and the return of her iPod.

I was especially disappointed in your entomology session, where we were limited to terrestrial insects attracted by your hosts. I had assumed it would be aquatic insects we’d be studying, with in-stream lectures, not blue bottles and their role in decay …

I’d give long thought to your continued participation as the host for this series. I cannot in good conscience recommend this farce to anyone.

Tags: real angling advertising, dead guys fly fishing, secrets from beyond, Internet advertising, fly fishing,

Such has been my fate of late. The gloom of my living room and the toil of quality control leavened with the glow of the boob tube. It’s something learned from commercial fly tying; find a show that’s uninteresting – and focus on the task at hand, glancing up only for the obligatory flash of breast-meat or the dismemberment scene.

… and I even oiled the damned things, because I knew you never would.

I received the first shipment of tungsten-imbued Sixth Finger scissors this week. After paying off all the owe-sies, vendors, and blood relatives, it appears I’ll have nearly 50 sets available of the 4.5” (original size) model. The “General Purpose” large size will be arriving next – as I’ve just approved the final design and finger hole placement.

The last six months were spent testing three different fingerhole placements, and the hard part was choosing between the last two (shown with blue handles) – but the right-most won, allowing the 5.5” General Purpose to extend beyond the hand the same distance as the smaller 4.5” Original design.

This allows you to switch back and forth between the two styles without changing your grip or suddenly poking out an eye because you forgot which set you were holding.

The longer heavier blade comprises nearly half of the extra length, and we’ve shortened the spring without affecting the effort needed to press the blades closed. The adjustable screw allows for complete scissor disassembly for sharpening, or just give it a quarter turn every couple of years if they loosen with use (and abuse).

Care and Feeding of your New play toy

I’ve witnessed many hideous crimes committed on or with scissors – and only occasionally was it some other oaf – most were of mine own invention.

The 4.5” scissor is a “light duty” precision scissor. Adding faster colors, adjustable screws and tungsten inserts makes it a extremely sharp, light duty scissor.

… it doesn’t make it invulnerable to your hammy handed enthusiasms, nor should it be used to chew concrete.

The sweet spot for this design is the countless tiny snips and trims associated with preparing feathers, positioning, and the finishing of the final product. It will cleave moose hair off the hide, it’ll whack copper wire into pieces, and accomplish most of the fly tying tasks you’ll ask of it.

Do you think the new scissors would work well for tying glo-bugs? I’m looking for a super sharp, heavy duty blade that will last a while tying egg patterns. I’ll try the sample you sent and let you know.

… and my response:

The 4.5" is still a light scissor. While the tungsten allows it to plow through heavier materials, I’d use the 5.5" scissor instead. The larger size has a beefier blade as well as the tungsten – and glo-bugs are heavy work. I’d use  the heavier blade only because it’s less about "can it do it" – than it is about "can it do a million of them."
Proper tool for the proper job rules – that heavier blade should allow you to chop a fistful of yarn a million times – the lighter scissor might be able to do it – maybe even well – but the pressures on the screw hole will chew the scissors up … the blades will loosen … and you’re left reaching for a new set.

The answer was in the question, “ super-sharp, heavy duty blade.”

Depending on what we were raised on as fly tiers warps our judgment completely. Surgeons have a thousand different kinds of scissor – each suited for specific tasks, yet us fly tiers insist that one pair of scissors be capable of mowing the lawn, mixing drinks, and walking the dog …

Just because you can cut the stem off a turkey quill with a pair of scissors doesn’t mean you can do it a million times without damage.

If you focus your usage in the sweet spot for any scissor, they will last a lifetime.

/end Momma’s lecture

The Avaricious Greed Part

My goal was to keep the price of both styles of scissor below thirty dollars. I was only partially successful …

The 4.5” Tungsten will retail for $28 a pair, and the 5.5” Tungsten will be $29 each. This is consistent with the market maker, Dr. Slick – whose 4.5” tungsten standard scissor is also $28.

But wait, there’s more …

My strident bellow about the inequities of the vendor community require me to trod rarified soil, anything less flirts with hypocrisy. While the gesture will be ignored by the larger community, my ethics require some small allegiance is owed those whose twenty dollars I’ve already pocketed.

Contrary to Harvard Business School and their tutelage, I see the customer as friend and compatriot, not competition.

Therefore, owners of the existing scissor can pick either flavor of the new scissor for $22.

Postage for a single set of scissors is $1.56 – and the padded envelope is $0.42 each, I’ll eat the bubble pack, tape, and the 20 minute wait at the Post Office.

Last time I paid the postage and you got the scissors for $20, this time you’ll pay for the shipping … and get the scissors for $20. This discount will be honored by me only – so asking your local merchant will result in a blank stare.

I’ll keep the offer open until redemptions roughly equal the amount of original scissors sold.

I’ll be working this weekend to update the Google shopping interface (the purchase image in the center column of this blog) to reflect the models and the discount, and dreaming up a surefire way to query you on your older purchase thereby qualifying you for the same.

I’ll mention this option again when the 5.5” models arrive, so if you’re interested in an upgrade decide which flavor you prefer. A rain check will be available if I run out of stock, so there’s little need to rush blindly into a new purchase.

Just my way of saying … thanks.

… and if you simply must be the first on your block, just drop me an email to reserve a set, as this shipment is small and sales look to be brisk.

Full Disclosure: I am the principal vendor for the Sixth Finger scissor and will benefit from any sale of this incredibly awesome scissor. All superlatives used to describe the male enhancing qualities and mind boggling function should be taken with a grain of salt.

Tags: Sixth Finger scissor, tungsten carbide insert, scissor upgrade option, light duty scissor, precision scissor, Google shopping, daytime soaps, Judge Judy, thanks for your patronage

I figured I could offer it as a fetching facsimile to the Royal Canadian Mounties and the cord that secured their sidearm. Three and a half feet of ballistic nylon – and should you ever lay them down, they’d be available to sit on once you returned to your desk.

It certainly would reinforce the notion to keep them in your hand – the downside would be you’re having to tie standing up for the next three months.

Madison Ave calls it “branding” – affixing the image of a product into your subconscious so you can’t help but think of me when you see it. I call it a life long scar, and you’ll never be able to look at a Band-Aid or tourniquet without cringing …

The vendor has added all of the enhancements I’ve asked for and produced something quite special.

Issue: The current flavor of scissor is a light-duty specialty scissor, with small light blades and fine tips. It’s wonderful for trout flies and medium sized flies, yet has issues with thick or bulky. Those same light blades offer a small sharp tip – but can be deflected by a heavy woven four strand yarn, or bulky chenille.

Resolution: The debut of the General Purpose variant, designed to accomodate light,  coarse, and heavy materials. It is equipped with a larger, heavier blade that cannot be deflected. It’s simple physics that cause the issue, and adding mass to the blade prevents it bending out of the way, and lengthening the handle allows more force to be exerted to sever large materials cleanly.

The General Purpose will be longer by an inch, half of which is in the blade area, and the balance in the handle. The spring mechanism has been shortened yet retains a crisp positive action. Even better is the blades – about twice the mass – both thicker and longer, and we didn’t have to give up the fine tips.

As I eat what I sell, I’ve already started testing the materials that proved difficult on the smaller scissors, and have been chuckling with great glee …

But I didn’t do you no favor …

To assist both normal and this new “General Purpose” variant, I’ve also added tungsten inserts on both models, but I didn’t do you any favor by doing so …

Tungsten Carbide is one of the hardest metals known to Man, and in scissors it makes a superior cutting edge – one that will last much longer than conventional surgical stainless.

It’s also the most brittle. One bleary-eyed late night cut where you catch the hook shank up at the scissor tip, and you can take the points clean off.

This is true of $500 surgical scissors as well as inexpensive flavor. The only known solution is to make a blunt point which allows more tungsten into the area, giving the tip greater shear strength. As fine tips are essential on a good set of scissors, blunt is unacceptable.

Having tied with Tungsten inserts and expensive surgical scissors for the last 25 years, I can vouch for the fragility of the tip. Bill Hunter sold me my first pair and mentioned, “you’ll have to relearn your scissor work, or you’ll tear these up.”

I did. But at the cost of the first pair.

The second set lasted 20 years, so the transition is easy enough to make, but only after you’ve destroyed at least one set. In short, you learn to make all cuts away from the shank – never cutting towards the hook.

We’ve also opted for an adjustable screw to aid quick disassembly for sharpening.  Medical scissors attempt to braise or grind the screw to prevent seams that allow bacteria to collect on the scissor surface. This prevents the screw from turning – and tightening the screw is often not possible.

As all scissors eventually need adjustment (except in the medical profession where they’re often discarded) -  I’ve got a slightly different screw assembly on these prototypes to see if I can adjust it in the future.

Summary: For 2010 I’ll be offering three models of the Sixth Finger; a larger General Purpose scissor with Tungsten inserts, the current model of surgical stainless, and a variant of the original scissor also with Tungsten inserts.

Pricing and availability should be around the mid-March timeframe. I’m attempting to bring the price in around the $25 dollar mark for the Tungsten and larger General Purpose flavors.

… and my thanks for the many helpful comments and feedback on these “children” of mine. Many of you have been quite candid about changes you’d like – or features that suited you, and I’ve rolled all that into this second generation of product.

Based on what testing I’ve completed, they’ll go through your jeans and a couple inches of Gluteus before you have time to draw a breath …

Testers: Around March I’ll be sending out 10-12 sets of the new scissors to some of the existing owners as a test group. If you’d like to test one model over another I’ll inquire before I send them.

I’d like to upgrade everyone, but the economics say otherwise.

Full Disclosure: I came up with the bright idea, and use them daily, to the exclusion of all other scissors. But as I’m also the vendor – I am not to be believed.

Tags: Sixth Finger Scissor, Product Roadmap, fly tying scissors, Tungsten Carbide, adjustable screw hole, fine tips, Bill Hunter, RCMP, shameless commerce

The only difference between this year and last is all the stock market pundits poised to declare the recession is here here over based on the retail reports of your spending … I’d guess they’re understandably anxious to be the first to yell the news…

Thanksgiving is the “third best holiday ever” – combining an excuse to overeat with football games whose teams haven’t been in the Superbowl since Plymouth Rock.

… followed closely by the obligatory Midnight Turkey Sandwich Debauch, and going fishing on Friday while “Ma” throws elbows in every discount shopping venue your municipality offers.

The Fly Fishing Christmas ornament market has exploded – something I discovered quite by accident. I had to pause when I caught sight of the above. A Christmas ornament modeled after my beloved Scientific Angler System fly reels.

I say, “let the torment begin.” You’ve tried thoughtful means to get that new rod or reel and failed miserably. Now it’s time to leverage Egg Nog and raw unmitigated guilt to score that gleaming engineering marvel.

Imagine the mock anguish you deliver when the wagging dog’s tail sends the reel ornament to the floor, shattered. Them whining sounds you make as you cradle the fragments will be clue enough – and since you’ve got a gross of them stashed in the closet, you can repeat this tearful tragedy as oft as needed.

It’s premature and underhanded, but there’s patriotism and bailouts in the mix and the “enemy” shall receive no quarter.

Tags: Christmas ornament, fly fishing ornament, thanksgiving, Christmas, unmitigated consumerism, Scientific Angler System Reel, Plymouth Rock

The exploitation of farmed mayflies, each dancing about with a gaily colored banner, “A #16 Royal Wulff would’ve caught that fish, now on sale at Big 5.”

Bug activity has always been a welcome sight, but with insects outnumbering humans will we still think that way after a couple regiments of Taco Bell Hexagenia?

Tags: winged advertising, Taco Bell, Hexagenia, Royal Wulff

… as Hisself was the local paperboy with access to millions of rounds of ammunition, life was good for a few short weeks until the partisans discovered rocks …

The lesson is the same, the better mousetrap exists in countless garages and only the occasional product is pursued from napkin illustration to vendor countertop. Those that make the journey can always be improved upon to accommodate new functionality the original design didn’t anticipate.

I had my “Ah-ha” moment last year while doing a little research on surgical scissors. I stumbled across a design that looked promising, bought a couple of sets to try, and liked the result but also recognized it had shortcomings.

Without a foundry and metallurgical skills, I managed to mock up a pair using wire – and that was close enough to be a proof of concept. I had something and the idea was good enough to pursue.

The Singlebarbed “Sixth Finger”, designed to remain in the hand for the duration of the tying session. One over-sized finger hole allows the scissor to be worn like a wedding ring – at the base of the finger and keeps the points away from your work and them precious eyeballs.

If you watch fly tiers they fall into two groups; those that keep the scissors in their hand at all times, and those that set them down. Bulky finger holes make it more difficult to close your hand around the scissor – and can slightly restrict the use of the fingers during material preparation.

Absent that extra wad of metal, the hand can close naturally around the scissor and give the fingers a full range of motion during material staging and placement.

Simply open your hand to make a cut, using the thumb to press on the spring-loaded handle.

These are light scissors with fine points and a finger hole designed for big hammy hands, not the smaller style common to other scissors and the embroidery trade. 4.5” inches long and made of surgical stainless steel with faux gold handles. These will work with either left or right hands.

Angling products are normally colored by Madison Avenue’s blessed action words; “revolutionary”, “extreme modulus”, “laser engraved”, “sublime action”, and “rocket-taper” … Singlebarbed would rather skip the heavy platitudes – rather we’ll let the testimony of our peers divulge just how tasty these scissors perform:

The plastic container said “tear at notch to vent” and I placed the spaghetti and meatballs in the in the microwave and pushed the start button. I was leaning against the sink and watching the table rumble around when I heard the “cla-clunk” of the mailbox lid. I opened the front door and reached into the box and found your package and returned to my lean on the sink while cutting away the clear tape. As I lifted the top of the box I was startled by a large pop and looked up to see that the top had blown off the ready-to-eat-meal and now my lunch was sticking to the ceiling of the microwave.

Luckily for me, I was holding a box full of “quilted packaging material” to assist in red sauce removal. I can’t thank you enough.

 

Oh, and the knuckle-scissors are neat too.

Even the packing material is multi-purpose – as we’ve spared no expense.

Most will find it completely intuitive as the scissor shape and gravity dictates most of the motion.

Three basic positions are used to “holster” or cut with the points. Depending on the size of your fingers most will find the holster position somewhere behind the knuckle and the base of the finger.

Absent that big metal second finger hole – your hand can flex naturally while positioning materials in preparation for them to be secured to the hook shank. So long as the hand is tilted upward the scissors remain out of the way.

Once the materials are secured with thread just tilt the hand downward and the scissors will fall into the “cut” position. The overly large finger hole allows the scissor more motion on the finger than traditional tying tools – and accommodates larger hands – so chafing is at a minimum.

All that remains is to press your thumb against the spring loaded scissor and the cut is made. Tilt the hand and the “Sixth Finger” falls back into the holstered position.

Having tied flies for thirty years and used a wide range of scissors – from four dollar specials to surgeon’s scissors, I’m personally quite thrilled at the result. Having the scissors at the ready cut an additional 30 seconds off of my tying time – compared to regular scissors – and if you’re not used to holding the scissors in your hand you should save at least a minute or two versus hunting for them in the debris at the vise base.

These are fine point – light duty; no cutting of bead chain or prying open tuna cans, heavy work is best left to larger shear-style scissors. These will cover the bulk of your cutting and should provide great service. They will not tire your hand or chafe the ring finger.

From innocent angler to state and local taxes, lawyers, patent discovery, and all the ills I’ve preached against. Not something a fellow does willingly. I suppose it’s moot testament to the rigors of paper napkins and the “better mousetrap.”

I’m counting on you seeing the difference at first use.

Dealer inquiries are welcome.

Tags: Singlebarbed scissor, sixth finger fly tying scissors, surgical stainless, fine point scissors, shameless commerce, fly tying tools, EBAY

Thursday, September 24, 2009

MarketBar – One Ferry Building, San Francisco

6:00pm Reception, 7:30pm Dinner

Ticket Price: $150 per person or $2,000 for a table of (8)

Mel Krieger (1928-2008)

Mel Krieger is considered to be one of the top fly fishing and fly casting instructors of the twentieth century. Mel and Fanny Krieger moved to San Francisco in 1964 and soon became fixtures in the fly fishing community. Mel was a champion caster who turned to books, videos, workshops, and clinics to teach his simple techniques around the world. Mel taught thousands of pupils the art of casting, including casting champion Steve Rajeff. He was also played an important role with the Fly Fishing Federation when that organization’s Certified Casting Instructor Program was created in 1992.

Krieger has received many awards from the fly fishing community. In 1994 he was inducted into the Northern California Fly Fishing Federation Hall of Fly Fishing Fame, received the Federation’s The Order of the Lapis Lazuli award in 2006, and was presented with the American Museum of Fly Fishing’s Heritage Award in 2003.

MarketBar

The MarketBar is located at One Ferry Building in San Francisco. The MarketBar boasts a seasonal Mediterranean menu using fresh, local ingredients found in the surrounding marketplaces. For the evening’s event the MarketBar will be serving a brassiere-style dinner accompanied by wines donated by the E. & J. Gallo Winery of Healdsburg, California. Owners Doug Biederbeck and Joseph Graham are generously donating a portion of the dinner’s service to the American Museum of Fly Fishing.

For more information about the Museum and the tribute dinner honoring Mel Krieger, please contact Kim Murphy at 802-362-3300 or kmurphy@amff.com. Keep checking our website at www.amff.com for an auction preview and proxy bids.

In the last installment we

Admittedly our research is simplistic; discarding color, texture, slickness, and softness, and most of the hype to focus on taper alone. Taper is responsible for the feel of a line in flight, and that’s something each of us is expert in, it’s something we’ve practiced for years.

We’re hoping that all the Excedrin Migraine we swallowed building the charts will be useful going forward. Knowing your manufacturer and his tendencies can assist in making an informed purchase.

Of the “Big Four” manufacturers only RIO and Cortland remain. We’ve cataloged their tapers and noted some examples of their practices below:

RIO

RIO doesn’t reinvent the wheel as much as SA and Airflo, it takes proven and popular tapers adds new boxes and artwork and labels them as new lines – often species specific, or topology related. 

The RIO Carp is identical to their Mainstream Floater, the Mainstream Saltwater has an identical taper to their Mainstream Bass/Pike/Panfish, and if you snip 3″ off the tip of a RIO Striped Bass, it’s a RIO Clouser – only about $10 cheaper.

The RIO Lake and RIO Classic share an identical taper, but the Lake is an intermediate sink fly line, which is a marked difference.

The RIO website has the following for the CARP line:

Designed for the carp fly fisher, this weight forward fly line combines a medium length head with a smooth front taper for a subtle presentation. Wary carp will not be spooked by either the presentation, or the camo olive color. The slick XS Technology coating, over a braided multifilament core ensures easy and confident casts.

… and for it’s twin, the Mainstream Floater:

Designed to optimize rod performance at normal casting ranges with shorter heads, tapers and running lines that empower novice casters to make the cast. MainStream lines undergo the same rigorous production processes and quality control standards as all RIO products. The MainStream floating lines have a supple self-lubricating coating that remains memory-free in cold water.

The advertisements are different, no mention of “smooth front taper” on the MainStream, and they didn’t claim Carp fishermen are novice casters, which was a selling point of the MainStream. “Memory free in cold water?” – is that better or worse than XS Technology?

The RIO CARP retails for $69.95 and the Mainstream floater for $39.95, which is a significant hit despite the XS technology. Is the same taper worth the extra dollars?

You be the judge.

If we look at forward tapers, as we  did with SA and Airflo, RIO has 7 lines with forward tapers in excess of 7 feet. If the practice we’ve seen with SA and Airflo holds true we would expect the Selective Trout II to tout its long tip as that’s the “money” superlative to use; fine tip = soft presentation = selective trout.

The Indicator:

MainStream® Indicator Fly Line • NEW for 2009 With a short front taper and a front loaded head, this line is designed for casting big indicators and heavier flies, and does so with ease. The line is built on a supple braided multifilament core and has a self-lubricating coating that remains memory-free in cold water.

Huh? Short Front Taper? A delicate tip would be worse at turning over large flies as it lacks the mass of a heavier line. The front 7′ of the belly of the line is what they’re trying to suggest as the weight forward, it’ll have to transition its energy into the decreasing diameter of the 8′ forward taper otherwise it’s a mess when it lands.

The RIO Grand:

The RIO Grand is one half size heavier and features more weight distributed towards the front of the line to easily load fast action fly rods. AgentX Technology gives the RIO Grand maximum floatation and the XS Technology produces a wonderfully slick finish for easy distance. The line remains supple in coldwater conditions and is ultra smooth for maximum casting distance. The Super Floatation Tip™ has a welded loop for changing leaders. Tests prove that when you land a fish, the loop slides through the rod guides more easily than the customary nail knot.

No mention of the longer front taper, but has “Agent X” as a wildcard to feel safer about the purchase. “One half size heavier” means the line is AFTMA #7.5, and it’s likely a thicker diameter throughout the taper. We’ll have to take their word on it because a long front taper doesn’t concentrate the weight towards the front of the line, that’s an attribute of a short front taper.

The Selective Trout II:

One of the softest, memory-free fly lines made. A unique manufacturing process enables this line to have a relaxed off-the-reel feel yet the harder outer coating ensures the highest casting performance and durability. The Selective Trout II line is for discerning anglers and technical fishing situations where the long, fine front taper provide the softest of presentations. This line is the best for bamboo and traditional action trout rods. RIO has slightly increased the diameter behind the front taper of the double taper for easy turnover of long leaders. The AgentX coating makes these high floating lines incredibly easy to lift quietly off the water, while the XS Technology results in a very smooth and slick finish.

Predictable isn’t it? Here’s our mention of the benefits of a long front taper and how it assists a gentle presentation. Note how “soft” is immediately diffused by “hard outer coating” and durability is no longer in question. 

There’s little question that the marketing is genius – and fascinating how each line contains attributes that are selectively ignored or pronounced ensuring each line is marketed to a unique niche. This style is constant among all line manufacturers – and is required to ensure we’re lining up for more spools and the lines to go on them.

Real genius is touting a long front taper as good, and not having to  explain why a short front taper isn’t bad.

In my mind RIO takes it past the line of good taste however. I give high marks to its authors, their prose is deft, subtle, and you can’t argue with any of it. Claiming the delicate tip will assist in turning over large flies and a longer front taper is “more weight forward,” isn’t consistent with physics. The belly of the line is not part of the forward taper, and RIO blurs that distinction.

SA and Cortland were both effusive and elusive about their products, but they didn’t require a 4th dimension or a rift in the space-time continuum to validate their assertions.

CORTLAND

Cortland appears to have made a concious decision to simplify everything but the box art. It’s as if their strategy is, “We’ll make a taper that we like and use it on everything, if you like the feel of how a Cortland casts, then you’ll like all our lines.”

I can’t argue with the logic as it’s sound. It could also be indicative of a company attempting to keep pace with others and ill prepared for the specialization wave. It’s a reasonable explanation but it’s entirely conjecture on my part.

Cortland makes many lines but very few distinct tapers. Like Airflo they like a full foot of level line at the tip, and prefer 90′ and 105′ lines, and are betting on one of two things; either their coatings and textures are so much better than everyone else, or you won’t look at the above chart and realize they only make 2-3 different lines.

The chart speaks volumes, and suggests you’d be best served looking at price. Despite the box art, the line hasn’t had its taper tuned to match the advertised quarry or conditions, and with so little variance in taper the real difference is what you pay.

The SYLK and Classic Clear Creek have an uncommon amount of level tip and should be noted as such, let’s take a look at the marketing:

444 Classic Sylk is the first modern line designed specifically for fine bamboo and rods. The “Sylk” replicates the fine diameter, long taper, supple feel and subtle color of natural silk, but in a modern, easy to care for fly line. But, the “Sylk” isn’t just for bamboo! If you are one of the many anglers who have rediscovered the delights of fiberglass fly rods, this line is for you! It even works well on graphite for the finest presentations under the most demanding low water conditions. Can you say “midges?” 

… and the Classic Clear Creek:

Whether you’re on the legendary creeks of Paradise Valley, the Chalk Streams of Hampshire, or in the Limestone country of Pennsylvania, spring creeks (and tail waters!) present special challenges. The extra long, supple tip of the Clear Creek helps put the body of the line further from the target, resulting in a softer, more precise delivery of the fly. The mute olive color blends into both bank-side and aquatic vegetation. And our cold-water formulation remains coil free in any condition. 444 Clear Creek, the choice of spring creek experts!

No mention of the 400% longer tip on the SYLK (as compared to SA or RIO), which is being marketed to the bamboo crowd, that “extra long supple tip” is reserved for their technical offering, the Clear Creek.

Artfully chosen verbiage ensures no two lines appear the same in print, regardless of their physical properties.

Summary:

Fly line manufacturers are playing a game of words with us consumers. That’s not terribly surprising, but inclusion and omission requires us to do our homework before assuming anything about a fly line.

It doesn’t appear that a Bonefish line is required to catch a Bonefish, and you may have known that instinctively – but the new fly fisherman who’s looking to fly shop staff and magazines to make decisions doesn’t.

Advertising copy used by fly line makers are slicker than their line coatings. Features they tout on the box are shared by other lines in their product suite, many of their tapers are similar, and there’s no standard to judge words like; longer, shorter, and slicker.

A desirable feature is touted by the maker, its opposite is present on another line – where it too is an asset, and all we’re supposed to acknowledge is ”it’s all Good.”

Fly lines are limited in their physical properties by the AFTMA standard. Weight (taper) is either pushed forward on the line or pulled rearward, with predictable consequences. Skagit lines and shooting heads are “all the weight stuffed forward” – and there’s no parallel for everything pushed to the rear other than … kite string.

Our research for these articles is inherently flawed. We’ve ignored all qualities of fly lines other than their taper, but taper is the entire feel of a line in flight and quite possibly the most important portion of any cast. Manufacturers toss us buzzwords; “Agent X”, “hydrophobic”, and “repeating geometric micro patterns” and like fish we swallow the bait whole.

Not all technical breakthroughs are worthy, and it’s up to us to determine what really works, what we really like, and to reward those firms that consistently produce superior quality in addition to superior ad copy.

Note: As an added bonus you can use the charts above to quickly determine who is repackaging another vendor’s lines. While the colors may change, the tapers should remain the same.

I just can’t seem to leave well

Like the evolution of medicine, fly line manufacturers are no longer content with a general practitioner, they’ve pushed us down the specialization path with glee – leaving us to ponder whether Mango is better than Avocado, slick is superior to textured, and whether a line called Salmon is needed for Salmon, or just another gimmick to add to the already horrendous weight of our vest.

Much is made of all the differences, with anglers professing allegiance to one camp or another, or merely shivering in the middle; unsure and undecided whether the voices of vendors and vendor-backed media are taking them down the primrose path.

Our angling publications aren’t much help, authors vie to give manufacturers the least offense, hoping the flow of freebies continue unabated. Product reviews always contain superlatives, the marketing materials contain even more  – and  end prematurely with little more than, “it’s cool, definitely slick despite the ridged and  bubbled finish and the Puce polka dots allow you to maintain contact despite blending with bankside shrubbery.”

Vendors are in constant competition, and pricing depends on mass production, each manufacturer wants as few pots of bubbling plastic polymer as possible. Cortland and Scientific anglers prefer PVC, Airflo likes Polyurethane, and everyone touts their mixture as the “one true God.”

But with the plethora of specialty lines and the maker’s desire to ensure you own all of them, they’ve trapped themselves. The AFTMA standard requires the line adhere to a given grain weight in its first 30 feet. Like NASCAR, everyone has a similar rule set – and there’s only so much you can do to a fly line taper. Shorten, lengthen, make “stairsteps” of increasing or decreasing line size, but when you’re done it’d better weigh within a fixed range just like your competitor.

We’ll assume everything they say about coatings, compounds, and textures is true, allowing us to get past the nouns and acronyms, past the religious fervor of Sharkskin, SYLK, and softeners, and focus on the product’s taper. We may not be able to discern the difference between hydrophobic and hydroponic, but we’re expert in soft butts,  big bellies, and a long tip when cast.

That “feel” comes from the taper – and whether it’s a sinking line imbued with Tungsten dust or a floating line with microbubbles, we’ve flung them with great passion for years; we know what we like, and might be able to answer, “are all these specialty lines really necessary?”

Remember, “as few pots of bubbling plastic as necessary” – and regardless of the spittle and vitriol, it’s likely all these lines use the same basic formula of plasticizers and polymers.

Method

I chose a AFTMA WF7 F/I/S to show the taper of each vendor fly line. These numbers are taken from the vendors website and/or discrete PDF’s constructed by the vendor which contain their line specifications.

We’ve ignored sink tips intentionally as their taper is compounded by the sinking portion.

Length = Total length of the fly line (feet)

Running Line = Length of the level running line portion (feet)

Rear Taper = The length of the rear taper of the head (feet)

Belly = The length of the fly line belly (feet)

Front Taper = Length of the front taper (feet)

Tip = the length of the level tip (feet)

If the line has a compound taper in the belly portion that taper is denoted by its overall length, and the steps of the taper in parenthesis. 35(Front20Rear15) is 35 foot overall belly length, the front 20′ is different from the rear 15′.

Lastly, I took every WF7 the vendor sold and compared their respective tapers in a chart, allowing you to see real differences in the line taper without being swayed by box art and advertising.

Scientific Anglers

I’d describe Scientific Anglers as the most prolific of the fly line kingdom. It’s apparent that almost every discrete line they manufacture has some small difference. These differences are not drastic and begs the question, “can the average angler detect the taper, and will it make much difference in his casting?”

Example: Take the Lefty Kreh Signature and the SA Professional floating line.  The differences between the two are a 2.4 feet longer rear taper on the Kreh line, and the Professional floater is the converse of the above, a 2.4 foot longer head taken from the rear taper. Both are the same price at Cabela’s.

All other line specifications are identical, suggesting the Kreh and Professional are largely the same. Manufacturers would claim the Kreh gives the softer presentation due to its longer tip – you’ll note in the marketing material below taken from the 3M and Cabela’s websites – no mention is made for the longer tip – it’s not considered an asset.

The marketing at Cabela’s is very different, differentiating the two, and there’s no mention that the Professional series contains the Lefty Kreh Signature line, as demonstrated by the Scientific Anglers website. That’s not an indictment so much as demonstrates the pains by which advertising attempts to make them all quite different.

Lefty Kreh:

It’s specially engineered by Scientific Anglers to possess optimal density for high-flotation applications. Both supple and easy to use, this line has a versatile midlength head that makes it suitable for a wide range of fishing situations. Special 3M lubricants increase the slickness of the Signature Series, resulting in superior casting performance.

Professional:

Scientific Angler’s new Professional Series Floating Line has optimal density for high flotation, and is supple for ease of use. With a braided multifilament core, internal lubricants to increase slickness and enhance shootability, and integrated UV inhibitors, this line is ideal for a wide range of conditions.

The Scientific Anglers website is terse in its prose, listing an abbreviated preamble and bullet points to describe each line’s attributes.

Lefty Kreh Signature

Applications:

• Excellent general-purpose line
• Easy to cast and high floating
• Optimal line density for high floatation
• Supple and easy to use in most conditions

WF taper characteristics:

• Versatile mid-length head designed with input from the master himself – Lefty Kreh

Core:

• Braided multifilament nylon

Coating:

• 3M PVC formulated with special internal lubricants to increase slickness and enhance shootability
• Integrated UV inhibitors for increased durability

Professional Series Floating

Applications:

• Excellent general-purpose line for all weather
• Optimal line density for high floatation
• Supple for ease of use in all conditions

WF Taper Characteristics:

• Group-tailored heads for general use

Core:

• Braided multifilament nylon

Coating:

• 3M PVC formulated with special internal lubricants to increase slickness and enhance shootability
• Integrated UV inhibitors for increased durability

We find both have the UV Inhibitors, both have the same superlatives in describing function and use, the only difference being that the Lefty Kreh line is “designed by the Master himself” and “easy to use.”

I’d suggest that the lines are identical (except for the 2.4 foot reallocation) and that a casual angler isn’t looking at two different lines – but is in fact looking at pretty much the same line.

So why would a vendor go to the trouble of building a feature into the line that was singular when compared to other tapers, yet make no mention of it?  It’s likely they’ve used the superlative already in a half dozen other lines, and it’s important to distinguish each line as an asset to the angler’s overall quiver.

So you feel you need them all.

Note that the SA Mastery Stillwater has the 2nd longest front taper of any fly line they make, but it’s length isn’t mentioned in the marketing material. Ditto for the Supra Floater, it’s the third longest forward taper SA makes – yet no mention of that attribute on their website.

The Mastery Bonefish and Sharkskin Ultimate Trout Taper both advocate their long tips to provide graceful presentation, and there’s no sense confusing you as to how many “long tip” fly lines you really need, is there?

Both the Mastery series and Sharkskin lines are more expensive than the Professional and Supra series – why not save the best superlatives for your high end lines? That’s good marketing.

Scanning the chart of the Scientific Angler lines above, many more similarities announce themselves, like the Saltwater Specialty, and the Specialty Bonefish line – a mere two foot difference in taper location akin to the Lefty / Professional.

There are many pronounced differences in the tapers as well, what the angler needs to ask themselves is outside of the marketing hype of slickness, texture, color, plasticizers, and coatings – is there much difference between my choices for a Carp line – and would the Bonefish taper be just as good?

Most anglers won’t be able to discern the difference between 2 foot of taper shoved forward, and as we’re ignoring all else other than their functional spec, it appears much of the cornucopia of fly lines tapers are not as distinct as we’ve been led to believe.

Airflo

Airflo has a much smaller stable of fly lines than Scientific Angler, and like SA they’re showing the same advertising tendencies.  Both Airflo and Cortland include a full foot of level taper at the tip, unlike RIO and SA which opted for 6″.

The Delta, Sixth Sense, and 40 Plus all have long front tapers to ease the splash of presentation, and the balance of the Airflo suite are roughly similar with the weight shifted forward or backward by less than 5 feet.

Despite the differences between the two basic groupings of Airflo lines, only the Delta advertising mentions the long tip. The Sixth Sense and 40 Plus make no reference to the tip at all.

(The 1.5′ tip on the Ridge Delta Floating appears to be a website typo)

We should be asking ourselves when the manufacturer touts his “extra long belly” as an aid to long casts, long as compared to what?  There’s no such thing as a normal belly, tip, or rear taper, ensuring every possible change to the line can be touted as a benefit.

“With the debut of the Singlebarbed line and it’s Zero-Taper tip, the sumbitch lands like a gutshot mallard - offering the angler the advantage of visual feedback on the location of his fly. Available in Raspberry Red, Lemon Yellow, and Orange Orange..”

Whether it really makes a difference in your casting, you’ll have to try one and find out. 

I fear there’s plenty of lip gloss in fly line advertising, largely to differentiate similar products – giving us anglers the illusion we need multiple lines.

Wednesday, Part 2 of the series, “Are they Rogues or Demons, and why didn’t they tell me snipping 3 ” off the tip of a RIO Striped Bass line yields a RIO Clouser and $9 savings?

Gear up, strap on – and let cholesterol sort ‘em out. Just remember to pause long enough to tell the fellow next to you what fly you’re using, speaking with your mouth full can confuse the poor chap unnecessarily.

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