Intermediate fly lines

[keora]

Is it worth buying one ?

I fish a couple of stillwaters. One is a big reservoir, although it's deep, the fishable areas tend to be the shallows down to about 10 ft or so. The other is a group of small lakes (or rather ponds) with a max depth of 7 or 8 ft.

I've already got a floating fly line and a medium sinker.

Has an intermediate fly line got any advantages over my existing lines ? And should I buy an opaque type or the translucent type?

 

[The Welsh Windbag]

Not a great deal. Your leader is long enough to fish all layers from the top down to the bottom.

Only benefit I can see for an inter is on a dead still calm day and / or with blinding sun to fish the line slightly sub-surface so as to avoid any wake.

To be honest I've got an inter for every rod and when I think about it I've never used any one of them.....

Floating, sink and fast sink and you're basically covered. Sink tips occasionally useful but not that much, and inters..... see above.

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

I would get the Airflow leaders to fish of your floating line. They come in all weights at five feet long they will give the same advantage if needed.

 

[Colin North, the one and only]

There are times when an intermediate can be of considerable advantage, and it is another string to your bow.

There are days when you have a strong side wind that blows floating lines along the surface and sometimes away from the area that you want to fish. An intermediate line cast out and then given a sharp tug back will pull the flyline just below the surface, thus enabling you to fish the fly back at whatever pace you choose.

I have seen an intermediate line outfish a floater on many occassions.

 

[keora]

Thanks for your views. I've already got a couple of air flow leaders in slow sink and medium sink densities. I was using one when fishing the Wharfe yesterday. Their disadvantage is that they spoil the unrolling of the fly line on the forward cast and so casting isn't as fluid.

 

[The Welsh Windbag]

Interesting thought Colin, I've never really been a fan of fishing any style in high winds, or at all for that matter, so that particular benefit of an inter had passed me by.

Will remember it just in case I ever get caught out having paid for an unfeasibly expensive day ticket only to find that the wind gets up a gale two seconds after having handed over the cash /forum/smilies/sad_smiley.gif.

 

[The Welsh Windbag]

Mind you, those two uses and weather conditions when inters are useful - dead flat blinding calm and high winds - are pretty rare and the proverbial exception that proves the whatsit. Definitely one of the lower priority things to buy for the amount of use they are.

 

[Colin North, the one and only]

Intermediate lines do have other advantages. At this time of the year, fish are often not feeding on the bottom nor top of the water, but somewhere in between. With the intermediate line you can explore all depths from just sub surface to the bottom of the water, by just allowing longer for the line to sink before retrieving. There is a stark contrast between the alternative floater or sinker.

 

[Old Wanderer]

Yup, thay are handy at times, I bought one that was a 'clear' line and there has been a number of occasions where its outfished floater or slow sinker, in dead calm conditions or in a cross wind when fish are high in the water. Seems particularly good when fish are 'sipping' at the evening hatch in the surface film.

Used one twice this week when folk around the reservoir were lure stripping or fishing boobiesand blanking, I was fishing a couple of buzzers dead slow and was into fish consistently/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

 

[keora]

Thank you.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

The thing to remember about "intermediate" lines is that in fact they are very slow sinkers. They are a line I wouldn't be without, especially a clear one, and Airflo are pretty good at making these lines.

 

[MarkTheSpark]

Years ago, I bought a supposed sinking mill end which actually turned out to be an intermediate of uncertain length, build and origin. But boy, did that line catch fish. There was something about the way it sank which meant I always felt in touch with the flies, and using it I managed to whopp one well-known former England team member on Rutland.

Intermediates definitely have their place in your tackle bag. As Ron says, the Airflos are very good but PVC mill ends are cheap as chips; get a few and fish with them until, like me, you get lucky. Use the rest to tie parcels.

The key with intermediates is to use them when the conditions are against you for a floater; surface drift is a killer for presentation, and then they really come into their own. There are occasions when a fast retrieve with some parrots gets results, but they are supreme at controlling teams of buzzers fished at dead-slow to stop; I've lost count of the number of times I've told people to do this then watched them figure-of-eighting. MUCH slower than that! Vary the retrieve with the occasional long pull.

 

[keora]

Anybody know how much Airflo lines cost please?

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Anything between £25 and £50 per line if you ask me. Do a google on Fishtech.

 

[MarkTheSpark]

Have a look around. I think they probably have quite high mark-up, or it's the way Airflo markets, but you do see them for a tenner, or bundled with reels. I know their faults, but they are VERY tough lines and last years. And some cast seriously well - I love my 40+ floater, especially into a wind.

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Always prefared AirCell and WetCell lines. Had bad experience with Airflow in the early days. Coiled spring comes to mind so have always been put of. I take it they have improved over the years.

 

[MarkTheSpark]

They've improved a lot, Bryan. I confess that it's my experience that they still aren't quite as straight as a top-end PVC line fresh from the box, but the wiggle has never been a problem. After a season, PVC lines start getting a bit wrinkly, while the Airflos don't deteriorate at all.

Wait for a special offer, then buy one - I think you'll like them better now.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

The vast majority of fly lines are made using polyvinyl chloride mixed with a plasticiser on a braided core. Airflo lines use polyurethane on a braided core. In the early days, Airflo used a kevlar braided core which did not allow any stretch. The problem here was that the line would not rid itself of memory.

In time it was learned that to achieve zero memory with polymer lines you do require a certain amount of stretch to take place. As a result, Airflo lines are much much better than they were 20 years ago.

The problem with PVC lines is that in time the plasticiser evaporates leaving cracks in the lines.The application of re-plasticiser helps. Some manufacturers of PVC lines incorporate a small bottle of re-plasticiser.

However NEVER apply floatant to your PVC lines.Some of this stuff can causethe plasticiser in the line to leach out.

 

[keora]

Thank you for the details, I've found an Airflo slime line available at about£25.

 

[MarkTheSpark]

Take a look HERE too Keith. The 40+ lines are truly great casting lines - probably a little better than the slimes. Your call, though