Intermediate lines, is there a reliable way to color them?

[TimMurphy]

Dear Board,

I've only ever fished an intermediate line on occasion, and I find that I don't care for them due to their color being mostly either clear, or green/brown camo color. While that may not matter to many people, it makes line management difficult for me. I kind of need to see the line a bit so that I can tell how much line I have outside the rod before beginning the next cast.

I'm going to buy a couple of clear intermediates, mostly because the price is right. They will only be used occasionally. I was hoping someone might have a suggestion as to how I can color up the line? My idea is to spray paint the last 5 feet with fluorescent orange paint, or maybe make a stripe around the line at 10 and 25 feet with a permanent marker.

I'm hoping someone has a better way?

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[hooker-of-men]

Hi Tim!

Have you spent a good deal of time with one particular line? For intermediates, most of my experience is with Orvis Hydros lines that do the alternating colors / camo thing. Eventually, after a bunch of casting, I start to intuitively know what patterns mean I'm coming up on the head and where the rear taper is.

This seems like it would be doubly hard with a clear line, but, with some sequence of coloration, my brain starts to catch it eventually. Maybe I'm a weirdo?

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear hooker-of-men,

I should have added, I'd consider an intermediate line that was colored. I did use a blue colored intermediate line recently on a trip. It was much more manageable for me to use than the clear and camo lines I have tried before. I guess I should ask the guide who loaned me the line what it was?

I just don't want to buy $ 99.00 fly lines to only use on occasion on 7 or 8 weight rods.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[Hilltop]

You could try rit dye.

 

[DO_inthewoods]

So, I did this by accident on my sink tip, but I tied on a bright orange piece of 30# (From my spinning gear) to make a new fly line loop when the original busted. It ended being great as a sighter!

 

[Terry Murphy]

Why does color matter if you are fishing streamers and diver patterns ?

 

[TimMurphy]

Why does color matter if you are fishing streamers and diver patterns ?

Dear Terry,

Because I can't see the clear or camo line in the water. That makes it hard to judge how much line is in the water and makes it tough to judge when to start a new cast. I wound up buying a SA Titan 30 line because the 30-foot-long tip section is blue, and I can see that.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[teedee]

I’ve used RIT dye and it’s worked okay.