WF or DT

sundrunk wrote:
How did we end up with 20 foot cast?
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as the saying goes MOST of your fishing is done less than 20 ft..

Others have often said that they do most of their fishing with 20 ft casts. Thats how.

If you only fish for 4 inch fish in 12 ft wide streams, by all means, cut all your lines in half. Add 150 yards of backing you'll never use rather than just leave the line you paid 50 bucks for in one piece.
Then go out and spend another 400 bucks for an outfit so when someone invites you to fish a bigger water you can go.
 
I understand the "saying" and the practise...All I'm saying is I cut my dt line in half, and can cover a 40 foot cast with it...Like I stated before, If I'm casting over 40' I'll use my wf..Half a dt line will cast further then 2o feet..For dry fly work the progressive double taper offers a more subtle presentation..The wf has belly bulk which detours from effective roll casting, imo..

DT- for 80% of type of fishing i do.
WT- for remaining 20%



The biggest problem with pvc line is memory. Anglers who throw weight forward lines may recognize the compressed condition of the base line, as it gets squished down by the constant pressure of the line over top..With The Double taper line, the angler wants to utilize both tapered ends over time, so as to avoid perminat line ,compression, memory, resulting in ruin...
 
i am with jayl on this one , alot of times fish are rising against the far bank in high pressured area , dt line is good for light presentation midge fishing this time of year if the stream is right for it , most of the time wf is all u need , most of the time brookie fishing the water is moving fast enough the fish don't care how hard the fly hits the water , its those frog pond pools u gota worry about , but some don't fish this kind of water , me included
 
I've been fishing a little tailwater up here in NY for 17 or so years. I've tried rods from 3-5 wt with WF and DT lines. I've developed a taste for shorter whippy 3 wt rods that don't deminish 6" native fish, lend themselves to creative casting, and protect 7 or 8x tippets from the 14-16" fish that i have the pleasure of meeting on occassion. I find that DT line tends to load up the rods better at shorter distances allowing for easier and more accurate shorter distance casting and more manageable roll casting. Now recently I aquired a 7' 3wt hardy marksman rod that is quite light and needs a very light reel to balance out. The featherweight reel is about the only reasonably priced reel i found thats light enough, though it won't fit a DT3 and much more than 5' of 12 lb dacron. So I cut the DT3 in half and put on some backing to help ease memory issues. I never gave a second thought to my casting distance being limited to 40 feet or so untill I was out on stream and making about the longest cast I'd ever need to make on this stream and happened to glance down at the reel. Not a lot of line left there. It won't ever be a problem on this stream or most of the other tail waters in lower ny though I'm bound to screw up and take it out on a bigger stream some day and I'm hoping when that does happen I'll just be able to laugh about it. I suppose I can see cutting of a DT in half as a specialty tactic for small streams and light rods. Can't really say that i'd recommend it for a 5 weight and probably not even a 4wt.
 
Intersting..
glad you could join the conversation..

I think the best thing an angler can do is carry extra spools, one wf, one dt, eliminating the inherent limitatons offerd by both fly lines while in the field. What seems like a lot of extra work really isnt..I bet I could switch spools back and forth, pull the line through the guides, tie on a fly , in about a minute and a half or so..Not much time, and suddenly you've gained an advantage..I understand the impuse to throw, what you've got on, when you see a big brown rising just out of reach..As I have learned it those situations it's better to slow down and reevaluate..
 
I disagree with the "inherent limitation" theory.

I have yet to see any limitations to a WF line. It performs exactly the same as DT with added benefits.

I have discussed this with a few other anglers, and most everyone agrees that the DT roll cast supremacy is a myth in our eyes.

I really don't see a reason to use DT, except for the whole "two lines for one" deal.
 
jay, the WF line, once you get to the "Running line" portion is thinner. Less surface area, less surface tension. Longer roll casts benefit from DT lines. I used to believe it was more of a general rule but since I put a WF line on (because it was free) I think it roll casts just fine up until I get to the thinner portion.
 
DT & WF lines are nearly identical in taper. The difference is that WF tapers to a running line for shooting and DT remains the same diameter and tapers the same as the front taper at the opposite end.

The subject has been covered before in on here in great detail:

http://www.paflyfish.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=4752&forum=3&post_id=44685#forumpost44685

http://www.paflyfish.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=9606&forum=3&post_id=107585#forumpost107585
 
Oh I'm sure it has, and will most likely continue to be a debate for some time to come because fly-casting is subjective art.

JayL,
May I ask, when was the last time you fished a DT line?
 
The only way I'd cut a DT line in half would be for a brookie rod (2 or 3 wt.)

Other than that I'd just remove backing -- I never put the recomended amount of backing on anyway. 100 yards of 20lb. is rediculous. I've caught steelhead and large lake pike and have never reached my backing.
 
Only fish I ever had go into my backing was carp and cobia. I don't think you have to worry about any thing else, unless you don't know how to fight a fish right..
 
jayL

Ok,

I know you throw a lot of nymph's, tandom rigs, indicators and such..Maybe WF line would favor roll casting heavier flys..I don't know..All i can say is I prefer roll casting a dt line as opposed to WF..Now, i fish bamboo and glass..8' or 7'6..and as you already know "drys" exclusively..
 
bassistjon112 wrote:
Only fish I ever had go into my backing was carp and cobia. I don't think you have to worry about any thing else, unless you don't know how to fight a fish right..
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I completely disagree, and think it's ridiculous to generalize that one doesn't know how to fight a fish "right" because they hook one sizable enough to get into the backing.

You may not need your backing often in PA, but when you do, you really need it. I have no idea why anyone would cause themselves to lose the potential fish of a lifetime in such a situation.

It's got nothing to do with fish fighting ability. If the fish has room and is going to go, it's going to go. From there, your choices are to let it run while attempting to stop it, or to break it off.
 
bassistjon112 wrote:
Only fish I ever had go into my backing was carp and cobia. I don't think you have to worry about any thing else, unless you don't know how to fight a fish right..
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Were you using HALF a line or a whole line?
 
some pa streams as everyone here knows ,have some pretty fast deep shutes when the water is high , i have been down to backing a few times with a big fish on in real fast high water , which in my opinion is the best time to fish for them , would be nice if the swam upstream when u hook em but 8 out of 10 times they go for the path of least resistance..i can only see 2 advantages of double taper also , 2 lines for the price of one and softer more delicate presentation with small drys and light tippet , the end of the double taper is not as heavy , thus resulting in a "lighter" landing so to speak
 
I'm trying to think of wild trout streams in PA where I would need more the 45' of line...I like distance casting as much as any one but not much worth while. Biig water trout streams,
I'd say the Yough, big pine, NBP, upper susqa..I'm sure I'm missing one or two..

Penns is about as big as I fish, and I wouldn't consider Penns big water..There may be times where you could make a long cast, but then I just wade..Less line on the water=better hook ups I say...

I am in the market for a taller rod though..Thinking 9'6" 5wt,not sure..It'll be my big water rig for when I go out west..I won't cut the line on that set up..wf5 for sure..
 
My question then is if you have never been taken to your backing, why cut a line in half to accommodate backing on a tiny reel. If you do this you just get to your backing as it will appear twice as fast with half as much line. What is the purpose of damaging a line so that it now only has one purpose. What if you get a new rod or reel or break the one you are using and would like to move the line over. What if there is room for backing now. Not that you'd need it. What if you damage your fly line while out fishing. You can't jut turn it around. The other half is at home! If you leave it whole, you just turn it around and continue. What if you forget where you stored the other half. Now you've wasted money. It is just doesn't have an up side. Sure you can "get away with it". But its not advantageous.
 
I cut all kinds of lines, don't care if they are dt's or wf's or level. I make my own special lines for certain conditions. as for dt compared to wf double taper will roll cast and land more delicate than a weight forward. wf will out shoot a dt line though, that is what it was designed for fast quick shots at fish. origally designed for big water, mostly out west. And saltwater, bass, etc. just worked its way to all of you who listen to the media. Don't get me wrong I think wf lines have their places, just not on smaller waters.
 
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