# where can i find cheep fly line?



## Sleprock (Dec 16, 2005)

dug an old cheep flyrod out of its resting place but i must have pitched the line anyone know where i can get some line for under $10. live near xenia.


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## shorebound (Apr 26, 2008)

check the bargain bins at places like dicks and the clearance racks at walle mart that's about all i have for ya


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## BradS (Apr 7, 2004)

Try here...

http://www.fortackle.com/order/Cate...ategorySystemId=212&ParentCategorySystemId=17

Brad


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

i would try bass pro online, but i will warn you. i would sooner spend $65 on a line and $50 on a rod than $150 on a rod and $20 on the line. a rod will make everything easier the nicer it is but a good line is essential to fishability, and you will work harder to cast. but if its just a pond rod a $15 dollar line(i think thats bass pros cheapest) will work.


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## fishon (Apr 20, 2004)

Great point there river king.... I have noticed the bettet the line makes up for to lower quality rod...I have learned this the hard way.... Remember you are casting the line!!!!

Frank


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## Katmandu (Mar 3, 2007)

I must agree with RiverKing, I have a real nice rod/reel combo and decided to line it with Bass Pro's $20.00 line...all it did was twist leader and tippet into knots (I am not a great caster, but this is the only line to do this on me), it did not flow nicely through the guides and it did not even float well. Soooo.....went to Orvis and dropped another $60.00 on their Gen 3 line....the difference is like using a spoon vs a chef's knife to cut a steak! Line is a big deal, in my experience (all the cheap line did was cost me an extra $20.00 and a few frustrating outings). Hope this helps.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

cortland line can be had for $25. its good line. FWIW, there are only a few manufacturers of fly line in the world.


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## fishing pole (May 2, 2004)

Patricio said:


> cortland line can be had for $25. its good line. FWIW, there are only a few manufacturers of fly line in the world.


That is also true with many rods. The cheap ones are made right next to the high end ones over in China, Japan...etc. My Bro works for an import/export company and he said you wouldnt believe it. I also talked with a guy who was looking for a mfg rep for some rods and he showed me his rod next to some other mfgs and the only difference was blank color and a logo. Not to mention about $150 price difference


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## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

BradS said:


> Try here...
> 
> http://www.fortackle.com/order/Cate...ategorySystemId=212&ParentCategorySystemId=17
> 
> Brad


I have also had great experience with these guys.
While it is correct that there are very few fly line manufacturers, keep in mind that "private labeled" lines are made to specs not necessarily what the manufacturer uses, such as coatings, so there IS a difference. I have been very happy with lines carrying the RIO, Scientific Anglers, & Wulff Triangle Taper (mfg by SA) lines. I also have a Cabela's Prestige that has been fine, although I don't know who makes it.
Do NOT scrimp on lines. Well cared for, a good line will last for years.
Mike


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## jkurtz7 (Jan 17, 2008)

Don't skimp when it comes to line. For the money, ($30.00) the Hook & Hackle branded lines are top notch, and made by Cortland. They are kind of like a cross between the Cortland 444 "Peach" and the Cortland Sylk. It's one of the best bangs for the buck out there. http://www.hookhack.com/ I have a H&H DT3F and I like it better than any other 3wt line I've ever owned. As I replace worn lines in other weights, I'll be buying the H&H lines.

J.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

fishing pole said:


> That is also true with many rods. The cheap ones are made right next to the high end ones over in China, Japan.



maybe with the **** equipment cabelas, bass pro and tfo shoves down the throats of unknowing consumers. but the rods worth anything are made in the US. scott, orvis(the orvis rods that are decent), sage, loomis, st croix, t&t and the list goes on.. these rods are made in the US.

although there is a reason why people are now using the phrase "a true X weight".


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## jkurtz7 (Jan 17, 2008)

Patricio said:


> although there is a reason why people are now using the phrase "a true X weight".


Yes there is a reason why people are using that phrase these days. I'd like to hear your input on the subject. 

I can say for sure, that U.S. made fly gear is much better than anything made in 
any of the Asian countries (Japan is an exception). I'm a rod builder, and money has been very tight this year, so I tried a couple of imported carbon fiber blanks
and I can say that I'm not impressed in the least with either. 
By the way, I wish TFO would just go away!

J.


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## ckfowler (Jul 14, 2008)

www.sierratradingpost.com has Orvis lines at discount prices.


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## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

ckfowler said:


> www.sierratradingpost.com has Orvis lines at discount prices.


I hate to be a wet blanket here, but Sierra's shipping is very high. Here are their rates, & I think they're EXORBITANT!......

Shipping Rates*
based on order total UPS Ground 2 Day Air 1 Day Air
$0.00 - $25.00 $5.95 $15.95 $25.95
$25.01 - $50.00 $7.95 $17.95 $27.95
$50.01 - $75.00 $9.95 $19.95 $29.95
$75.01 - $100.00 $10.95 $20.95 $30.95
$100.01 - $150.00 $12.95 $22.95 $32.95
$150.01 - $200.00 $14.95 $24.95 $34.95
OVER $200 $16.95 $26.95 $36.95


Also, I'm not a fan of Orvis line. It's manufactured for them & I understand the coating is just a surface coating, not impregnated. I had their top of the line Wonderline & gave it away. Give me RIO or SA. Also the H&H line Jeremy mentioned is a favorite of a few of my friends.
Mike


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

jkurtz7 said:


> Yes there is a reason why people are using that phrase these days. I'd like to hear your input on the subject.
> 
> I can say for sure, that U.S. made fly gear is much better than anything made in
> any of the Asian countries (Japan is an exception). I'm a rod builder, and money has been very tight this year, so I tried a couple of imported carbon fiber blanks
> ...


wanna open up that can of worms, eh? it seems to me, and many other people I've talked to, that some of the rods coming out of asia are labeled for the incorrect weights. not really sure if its purposely done, or its just sloppy work. wont go there. nope. not at all. 


all my rods are US built. I like it that way. I've picked up several diamondbacks on discounts recently, and love them to death. well, until they hit a 7wt, then they get clunky. now I'm saving for a Helios 7wt in the 10' length. wow. most impressive rod I've ever casted. should be here by middle of next month. perfect timing.


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## jkurtz7 (Jan 17, 2008)

Patricio said:


> wanna open up that can of worms, eh? it seems to me, and many other people I've talked to, that some of the rods coming out of asia are labeled for the incorrect weights. not really sure if its purposely done, or its just sloppy work. wont go there. nope. not at all.


Well, I'm willing to open that can of worms, so here goes. Current Asain rods try to mimic popular High end rods, which of course are made here in the U.S. 
They don't get it right most of the time though as far as I'm concerned. 
The whole "is it a true X weight" stems from the fact that apparently the consumer whats faster than fast rods. American companies have rod designers that are for the most part Tournament casters, and they have incorporated Tournament distance casting into the design of rods meant for real fishing. 
To get these rods that fast and cast 100 feet, something has to give.
Many rods marked for a 5wt line are not really 5wts. The rod will not load with the standard of 30 feet of line out. No, these rods won't load until you have much more line out. The rod really is a 6wt or even a 7wt. Thats fine if your casting only for distance, but it's not a good rod for fishing in real conditions.
Sage, Loomis, Orvis, Scott, Winston, all make rods like this. The Asians try to copy this, and they end up making rods that just don't quit get it. 
TFO is one of the worst for rods that are under rated as to the line weight.
They are all too stiff and require a heavier line to load properly.
The Commom Cents System used to determine Power, line weight, and Action 
reflects this. Rods companies don't want you to know this either. 
When I buy a rod blank, and I want a 3wt, I expect it to really cast a 3wt line. I don't want a 5wt that is labeled as a 3wt. All rod companies are guilty of this, even the American companies, who started this whole mess to begin with.

J.


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## JoesEyedUp (Apr 18, 2006)

What are your opinions on Echo Rods then?

I just got a reel that was made in the USA and now i'm searching for a reasonably priced rod. The rod I was considering was a 10' Echo for 169.99 with a lifetime warranty. I emailed them and they said their rods are made in China and was a little disapointed. 
I want a really really good rod for steelhead fishing but don't want to spend 500 bucks. 
Also i'm not going to lie I just got a 5wt 3 forks combo from cabelas and thats made in China. It was a cheap combo for me to fart around with when i'm not steelhead fishing. I didn't want to use an 8 wt for bass and blue gill.
The starter flueger kit I got was a piece of crap and I just wanted to upgrade.


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## fishing pole (May 2, 2004)

Just a little something from online mag;

Fly rod performance is almost entirely a function of taper and ferrule design, lay-up schedule, and the types and specifi cations of the materials used to build the blank. The same graphite materials and components used by American rodmakers are readily available to their Asian counterparts, but the taper/ferrule designs and the complex lay-up schedules developed by American rodmakers are not.

Major rodmakers like Cortland, Diamondback, Redington, St. Croix and Winston now source at least one of their rod lines in Asia. We talked with all of them, and learned that it takes a great deal of time and effort to find and establish effective working relationships with reliable Asian rod manufacturers. To a man, they all said that certifying Asian factories and guaranteeing production quality is every bit as big a job as running their domestic operations.

St. Croixs Premier ($90 to $120) and new Reign ($130 to $160) series rods are designed by St. Croix engineers in Park Falls, Wisconsin, and built entirely in China using proprietary tooling and technology that St. Croix shares with its Asian manufacturer. St. Croix also specifies all components and materials that go into building these rods, including their premium SCII graphite. All St. Croix Avid, Legend Ultra and Legend Elite rods, however, are made entirely at their Wisconsin factory.

Winston has two new Asian-made rod seriesthe Ascent ($179) and Vapor ($279 to $289), both of which are designed from the ground up by Winstons in-house engineering team in Twin Bridges, Montana. As a part of that process, Winston specifies the graphite to be used, the lay-up schedules for each model within each series, and all of the components to be used in fitting out the rods. All other Winston rod series are built entirely at the factory in Twin Bridges.

Redington was purchased by Sage several years ago, one of the reasons being to permit Sage to learn first hand about Asian manufacturing. While all Sage rods are still made entirely at the Sage factory on Bainbridge Island, Washingtonincluding the popularly priced Launch ($170 to $200) and FLi series ($245 to $295)all Redington rods are built in China or South Korea at factories chosen for their ability to produce rods of consistent quality. As with other major rodmakers, Redington does the design work in-house and specs all of the materials and components involved in the manufacturing process.

Even though Cortland Line Co. owns Diamondback, each company takes a different approach. All of Cortlands rod seriesthe GRX ($80 to $120), CL ($100 to $170), Precision XC ($160 to $190), and new Endurance ($140 to $160)are designed in the U.S. and built to Cortlands specifications in modern factories in both China and South Korea. Diamondback, on the other hand, designs and builds all of its rod blanks at the Diamondback factory in Stowe, Vermont. Their Americana Series rods ($139 to $199) are built out on Vermont-made blanks with Diamondback-specified components at one of Cortlands Asian factories, but all other Diamondback rods are built completely in Vermont.

Both Orvis and L. L. Bean declined to provide us with the details, but their catalogs clearly indicate that certain of their rod models are imported. Imported from where? We dont know, but its a fair guess theyre not coming out of a high-labor-cost region like Europe or North America. L. L. Beans imported rod lines include the Angler ($69), Quest ($75 to $95), Streamlight ($115 to $199), and Travel Series ($159 to $245), while their Double L ($215 to $305) and Orion ($310 to $430) series rods are made here in America. In the case of Orvis, their Streamline ($89 to $109) and Frequent Flyer ($195 to $225) series rods are imported, with all other Orvis rods being made at their Manchester, Vermont factory.

Everyones dipping into Asia


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## fishing pole (May 2, 2004)

JoesEyedUp said:


> What are your opinions on Echo Rods then?
> 
> I just got a reel that was made in the USA and now i'm searching for a reasonably priced rod. The rod I was considering was a 10' Echo for 169.99 with a lifetime warranty. I emailed them and they said their rods are made in China and was a little disapointed.
> I want a really really good rod for steelhead fishing but don't want to spend 500 bucks.
> ...



Joe,

It's like tasting wine. It's only YOUR opinion that counts. If others don't like it and you do then it's good. I have some pretty **&^&^ according to others but I like to cast them and thats all that counts. I pity the guy who tries to keep up with others by buying pricy equipment they can't afford.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

fishing pole said:


> Joe,
> 
> I pity the guy who tries to keep up with others by buying pricy equipment they can't afford.


maybe some of us just know how to cast and fish good enough to where the rod _does_ make a difference. and yes, high end rods are much better than low end rods. to those without decent casting skills, then the rods wont make much of a difference.
as for not affording, well, my custom maurice noel reel should be done in october. I plan on mating this reel to this rod. yeah, I can afford it. fairly easy really. 

have you ever casted a helios? 

jkurtz7:

yeah, I was thinking of the tfos. they seem notorious for this. I figured they were doing this on purpose to get the newer flyfishemen, maybe without too much experience to think their rods are better than they are.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

just have to chime in here about the rods. I donnot understand where everone is coming from bashing tfo, they make a great rod, for the money. that seems to be what your forgetting, it is only for the money. I have had great success with there rods but you must understand what you are dealing with, they are mostly fast and made for bigger flies. there finesse series is not underrated by the way. Reddington is another asian manufactured rod that is again great for the money. now believe me if I had the money I would own much nicer rods, the helios and the z-axis and ZXL are a riot to cast and fish with, the winstons I have fished are great to, but you are looking at the price. you pay for a beater car dont expect it to run well, you pay for a mid range it will work fine, you pay for a sports car it gets you there with ease and style. in the right hands any rod once you get over the $100 mark will do whatever you need, nicer ones do it with less effort.
lines by the way, I like rio gold or the triangle for trout, rio clouser for big stuff and sharkskin is great if you dont mind the noise. look through the SA and RIO lines and find the line that fits what your looking for.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

Hey Joe if your a good brother from now til Christmas maybe I'll buy you a fancy pants fly rod to go with your shiny USA made reel. Whaddya say G Loomis, St Croix??....what's another 500.00. I have 100K wrapped up in my walleye fishing boat and gear. LOL. :B 

Then maybe you can roll with the big dogs with there expensive rods and reels.

I have almost 3000 posts and this is my very first one in this forum....weird I think I've only picked up a fly rod twice in my life....once to move my bro's fly rod to get to my jiggin st croix. LOL. The other time I attempted to cast but I failed miserably.


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## fishon (Apr 20, 2004)

What are doing on this side of the fence young man..... hop back over to where you pro snobs belong......LOL ...do bra noc!


Joey.... we talked about this a few times... and here is the best scenerio.. lets just save up .. or place 1st at Hawgfest and go straight to Erie Outfitters and get out St. Croix or G lommis rods right after!!!

Go Browns!

Frank


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

fishon said:


> What are doing on this side of the fence young man..... hop back over to where you pro snobs belong......LOL ...do bra noc!


I have no idea what I'm doing over here...okay I'll leave..see ya later dudes.


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## JoesEyedUp (Apr 18, 2006)

Thanks for the visit bro. 
Yes Frank that would be great.

I just came in this thread looking for some info about fly fishing. I'm trying to read and practice as much as I can about the sport and about products. 
I guess I will just choose what I read carefully from now on.


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## jkurtz7 (Jan 17, 2008)

JoesEyedUp said:


> What are your opinions on Echo Rods then?


I've only cast one Echo rod since I'm not remotely interested in anything they sell. It was the 6'6" 3wt, and I wasn't impressed with it at all. The reel seat on the rod is too large and clunky to be on a 3wt, and I didn't like how it cast either. 
As for TFO, They are heavy for graphite, overly stiff, and overpriced. I can remember when a rod made in S. Korea cost well under a hundred dollars. That wasn't all that long ago either. When TFO came about, that all changed really. They have killed off the low end American rods. For instance the Orvis Clearwaters are now made in China. I know because I saw a Made in China sticker on one at the local fly shop. 
You can figure that a TFO rod costs twice as much as a S.Korean rod with no unconditional lifetime warranty. Not worth it in my book. 

I no longer buy factory rods, I build all my own rods. I can save quite a bit of money this way and have a rod that is just as nice or even nicer than a factory rod. 
I'm not advocating that everyone has to have the most expensive Sage, Loomis, Scott, etc. in order to be a fly fisherman. All I'm saying is that American made rods are superior to anything that comes out of Asia.
I happen to like glass rods much more than graphite, and I can buy Lamiglas E-glass blanks in the $64-$100 dollar range, and they are made here in the U.S.A. My Lamiglas 7' 3wt cost me $165.00 to build, thats not bad, and I didn't use cheap components either. It's 10 times better than any Asian 3wt I've ever cast, and it cost me less than a junk TFO Finesse.

J.


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## Janus (Jul 26, 2006)

hmm..have an older St Croix. premier 5wt. made in USA not sure when it switched overseas but regardgless it is a nice rod to cast. Have such a mess of rods now I don't really pay attention to where they are coming from. But all the glass I fish is older and from the states and I do fish those most. Also old Akron made Plueger medalist 1494 and 95 are tops to me on any rod....

As far as line. I like Cortland 333 and Air Cel DT lines just got used to what to expect with them and they are a good value.

Above all ...have fun,
Janus


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## fishing pole (May 2, 2004)

I have casted many a rod in my 25+ years of flyfishing and have seen, from opinion, good and bad. Yes I have casted a helios! 
Now, if you would have stopped at asking the question of which was the best 9-foot 5-weight, I probably would have never commented since it is a matter of opinion. But some of you didn't. Instead of wanting to help someone who wanted advice on something they "can afford" (We are not talking about the others who make "big money and can afford to exchange out for top-of-the line equipment), you wanted to brag. And while you are great at product name dropping and I am sure that you have memorized the pamphlet that came with your rod as well as advertisements, the intent was to answer a question on rod performance. I never claimed to be a great caster (in fact I am very unorthodox) I never have to. I fish for un and if I get my intended purpose be it with a $20 cherrywood rod or a $1400 can rod then I have acomplished my purpose. There is a bit of old logic that says if you are a good caster you can cast with a broomstick if that is true then perhaps I fit the description.
God often helps me do what seems to be the impossible, I hold the rod but he does the rest, to him I give all the glory.




For what it's worth here is a "blind test" conducted on the internet

"Just yesterday, I conducted a test cast "party" with seven experienced fly fishers including the manager of the local fly shop. In a semi-blind test, one of my goals was to see if there was a correlation between the cost of a blank and how this group rated it as a casting/ fish catching tool. The 14 rods used were made from blanks varying widely in graphite make up and so price. Virtually ALL the casters liked ALL the lower cost and more moderate action models. Only two of the group also liked the faster actions of the higher modulus more expensive two piece blanks. These two individuals were also the two with the most diverse fishing experiences while the others who's fishing is more limited (in this case to smaller trout waters) only warmed up to the more costly blanks if in a multi-piece configuration."

And another;

"I have in front of me an American magazine which ran a blind test on 58 four-piece 5 weight rods. Tests were on casting performance, including distance and accuracy, and the testers were beginner, intermediate and advanced casters. The one rod to come in the top 15 in each of the 20 categories was a $200 St Croix. Not far behind it was an $80 Cabela's Stowaway."

.


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## fishon (Apr 20, 2004)

Excellent post and reply Fishing pole.....


some time we all get wrapped up in non sonses and forget what this is all really about...

Thank you for the perspective as well as your blind test results...

Frank


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## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

I want to clear up any misunderstandings of my posts...
1) I am a big fan of Scientific Anglers & RIO fly lines....they both make lines at various price points. You can spend $60.00 or buy an economy line from either, but you can trust their lines to be great quality at the price point.
2) At the 2006 FAOL Michigan Fish-In which I helped start, I watched FAOL owner JC cast the entire fly line...that's 90' & he looked effortless. What he used was a $79.95 Scientific Anglers COMBO he bought at WalMart! I can't come close to casting like that with rods that cost a lot more. He proved to many that day that it's not necessarily the ROD that makes the caster, but the CASTER who makes the rod perform.
Buy what you can afford & enjoy the ride!
Mike


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