# 3 wt fly line?



## joerugz (Feb 28, 2007)

Ok, I took Janus's advice and purchased the reel he suggested. It came it the mail the other day and it looks to be a beaut! Thanks Janus! Now I'm wondering what line and leader to use, to finish off my perfect panfish outfit?


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## Janus (Jul 26, 2006)

I use a dt4floating line with my 3wt. But that is because that is what I had lying around (cortland 333ht). overlining loads the rod at short distances which is what I use the 3wt I have for..30' or less sometimes much less. Been wanting to try a 3wt line but times are tight and the ice is thick.
Janus


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## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

Joe,
To each their own, but I do not overline....I fish a WF 3 wt on my 3 wt rod. You really can't go wrong with RIO or SA line. I fish both, and Wulff Triangle Taper, which I also like. TMF in Ravenna has all 3, or did last time I was there, & they'll spool it for you there. I like furled leaders, but if you go with a knotless tapered leader, you'll be fine. I usually fish 6x (about 2.5 lb test), but 5x would also work. In fact, for gills, a length of 4lb Stren (or your favorite mono) works too. A good friend who lives on Lake Moultrie (Santee-Cooper) in South Carolina catches lots of 13 to 16" redear & ALL he uses for leader is 4 & 6lb clear blue Stren. One note...if you like fluorocarbon, it sinks, so stay away from it for your surface stuff. I use it for my wet flies & nymphs.
Mike


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

so u can just use 4 lb or 6lb test mono fishing line? how long do you make a leader? I got a leader making kit and was gonna use 4 and 5x leaders recipes and 4 and 5 x tippets for my 3 wt fishing. also how far can you cast a wf 3 wt line? mine isn't overlined cause I thought u couldn't do that so I wonder how good it could cast but haven't had a chance to try cause of weather. I am no master at casting. I can cast my 8 wt and 5/6 wt in some places 3/4th to all the way across the vermilion river cause its not wide.. can u do this with a wt forward 3 wt?


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## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

FA,
How far you can cast is 2 things...
1) Over-rated, &
2) Dependent upon how your rod fits your style....
My opinions only..certainly not an expert's statement. LOL

Personally, give me 30 to 40' accurate casts over a 90' inaccurate cast ANY day! I am by no means a distance caster, but my 3 wt is just ideal for me & a buddy of mine said he thought I cast that 3 wt better than I do my 6 wt Sage! He's RIGHT! The rod just fits my casting stroke better. I can lay a fly right where I want to.

Leader length....my rule of thumb has always been "length of the rod". That may not be right, but it has always worked for me. Shoot me a PM & we'll get out this spring. I'll fix you up with a furled leader or 2. I'm bettin' you'll love 'em....they really turn a fly over well!
Mike


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Almost 90 percent of the time all my fish have been caught within 30 feet. Sure I can cast 50 to 60 feet out of 3wt but you will not gain any benifits from distance except probably throwing a line right over top of the fish's and spooking them! I do this a lot and most of the time I just stop and think about what and why these events are happening and I want to catch fish since I have already done enough practicing. So I go back to just throwing 15 to 25 feet and start catching fish and not have wonder why I didn't. Maybe out west you need to throw for distance but it just not needed on the eastern side. Its where I will always be! Ohiotuber got a good points! Leaders I like them short I never used a full 9ft as I usually cut it down a 1foot on the butt end and a foot or 2 on the other end. My brookie fishing set up consist of a total leader and tippet length of 7 1/2 to 8 ft and like Ohiotuber said roughly the length of your rod. I use a Sage 0wt 8 ft rod for this type of fishing. Any longer it is not good casting and is just of waste of energy and not productive to fishing. My bass set up is never over 7 1/2 feet even shortewr for my heavy stuff.


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## Janus (Jul 26, 2006)

I'm with you ohiotuber on the NOT overlining. I did it because of being broke and not being able to afford a good 3wt line it just kinda hung around with the rod...but I am planning on spooling some 3wt dt on it this spring. overlining will slow the rod down, sometimes for the better sometimes the worse depending on what you prefer. THe reel you bought will hold dt4 and about 15yrds(barely) of backing..which might give you an idea of it's capacity.
But anything from rio, cortland or sa seems to be of quality. Distance is not really something I'm concerned with especially on a 3wt. 20' and under is where the action usually is.
Janus


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

I just got an Rio Selective Trout 2 line in last Friday For my new Scott E2 3wt rod. It remarkable improvement over the old one I used Cortland 3wt 444 line and hated it so bad in cold weather it just coils up so bad into tangle. I since gave it away. I had also us SA Mastery and it is nice also but quite like Rio's.I took the new line and rod out and it was some 20 degrees and threw poppers,nyumpphs and foam flies rather nice and not no memory settled in the line. I was very happy. By the way Iwas casting poppers almost 45 feet and that impressive. Only did it to see how slick the new coating works. A big Thumbs up for the R&D at Rio's.


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## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

Fly Fish Dog & Janus....You both mentioned something that reminded me of a show I attended where Flip Pallot (Walker's Cay Chronicles TV FF show) gave a presentation. A guy asked him, after watching videos of him catching snook & reds on the fly, if you had to lay out the whole line (90') to succeed in saltwater. Flip's reply was that you seldom had to cast more than 30'. Far too many folks have been lead to believe that ALL saltwater fishing, including surf fishing, is long distance.....NOT true! The best time I ever had in the surf was a 5-10' underhand flip into the first deep cut (I was standing on the beach!), & I caught 2 stripers (maybe 2 lbs each), a 17" flounder, & a decent mullet. All this in less than an hour...I left when the swimmers/waders showed up.
Mike


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Ohiotuber hit on the head! They are still trying to tell you that you have to cast long distance, but I just laugh! Maybe only a couple times out of a outing but most of time it will generally be close. Beside it more fun watching them explode at your fly at 10 - 15 feet than 90ft.


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## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

Talk about CLOSE!....I was showing one of my bunnies on a circle hook to a friend last year. It was a fly I had used last trip-it was dried up & looked stiff as a board. I told Mike to look at how quickly it came to life after hitting the water, just dropped it in at my feet, & WHAM!!...a nice 2 pounder. That is neat to see happen.
Mike


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

That must of have been wild to to see that! Cool!


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