Bamboo and Silk Lines?

[wrknapp]

Back in my bamboo days I had a quality silk line I got on a reel in an estate sale. It was new and appeared to be just like the Phoenix lines. It was supple easily dressed with red tin mucilin. It was on my small stream rod and was a double taper line of about 100' as I recall. I took the line and cut it in half. I would fish one half in the AM and the other in the PM with the wet line left to dry in camp and then retreated with mucilin before fishing again. It was still work and I finally sold the two halves on eBay along with the rod and went back to fishing my old glass rods and air cel lines. I was more into the fishing than the tool. I think everyone ought to at least try a quality grass rod and silk line. I just wanted something simple with effortless maintenance. I guess that is why I am so happy with my TenkaraUSA Ayu rod.

Randy

[flyfishwithme]

Some good thoughts there Randy. I haven't progressed to Glass rods and probably won't. I use artificial silk lines with my cane and carbon rods for all of my fishing. The artificial silk lines requires a lot less maintenance and works a treat on my rods. I am out on the water an average of 4 days a week (I am a guide) and probably use the same line most of the time. I have them in 2, 3, 4 and 5 1/2 weights to match my rods. The 2 and 3 weight lines are balanced to 10' plus rods and used for traditional North Country style fishing. I have some information about the lines on my web site (www.flyfishwithme.net) if you are interested in learning a little more,
BTW, I only need to dress the line once each day, I never remove it from my reel and I have yet to reverse it after 3 years of constant use.

Philip

[Mostyn]

Mike, I'm in the process of breaking in the Zhu Line I bought - But I made the mistake of buying it in it's finished state! I'm regularly coating it with line dressing (Muclin) and it appears to be working it's way in to the line; and slowly it is becoming a little more pliable! I think it's going to take me a full season fishing with it before it becomes really soft and smooth! Any tips or suggestions on speeding up the process a little?

One month to the star of the trout season!!

keep-em-Tight

Mostyn

[MikeM]

Well, here is what I did: Terenzio supplies this 'goo' in a little bottle. It is his homemade dressing I think, and I've used it mostly over the Red Tin mucelin. I am no expert on the nuances of dressings, I just prefer his goo.

I turned on the Grateful Dead, got two paper bags and sat one on either side of me and coiled the new line in the bottom of one bag, pulled up the end, and started working the line/dressing through my fingers, depositing the dressed line in the other bag. I used bags to keep the cat away from the line and the dressing from picking up stuff off the carpet. And my wife insisted. Then, I got to the end and ran it back the other way, working the line very thoroughly. Back and forth... American Beauty, then some contemplative Lucina Williams. It was very meditative. It made the line useable. However, there is no substitute for casting it, catching fish with it (stretching), etc. It took at least a dozen outings for it to really start to shine. I've had it for a couple of years now, and as stated, love it; the feel, the sound, the performance. It casts well in a breeze too.

This was probably a stone-age approach, but it worked for me.

MikeM

[jared]

The Phoenix line is expensive...but the perfect combination with cane. Yes, there is
more maintenance with silk lines, but thus far I don't mind the extra effort. The result
is well worth it. Silk makes cane sing!

[Mostyn]

Thanks Guys!

Looks like I'll just have to keep plugging away at it!