So, I did a poll a couple weeks back asking what line folks used. The overwhelming winner was the Rio Bonefish line. Rio, as a company/brand did very well. 27% of anglers reported using the Rio Bonefish line.
I don’t think I have actually fished the Rio Bonefish, but I threw the Rio Tropical Clouser in Andros and kind of loved the line.
Well done Rio. Keep putting the good stuff out.
I’m starting to sound old when I say things like “$80 for a fly line??” Sadly, that is true for the Rio Bonefish line and not really out of line with other offerings from many of the big players.
The SA Bonefish line was second with 15% of the vote and comes in at $70. I’ve actually fished the SA and it feels a little light to me, but that could be me with the crack smoking again.
One thing is clear… there are a lot of options for the angler today and the lines come at a variety of price points. One thing to keep in mind when you are selecting a line is how you plan to fish. Fishing from a flats boat often means longer casts (since you see the fish from further away). For those trips, a line that is weighted closer to the weight of the rod is usually best.
If you are primarily wading, you may want to have a line that is a little over so your rod can load at short distances (the Rio Redfish is a little heavier than the Bonefish line and is prefered by some for that application).
So… go forth and select a line. Just do me a favor… get it wet.
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Tags: bonefishing, fly fishing, fly liines, Rio, Rio bonefish line, Scientific Angler
Good advice to wading anglers re: uplining a rod. On a recent trip to Christmas Island I used an 8-weight Rio Bonefish line on 7-weight rods. Worked exceptionally well. So many casts there are roll casts or very short casts (<40 feet). This rig also worked well in the skinny water where 60 foot casts are the norm.
Are the rod makers marking their rods one weight lower or are the fly line makers off? Maybe the fly fishers are lousy at casting. I find I’m more comfortable over lining all my rods.
Comes down to casting style, I think. If you shoot a lot of line then a heaver string will suite you better. If, like my Florida brethren, you like to carry a lot of line in the air, then you’ll like a lighter string with a long belly. Personally, I’m a shooter.
Having said that, a lot of folks are still fishing rods made a couple years ago during the heyday of super-fast, super-stiff sticks. Those things DID err on the side of being too heavy for the lines they were rated for. TFO’s TiCr #9 was a good example of this: thing handles like a broom with a #9 line on it.