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Casting practice with old line

665 views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  TB 
#1 ·
I've got some old line. Really old line. I'm guessing it's 20+ year old Cortland floating line that I've been using for casting practice to spare my Rio stuff from unnecessary wear. I'm wondering if my ancient line is even weight forward, if it feels remotely the same, or if it matters when practicing (haven't been out but once recently and I was casting is brutal wind).

Does practicing on grass with new, high quality line wear it out considerably faster? I'm practicing on the water about half the time.
 
#2 ·
Lawn casting isn't too bad on a line, but it isn't good for it either. If you have an old line to practice with, that's a good choice. And 20 year old lines can be fine; I still fish with lines older than that. If you can't tell if the line is WF, that's another issue all together. Even an eyeball examination along the length of the line should reveal whether it's a WF or DT.

Sg
 
#3 ·
Yeah take a look at the line and you can usually tell if it is WF or DT. I practice in my yard almost daily. I have a Cabela's line that I use. Only thing I dislike about this is I practice in the wind, then go fishing with a different line, and can't cast worth a shit. Just practicing helps a lot. More time with the grip in your hand, the better.
 
#4 ·
My advice is don't do it. use the correct line for casting, have it be your practice line and have another line for you fishing line if you want. Practice should be to teach you good skills and eliminate bad habits. If your rod and line are not balanced properly you will not do that. Remember somebody said "practice makes perfect" should be "perfect practice makes perfect"
jesse
 
#7 ·
Old lines, in addition to being gritty, often have multiple cracks in the coating that can be rough on the guides. And they can be dried out and permanently kinky. I've majored in buying inexpensive fly lines on eBay and elsewhere. Many of them are new or lightly used. You can find a line suitable for practice, in whatever size you need, within a few days, for chump change.
 
#8 ·
Practicing on grass with a good line is OK but you need to wash it with a mild solution of dish soap and water frequently. In that the line isn't really on the grass that much it shouldn't be a big issue. I have fished lakes that were so filled with various stuff that the line needed cleaning after every use.

If your old line is the correct line for your rod then use it. If not then use your good line and clean it. I would stay away from the abrasive cleaners and stick with soap and water. Often just a damp cloth that the line is pulled through will suffice. Casting on pavement is definately a different story and that I avoid.
It is also a good thing to every now and then to clean the rod guides with a cotton swab.

Dave
 
#9 ·
Great feedback all - thanks. I just got back from a lunch time practice session in a local park after swapping out my antique line for my Rio Gold WF5 and the difference is incredible. Old line went in the circular file and I'll practice the way I intend to play from here on.
 
#12 ·
one caution though, make sure there aint no cats around when your practicing. Had a friend that 'caught' a cat and the dern thing bit his line in half. On the up side though, my daughter loves teasing the cat, and I noticed that enticing the cat to 'strike' on the yarn 'fly' is a neat teaching tool to teach her to tease fish into striking.
 
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