[Guest]

Greetings
I've been using a WF line for the past couple of years and it is pretty well shot. I'm considering replacing it with a DT. Short casts, mending, and roll casts are more important where I fish than long distance casting. I prefer using nymphs and/or dry flies on small to medium sized rivers, with some lake fishing. I'd like to use this line on my 5 weight rod, which has a fairly stiff medium flex. I have a couple of questions.

1) Would a DT line really make that much difference? 2) How do they perform? (I'm having a hard time finding information or opinions on how they actually perform)3) Which brand would you suggest? I've done some research on SA XPS lines, which has recieved some good reviews, Orvis wonderlines, and Cortland Lazer lines.

Thanks for your time.

Superfly

 

[Rob Blomquist]

When I was fly fishing 20 years ago, double taper lines were used on small to medium streams, for short casts and roll casts, and I cannot imagine that they would not be useful in those situations. But with the amount of focus on developing WF tapers, it seems likely that they are better for this than they were.

But I would not want to depend on a DT for all my fishing, for the bigger rivers we have, and for lake fishing a good WF rules. I would personally replace your WF with a WF and get a DT for those special cases.

Rob

 

[Guest]

Another thing to remember about a double taper is that you mainly use the first 40 feet or so. After the line wears out, you can easily turn the line around on the reel and use the other half. The line will last twice as lone as a WF.

 

[Guest]

If you have trouble roll casting big nymphs with the WF you'll want to try the DT. I fish a 5wt. IMX and wouldn't think of tossing nymphs all day without my 444DT. Of course, if you're willing to toss nymphs all day it may not matter what you throw, just wear glasses and duck!

Tightlines,
Stacy

 

[Porter]

DTs are very useful

 

[KillerDave]

DT’s take up a lot more room on your reel spool. Something to keep in mind.

 

[Kyle Smith]

Double tapers are great, but the idea of them being superior to a standard WF at short distances is a myth. They are generally the same at the head length of a comparable WF line. I dig double tapers and long head WF lines for overhead loop stability, mending, and reach casting. Sometimes you do want to false cast 50 feet of line! They are also better for longer roll casts if that's your thing.

 

[Jeremy Floyd]

Yeah, I can chime in for the roll casting too. That is why I choose to use a double taper.

Yes you have to get after it on the forward cast along with a double haul, but you can roll cast a chironomid and a small indicator and 100' of line without pulling in any, Generally I don't pull more than 20-30' in, or i switch.

During the "slow" times of the year, when the bobber isn't going down constantly, I use a WF because I twitch my chiro, the whole way back to the boat. For dry fly fishing on lakes I won't use anything else. DT is gentle on touchdown compared to a WF.

These are not facts. These are my opinions formed over 40 years of fishing

 

[Carter Burke]

Greetings
I've been using a WF line for the past couple of years and it is pretty well shot. I'm considering replacing it with a DT. Short casts, mending, and roll casts are more important where I fish than long distance casting. I prefer using nymphs and/or dry flies on small to medium sized rivers, with some lake fishing. I'd like to use this line on my 5 weight rod, which has a fairly stiff medium flex. I have a couple of questions.

1) Would a DT line really make that much difference? 2) How do they perform? (I'm having a hard time finding information or opinions on how they actually perform)3) Which brand would you suggest? I've done some research on SA XPS lines, which has recieved some good reviews, Orvis wonderlines, and Cortland Lazer lines.

Thanks for your time.

Superfly

1. For the fishing you are talking about doing. You'd notice very little difference.
The first 30 feet are nearly identical in most cases.
2. Double tapers are great performance lines. As long as you learn to carry line in the air.

3. They work great on stiff rods as after the first 30 feet they will be heavier than a wf and that weight will translate to better load in the rod..

Double tapers however take up a lot more room on your reel so you'll need to lose some backing..

Only time i wouldn't choose a DT. Is if i needed to cast bulky or heavy flies long distances.

For DT. Nothing beats the Cortland 444.

 

[IveofIone]

Wow-a 19 year old thread! We never heard if the OP ever made a decision...

 

[Old406Kid]

Wow-a 19 year old thread! We never heard if the OP ever made a decision...

Great minds think alike.
Yesterday I was thinking of the possibility that this guy might not even be walking the face of the earth anymore.

Still a good thread though so carry on.

 

[Mumbles]

DTs are very useful

He needed that sage wisdom in 2001.

 

[IveofIone]

DT vs WF is always a timely discussion. I recently bought a new 10' 3wt and had to answer the question-what line do I use? Sorting through about 25 lines I picked 4 that were possible contenders.
DT3-F, DT4F, WF3-F and WF4-F. I wanted to find which cast best on the new rod at the distances I normally cast and hoped like hell that I wouldn't need to over line the rod. The WF's worked but they felt more on/off in nature and I had to work harder than I expected. The DT4 was too much but the DT3-F was the sweet spot that cast smoothly with little effort.

A simple solution-a new traditional peach Cortland 444 DT in a 3wt. A decades old product that has proved to be hard to improve on over the years.

I have often wondered if the bad mouthing given to DT lines wasn't initiated by the manufacturers themselves in an effort to sell twice as many WF lines in the same amount of time as a DT.

 

[zen leecher aka bill w]

Wow-a 19 year old thread! We never heard if the OP ever made a decision...

Exactly what I was going to say. This "dredge" must be some sort of record. It's almost like someone quoted OMJ's first post.

 

[Adam Saarinen]

DT's will be the next dryfly lines i buy, but it May be a while. As much as i hate Rio because of the birds nesting problem of the running lines. I still love my Rio dart lines for dryfly in #3, #4 & #5, they are WF but have a very long front taper. Maybe some kind of hybrid? They work for me & i'm not changing them untill they are dead!

 

[Adam Saarinen]

Exactly what I was going to say. This "dredge" must be some sort of record. It's almost like someone quoted OMJ's first post.

[email protected]#k! I got sucked into it aswell!

 

[Porter]

Exactly what I was going to say. This "dredge" must be some sort of record. It's almost like someone quoted OMJ's first post.

Once in a while it doesn't hurt to look and dip a bit in the past, it just might help keep you ahead in the present and future?

 

[Porter]

DT 444 Peach and Rio Mainstream DT are solid lines and very good for the 3 and 4 weights of trout rods, not talking about the souped up pumpkin launcher rods. IMHO of course.

 

[Matey]

DT vs WF is always a timely discussion. I recently bought a new 10' 3wt and had to answer the question-what line do I use?... The WF's worked but they felt more on/off in nature and I had to work harder than I expected. The DT4 was too much but the DT3-F was the sweet spot that cast smoothly with little effort.
A simple solution-a new traditional peach Cortland 444 DT in a 3wt. A decades old product that has proved to be hard to improve on over the years.
I have often wondered if the bad mouthing given to DT lines wasn't initiated by the manufacturers themselves in an effort to sell twice as many WF lines in the same amount of time as a DT.

+3
A 444 DT3F feels and performs better for me than a WF4F on my 7' bamboo rod (Garrison 201 taper) that's rated as a 4 weight for casts to 25 ft which is about the limit I can effectively fish (mend, hooksets) with a short full flex rod.

 

[Old Man]

DTs are very useful

Porter, you should be hung by your fingernails. Why did you open up a damn near 20 year old post.