I hear it shoots well but also can cause some minor skin irritation on the stripping finger.

 

There's been a lot of discussion about these lines on the board. My take is that they are phenomenal competition lines. Meaning you can throw them long distances in casting ponds. As far as fishing is concerned, they have the problem of picking up dirt and cutting your fingers. There is also a lot of noise generated by the texture as it runs through the guides. You can protect your fingers by wearing a glove or stripping guard, but most fly fisher's haven't wanted to do that. Benefits are casting distance, great pickup off the water, and little to no memory. I cast the sharkskin for competitions only, couldn't get over the hurdle of cut fingers and noise for fishing purposes.

 

Wow, excellent response..Have thought hard about this line for the couple reasons you listed but the cut fingers etc..Hell I get that enough stripping in my horrible skagit lines in the summer..don't need that on a single hand too...Thanks..

 

I have it on my 6 wt and like it a lot but I'm not sure I'd pay for it again (it was thrown in with a rod purchase.) There was a big thread on this a couple months ago with lots of opinions. The general consensus followed by my experience:

Noisy--true

Casts great--true

Good pickup--true

Flies through the guides--true

Rips your fingers up stripping--true

Expensive--true (but what isn't in this sport, and you can have a sharkskin for a tank of gas these days)

Gets dirty--false

Hope that helps!

 

I think the positives outweight the negatives. I have casted it does cast amazingly well, as far as the noise goes, i dont mind it at all, i think it sounds kinda cool. And with the whole line cutting your fingers up, i would just where a little guard, i think the best thing is no memory, i hate dealing with coiled up lines. As soon as my other 5wt floating line gets torn up im getting the sharkskin line

 

I've fished these lines a few times, on a 5wt for trout and in the Bahamas for bones and tarpon. I'll echo what's already been said and I'll add that they tend to float higher then other floating lines I've fished, which means easier mending if nymphing and quieter/smoother pickup when re-casting.

I like them a lot, but I recommend always using some finger tape for stripping, as they're abrasive lines and can rip you up.

 

I've fished the SA Sharkskins a bunch in 10 weight. They shoot great, they float high in the front end, they are bulletproof and they do not coil much at all. Now, that's the good part. We use all SA for our guiding op over here, but I'm not much of a bullshitter, so here's the bad. 1st off they are yellow. Now I know some scientist who works for 3M and is far smarter than I will ever be has deemed that that shade of yellow is the best camouflage color going. Well, in Hawaii big bones over 12-14 pounds have run from it while it is in the air more than once. But they run from alot of things (namely me!) now don't they? I still can't understand why it isn't more of a sky blue like the Saltwater Taper or neutral something that blends into the tropics or at least the sky/water combo. 2ndly if you have a bunch of line out the ass end sinks at your feet and makes shooting lots of line a bear without a stripping basket. Okay, maybe sink is a harsh word, neutral buoyant is better. The business end floats exceptionally high but the running line doesn't. Lastly I cannot believe that there is any excuse in the world to charge customers 100 bucks for a damn fly-line and not either post it on the box or make it well known that the @#$%#@% thing will literally cut your ass up if you strip it all day. I have hands like sandpaper and was bleeding in three hours. How about throwing in a stripping finger cover or something for 100 bucks? The line is durable, shoots awesome, and gives good hook sets, but If I would have paid full price, I'd be pissed on my bloody hand alone. Just an honest answer from a fisherman. Coach Duff

 

"I'm not much of a bullshitter" Coach Duff

OMG, now that's some funny stuff. You don't have to hang around this board very long to catch the irony of that statement! :clown:

I have to say I'm with you on this one, for $100 bucks they should at least toss in a band-aid or two.

 

I've been fishing the heron blue colored line on my 5 wgt for about 8 months or so. Haven't noticed the noise, but I'm kind of hard of hearing so it may be noisy. It stays very clean, shoots through the guides, and floats better than any line I've ever used. I must be doing something wrong when I strip line as I've never had the slightest abrasion from the line. If it stands up to SA's claim that it will last as long as three regular lines, it may be well worth the extra expense.

 

I've been using the Sharkskin line for almost a year now, mostly in salt water. I have not found accumulation of dirt nor abrasion to fingers a problem (just a note on that; I usually take the line over the inside of my index finger and under the back of my middle finger and have cut the back of the middle finger, but this happens to about the same degree with virtually every line I've fished in salt water). One of the things that impresses me most is the ability to easily pick much more line off of the water than any other I've ever tried.

 

Love it! I have the 5 weight trout and the 8 weight Steelhead Absolutely love it! Floats high.. mends well.. cast sickly.. noise don't bother me..haven't cut my finger yet but I can see how it can happen! haven't noticed the dirt thing..If so just clean it would be my thought! As far as the price. I think its funny that we have these $1000 set ups and will complain about 40-50 bucks for a line. Its like owning a Lambo and complaining cause it says premium gas only!

 

well, the hand abrasion is real. Guys who went to belize w me and used it had to use the blue compression tape every day. But on the same side, my airflo ridgeline did the same to my fingers

Coach Duff.....their lines used in Belize were sky blue, not yellow.....is the yellow new?

I just put the line on my lampson....and freaking love it. Shoots incredibly well, and all good things mentioned above are same for my experiences

 

Definitely my favorite line on the market. It does do all the great things that people have mentioned above. It does hurt like hell when it cuts into your finger. It out performs any other line on the market hands down.

The line noise doesn't bother me at all. Sounds about like a saltwater monic line.

Casts great, mends easily, floats high, lasts long, doesn't spook fish, doesn't pick up dirt. They need to make a spey line series.

cal

 

I also have been using it for a while now, great line.
My experience:
- Yes on the noise but you get used to it quickly.
- Does not pick up dirt
- Casts, roll casts, mending, picking up line all a lot easier
- Does not damage my fingers more than any other line I have fished

 

I have the #5 and #6. Unless someone comes out with something better, I will eventually buy the sharkskin for all of my rods.

You get used to the noise after 15 minutes

It floats like cork

I can shoot my #5 at least 20' farther

No coiling

So far, no problems with dirt

No cuts on my fingers as of yet.

To me, the positives far outweigh the negatives. The only negative to me is it cost $100. So what? You will pay $65 for another good brand of line anyway.

 

The sharkskin saltwater tapers I got were yellow. The freshwater lines must be a bit easier on the hands than the salt. I, nor anybody else over here knows anybody who hasn't been cut up. Might be long days wading all day in waist deep water. The hands soften up. Duff

 

Fellow I work with bought a cherry, used (20K) BMW 733i (?). Griped about $150/ea for Dunlops/Pirellis or other premium brand for new skins. Ended up buying some Pep Boys house brand @ $60 ea.
If you've a $400 or more rod, what's a $100 for a good line? Especially if it lasts/casts/ etc.
Robert

 

From what I've heard about the line off the multiple threads about it, I'm definitely buying some next time I get some line. But, if it has the capacity to cut your finger if you're not careful, can the rough texture also eventually wear down your rod/guides?

 

Thank you everyone for the well informed reponses. This is a great board, much more informative than others that I am used to. I echo Nick's question about the guides wearing. I am going to put this on a new Scott S4 and I don't want to compromise this rod.

thestallion

 

Like many, I appreciate all the feedback about this line. I haven't tried it, and I don't think I will. I haven't noticed a need to cast 5' farther with my 5 wt, and I sure as hell ain't wearing some kind of finger guard to fish for "ordinary" fish. Cortland's old school 444 Peach still seems like a fine line and good value at $40 to me.

Sg