Fishing line type?

[Sandman3022]

I have an older 8'-6" Browning fly rod that has a recommendation for best line called AFSMT 6.7. I think that's right. I know that the "AF" is the first two letters. What in the heck is this stuff? It used to have thick line that was not tapered and had the same diameter end-to-end. Can someone please help me out? The guy at Galyan's didn't have a clue.

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Semper Fi


[This message has been edited by Sandman3022 (edited 06-07-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Sandman3022 (edited 06-07-2002).]

[FLYSLINGER]

it more than likely takes 6wt or 7wt floating weight forward line. No big suprise Galyan's didnt have a clue. Check out the FishHawk, its not far from the Buckhead Galyans or BassPro even if the right people are in the flyfishing dept. and they shoudl be able to tell you what line you need, etc. If you are close, you cant beat the fishhawk.

[Windknot]

Sandman - this link doesn't exactly match your codes, but I had to hunt for it so long I am gonna put it here again regardless. Perhaps Tentwing will post the codes for level line sometime..... http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbn...ML/000524.html

[GonetoSeed]

I think your ancronym is AFTMA - American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Assoc. The old silk lines were measured by diameter (each letter in the code being a diameter, sort of like a leader recipe, eg, HDH is .025\.045\.025). When synthetics came on the scene, there was a lot of variations possible for tapers (although I don't think they foresaw the day of a taper for every fish and technique). To provide a consistent measurement for predicting rod loading, the AFTMA set standards for weight in grains for the first 30 ft. When this first happened and for a while after, the line weight would be proceeded by the letters AFTMA , eg, in your case most likely,
AFTMA 6\7 = 6 wt WF, 7 wt DT. Also, sounds like it actually had a level line (no guess to the wt, but if it casted OK, probably a 6 (or 7)). Not uncommon back then to spool a level line because a tapered line was somewhat of a novelty and considered expensive by many people (me).

In recent years, AFTMA letters have usually been dropped on synthetic rod rod labels because it is essentially a constant. Of course the cane guys know and care about the old coding and conversions .

[Bryan Duncan]

Now if that wasn't a wealth of information I don't know what is!!! BD

[Tentwing]

Sandman;

I think you have been givin lots of good advise form the board so far.
I agree with Jeremy dont ask anybody from Galyan's anything . he he

Gone to Seed as usual, is also correct. That is what the acronym stands for. It is actually written out on a couple of my old Cortland spools of Level floating line.

How cool is this? My first fly rod was a Browning 8&1/2 foot 6/7 weight. Although now it's actually a 8 foot 4 inch rod. Whoops!
It came with a spool of 6 weight Cortland Level line, but I would recommend a DT6.

GTS; I gotta disagree with ya on one thing partner sorry
Double Tapers are slightly thicker in diameter most of the time , and therefore weigh a little heavier than Weight Foward lines, so a DT6 would be the weight equivalent of a WF7. The Level line although the thinist of the three in diameter will weigh almost exactly what its WF counterpart does.


Brownings are a little slow. I would go with the Double Taper unless you want to go with the Level line. Levels are hard to find though, but Franklins in Athens has some.

Double Tapers out mend everything else, but the thin diameter of a Level line makes them a better nymphing line. Level lines are especially good for high sticking. They collect less drag, so they allow your nymphs more rolling time on the bottom. This is among the many Joe Humphreys teachings , and as usual Joe is always right.

Level line doesn't float worth a D@mn, so its no good for drys, and again nothing mends like Double Taper, so I still use Double Taper even though I'm primaraly a nymph fisherman, and high sticking is mine favorite technique.

Hope some of this helps,....Tentwing

[fredw]

Sandman, believe I was the person at Galyan's you talked with. I find this board to be a good source of information for even the tough questions!

GoneToSeed, thanks much for the explanation. Even us old fishermen can learn a thing or two (or three or four)from this board.

[fredw]

Possible duplicate append....



[This message has been edited by fredw (edited 06-08-2002).]

[GonetoSeed]

Tent - don't be sorry. Re-read my post and I had it switched. The first number was intended to be the suggested DT and the second the WF, for the reason you gave. The WF would be a little heavier but the closest in weight to the DT and not "underline" the rod.

I think this was done because when WF first came to market, it was marketed to people like myself who wanted to increase casting distance and big fly turn-over (still is come to think of it). So the suggested WF usually overlined the slower rods a little for normal casting distances, thats why I think your suggestion to try a 6wt DT is a good one.

The WF did help me some, but I also got wiser and figured out that better casting mechanics and stroke (still working on them) helped too (in my case more) so I have returned to using DT on all my Trout rods for the reasons you gave. Still use basic WF for salt and bass.

[This message has been edited by GonetoSeed (edited 06-08-2002).]

[This message has been edited by GonetoSeed (edited 06-08-2002).]

[Sandman3022]

Thanks for all the replies. My question has been answered!

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Semper Fi