LukeNZ
Well-known member
A lot of my fishing has become trout spey since getting hooked on it a few years ago. And of course, all my lines and tackle now reflect that trend.. ....or dare I say, passion!
However, I recently re-discovered my barely used little Hardy (glass/sintrix) Sirrus 4/5wt. 7’6” lurking underneath all my long-rod tubes on the garage shelf racking.
It was a novelty rod, because I had romanticised about owning a glass rod after reading a book all about fishing ‘twigs’ as the author had referred to his collection. The size of fish I encounter, made 1 and 2 wt. rods impractical. When I saw the Sirrus it looked like a ‘twig’ type rod but in 4/5wt. and quite retro to boot. I had to have it.
I cast it on the lawn quite a bit and possibly on the water once, but the trout spey had a much bigger pull on me.
I looked for the fly-line that I surely must have got for it somewhere... .....but, now think it may have been displaced into oblivion at some point, when I needed the reel to spool up and test the next greatest trout micro spey head combo in haste...!
To set the scene - it’s now late summer here in NZ, and the normally big wide rivers where I live, are now much more shallow and the flow is also much reduced, and it’s becoming more difficult to catch fish; in some part possibly due to the more splashy nature of trout spey, though the fine and far off drift of a nymph on a long rod is effective, as you will all know - but there is a lot of action now, becoming more on the surface.
Realising that as fun as trout spey is, I am flogging a dead horse at the moment, and that also as I don’t need to shoot line a great distance, that I should set up my Sirrus for dry fly, given that the evening rises are quite consistent.
So, it is with all the above musings in mind, I am looking for the best fly line I can get for dry fly use?
I was thinking something double taper in 4wt. though the Hardy Sirrus is rated 4/5wt. it is fibreglass albeit with a bit of Sintrix, which actually makes it a pretty fine casting rod (did I also say already that it looks awesomely retro...).
Because I mainly use quite specialist heads for my trout spey, that are not particularly from mainstream manufacturers, I can appreciate that there may be dry fly line manufacturers which I am unaware of, that you guys are - especially as competitive fishers you will want every advantage you can get and will be at least as picky as I am with regard to anything trout spey and my set-ups.
My questions (after all that preamble...) are;
What might be the ultimate dry fly line for my wee Hardy Sirrus 4/5wt 7’6” rod?
Obviously there is Rio, SA, etc. and the other mainstream line manufacturers products which I can see online, and find something that will be OK, and even really good.
But; or should I say, in addition - given that dry fly has not been an area of specialism for me - are there any specialist and/or boutique/custom dry fly line manufacturers that I have not come across in my sphere of fishing, that I could also consider? In two handed fishing there are more boutique and custom line manufacturers than mainstream producers.
I perceive that competition guys such as yourselves, might have some interesting dry fly line recommendations, insights and first hand experiences - honed at the pointy end of our sport; hence my posting here?
(Phew! just proof read this - it is a freakishly long way around to the actual point...!)
Cheers and beers in advance!
Luke.
However, I recently re-discovered my barely used little Hardy (glass/sintrix) Sirrus 4/5wt. 7’6” lurking underneath all my long-rod tubes on the garage shelf racking.
It was a novelty rod, because I had romanticised about owning a glass rod after reading a book all about fishing ‘twigs’ as the author had referred to his collection. The size of fish I encounter, made 1 and 2 wt. rods impractical. When I saw the Sirrus it looked like a ‘twig’ type rod but in 4/5wt. and quite retro to boot. I had to have it.
I cast it on the lawn quite a bit and possibly on the water once, but the trout spey had a much bigger pull on me.
I looked for the fly-line that I surely must have got for it somewhere... .....but, now think it may have been displaced into oblivion at some point, when I needed the reel to spool up and test the next greatest trout micro spey head combo in haste...!
To set the scene - it’s now late summer here in NZ, and the normally big wide rivers where I live, are now much more shallow and the flow is also much reduced, and it’s becoming more difficult to catch fish; in some part possibly due to the more splashy nature of trout spey, though the fine and far off drift of a nymph on a long rod is effective, as you will all know - but there is a lot of action now, becoming more on the surface.
Realising that as fun as trout spey is, I am flogging a dead horse at the moment, and that also as I don’t need to shoot line a great distance, that I should set up my Sirrus for dry fly, given that the evening rises are quite consistent.
So, it is with all the above musings in mind, I am looking for the best fly line I can get for dry fly use?
I was thinking something double taper in 4wt. though the Hardy Sirrus is rated 4/5wt. it is fibreglass albeit with a bit of Sintrix, which actually makes it a pretty fine casting rod (did I also say already that it looks awesomely retro...).
Because I mainly use quite specialist heads for my trout spey, that are not particularly from mainstream manufacturers, I can appreciate that there may be dry fly line manufacturers which I am unaware of, that you guys are - especially as competitive fishers you will want every advantage you can get and will be at least as picky as I am with regard to anything trout spey and my set-ups.
My questions (after all that preamble...) are;
What might be the ultimate dry fly line for my wee Hardy Sirrus 4/5wt 7’6” rod?
Obviously there is Rio, SA, etc. and the other mainstream line manufacturers products which I can see online, and find something that will be OK, and even really good.
But; or should I say, in addition - given that dry fly has not been an area of specialism for me - are there any specialist and/or boutique/custom dry fly line manufacturers that I have not come across in my sphere of fishing, that I could also consider? In two handed fishing there are more boutique and custom line manufacturers than mainstream producers.
I perceive that competition guys such as yourselves, might have some interesting dry fly line recommendations, insights and first hand experiences - honed at the pointy end of our sport; hence my posting here?
(Phew! just proof read this - it is a freakishly long way around to the actual point...!)
Cheers and beers in advance!
Luke.
Last edited:
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