fichy
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Sylk
Had a brain fart, so I thought I'd ask.... Has anyone used the Cortland Sylk fly lines? They are synthetic, but much smaller in diameter and have more suppleness in cold water than standard fly lines. Thought they might be the cat's azz for winter (less freeze ups). I've used real silk before that was given to me, but that's on parr with staying in Jailwater and having the butler/ghillie clean, dry and store your line for you. Sometimes it pays to have old friends. No, not ones you've known for a long time, just OLD. I bought some Cortland trout lines a few years ago for a hefty discount and they are excellent and holding up WELL. I thought Lucky might have tried one.....  I also see the Sylk on sale at a few places and I might visit there store sometime on a cold, slow mid-day. Fish USA has a 7 WF for 54 bucks. Reasonable.
post edited by fichy - 2014/10/16 17:36:16
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troutbum21
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Charlie- It appears that the Sylk lines are designed specifically for bamboo rods.
What lines to use and the where to's and why for's would be a good topic line.
Too bad most companies have discontinued production of double taper lines, perfect for roll casting in limited or tight quarters.
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fichy
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Gerry, yeah the small dia. fits through the small agate eyes of boo, but MAYBE also has the benefit of less icing, along the lines of CandD running line. Cortland still has the 444 Peach DT, that's an awful lot of people's favorite. I remember cutting them in half, as you only needed 20-30 feet at most for small streams. 2 for 1.
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dimebrite2
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Charlie I'd imagine it would work well but I'm thinking a good loose mid belly rod would be ideal overloaded a weight or two
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twobob
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Don't know anything about it but your reasoning seems solid unless the line itself would hold more water and freeze.
Smooth plastic surface like most lines?
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Lucky13
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I take what I can find, and lately, when I go to the big box, it is 3M and Rio at 95.00 a pop, and if I am looking for sink tip or full sink, they have floaters, and when I want a floater they have the sinkers, ands usually in every weight but the one I need. So, once again, I bought an Orvis line, I got one for 69.00 WF, it took about a half day to get used to the difference from my old line, which was also an Orvis. If I can find 444's when I need a line I like them just fine, and I like Double tapers even for steelhead fishing because I can roll cast longer with less fatigue, and I can turn the line around when the working section starts to crack up. But lines and waders are the two biggest drags in fly fishing, the greens fees that you keep on paying. I am going to be a little gun shy about exposing that backing knot for quite some time now! L13
post edited by Lucky13 - 2014/10/18 10:10:30
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fichy
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As far as I can tell, yes. The fact that they sit lower in the water may make them a little wetter on the retrieve though. More research needed. Andy, I have a old Orvis 6 wt. mid-flex rod that would fit that bill. They make them up to a 7 and that's what I was looking to get. I also have a Winston 7 that ain't a very fast rod either. I'll report back if I do the testing.
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twobob
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Lucky13
I am going to be a little gun shy about exposing that backing knot for quite some time now!
L13
Duder its not like you have much say in it. 10# and that hen took 15 feet of backing. I might have set the drag a little tighter but have been trying to leave my have off the line (senior moments not dropping the slack) so they hit a tight line and the drag gives a bit as they turn. Been pulling it away from way to many fish.
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dimebrite2
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Charlie, I find minimizing strip in and physically making an effort to shake line off when picking up to cast helps tremendously as I assume you do. A longer rod towards 11' helps as well. I'd be interested to see and feel the presentation one could get from this line though
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fichy
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Andy, I went to an 11' 8 wt. , but to tell the truth my oversize Recoil guides on the 7 wt. 10 footer really does pretty well on the icing. I do shake 'em like a wet dog  I just hope we can walk in this winter and find space and peace. My fondest memories still revolve around days with few to no people or just a few friends. A lot to ask and hope for, but I'll keep on.... I've lost 2 Orvis Depth Charges to stripers . One wrapped the whole fly line around a huge boulder, the other hit a cross in the backing about 100' in and snapped it like a rifle shot. I've come close on Kings, but broke off before they got too dangerous. I've let a lot of backing out for steel, but it seems once they're out that far, they never come back for me. I had one big chromer a good 200' out in Pineville last winter that I managed to get the line back on the reel with and then it was over. I **** near cried.
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troutbum21
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I had a guy fishing with a spinning rig and mono saw my fly line with sink tip in half when i was fighting a fish in the Joss hole a few seasons back. He lifted a fish just after mine had run down river in front of him. All he had to do was drop the tip of his rod until I got below him but he lifted up instead. A quick way to lose a perfectly good line.
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dimebrite2
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Charlie, back in our rod building hay day we used to tie all of our #5,6,and 7 rods with larger guides all the way to the tip. It does help out tremendously. Never used a silk line. I have a little bamboo rod I should try one on one of these days.
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fichy
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Andy, if you ever build another one for the SR, consider using the REC recoil guides. They are a titanium alloy that acts like spring steel and bends very easily and snaps right back in place. You can flick the guides and the ice breaks right off. They also will allow a knot in your flyline to pass through the guides without damage. Orvis puts them on their top of the line rods, as does Winston. They arer over sized on the 6's and up, too. As for the Cortland Sylk, I asked a friend who's a bamboo nut in Ca. and he told me they don't coil and are good in the cold. As he's not a stinkin' dirty snagger, and landed many a PNW steelie on big flies, I will give Sylk a try at some point.
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hot tuna
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I need a new line myself. I totally dislike the wulff triangle line. It freezes up stiff as heck .
I always liked rio steelhead or cortland .
Not sure the sylk is for me.
"whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
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Clint S
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I love my precision Cortland salmon /steelhead line it is light green. They discontinued it and replaced it with precision SL salmon/steel. I will give it as try next year.
The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing. ~Babylonian Proverb
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dimebrite2
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Fichy will do for sure. I've got three sticks that are tied and ready to go for a few years now but have yet to epoxy them and set the corks and reel . one is a #7-10' sage rpl series... I tied that with all over sized guides with steel in mind. I will definitely check those guides out you mentioned for my next venture. Clint I have enjoyed my old Cortland precision salmon and steel taper... My favorite lines are the older house of hardy weight forwards or double tapers... But as most other line companies they have changed the style and image... Luckily my older ones are still in decent shape. I'm definitely interested in trying this sylk line out though
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