Opinions about a super long belly 5 weight line

[chapmag]

I'm looking for a line for my new 5 weight 9' Legend Elite rod. I spend a lot of time on the Truckee and Upper Sac rivers. I mostly indicator nymp with split shot, tight line nymph, swing streamers, dry/dropper with big flies.

I've always had trouble single handed spey casting out indicators or streamers using the typical 35' head WF trout lines. And then mending after a cast once I get past the head doesn't work.

I just came across a Rio Tournament Gold line:

http://www.rioproducts.com/products/floating/rio-gold-tournament

It has a 70' head. The first 30' meets the 5 weight line standard, then there's a ton of weight after that.

So there would be weight in the line for longer roll/spey casts, and it should mend nicely out to about 70'. I'm not sure I'd be carrying 60' of line in the air with this rod though.

Has anyone fished this line? All opinions are welcome. Thanks.

[Lincoln Gray]

Greg -

I myself would go with the Rio InTouch Trout/Steelhead Indicator Line. This line is brand new this year from Rio. Not only that, it is not Orange. It is tri-color. Yellow/Green/Melon and also has a 70' head.

[JD]

Seriously doubt any 'standard' 5 weight line is going to solve your problem. I would just find a cheap double-taper line and overline until you got the effect you want. Be a bit cautious because an awful lot of lines are overlined to begin with (e.g. Rio Grand). Of course you might want to consider that you are asking a bit much of a 9' 5-weight as well.

[John Sv]

I have a 5 wt legend elite and run a 5 wt rio grand on it (which as mentioned above is an overlined 5, more like a 6). A DT 6 would cast well on that rod, which except for the tip is pretty stiff.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Back in the 1980s ? when I was afflicted with the upstream, high stick, tight line, Ted Fay nymphing syndrome I got so perverted that I only carried one fly box with only weighted nymphs and wet flies.

I set up a "Magnum Nymphing Outfit" using a G.Loomis IM6 9'6" #6 line 2 piece graphite fly rod with a larger size fly reel and a double taper 6 floater with 100 yards of backing. I could maneuver two big weighted wet flies or nymphs like crazy.

.

[chapmag]

JD and everyone,

Thanks for your advice. I'm going to try a Steelhead/Salmon long head 6 weight that I found on sale. It looks like a DT line out to about 40' with a thicker back taper that should still let me mend.

And I'm not going to worry when I discover the limitations of my general purpose (master of none :) 9' 5 weight rod. At least in my amateur hands.