Fly line sinks, what to do?

Question

I have a WF5F line from Orvis that is pretty old. After an hour or so of fishing, the tip begins to sink. I was wondering if I can trim off the end of the line that seems to have lost its bouyancy without effecting the casting properties of the line or do I need to replace the entire line. Will a simple line dressing solve this problem? 3-5 feet of the line begins to sink during fishing, that's all I would probably trim.

Follow up: recommendations for a good replacement that isn't too expensive?

Answer 1

Since your line is old...check for tiny little cracks in it by looking closely and bending the line..if you see a bunch of cracks (its called "checking") then I'm afraid you will have to replace your line. If not, go to your local fly shop and see if they carry those little round pads made for cleaning line. It also has a line dressing mixed in it. It's a cheap fix and they are good to have even when you eventually get some new fly line.  That line isn't cheap so an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure as the saying goes.  Clean your line often and it will last quite a long time. There are about 5 or so in each pack and it sells for only a couple bucks tops. Cabelas has some decent fly lines to pick from.

Answer 2

Try the line dressing and cleaning first. Make sure it is dry. If you trim the line, trim no more than 6 inches. It is OK for the end of the line to sink along with the leader, but not 3 feet.

Scientific Angler's would be a good replacement brand and lees expensive than Orvis. Shop on line for the best prices.