THE RIO REPORT
For further detail on Rio lines go their site
www.rioproducts.com
For what's available in Australia from Rio lines go to
www.jmgillies.com.au
www.rioproducts.com
For what's available in Australia from Rio lines go to
www.jmgillies.com.au
Rio fly lines are relatively new in Australia. Their products are well known by a few leading anglers but on the whole their range is still a bit of a mystery for many. Using the US recommendations for these lines doesn't always work because species and specific conditions found in Australia can be quite different. That is what these recommendations are designed to help you overcome.
Rio was started by Jim and Kitty Vincent, itinerant fly fishers who travelled the continents of the Americas in search of great fly fishing. They sought to create new fly line tapers on different cores, and with different finishes that suited their application. They sought to push fly line development. I believe that up until just a few years ago fly rod development had far out stripped fly line development, but in recent times Rio have played a major part in closing that gap.
In 2005 Rio Products were purchased by Far Bank Enterprises, owners of Sage and Redington. JM Gillies were appointed agents for Rio fly lines for Australia. I've undertaken the task of working my way through this range of lines for JM Gillies, retailers, and fellow fly fishermen to find their best niche in Australia. Where does an Aqualux fit in, what is the Rio Bonefish line best for "Downunder", what is an Outbound and where would I use it in our fishery, what line should I use for impoundment barra fishing in winter, what line should I use for dry fly fishing in mid summer on Tasmania's Highland lakes? These are some of the questions these pages will help you to answer, and these answers are from an Australian perspective backed with time on the water.
I hope it will assist you to find the best line for your needs because there's few things in fly fishing more frustrating than having the wrong line for the job, and few things THAT ARE AS EASY TO FIX. The full range of lines isn't all here, it's a work in progress based on me working my way through them, and gathering in the opinions of experienced fellow fly fishermen. When I feel I'm ready to say something about a particular line it will be updated, so drop in from time to time or keep an eye out for reminders about updates which will appear on several fly fishing chat sites.
RIO WELDED LOOPS The first comment I want to make on Rio lines is about the welded loops that appear on most of the range. Some have them on one end and some have them on both. I've tested the hell out of these even on the heavy saltwater models and have not broken one yet, nor have I had one cut through on the loop to loop connection. In most situations they seem capable of outlasting the normal lifetime of the line itself, especially the loop on the back. I trust them completely, they've really got these right!
COLDWATER OR TROPICAL LINES? Tropical lines are made to be stiff to overcome the problems of the fly line sagging and sticking in the guides in the real heat of the north, and even during our southern summer. They're stiffer and will often require some stretching to remove any coiling memory, even in the heat, and especially when you use them under cooler conditions. The hard finish on tropical lines is not for everyone, but I love they way they sizzle and skate through the guides.
Some cold climate lines are OK in our northern tropical waters in winter, say during the months of late June through to early September on milder days. But on hot windless winter days in the north they'll become limp and difficult to use - its best to buy tropical lines for the tropics. Hot climate lines are fine in the southern summer, many prefer them for their hardness, but they will usually require some stretching before use. One thing you will notice with many of the Rio lines is their relatively low stretch.
DENSITY COMPENSATED LINES The taper in a sinking fly line can result in an uneven distribution of weight with the fat heavy belly sinking faster than the thinner tip. Density compensated lines are thinner in the tip but the tip is made denser so it sinks slightly faster than the belly. This is crucial in many fishing situations where the last thing you want is the belly pulling the fly down and the fly sinking well above the belly - you want the tip sinking before the belly - DC lines will do this for you. Most important for sinking flies down a berley trail especially when the fish are spooky.
RIO COLOUR CODING AND SINK RATES The running line on the sinking lines such as the Deep Sea, the DC Striper, 24'DC, and the Outbounds has been colour coded and this information is available on the Rio web site. The sink rates of all their sinking lines are also listed there.
Rio was started by Jim and Kitty Vincent, itinerant fly fishers who travelled the continents of the Americas in search of great fly fishing. They sought to create new fly line tapers on different cores, and with different finishes that suited their application. They sought to push fly line development. I believe that up until just a few years ago fly rod development had far out stripped fly line development, but in recent times Rio have played a major part in closing that gap.
In 2005 Rio Products were purchased by Far Bank Enterprises, owners of Sage and Redington. JM Gillies were appointed agents for Rio fly lines for Australia. I've undertaken the task of working my way through this range of lines for JM Gillies, retailers, and fellow fly fishermen to find their best niche in Australia. Where does an Aqualux fit in, what is the Rio Bonefish line best for "Downunder", what is an Outbound and where would I use it in our fishery, what line should I use for impoundment barra fishing in winter, what line should I use for dry fly fishing in mid summer on Tasmania's Highland lakes? These are some of the questions these pages will help you to answer, and these answers are from an Australian perspective backed with time on the water.
I hope it will assist you to find the best line for your needs because there's few things in fly fishing more frustrating than having the wrong line for the job, and few things THAT ARE AS EASY TO FIX. The full range of lines isn't all here, it's a work in progress based on me working my way through them, and gathering in the opinions of experienced fellow fly fishermen. When I feel I'm ready to say something about a particular line it will be updated, so drop in from time to time or keep an eye out for reminders about updates which will appear on several fly fishing chat sites.RIO WELDED LOOPS The first comment I want to make on Rio lines is about the welded loops that appear on most of the range. Some have them on one end and some have them on both. I've tested the hell out of these even on the heavy saltwater models and have not broken one yet, nor have I had one cut through on the loop to loop connection. In most situations they seem capable of outlasting the normal lifetime of the line itself, especially the loop on the back. I trust them completely, they've really got these right!
COLDWATER OR TROPICAL LINES? Tropical lines are made to be stiff to overcome the problems of the fly line sagging and sticking in the guides in the real heat of the north, and even during our southern summer. They're stiffer and will often require some stretching to remove any coiling memory, even in the heat, and especially when you use them under cooler conditions. The hard finish on tropical lines is not for everyone, but I love they way they sizzle and skate through the guides.
Some cold climate lines are OK in our northern tropical waters in winter, say during the months of late June through to early September on milder days. But on hot windless winter days in the north they'll become limp and difficult to use - its best to buy tropical lines for the tropics. Hot climate lines are fine in the southern summer, many prefer them for their hardness, but they will usually require some stretching before use. One thing you will notice with many of the Rio lines is their relatively low stretch.
DENSITY COMPENSATED LINES The taper in a sinking fly line can result in an uneven distribution of weight with the fat heavy belly sinking faster than the thinner tip. Density compensated lines are thinner in the tip but the tip is made denser so it sinks slightly faster than the belly. This is crucial in many fishing situations where the last thing you want is the belly pulling the fly down and the fly sinking well above the belly - you want the tip sinking before the belly - DC lines will do this for you. Most important for sinking flies down a berley trail especially when the fish are spooky.
RIO COLOUR CODING AND SINK RATES The running line on the sinking lines such as the Deep Sea, the DC Striper, 24'DC, and the Outbounds has been colour coded and this information is available on the Rio web site. The sink rates of all their sinking lines are also listed there.
THE LINES
RIO CLOUSER LINE.
The floating version comes in both a tropical and a coldwater rated line. This is an outstanding line for fishing big surface flies especially for native species such as saratoga, Murray cod, barramundi, and bass. It turns over flies like Dahlberg divers, Gurglers and poppers with ease and accuracy. Keep the leader for these fish and flies relatively short, no longer than 2 meters and it will turn over wind resistant flies aggressively for tight, neat casts into structure and into holes in the lily pads. The tropical version (blue) has a hard finish that retained its castability over several days of fishing in Coroboree Billabong and of use in Exmouth in mid summer early 2006. A suggestion from Rick Dobson of Aussie Angler even saw me using it on the Tongariro River in mid winter to toss big heavy nymphs on a 710 TCR and I had no problems with it being too wiry in the cold � this was a real surprise and a good stretch a few times a day was all it needed.
The floating version comes in both a tropical and a coldwater rated line. This is an outstanding line for fishing big surface flies especially for native species such as saratoga, Murray cod, barramundi, and bass. It turns over flies like Dahlberg divers, Gurglers and poppers with ease and accuracy. Keep the leader for these fish and flies relatively short, no longer than 2 meters and it will turn over wind resistant flies aggressively for tight, neat casts into structure and into holes in the lily pads. The tropical version (blue) has a hard finish that retained its castability over several days of fishing in Coroboree Billabong and of use in Exmouth in mid summer early 2006. A suggestion from Rick Dobson of Aussie Angler even saw me using it on the Tongariro River in mid winter to toss big heavy nymphs on a 710 TCR and I had no problems with it being too wiry in the cold � this was a real surprise and a good stretch a few times a day was all it needed.
I've used the tropical version on Christmas Island on the bonefish flats and found its blue colour stood out better than the tan coloured Bonefish line against the white sand flats - something that's important for tracking your fly. I had no problem turning over a 12 foot leader and its taper profile certainly helped with fast short presentations.This line also has great application for beginners because it loads the rod so easily. This easy loading helps reduce false casting. The coldwater version (light chartreuse) is fine for trout fishing. It's not a line I like for long casts, although the head length is over 40 feet, however it casts beautifully out to 8o feet. This is also a fine line for southern saltwater fly fishing and for estuary species such as perch and bream where a floating line might be required.
Best uses. The Clouser taper is my first choice for billabong fishing, bass fishing, cod fishing, and general popper fishing in the salt and fresh water. The coldwater version is also a great line for teaching and for photography because of its bright colour. All round this is a very versatile floating fly line.
THE AQUALUX is an intermediate line that has a translucent green running line with a clear head. It's rapidly become a great favourite of mine. I've used this line mostly in the salt for bream and frigate mackerel on light rods. It's been a big hit with estuary bream fishermen in the cooler waters right around the southern half of the continent. It is a magic line for bream, bass, and estuary perch in mid depth water.
Its other applications (what it was designed for) are for fishing flies over deeper weedbeds on trout water (think Penstock Lagoon, Brumbies Weir, or any number of impoundment with weed beds).
It's a superb southern saltwater line where an intermediate is required, however there are better lines for the tropics. If you wanted to fish very light in the tropics however, this would still be a good line because its made in the lighter weights that aren't available in the Tropical lines - such as a 3 weight, something for all you ultra light fly rodders. Rio are the only manufacturers of light weight intermediate lines.
Best uses - estuary bream and all light saltwater - anywhere in lakes and rivers where an intermediate is required, especially where you want to get a fly that bit deeper and don't want the fly drawn back to the surface on the retrieve. It has a slick hard finish.
THE OUTBOUND is an integrated shooting head which means the head and the running line are seamlessly joined. The Rio Outbound lines come in a range of densities, weights, and in both coldwater and tropical hardness. The great place I can see for these lines is amongst those who aren't yet familiar with shooting heads and how to balance, rig, and cut them. I would describe them as "shooting heads with training wheels" - that is not to say they aren't an unbelievably fine line in the hands of a good caster - they are dynamite!
They are easy to handle and you can aerialise a lot of line to make a long cast, or just use the long head section for tighter situations such as fishing snags. Like using all shooting heads you must control the overhang when casting these lines. The overhang is the amount of running line between the tip of the rod and the beginning of the head section. Always begin a cast with some of the head in the rod and try to keep the overhang to no longer than the length of the rod, half the length of the rod is best for most casters. One disadvantage of lines such as these is that they don't' pick up well with the head more than around 2 meters outside the rod tip - best to have it in there for every pick up.I've used the floaters, intermediates and Type 8 sinkers in the cold water and the floater and intermediate in the Tropical version.
The tropical lines are a new release for 2007.
The TROPICAL OUTBOUND FLOATING line is a great line for serious saltwater popper fishing. It has a head to turn over
big poppers with ease, and on the end of a long cast too! I've only had a 10-weight sample to play with and used it in Corroboree Billabong and on Christmas Island. Its not a line for billabong fishing, the Tropical Clouser is superior for this, however you can get away with using one by keeping the overhang to no longer than 9 feet for general accurate casting, this will give you cast out around 50 feet which is enough for this fishing. But this is a line made for covering lots of water. Ideal use is for tossing poppers for queenfish, trevally, and in particular longtail tuna and with its blue head it shouldn't spook surface fish.With the TROPICAL OUTBOUND INTERMEDIATE 
I feel we have at last the perfect fly line for so much of our general purpose fishing in the saltwater, (and certainly some freshwater situations. It's a true all rounder whether you're fishing the Hervey Bay flats for goldies, chasing big spooky longtails, drifting snags for barramundi or working the shallows and mid water depths for huge impoundment barra, fishing the Cape York beaches for blue bastards or permit, working the weed bed edges or deeper snags of the billabongs or working the rivers of New England for Murray cod in the heat of summer - if you had only one line to do it with - this is it!! It is the best tropical fly line I've ever used. It turns over flies such as well weighted crabs and big barra patterns with EASE. On a recent permit trip, to get more depth and "anchor" the fly in a strong current I looped on 6 feet of T14 to the front of the line and it cast this and a heavy crab pattern with EASE. I don't think there's much this line won't do.
The COLDWATER OUTBOUND lines are rippers, especially in the sinking versions. I've used these on Cape York during the winter months and they were marginal in the warmth, there are better lines for up there but they will do. They're magnificent distance lines for tuna chasing during the winter months in SE Qld or along the mid WA coast when water temps are in the lower 20's and air temps are similar. Anywhere fishing the bluewater and deeper bays of the east and west coast (think Sydney Harbour, Pittwater, Shark Bay etc) you need look no further than this line - it's fantastic. Also a great line for shore based anglers wanting to reach deeper water or to fish their flies deeper. Places such as river mouth breakwalls (Gold Coast Seaway).
I also recently used the sinking line (type 8) on the Tongariro matched to a Sage 8 1260 DH rod and it was sensational. I was able to cover vast areas of river and was picking up fish from places that rarely saw a fly let alone one on a decent drift. The river was high and flowing fast - the type 8 sinker cost me a few flies on the bottom but that's where you have to be to get those fish!
These lines have been so cleverly designed that they straddle that gap between shooting heads and weight forward lines so perfectly they can easily be used as either. The Outbounds are also highly recommended for fishing with Double Handed rods and Simon Gawesworth, one of the world's foremost authorities on DH rods has prepared a chart at
www.rioproducts.com/pages/speyrecs.asp If you're into double handers look up your rod and match it with a Rio line to suit your fishing and your experience. If you're interested in learning how to cast double handed rods, Simon's casting DVD is a brilliant place to start.
RIO DEEP SEA is now built on a Powerflex core. If you're new to fishing with fast sinking lines you need look no further. This is a GREAT line, especially for tropical bluewater fishing in strong currents, where depth is required, and where big flies are the norm. It's not a line for chasing schools of breaking tuna although it will do at a pinch - for that fishing you want an
Outbound tropical Intermediate or a shooting head system. The Deep Sea is the favoured line amongst the serious billfishing and big fish crowd. Its capacity to turn over monster flies in wind is superb. It was designed with considerable input from Trey Combs and is also known as the "automatic casting line". It's a great line for the deep bonefish flats of Exmouth because it gets the fly down quickly in front of the fish and keeps it on the bottom.
The other place it has a niche is in big tidal flow barra systems where you need to get flies deep into structure quickly, or around deeper river rock bars that hold so many fish in the tropics. It's a GREAT line for sinking flies down a berley trail for Spanish mackerel, especially for those who don't use shooting heads. It has a stiff braided core and a hard finish on the running line that takes some stretching to straighten - its not a coldwater line - for a similar line to use in similar situations in the colder months, or down south, I suggest a Striped Bass 26 ft DC line.
There's another version of the Deep Sea and it's called the LEVIATHAN.
This has a similar taper to the Deep Sea but has a 70lb core for real heavy duty fishing in places like the Rowley Shoals, the outer Barrier Reef or in New Guinea for black and spot tailed bass.
All the these lines throw big flies as though they've come out of a canon and sink like a brick.
I feel we have at last the perfect fly line for so much of our general purpose fishing in the saltwater, (and certainly some freshwater situations. It's a true all rounder whether you're fishing the Hervey Bay flats for goldies, chasing big spooky longtails, drifting snags for barramundi or working the shallows and mid water depths for huge impoundment barra, fishing the Cape York beaches for blue bastards or permit, working the weed bed edges or deeper snags of the billabongs or working the rivers of New England for Murray cod in the heat of summer - if you had only one line to do it with - this is it!! It is the best tropical fly line I've ever used. It turns over flies such as well weighted crabs and big barra patterns with EASE. On a recent permit trip, to get more depth and "anchor" the fly in a strong current I looped on 6 feet of T14 to the front of the line and it cast this and a heavy crab pattern with EASE. I don't think there's much this line won't do.The COLDWATER OUTBOUND lines are rippers, especially in the sinking versions. I've used these on Cape York during the winter months and they were marginal in the warmth, there are better lines for up there but they will do. They're magnificent distance lines for tuna chasing during the winter months in SE Qld or along the mid WA coast when water temps are in the lower 20's and air temps are similar. Anywhere fishing the bluewater and deeper bays of the east and west coast (think Sydney Harbour, Pittwater, Shark Bay etc) you need look no further than this line - it's fantastic. Also a great line for shore based anglers wanting to reach deeper water or to fish their flies deeper. Places such as river mouth breakwalls (Gold Coast Seaway).
I also recently used the sinking line (type 8) on the Tongariro matched to a Sage 8 1260 DH rod and it was sensational. I was able to cover vast areas of river and was picking up fish from places that rarely saw a fly let alone one on a decent drift. The river was high and flowing fast - the type 8 sinker cost me a few flies on the bottom but that's where you have to be to get those fish!
These lines have been so cleverly designed that they straddle that gap between shooting heads and weight forward lines so perfectly they can easily be used as either. The Outbounds are also highly recommended for fishing with Double Handed rods and Simon Gawesworth, one of the world's foremost authorities on DH rods has prepared a chart at
www.rioproducts.com/pages/speyrecs.asp If you're into double handers look up your rod and match it with a Rio line to suit your fishing and your experience. If you're interested in learning how to cast double handed rods, Simon's casting DVD is a brilliant place to start.
RIO DEEP SEA is now built on a Powerflex core. If you're new to fishing with fast sinking lines you need look no further. This is a GREAT line, especially for tropical bluewater fishing in strong currents, where depth is required, and where big flies are the norm. It's not a line for chasing schools of breaking tuna although it will do at a pinch - for that fishing you want an
Outbound tropical Intermediate or a shooting head system. The Deep Sea is the favoured line amongst the serious billfishing and big fish crowd. Its capacity to turn over monster flies in wind is superb. It was designed with considerable input from Trey Combs and is also known as the "automatic casting line". It's a great line for the deep bonefish flats of Exmouth because it gets the fly down quickly in front of the fish and keeps it on the bottom.The other place it has a niche is in big tidal flow barra systems where you need to get flies deep into structure quickly, or around deeper river rock bars that hold so many fish in the tropics. It's a GREAT line for sinking flies down a berley trail for Spanish mackerel, especially for those who don't use shooting heads. It has a stiff braided core and a hard finish on the running line that takes some stretching to straighten - its not a coldwater line - for a similar line to use in similar situations in the colder months, or down south, I suggest a Striped Bass 26 ft DC line.
There's another version of the Deep Sea and it's called the LEVIATHAN.
This has a similar taper to the Deep Sea but has a 70lb core for real heavy duty fishing in places like the Rowley Shoals, the outer Barrier Reef or in New Guinea for black and spot tailed bass.All the these lines throw big flies as though they've come out of a canon and sink like a brick.
BONEFISH LINE This is a lovely line and has a perfect taper and finish for bone fishing. I've used it considerably around the continent and on Christmas Island.
It's a fantastic bonefish line and for most of the fishing I've done on Christmas Island its my first choice line. Its my line of choice for chasing those Exmouth milkfish where the water temperatures are in the 30's and the air temp is in the 40's, its my first choice line for any flats fishing in the north or the west where a floater and long accurate casts are required - think barramundi and threadfin on the mud flats of the NT and the gulf.The TROPICAL SALTWATER F/I line, previously known as
the Florida bonefish line is a different animal altogether. This has a taper like a Clouser line and a 9.5ft clear sink tip. It's an ideal line for fishing the mouth of drains, along beaches where you might need a little more depth, and is a great line for fish such as "Blue bastards" that are holding in deeper gutters.SHOOTING HEADSRio's T14 is well known to shooting head aficionados. At 14 grains per foot it's a level line you can purchase on 30 foot lengths or in bulk spools 500 feet long so you can buy a spool and share it with your mates to make customised heads longer than 30 feet. It has a sink rate of 8-9" per second.
My rough guide to T14 head lengths is.
- 8 weight 26- 28 feet
- 9 weight 29 feet
- 10 weight 30 feet
- 11weight 31 feet
- 12 weight 32 feet.
Longer than 32 feet is difficult to manage on a 9 foot rod. This does not apply to all rods or all casters - 28 feet is nearly 400 grains and is pretty hefty on an 8. Less than 26 feet of head becomes difficult to handle as it will tend to dump on the cast and kick around like a cut snake in the air. You need to really wind back your effort with this line on lighter rods (8's and 9's) and use a high lobbing cast rather than try and punch out tight loops.
T14 is great for really tough country when tangling with fish that drag you through the reef or around navigation markers in the blink of an eye. It's more supple than lead core lines and feels more like a fly line. It's also excellent for fishing flies deep in strong current or simply for fishing flies very deep. It's also excellent for mini tips that you can carry with you and loop onto the front of almost any fly line to help deal with an unexpected "depth" or current problem.
T-8 is the lighter version of T-14. It's very fine and suited for lighter rods. I have used it a little but at this stage don't have enough to report. Ditto as a material for mini tips on lighter rods/lines.Use these backed up with an appropriate Rio running line.
TUNGSTEN DREDGER.For saltwater guys throwing really big flies on very heavy rods for really big fish in very deep water, these are a very potent tool.
The range of "dredgers" has been reduced to 500, 1000, and 1150 grains and they are now in the Leviathan range so have a 70lb core!! For someone chasing yellowfin tuna in a berley trail the 1000 grain head cut in half would give you two 15 foot 500 grain heads and minimal water resistance!!! I've used these lines extensively to fish deep structure for big fish with big flies and it is a superb range. Use them backed up with an appropriate Rio running line.
RUNNING LINESA shooting head is only ever as good as the running line that backs it up!!!!! Behind your shooting head you need a running line and Rio have a very good range of these that I've tried. SLICKSHOOTER is an oval monofilament. It straightens out better than any other mono running line I've used. Its "slicker than snot on a doorknob" and comes in two strengths, 35lb and 50lb. To fit braided loops onto this stuff check out www.wildfish.com.au/tackle.php Use 35 lb braided loops on the 35 lb slick shooter and 50 on the 50. This is a running line for the experienced shooting head user and is a very useful (and cheap) option for "tiger country".
The POWERFLEX SHOOTING LINES are a level line that comes in a simple and practical range of diameters, strengths, and finishes. They come with welded loops, a large one on one end to assist with line changes. These are great for those who are just getting used to using shooting heads, or for situations where line management is crucial, especially in windy conditions where they won't blow around as much as Slickshooters. They are also very slick. If you want to fish really deep go for the thinner running lines and/or intermediate running lines but you will need to balance sink rate with handling.
THE TROUT LINES I've played around with four of the range of trout lines so far, not including the Aqualux which I like so much for saltwater fishing, but which is also an ideal freshwater intermediate. These are a very interesting range of lines. I arrived at Millbrook Lakes with them one cold windy winters day and Phillip Weigall, "Dash" Laver, and myself got down to casting four of the lines, all in a 5 weight and all on XP 590's. I particularly liked the Windcutter Phillip liked the Selective Trout Dash liked the Rio Grande We all liked the Nymph Line. In New Zealand, in the Tongariro district, I managed to speak to several people about the lines and the Nymph line was VERY popular. THE RIO GRANDE. These are half a weight up sized so they load a rod quickly and easily. It's a wonderful line for snappy
casts to cruising fish - think wind lane cruisers hunting down hatching duns on Arthurs Lake or the Great Lake. It's a line designed for modern, powerful, fast actioned rods, and that's how I would describe the line - fast and powerful. My feeling is that its best place will be on lakes. I think it also has a potential for great versatility especially among those fishermen who chase trout, and also bream, bass, flathead, etc where presentations can so easily be altered by leader changes. It's a punchy line that can cover all of these situations. We used it on the Tongariro - Dave Anderson particularly liked it for that style of fishing especially when up lining one weight to turn over those big bombs on long single handed rods.
THE WINDCUTTER has a long fine front taper. Surprisingly I think this is a great line for places such as the McLaughlin, Brumbies Weir, and rivers where long leaders and delicate presentations with small dries are required. It's a line I feel I would particularly like under flat calm conditions.
I haven't used it in the wind and from the description you would expect it to have an even punchier taper than the Rio Grande - not so - that fine front taper is made to cut through wind. This line is brilliant on short delicate casts, yet when you get further back into the head the taper quickly fills out and it will really punch out a fly in a wind with that heavier back taper transferring energy beautifully through the front taper and down the leader. I imagine this to be a superb line for larger "flat" rivers such as the Mataura.
THE NYMPH LINE is a joy to use. The head is between 57 and 65 feet long depending on the weight. It has what I would call a fairly aggressive front taper so unless you're throwing very long casts you're mostly using the head to make mends, and to turn over double tungsten bead headed nymphs, and strike indicators the size of a tennis ball on even what could be considered "long" fishing casts. HOWEVER it also has a very high floating orange tip about 18" long that serves as a strike indicator ALL the time. This is a line that is destined to become one of the great lines - think about Stillwater midging with its ultra subtly takes or floating unweighted egg patterns to lake bound winter rainbows. I can see this line becoming very popular amongst many fly fishermen in both lakes and rivers.
SELECTIVE TROUT. This is a line for medium action rods - fish this on a SLT, (not that it won't load faster rods), but it's a fairly traditional taper with a few subtle differences. The long back taper makes it joy to roll cast and to hold in the air. The entire head is 48 feet long which means that in most fishing situations you're fishing with just the head in the rod and this makes for easy handling. It has a convex front taper which means delicacy and finer turnovers (as opposed to the nymph line which has a concave front taper which means more aggressive turnovers for bigger heavier flies). This is the line for most trout fishing situations and as they make it down to a 1 weight in both WF and DT it looks like just about the perfect "Twig water" flyline. I have a bunch of other lines I'll be working through in the coming months so watch this space.
T14 is great for really tough country when tangling with fish that drag you through the reef or around navigation markers in the blink of an eye. It's more supple than lead core lines and feels more like a fly line. It's also excellent for fishing flies deep in strong current or simply for fishing flies very deep. It's also excellent for mini tips that you can carry with you and loop onto the front of almost any fly line to help deal with an unexpected "depth" or current problem.
T-8 is the lighter version of T-14. It's very fine and suited for lighter rods. I have used it a little but at this stage don't have enough to report. Ditto as a material for mini tips on lighter rods/lines.Use these backed up with an appropriate Rio running line.
TUNGSTEN DREDGER.For saltwater guys throwing really big flies on very heavy rods for really big fish in very deep water, these are a very potent tool.
The range of "dredgers" has been reduced to 500, 1000, and 1150 grains and they are now in the Leviathan range so have a 70lb core!! For someone chasing yellowfin tuna in a berley trail the 1000 grain head cut in half would give you two 15 foot 500 grain heads and minimal water resistance!!! I've used these lines extensively to fish deep structure for big fish with big flies and it is a superb range. Use them backed up with an appropriate Rio running line.
RUNNING LINESA shooting head is only ever as good as the running line that backs it up!!!!! Behind your shooting head you need a running line and Rio have a very good range of these that I've tried. SLICKSHOOTER is an oval monofilament. It straightens out better than any other mono running line I've used. Its "slicker than snot on a doorknob" and comes in two strengths, 35lb and 50lb. To fit braided loops onto this stuff check out www.wildfish.com.au/tackle.php Use 35 lb braided loops on the 35 lb slick shooter and 50 on the 50. This is a running line for the experienced shooting head user and is a very useful (and cheap) option for "tiger country".
The POWERFLEX SHOOTING LINES are a level line that comes in a simple and practical range of diameters, strengths, and finishes. They come with welded loops, a large one on one end to assist with line changes. These are great for those who are just getting used to using shooting heads, or for situations where line management is crucial, especially in windy conditions where they won't blow around as much as Slickshooters. They are also very slick. If you want to fish really deep go for the thinner running lines and/or intermediate running lines but you will need to balance sink rate with handling.
THE TROUT LINES I've played around with four of the range of trout lines so far, not including the Aqualux which I like so much for saltwater fishing, but which is also an ideal freshwater intermediate. These are a very interesting range of lines. I arrived at Millbrook Lakes with them one cold windy winters day and Phillip Weigall, "Dash" Laver, and myself got down to casting four of the lines, all in a 5 weight and all on XP 590's. I particularly liked the Windcutter Phillip liked the Selective Trout Dash liked the Rio Grande We all liked the Nymph Line. In New Zealand, in the Tongariro district, I managed to speak to several people about the lines and the Nymph line was VERY popular. THE RIO GRANDE. These are half a weight up sized so they load a rod quickly and easily. It's a wonderful line for snappy
casts to cruising fish - think wind lane cruisers hunting down hatching duns on Arthurs Lake or the Great Lake. It's a line designed for modern, powerful, fast actioned rods, and that's how I would describe the line - fast and powerful. My feeling is that its best place will be on lakes. I think it also has a potential for great versatility especially among those fishermen who chase trout, and also bream, bass, flathead, etc where presentations can so easily be altered by leader changes. It's a punchy line that can cover all of these situations. We used it on the Tongariro - Dave Anderson particularly liked it for that style of fishing especially when up lining one weight to turn over those big bombs on long single handed rods.THE WINDCUTTER has a long fine front taper. Surprisingly I think this is a great line for places such as the McLaughlin, Brumbies Weir, and rivers where long leaders and delicate presentations with small dries are required. It's a line I feel I would particularly like under flat calm conditions.
I haven't used it in the wind and from the description you would expect it to have an even punchier taper than the Rio Grande - not so - that fine front taper is made to cut through wind. This line is brilliant on short delicate casts, yet when you get further back into the head the taper quickly fills out and it will really punch out a fly in a wind with that heavier back taper transferring energy beautifully through the front taper and down the leader. I imagine this to be a superb line for larger "flat" rivers such as the Mataura.THE NYMPH LINE is a joy to use. The head is between 57 and 65 feet long depending on the weight. It has what I would call a fairly aggressive front taper so unless you're throwing very long casts you're mostly using the head to make mends, and to turn over double tungsten bead headed nymphs, and strike indicators the size of a tennis ball on even what could be considered "long" fishing casts. HOWEVER it also has a very high floating orange tip about 18" long that serves as a strike indicator ALL the time. This is a line that is destined to become one of the great lines - think about Stillwater midging with its ultra subtly takes or floating unweighted egg patterns to lake bound winter rainbows. I can see this line becoming very popular amongst many fly fishermen in both lakes and rivers.
SELECTIVE TROUT. This is a line for medium action rods - fish this on a SLT, (not that it won't load faster rods), but it's a fairly traditional taper with a few subtle differences. The long back taper makes it joy to roll cast and to hold in the air. The entire head is 48 feet long which means that in most fishing situations you're fishing with just the head in the rod and this makes for easy handling. It has a convex front taper which means delicacy and finer turnovers (as opposed to the nymph line which has a concave front taper which means more aggressive turnovers for bigger heavier flies). This is the line for most trout fishing situations and as they make it down to a 1 weight in both WF and DT it looks like just about the perfect "Twig water" flyline. I have a bunch of other lines I'll be working through in the coming months so watch this space.
LINE UPDATE
Line highlighted in red are my hotpicks from the range
MY RIO FLY LINE RECOMMENDATIONS
Trout fishing
Rio Gold – Rio’s new premium flagship line is a fantastic all round fly line that loads rods very quickly in close and is still delicate out at 70 feet. The mossy green coloured head section changes to a gold running line for easy management. It’s a very smooth line to cast and to handle, also very slick through the guides. Its long fine head and back taper makes it great for roll casts. Excellent general purpose trout line.
WF 3-9
Selective Trout II. A very popular line amongst knowledgeable trout fishermen. Available as a weight forward or a double taper, this is a line for the purist and is particularly popular amongst small stream fly fishers. The new version is even softer and remains supple in the coldest weather. This is the ideal line for really delicate presentations. Both lines have a long fine front taper. After extensive use in New Zealand this line has become a GREAT favourite.
Camo Green WF 1-7 DT 1-6
Chartreuse WF 3-7 DT 3-6.
Rio Grande Big water line – great for lakes and big rivers, especially for streamer fishing. It’s approximately a half line weight up with a comparatively shorter head than the other lines so is capable of loading fast action rods and turning over big flies. Great all rounder (good bass line too).
WF3-9 Pale green and camo green.
Rio Nymph Line - The 60 foot head on this line makes it superb for roll casting and the bright orange tip is a great built in strike indicator. This line is right at home on New Zealand’s big rivers placing a brace of tungsten bead head nymphs down a fast running chute. I’ve found the orange tip is also excellent for tracking dry flies in tough seeing conditions. Can be a very useful general purpose line.
WF 4-9
Windcutter II A radical line for difficult conditions. Think tailing fish on hostile mornings in the Tassy Highlands. The long fine front taper loads a rod in close but for longer casts a thicker than normal belly kicks in to back up that front taper and drive the cast. Two coloured – grey with a yellow running line.
WF 3-8.
Clouser line A classic line for quick loading rods with big flies – This is the great fly line for tossing bass bugs – also excellent for big tandem nymph rigs (Think Tongariro River mid winter). Also a very good line for beginners because it loads rods so easily and for practise is visible in the air.
WF 4-12 Lt Chartreuse
Streamer Tip Line – has a 9.5ft clear intermediate tip. Great for fishing streamers that little bit deeper and for midge pupa fishing. Its built on Rio’s Clouser taper so is excellent for big flies in tough conditions.
WF 4-8
Rio Aqualux Full Intermediate. NO fly fisherman should be without an intermediate line. This is a line that will get you fish when all else fails – Go deeper man!!!!!! So often the fish are hanging off the edges of weed beds and feeding on damsels, mudeyes, and dozens of assorted different deeper food items. A line that can save and make your day. Also a great line for southern estuaries and inshore saltwater fly fishing. Also a superb impoundment and river bass line.
WFI 3-9
Density Compensated Sink tip line Comes in two versions – one with a 7 ft sink tip and the other with a 15 ft sink tip. These tips are highly specialised – they’re tapered and ALSO have their weight compensated with tungsten so the front sinks faster than the back – no more losing touch with your fly. Big river bass fishermen should also note this line!!!
Available in a range of sink speeds
7ft Tip – Type 6 only – 6-8 weights
15 ft Tip Type 3 - 4-9 weights.
Type 4 – 4-8 weights.
Type 6 – 6-9 weights.
This is a small selection of Rio’s premium fly lines for further information on their extensive range visit their web site www.rioproducts.com
Outbounds These are a specialised distance casting line – they are an integrated shooting head that comes in a VERY WIDE range of configurations from Floating to Hover (extremely slow sinking) through clear Intermediate to a type 8 that sinks like a stone. They have colour coded running lines and are extremely popular amongst many fly fishermen, but particularly amongst saltwater fly fishermen. The fastest sinking line is brilliant on the Tongariro and in any situation where you need to get a fly deep – think “fly fishing for snapper in current” and Type 8 Outbound leaps to mind. They load a rod very easily and are already weighted upwards as shooting heads should be (do not “upline” with these). The standard (non-tropical) version is ideal in the southern half of the continent.
T8 – T11 – and T14 Untapered specialised shooting head material sold in pre-cut 30 foot lengths or bulk spools. (8, 11, and 14 grains per foot – trim the head to suit your rod). Great for tiger country, strong currents, big weighty flies and fish that like to go into the reef. Excellent for fishing streamers deep on big rivers. Should be used in conjunction with Rio’s Slickshooter running line.
Trout fishing
Rio Gold – Rio’s new premium flagship line is a fantastic all round fly line that loads rods very quickly in close and is still delicate out at 70 feet. The mossy green coloured head section changes to a gold running line for easy management. It’s a very smooth line to cast and to handle, also very slick through the guides. Its long fine head and back taper makes it great for roll casts. Excellent general purpose trout line.
WF 3-9
Selective Trout II. A very popular line amongst knowledgeable trout fishermen. Available as a weight forward or a double taper, this is a line for the purist and is particularly popular amongst small stream fly fishers. The new version is even softer and remains supple in the coldest weather. This is the ideal line for really delicate presentations. Both lines have a long fine front taper. After extensive use in New Zealand this line has become a GREAT favourite.
Camo Green WF 1-7 DT 1-6
Chartreuse WF 3-7 DT 3-6.
Rio Grande Big water line – great for lakes and big rivers, especially for streamer fishing. It’s approximately a half line weight up with a comparatively shorter head than the other lines so is capable of loading fast action rods and turning over big flies. Great all rounder (good bass line too).
WF3-9 Pale green and camo green.
Rio Nymph Line - The 60 foot head on this line makes it superb for roll casting and the bright orange tip is a great built in strike indicator. This line is right at home on New Zealand’s big rivers placing a brace of tungsten bead head nymphs down a fast running chute. I’ve found the orange tip is also excellent for tracking dry flies in tough seeing conditions. Can be a very useful general purpose line.
WF 4-9
Windcutter II A radical line for difficult conditions. Think tailing fish on hostile mornings in the Tassy Highlands. The long fine front taper loads a rod in close but for longer casts a thicker than normal belly kicks in to back up that front taper and drive the cast. Two coloured – grey with a yellow running line.
WF 3-8.
Clouser line A classic line for quick loading rods with big flies – This is the great fly line for tossing bass bugs – also excellent for big tandem nymph rigs (Think Tongariro River mid winter). Also a very good line for beginners because it loads rods so easily and for practise is visible in the air.
WF 4-12 Lt Chartreuse
Streamer Tip Line – has a 9.5ft clear intermediate tip. Great for fishing streamers that little bit deeper and for midge pupa fishing. Its built on Rio’s Clouser taper so is excellent for big flies in tough conditions.
WF 4-8
Rio Aqualux Full Intermediate. NO fly fisherman should be without an intermediate line. This is a line that will get you fish when all else fails – Go deeper man!!!!!! So often the fish are hanging off the edges of weed beds and feeding on damsels, mudeyes, and dozens of assorted different deeper food items. A line that can save and make your day. Also a great line for southern estuaries and inshore saltwater fly fishing. Also a superb impoundment and river bass line.
WFI 3-9
Density Compensated Sink tip line Comes in two versions – one with a 7 ft sink tip and the other with a 15 ft sink tip. These tips are highly specialised – they’re tapered and ALSO have their weight compensated with tungsten so the front sinks faster than the back – no more losing touch with your fly. Big river bass fishermen should also note this line!!!
Available in a range of sink speeds
7ft Tip – Type 6 only – 6-8 weights
15 ft Tip Type 3 - 4-9 weights.
Type 4 – 4-8 weights.
Type 6 – 6-9 weights.
This is a small selection of Rio’s premium fly lines for further information on their extensive range visit their web site www.rioproducts.com
Outbounds These are a specialised distance casting line – they are an integrated shooting head that comes in a VERY WIDE range of configurations from Floating to Hover (extremely slow sinking) through clear Intermediate to a type 8 that sinks like a stone. They have colour coded running lines and are extremely popular amongst many fly fishermen, but particularly amongst saltwater fly fishermen. The fastest sinking line is brilliant on the Tongariro and in any situation where you need to get a fly deep – think “fly fishing for snapper in current” and Type 8 Outbound leaps to mind. They load a rod very easily and are already weighted upwards as shooting heads should be (do not “upline” with these). The standard (non-tropical) version is ideal in the southern half of the continent.
T8 – T11 – and T14 Untapered specialised shooting head material sold in pre-cut 30 foot lengths or bulk spools. (8, 11, and 14 grains per foot – trim the head to suit your rod). Great for tiger country, strong currents, big weighty flies and fish that like to go into the reef. Excellent for fishing streamers deep on big rivers. Should be used in conjunction with Rio’s Slickshooter running line.
RIO FLY LINES FOR TROPICAL AUSTRALIA
EVERYDAY LINES
Tropical Clouser. - (floating) This is the best choice for fishing bulky surface flies and for shallow presentations on the billabongs and along the mangrove edges – especially good for dahlbergs and poppers.
Bonefish Line - (floating) Great for flats fishing where longer casts and pin point accuracy is required and smaller flies are used. Essential for Christmas Island and most northern shallow water flats fishing.
Saltwater Intermediate Tip (f/i)- Superb line for fishing mangrove edge flats, deeper flats, beaches, and for fishing slightly deeper in the billabongs. Perfect for shallow barra.
Saltwater Intermediate – THE single most important all round general purpose line from the billabongs and rivers to the bluewater pelagics. Slick and hard it handles the heat beautifully. It has a 15 foot clear intermediate tip as well, so you can get away with shorter leaders. Great Impoundment barra line as well.
Deep Sea - For fast flowing rivers during spring tides and for deep water fishing. This line turns over bulky flies with aplomb and sinks like a brick. Especially good when there’s plenty of current and the fish are holding deep.
SPECIALIST LINES
Leviathan range – For big fish in bad country where you need to “go ugly early”. The 70lb core in these lines makes fishing very heavy tippets viable.
Tropical Outbounds (floating and intermediate) These integrated shooting heads are great for long casts for those who aren’t familiar with using shooting heads. The thin running line really lets you boom them out there.
T14 – T11 & T8 - Customise fast sinking shooting heads with these unique and fantastic Rio products. Use either Rio’s Slickshooter monofilament flat beam running line or their level intermediate shooting line to make the ultimate in speed and distance fly lines and for fishing deep around wrecks and reefs. Customise head lengths to suit your favourite rod.
RIO’S IGFA HARD MONO tippet material is tough and brilliant for dealing with abrasive fish parts and gritty fishing situations. Available in 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, and 2 kg spools.