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Rio Grande Fly Line

Reviewed by Terry Lawton

Is fly fishing getting too complicated? For many people the answer must be yes. But for the technically-minded and those who like to use only the very latest equipment, the answer will be no. The range of rods, reels and lines is growing rapidly all the time. Where developments may not be helping the average angler is that rod and lines, in particular, are being designed and built for ever-more specific purposes. As the rod makers build faster rods, the line makers are producing special lines for these faster rods that are said to help them load better. This begs the question of whether the rods are badly designed, or simply too fast, if they can't be loaded satisfactorily with regular lines. If a line is going to be of real value to fishermen, surely it must have a reasonably wide range of use. Unless one measures the diameters of a selection of lines with a micrometer, it is difficult to know whether these news lines are that - new - or whether the manufacturers are simply calling a 7# line a 6#.

One of the latest lines from Rio, is the Rio Grande which is designed for use with fast-action rods. It is a floating line available in weights 4 to 8. The illustration of the line in the Rio catalogue shows that there is a seven foot level section behind the front taper which then tapers into the body, which is 18 feet, and through the six foot back taper into the running line. A complex compound taper in fact. This suggests that it it not just a standard weight forward line that has been re-numbered.

In use the line certainly loads a rod very well. I used it on a Redington Wayfarer 9' 6# and while this is not a fast rod, the line certainly loaded well and the slick finish helped it to shoot very well. Any caster who is looking for extra distance will get it with a Rio Grande line (perhaps not the extra 25 per cent that a certain manufacturing is guaranteeing!) without much extra effort. The line has more versatility than my earlier comments suggest and the shooting ability will be welcomed by many anglers. The line is produced using Rio's SlickShooter process which incorporates a self-lubricating coating so that the line will shoot better as well as staying clean. The line is nice to handle and feels round and smooth.

One interesting new feature of the Rio Grande line is the moulded loop on the front-end of the line. This means that you do not have to make your own loop or fit a braided loop. The loop means that the end of the line is sealed and this contributes to the line's ability to float all day without the end showing any sign of sinking.

All-in-all this is a premium-price line that does what it says on the box and can be recommended.

Guide Flyfishing supplied the Rio Grande line used for this test.