Running Line? How is it used?

[Super]

How is this stuff used? I'm not sure what this is for. Is it like backing line? Anyone?

 

[the river fox]

That is just non tapered fly line, typically it would be the section of line in the middle of a standard fly line.... I guess you would use it to lengthen a line??

 

[drumik]

How is this stuff used? I'm not sure what this is for. Is it like backing line? Anyone?

I'm using it with my spey rod. You still have to connect shooting head

Think about it as regular running line (thinner part) on your fly line.

It buys you convinience when you changing your shooting head without changing spools on your reel

 

[WBDluver]

Im not a salt water guy. but my friend when he lived in Rhode Island used it to get out there when fishing salt water. He used a shooting head which was about 30ft and double hauled. The heaver head would pull the running line behind it to give him distance. Kind of like when a spin fisherman throws a lure the heavier lure pulls the thin line behind it.

I used to use it for fishing for salmon a while back. I would use a high stick nymphing method and lead and lead my fly through a run. The thinner line had less resistance and got down quicker.

I am sure there are others on here that can explain it better

 

[flyman23]

Guys that fish chuck and duck up on the salmon river will use running line rather then regular WF or DT line. It's cheaper and cuts threw the water better when chuck and ducking. I have WF on my reel, I prefer indy fishing to swinging lead.

 

[Super]

Can you translate the diameter into a line weight? For example, is .027dia equivalent to a 5wt?

 

[Pete]

Can you translate the diameter into a line weight? For example, is .027dia equivalent to a 5wt?

I can't "translate" it, but that's not the point. It's not meant to be cast by itself.

It's used with a shooting head that has a "weight" specified.
It's purpose is to slide easily through the guides, just like the "running" (thin) section of a weight forward line.

A chuck & duck guy will use a weight/sinker instead of a shooting head.

~~~~~~~~~~EDIT~~~~~~~~~~~
In the days of silk lines, a "letter designation" was used to indicate diameter.
An "H" line measured .025" in diameter; a "G" was .030"; a "D" was .045"; a "C" was .050", etc.
Source: http://flyanglersonline.com/features/readerscast/rc150.php

Conversion chart (best estimate): http://css.sbcma.com/timj/flyline_chart.htm

The .031" line in your picture would be (roughly) a "G level" or 3 weight, .027" roughly a 2 weight (level)
but that's not the purpose of a running line....

 

[coolkyle]

By the way, you can make your own shooting head. For a 6wt rod, cast as much cheap 10wt line as it takes to perfectly load the rod, mark how much line it is (from the rod tip) and cut it. Attach to running line and there's your shooting head.

 

[mbwmn]

I've been playing w/ integrated shooting head lines from Rio on a 7wt and 8wt. Wow. There's a Rio Outbound Short that has a floating head "integrated" (one-peice, not tied or looped) into the running line. The shooting head is short (30ft?) and overweight for the rod. I can feed the head of the line out just past the guides and shoot 75+ feet on one backcast. I suspect a good caster would easily cast the entire line!
Fly Lines, Fly Leaders, and Fly Fishing Accessories - Rio OutBound® Short

Airflo makes an integrated shooting head called 40+.
I think SA makes one also.

 

[clearstream]

Can you translate the diameter into a line weight? For example, is .027dia equivalent to a 5wt?

It translates by weight (the shooting head, not the running line), and you can reference how many grains your rod is rated for, to accurately make your own shooting head from fly line, sinking line, even lead core line.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

I use a 150' level running line coupled to 36' shooting heads on my two handed saltwater rod. As others mentioned, it is not a "weighted line" because it is the same diameter on its entire length. It is mostly meant to be married to a shooting head system, but sounds like some use it differently for salmon. I add a loop on the top end to loop my heads onto. When I feel that loop to loop connection go through my top guide, I know I'm ready to make my two handed cast.

 

[Andy]

Elaborating on Pete's post: As mentioned, years back our braided silk, and even braided nylon and braided Dacron flylines, were rated by diameter. For example, HDH was a double tapered line roughly equivilant to today's 6-weight lines. The problem was that lines made from different materials, and with different finishes, had different weights from one manufacturer to another. Consequently, they loaded fly rods and casted differently. Today's AFTMA standard is based on the first 30 feet exclusive of any tip on the taper, which means every line must now fall within a set of rating tolerences making them cast similarly. Your line's diameter is not necessarily proportional to a specific line weight, therefore, that is unimportant. This is especially true when you consider things like modern-day flotation air bubble finishes and mono cores which can change both a line's diameter and weight.

Before the advent of shooting heads, level (L) fly lines were primarily used for trolling and bait or lure fishing with a fly rod.

 

[theartoflee]

Some people such as Joe Humphrey use running line with a slinky(lead Sack). A crude hand tied leader is attached to the running line and the slinkey is attached via a snap swivel to the butt section the leader. He uses this method in his video a casting approach to nymphing.

There is video of him fishing the Yellowsone river with the slinky and running line. This is how a lot of people used to fish the fly zones on the slammin river which lead to the new regs in the upper and lower fly zone. To manny people flossing lineing and snagging fish.

 

[CatskillKid]

One thing people don't consider with running lines is at what point do they become so thin as to be prone to tangle. A great example of this was the Rio Outbound Integrated Shooting Head Lines. They were incredibly cool to throw around in a parking lot or at the Rio Ice Rink (where lines are tested) but so thin that practical fishing with them is kind of annoying as they are very quick to tangle. They do go like missles though. Why? The thinner the line and the heavier the head, the farther it goes (providing collapse point isn't caused).

I experimented back in the day with braided spyder line and home made shooting heads from cut back DT lines. I got ridunculous distances out of them but MAN did they tangle. Obviously, a stripping basket is the wrong method to house the line...WHOAAAAAAA.

That's when I invented a whole new type of Fishing that is so top secret I'm not allowed to talk about it now. But I can tell you that it isn't fly fishing and it isn't spin casting either. It's inbetween. If anyone asks, I will spill my guts and sing like a bird because I really can't keep secrets and no one dares to market it anyway, but you have to ask nice ok. All I can furthermore hint to is: Would a POOR or BARELY AVERAGE caster like to throw a fly line over 150 feet with total ease? If I do tell you, it will cause you to have to try it for yourself and maybe you'll make millions. If you do, cool for you.

 

[Simms]

One thing people don't consider with running lines is at what point do they become so thin as to be prone to tangle. A great example of this was the Rio Outbound Integrated Shooting Head Lines. They were incredibly cool to throw around in a parking lot or at the Rio Ice Rink (where lines are tested) but so thin that practical fishing with them is kind of annoying as they are very quick to tangle. They do go like missles though. Why? The thinner the line and the heavier the head, the farther it goes (providing collapse point isn't caused).

I experimented back in the day with braided spyder line and home made shooting heads from cut back DT lines. I got ridunculous distances out of them but MAN did they tangle. Obviously, a stripping basket is the wrong method to house the line...WHOAAAAAAA.

That's when I invented a whole new type of Fishing that is so top secret I'm not allowed to talk about it now. But I can tell you that it isn't fly fishing and it isn't spin casting either. It's inbetween. If anyone asks, I will spill my guts and sing like a bird because I really can't keep secrets and no one dares to market it anyway, but you have to ask nice ok. All I can furthermore hint to is: Would a POOR or BARELY AVERAGE caster like to throw a fly line over 150 feet with total ease? If I do tell you, it will cause you to have to try it for yourself and maybe you'll make millions. If you do, cool for you.

:sleeping:

 

[Pete]

One thing people don't consider with running lines is at what point do they become so thin as to be prone to tangle. A great example of this was the Rio Outbound Integrated Shooting Head Lines. They were incredibly cool to throw around in a parking lot or at the Rio Ice Rink (where lines are tested) but so thin that practical fishing with them is kind of annoying as they are very quick to tangle. They do go like missles though. Why? The thinner the line and the heavier the head, the farther it goes (providing collapse point isn't caused).

I experimented back in the day with braided spyder line and home made shooting heads from cut back DT lines. I got ridunculous distances out of them but MAN did they tangle. Obviously, a stripping basket is the wrong method to house the line...WHOAAAAAAA.

That's when I invented a whole new type of Fishing that is so top secret I'm not allowed to talk about it now. But I can tell you that it isn't fly fishing and it isn't spin casting either. It's inbetween. If anyone asks, I will spill my guts and sing like a bird because I really can't keep secrets and no one dares to market it anyway, but you have to ask nice ok. All I can furthermore hint to is: Would a POOR or BARELY AVERAGE caster like to throw a fly line over 150 feet with total ease? If I do tell you, it will cause you to have to try it for yourself and maybe you'll make millions. If you do, cool for you.

If you hadn't given an east coast location in your profile...???
Spinning reel for fly-fishing - Google Patent Search
OR
Spinning reel for fly-fishing - US Patent 4436254 Description