# What flylines for 5 or 6 wt for salt water?



## birdyshooter (Sep 17, 2019)

I just picked up a SA Grand Slam in 6wt. Seems fine in the yard, but haven't had it on the water yet. The rod will dictate the line more than anything. Some rods will easily do better with a 7wt on them. I'd say go with a decent 6wt. The difference between a 5wt and 6wt are rather large.


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## ryc72 (Oct 18, 2020)

For heavier flies sa grand slam. If you get the textured line make sure you have stripping guards. Rio dc flats pro in 6wt is nice too. Not salt specific but the sa mpx works just fine as well.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

SA Amplitude Bonefish in 5wt


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## Brandon Alexander (Jun 6, 2017)

I have the Cortland Flats Taper on my 5 wt, throws small weighted shrimp flies well for reds. 

Monic also makes the Henley and no stretch sky line in the smaller sizes. I'm a big fan of the Henley clear line at a $60ish price point, and the no stretch is intriguing for some people.


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## TXJM (Aug 14, 2020)

I really appreciate everyone’s replies. It is a big help. 
Chip


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

I fish my 6wt all the time here in Galveston. My favorite line for my 6wt rods is SA Mastery bonefish. I throw that on my 697-4 Sage One and my 690-4 Sage Xi3 with excellent performance. The other line I really like is Rio Redfish. It is an overweight line with a fairly short front taper but is really good when pushing flies that are getting big for a 6wt.


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## TXJM (Aug 14, 2020)

jay.bush1434 said:


> I fish my 6wt all the time here in Galveston. My favorite line for my 6wt rods is SA Mastery bonefish. I throw that on my 697-4 Sage One and my 690-4 Sage Xi3 with excellent performance. The other line I really like is Rio Redfish. It is an overweight line with a fairly short front taper but is really good when pushing flies that are getting big for a 6wt.


What line weight are you using on your 6 wt rods? I am running the rio redfish 9wt on a 8wt rod and I like it
Chip


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## karstopo (Nov 28, 2019)

I‘ve got a couple of 6 weights I use for inshore Texas. The fiberglass Echo BAG Quickshot and a G.Loomis IMX-Pro. They both cast 6 weight SA mastery Redfish taper just fine. That line is good enough in most weather and for the typical redfish crack, shrimp or baitfish patterns. I have also used a SA 6 weight titan taper with those rods.

I have a 7’ 5 weight fiberglass CGR, used to be called a 4/5 weight, I’ve got 5 weight SA bonefish line paired with that rod. Definitely not a wind rod, more of a novelty, but it can cast lighter redfish patterns well enough and far enough on the right lower wind day. The 7’6” 5/6 weight CGR is much more capable in ordinary wind and with bigger patterns.

I almost always bring along a 6 weight on my inshore, Marsh, bay and surf excursions. The 5 weight rarely comes along, I have to remember to bring it. The six weight is plenty of thrill for me on most fish. I guess the 5 weight could be nice on days if everything was dinks, babies and the like.


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## VANMflyfishing (Nov 11, 2019)

SA titan taper long - bomb proof line


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

TXJM said:


> What line weight are you using on your 6 wt rods? I am running the rio redfish 9wt on a 8wt rod and I like it
> Chip


On my 6wts, 160gr SA Amplitude bonefish (had to look, they don't make Mastery bonefish in 6wt, so I had to get the Amplitude) I do have a 6wt spooled up with Rio Redfish. They don't publish line head weights but I know it is a + weight line. Still casts good on the rod its on.

What 8wt rod are you casting? My 8wt Sage Maverick really likes the Mastery Bonefish (210gr).


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## TXJM (Aug 14, 2020)

karstopo said:


> I‘ve got a couple of 6 weights I use for inshore Texas. The fiberglass Echo BAG Quickshot and a G.Loomis IMX-Pro. They both cast 6 weight SA mastery Redfish taper just fine. That line is good enough in most weather and for the typical redfish crack, shrimp or baitfish patterns. I have also used a SA 6 weight titan taper with those rods.
> 
> I have a 7’ 5 weight fiberglass CGR, used to be called a 4/5 weight, I’ve got 5 weight SA bonefish line paired with that rod. Definitely not a wind rod, more of a novelty, but it can cast lighter redfish patterns well enough and far enough on the right lower wind day. The 7’6” 5/6 weight CGR is much more capable in ordinary wind and with bigger patterns.
> 
> I almost always bring along a 6 weight on my inshore, Marsh, bay and surf excursions. The 5 weight rarely comes along, I have to remember to bring it. The six weight is plenty of thrill for me on most fish. I guess the 5 weight could be nice on days if everything was dinks, babies and the like.


I am kinda looking at this as something to play around with the small stuff. but it sounds like a 6 might be a little more versitile and not much heavier to cast.


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## TXJM (Aug 14, 2020)

jay.bush1434 said:


> On my 6wts, 160gr SA Amplitude bonefish (had to look, they don't make Mastery bonefish in 6wt, so I had to get the Amplitude) I do have a 6wt spooled up with Rio Redfish. They don't publish line head weights but I know it is a + weight line. Still casts good on the rod its on.
> 
> What 8wt rod are you casting? My 8wt Sage Maverick really likes the Mastery Bonefish (210gr).



Im casting a TFO, I think it is the Pro 2. I am looking at the BVK in a 5 or 6wt. It sounds like the 6 wt might be easier to find line for.


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

jay.bush1434 said:


> My 8wt Sage Maverick really likes the Mastery Bonefish (210gr).


give Rio Bonefish Quickshooter a go on that rod, I have found it a fantastic redfish setup. Quick to load without going too heavy and can get great distance and turnover.


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## birdyshooter (Sep 17, 2019)

TXJM said:


> Im casting a TFO, I think it is the Pro 2. I am looking at the BVK in a 5 or 6wt. It sounds like the 6 wt might be easier to find line for.


I have a TFO Ticrx in 6wt that I might part ways with.


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## WatermanGB (Jan 25, 2019)

Cortland Redfish taper


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## jamie (Jan 22, 2016)

I throw the rio redfish on on 6wt method in the Texas salt.


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

TXJM said:


> Im casting a TFO, I think it is the Pro 2. I am looking at the BVK in a 5 or 6wt. It sounds like the 6 wt might be easier to find line for.


That Pro2 is a little bit slower action rod that bends a lot deeper into the blank. Seems like that rod would be overweighted casting a 9wt line on an 8wt rod. Bet it loads quick though. You'll like the BVK 691-4 (has the fighting butt). It is a light in hand rod, sensitive and fast action. Pairs really nice with Rio Redfish and Rio Flats Pro.


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## TXJM (Aug 14, 2020)

jay.bush1434 said:


> That Pro2 is a little bit slower action rod that bends a lot deeper into the blank. Seems like that rod would be overweighted casting a 9wt line on an 8wt rod. Bet it loads quick though. You'll like the BVK 691-4 (has the fighting butt). It is a light in hand rod, sensitive and fast action. Pairs really nice with Rio Redfish and Rio Flats Pro.


I bought it and was using an unknown 8wt line on a reel I picked up at the same time. I could not feel the rod load. I went ahead and moved up to 9 wt to make sure I could feel it. It does load quickly which is fine most of the time. If I get too much line out or too much wind kills me.


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## TXJM (Aug 14, 2020)

jackson man said:


> Do you double haul when trying to carry line for the longer casts?


Kinda. It has been 30 years since I have done much with a fly. At that time I was using a double haul but was not dealing with wind. Now it is more of a crappy haul on the back cast with a decent haul on the forward cast. I know I need more lawn time.


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## brokeoff (Sep 2, 2016)

jackson man said:


> I think that if you really concentrate on hauling on both forward and back casts you’ll eliminate that aerial line sag that it sounds like you’re experiencing.


Line sag might also be a power application issue. I get it a lot and it seems to disappear when I concentrate on a smooth acceleration to a stop.


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## Ken T (Dec 10, 2015)

Wulff Bermuda Triangle comes in 5 wt. Last winter I rigged a BVK #5 and an Axiom #5 with these lines. Excellent performance with both rods. These have a heavy head and throwing long is an easy task. Since I began using these lines I quickly noticed how clients I guide regularly picked up significant distance with no change to their stroke. The heavier head and the color change make loading the rod very intuitive. They also held up well under everyday use. It was difficult to fish any other rod on the flats for trout after setting these up. My clients love fishing the lighter rods.

Ken


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

TXJM said:


> Kinda. It has been 30 years since I have done much with a fly. At that time I was using a double haul but was not dealing with wind. Now it is more of a crappy haul on the back cast with a decent haul on the forward cast. I know I need more lawn time.


I'd suggest getting some lessons to tune up your cast. Getting the mechanics of a good basic cast correct is everything in fly casting. One of my instructors told me that if I make a bad cast with a haul, all I'm getting is a bad cast going a lot faster. Pick up and lay down drills with about 20-25' of line, casting at a target, and no hauling is an excellent drill.


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## RJTaylor (Oct 4, 2017)

Really hard to find a 5wt saltwater line, that isn't a 7wt in disguise. I had Monic GSP(true weight) on my Predator 5wt, and found it to be a little gutless in the wind.


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## Jaterac (Jul 30, 2020)

No one uses wulff lines anymore...

SA GPX or any mastery series is nice. Personally I don’t go less than 8wt in salt.


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## TXJM (Aug 14, 2020)

jay.bush1434 said:


> On my 6wts, 160gr SA Amplitude bonefish (had to look, they don't make Mastery bonefish in 6wt, so I had to get the Amplitude) I do have a 6wt spooled up with Rio Redfish. They don't publish line head weights but I know it is a + weight line. Still casts good on the rod its on.
> 
> What 8wt rod are you casting? My 8wt Sage Maverick really likes the Mastery Bonefish (210gr).


I looked at my tfo 8wt. It is the TicrX .


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

jackson man said:


> I've had decent success with the Joan Wulff, Triangle taper, Bermuda Shorts line (lightest line comes in 7wt.). The line has a short, compact head that's very useful for casting with minimal false casts. This line may overload a 5wt. too much but may work well with the 6wt. (assuming that it is fairly stiff).


This - but, the line doesn't come in a 6 wt. I have the 7 wt on a Scott Tidal and it is the perfect redfish rod - it can get out quickly and excels at close in shots, but can be put out far as well.

Definitely look at the grains on the line if they are published. Rio used to make only one redfish line and it was 290 grains for an 8 wt line, which is more like a 10 wt line. I am not a fan of over lining rods, it teaches bad mechanics. Its great for guides who get the once a year guy on the nose so casting isn't a struggle all day, but not good for someone who fishes a lot and actively trying to improve their cast. Rio now makes two redfish lines, summer and winter. The winter is still closer to a 10 wt for the 8 wt size (280 grains), but the summer is just one size up (240 grains for 8 wt).

I am a big fan of Wulff Bermuda Triangle taper lines - I use them from 6 to 12 wt, including the ghost tip intermediate on my 8 and 9 and 10, and the Shorts on my 7 for reds like I said. I suggest choosing a line with a shorter head so you can turn over larger flies more quickly and be able to load for those close in shots. I would not fish a 5 wt, 6 is really the minimum - that is due to fly size needed for reds, dealing with the wind, and also fish mortality. I fish a 7 since we can get some bigger fish where I go (not LA size fish, but can be upper single digits and low double digits), and even then, some of these fish kick our butts.


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

TXJM said:


> I looked at my tfo 8wt. It is the TicrX .


That's a great rod. It's definitely a fast rod, so a line like SA Grand Slam or Rio Redfish are good choices. Both are +weighted lines and both have short front tapers that can help load a fast rod a little easier.


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## birdyshooter (Sep 17, 2019)

I have 2 Ticrx rods. A 6wt and 8wt. I can say without a doubt they need to be over lined by 1 to 1.5 line weights. Anything at standard AFFTA weights will not load these rods at typical fishing ranges or head lengths. It's not a matter of "feel" it's a matter of mechanics. They need the weight to function properly.


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## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

coconutgroves said:


> This - but, the line doesn't come in a 6 wt. I have the 7 wt on a Scott Tidal and it is the perfect redfish rod - it can get out quickly and excels at close in shots, but can be put out far as well.
> 
> Definitely look at the grains on the line if they are published. Rio used to make only one redfish line and it was 290 grains for an 8 wt line, which is more like a 10 wt line. I am not a fan of over lining rods, it teaches bad mechanics. Its great for guides who get the once a year guy on the nose so casting isn't a struggle all day, but not good for someone who fishes a lot and actively trying to improve their cast. Rio now makes two redfish lines, summer and winter. The winter is still closer to a 10 wt for the 8 wt size (280 grains), but the summer is just one size up (240 grains for 8 wt).
> 
> I am a big fan of Wulff Bermuda Triangle taper lines - I use them from 6 to 12 wt, including the ghost tip intermediate on my 8 and 9 and 10, and the Shorts on my 7 for reds like I said. I suggest choosing a line with a shorter head so you can turn over larger flies more quickly and be able to load for those close in shots. I would not fish a 5 wt, 6 is really the minimum - that is due to fly size needed for reds, dealing with the wind, and also fish mortality. I fish a 7 since we can get some bigger fish where I go (not LA size fish, but can be upper single digits and low double digits), and even then, some of these fish kick our butts.


So do you drop a line size when using the Trangle taper stuff since all those lines are at least(overlined) one size heavier? The 7wt shows 225 and 8wt is 243.


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## ryc72 (Oct 18, 2020)

Big fan of Wulff ambush lines. A lil clunky but with one back cast you can shoot em 60+ ft with no problem. I’ve yet to try a triangle taper line but everyone that fishes one swears by them.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

TheAdamsProject said:


> So do you drop a line size when using the Trangle taper stuff since all those lines are at least(overlined) one size heavier? The 7wt shows 225 and 8wt is 243.


No, get the actual line weight for your rod with Wulff. They are about a half weight heavier by design. Today's rods are much faster than when the original line weights were published and that extra weight does help load the road and give it more feel in many cases. What I recommend to avoid is buying line that is more than 1 weight heavier, up to 2 weights heavier, like the original Rio redfish and their new winter redfish line.


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