Product Reviews by Doug Macnair©

 

Cortland Line's Triad Series

The 444 Sylk, 444 Trout, & the 555 High-Float Dyna Tip.

By Doug Macnair

 

Cortland’s SylkÔ - A 444 Classic Line 

It seems not so very long ago that fly fishing wasn’t quite as simple as the sport we know today.  In the “good old days,” the Pflueger Medalist was the fly reel of choice for ever so many folks.  It wasn’t fancy -- held together with screws that seemed to loosen at the wrong time, equipped with a less than perfect fabric drag, and a rimless spool that couldn’t be palmed, it nevertheless caught lots of fish (and fishermen).  To be sure, the Medalist will outlive me; it remains available today.

In those earlier days, rods were typically fabricated of bamboo or cane … over time some came to be regarded as works of art and are now incredibly expensive; others were not.  Lacking the smooth casting action imparted by the craftsman’s hand, these rods were, then and now, best described as “fishable.”  My first fly rod, an 8.5-feet “no-name,” falls into this later category.  Please don’t misunderstand—way back then, it was a big deal!  You see, the rod was a gift from Gordon Tripp, the owner of a family resort where I spent the summer working.  Situated near Bailey, Colorado on the South Platte, Glenn Isle, as it was known, was the perfect spot for a youngster wanting, more than anything else, to catch a trout.  I clearly remember the moment when Gordon helped me rig the rod!  Shortly thereafter my first trout was a done deal.  The rod is intact and remains with me today – still fishable after all this time.

  In the “old” days, a quality fly fishing line was typically fabricated of braided silk.  These lines were lovely to behold, soft and subtle products worthy of being worn by the finest bamboo rods available.  Of course, silk lines did have a drawback: they were maintenance intensive.  A day of fly fishing was a day extended in time because of the requirement to care for the fly line.  No one I ever heard of simply tossed reel and line into the car trunk to wait cleaning for another day…

 It’s been said that anyone who fishes a bamboo rod will never forget the experience or the rod, or, for that matter, tossing a silk line.  For me, it's true ... It follows that when Cortland announced the new Classic 444 SylkÔ line, I was one of the first to ask for the chance to put the line through its paces … I think you can guess where the name “Sylk” came from.  The name recalls the classic silks of yesterday.  That's a memory I seem to dwell upon…

  I believe that Cortland’s Classic Sylk is the first synthetic line ever designed that recreates the original appearance and unique performance of the finest natural silk lines from the past … but without the requirement for extensive maintenance or the extraordinary high cost usually associated.  After all, who really wants to return home after a long day on the water only to spend even more time cleaning and dressing a dirty fly line with such stuff as linseed oil?

 I can imagine the discussion that must have gone on within Cortland’s corporate walls when the suggestion was brought up to make a new “silk” line.  Imagine the issues:  go through the R & D process to create a new line that was - so to speak – old?  Then produce, distribute, and retail it?  Human nature being what it is, there must have been those who were skeptical of the line’s success; thus, they were  pitted against those who were optimistic, believing the fly fishers’ interest in classic tackle was a niche market worth exploring.  Logic suggests that resurrecting the manufacture of actual silk lines would be an economic risk likely to fail in the end; but a synthetic that emulates the actual silk?  Why not?  Good question … and so, those in doubt gave way.  Now, whether this synopsis represents what actually happened, I know not … but I do know that I couldn’t be more pleased that the optimists won. 

 I’ve long argued that the fly line is the most critical aspect of the fly fishing system - if you will allow me to call rod, line, leader, and reel a system.  I think the 444 Sylk proves the point.  It offers the legendary performance of a true silk line but without the maintenance and high cost usually associated.  Designed to satisfy the avid bamboo and fiberglass angler, the 444 Classic Sylk fly line is butter-soft and a bit smaller in diameter than traditional synthetic floating lines.  That makes it the line of choice for traditional action rod anglers, including those fishing earlier rod designs that have smaller guides.  Without a doubt, Cortland's technicians have designed the Sylk in a color that nearly matches the look of a traditional silk line freshly treated with linseed oil.  With the advent of this line, there can be no doubt that “Hi-Tech” continues to improve the sport.  I hasten to add that Cortland’s Sylk has absolutely no memory… 

As I sat and fondled the line, my mind flashed back recalling ever so many images now long past.  With the look and touch of the original silk, I decided to initially rig the Sylk to one of my old Pflueger Medalist 1494s.  To me, that seemed appropriate.  I then decided to make my first casts with the old bamboo rod I mentioned earlier.  While I’ve gotten older and perhaps gained in my skill from experience, nothing much has happened to make the old rod any better than it was originally.  Re-acquainted, I re-learned that the rod remains fishable -- it comfortably threw 60-feet with Cortland’s Sylk.  Not to bad for a rod that’s now 54 years old and certainly not one in the class of an Eden Cane or rare Granger.  More importantly, it says something about the line.  The old rod and the way it responded to the line made an impression on me – the Sylk is indeed a very different fly line.   

The next rod I selected for this review was an Orvis Madison 6-weight, 8.5-footer.  For those who might not recognize the name, the Madison is crafted of impregnated bamboo and an Orvis classic.  I love mine.  As it turned out, I couldn’t have been more pleased with the marriage of the Sylk Rocket Taper and the Madison.  To me, the two seemed to have been waiting for each other.  Smooth casts near or far and superb accuracy were the order of the day.  Want high line speed and tight loops?  No sweat!  How about open loops for a soft and gentle presentation?  Not a problem!  Need to do some accurate backhand casts?  Consider it done!  Whatever I asked, this mated pair delivered.  The experience was an absolute joy.  Little wonder that Gray’s Sporting Journal awarded the Cortland’s Sylk line their "Gray's Best" award for 2005.  Fish a Bamboo?  You owe it to yourself to purchase one of these lines and see for yourself how well it performs. 

I next tried the Sylk on two of my other favorites:  one, a little 6-foot custom fiberglass that dates to 1962, the other, a retro-glass Hardy Perfection 7.5-footer.  The little custom fiberglass performed admirably, despite the fact that the Sylk was equipped with a 12-foot 4x leader … a long leader for a little rod.  I was also very pleased with the Hardy Perfection.  Known for its soft traditional action, gentle presentation and more open loops, it did exactly what it was designed to do … A woman who was observing my cast remarked, “Gee, that’s so pretty…” 

The last rod used in this review was a Sage 8.5-foot RPL Graphite III.  This is a rod I like so much I think it’s fair to mimic Charlton Heston when he said:  “They will have to pry it from my dead hands.”  The marriage of the Sylk to the Sage RPL turned out to be a “made-my-day” experience.  I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that it came as a bit of a surprise.  Knowing the Sylk was primarily designed for those throwing cane or fiberglass rods along with a lot of nostalgia, I was somewhat in doubt as to how the line would function on a fairly fast graphite rod like the Sage.  The results attained set aside any of my doubts.  In truth, the Cortland’s Sylk enabled some of the longest casts I’ve ever made with the little RPL.  That’s saying quite a lot.  Frankly, I would be hard pressed not to make this the #1 line for the little rod.  Tight loops and effortless turnovers with all the precision one could ever ask were the norm.  Absolutely amazing! 

Before closing this product review, Cortland’s packaging deserves a word of special mention.  In a word, it’s great!  The loaded spool is encased in a very neat plastic box that is perfectly suited for line storage.  From my point of view, it beats the heck out of a cardboard box.  Besides, it contains an interactive CD that includes just about everything you ever wanted to know about Cortland’s fly lines.  Simply slip it into your computer’s CD slot and sit back while it loads.  For beginners it is a very useful tool; for those more advanced, it will assist in determining what line to try next including the specifics of head length, belly, and running line.

I can say with certainty – Cortland’s Sylk deserves “Gray’s Best” award for 2005.  Happily, other weights are on the way.  There is no doubt in my military mind … I believe Cortland’s Sylk is destined to become a classic in every sense of the word.        

 

 Cortland’s 444SL Precision Tapers - Featuring the Trout, WF-5.5-F 

As a follow on to the review of Cortland’s superb Sylk fly line, this review of the 444SL Precision Taper continues the discussion of Cortland’s most recent innovations in fly line design...  Also included free, at no cost to you, is a little more nostalgia from that time long ago when reels were reels and men were fly fishers.  

 Take another look at the title of this article.  Does the term, WF-5.5-F catch your eye?  It should … You are looking at the first line that purports to be a half-step between the standard 5 and 6-weight lines you and I have known for years.  Is this a significant development?  Absolutely! 

For those of you who have not read my on-line manuscript, Fly Fishing for the Rest of UsÓ, it’s worth noting that I consider the combination of fly line and line weight to be to the two most critical aspects of the sport -- certainly more important than the fly rod or fly reel.  It’s important to understand that the weight of a fly line is the only standard in fly fishing.

In days long gone by, chaos reined when it came to describing a line that accurately fitted this or that fly rod.  The fact is no standard existed for anything in the fly fishing industry, much less fly lines.  Consequently, most folks operated on different wave-lengths because fly lines were still being made several ways.  Then one day, the folks in AFTMA (the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association) got together and standardized line weights.  This was then, and remains today, a big deal -- for the first time fly fishers had a constant between themselves, makers, and manufacturers.

 Here's how the AFTMA standards work:  Lines are rated by the weight in grains contained in the first 30-feet of the line.  Why 30 feet?  It was agreed that 30-feet represented a reasonable length of line required to initially load the rod during the backcast.  The chart to the right reflects the weights adopted by AFTMA.  The important thing to remember is that these weights apply to only the first 30-feet of fly line.  To this day, no other standard exists in the fly fishing industry.  Everything else – rod, reel, backing, and/or the remainder of the line – is left to the eyes of the beholder. 

Unfortunately, there are variables in the manufacturing process that prohibit meeting these ideals.  There is apt to be some variance, batch to batch, of a given line.  Mixing the ingredients of core and coating as well as the designer’s taper is precise – but not perfectly so.  It just doesn’t happen that way … So, the AFTMA standards allow for an acceptable weight range for each line weight as reflected in this depiction.  This range in line weights is important to our discussion.

 Depending on the particular batch of lines, it’s quite possible that any 5-weight line you buy is not going to weigh AFTMA’s ideal of 140-grains.  More than likely it will fall to one side or the other – either a bit heavy or a bit light.  Note that a “heavy” 5 is very close to a “light” 6, a difference of only 6-grains.  Reverse the situation to a “light” 5 and a “heavy” 6 and the results are a very meaningful 34-grains in weight.  This sort of difference can account for some otherwise inexplicable results in the casting abilities of two competent casters armed with similar systems.  Add in the fact that there is more than one “expert” who recommends overlining by one weight and what otherwise would seem a simple subject becomes quite complex.    

Now comes the Cortland Precision Taper with its 5.5-weight … and why not?  Fly rod actions vary a great deal these days, ranging from very stiff, through those that “bend here but not there,” to those that “bend a whole bunch everywhere.”  Throw in the variable of the fly caster and his or her casting stroke and the line matched to the fly caster and rod becomes critical for maximum efficiency.  I can see a place for the 5.5 and perhaps two or three more half-step lines. 

Please understand that I ordinarily advocate staying with the manufacturer’s suggested line recommendations or, in the case of the heavier weights 6-9, underlining by one weight depending on the circumstances.  As for the concept of overlining, it might enable a neophyte to feel the rod load, but other than that it’s a great way to sell replacement fly rods.

 Is there a bottom line to the importance of line weight?  You bet!  It’s in the amount of line you aerialize in making the cast.  Consider for a moment that while you and I now know the weight in grains for the first 30-feet of our line, we don’t know the weight of the remainder that typically includes the rest of the head, its rear taper, and the running line … An interesting thought?  It should be, because for every ten to fifteen feet we add to the initial 30 hanging in the air, we effectively add another line weight to the load carried by the rod.  Said another way: a 5-weight line becomes the equivalent of a 6-weight when 40-feet of line are aerialized, a 7-weight with 60 to 65-feet in the air, etc.  At some point, of course, our 5-weight rod will overload resulting in either a collapsed cast or worse, a broken rod … When that happens, The Ancient Fish Gods laugh and laugh.

 When the time came to load the 444SL WF-5.5-F to a reel, a wave of nostalgia led me to select a rather old Shakespeare Speedex.  Made in England years ago, the Speedex is a multiplier.  Applied to this reel, the term, multiplier, simply means that a full single turn of the handle during the retrieve doubles the line retrieved (2:1 ratio) in contrast to the line retrieved by the ordinary 1:1 ratio found on most reels of today.

 Why use the Speedex?  Easy!  I wanted to strike back against today’s “large arbor” fad.  My Speedex recovers line just as fast, if not faster, than one of those popularized large hulks.  And I hasten to add that with its narrow spool, recovering line is a simple task, and laying it to the spool even simpler compared to one of those wide-mouth large arbor monsters .  Like almost anything else in world, for every action there is a reaction…

 The Speedex is/was similar in construction to the old Pflueger Medalist, except the frame standoffs were riveted as opposed to being screwed together.  More importantly, the exposed spool enables palming, increasing the drag capabilities that otherwise are left to the clicker.  Is it a good reel?  You bet!  While the guts of the reel used fabrics (the exact formulation I know not) they wear well with age, given nothing more than ordinary care.  As you wander around antique stores and the many flea markets that abound, keep your eyes out for a Speedex Multiplier. 

 I predict the multiplier with return to the fly fishing scene … For most situations, it seems a far better solution to line recovery than the large arbor reel.  Of course, when it does return, the multiplier will be hyped as the greatest step forward in fly fishing since the stick and vine.  (You and I, of course, will know that’s bunk—even as we rush out to buy one…)      

  My Speedex fell in love with the 5.5.  Together, the two performed beautifully depending on the rods to which they were attached … and there were many.  Because of the unique half-step of Cortland’s 5.5 in the AFTMA standards, I ran up and down the scale during this review using rods with weights ranging from 4 through 7, according to the manufacturer’s label. 

The Precision Tapers of the 444SL series, according to Cortland, is designed to assure a smooth turnover of the fly.  Driven by the diversity in rod actions and weight rating - always a variable - Cortland suggests that the half-steps in line weights will enable the fly fisher to more perfectly match his or her casting stroke and fly rod to their fishing environment.  My experience suggests that Cortland is on the right track.  None of my 4-weights liked the 5.5 other than for close-in work; all of my 5-weights cast the line without difficulty – one, a particularly fast rod, took a liking to the 5.5 and tossed very long lines.  Of the batch of 6-weights, one took to the 5.5 as if they were made for each other.  It threw the best of the entire group.  No question that a 7-weight will also throw the 5.5, but not as a preferred diet.

 I was impressed with the results … the difference between 140, 150, and/or 160 grains might not seem a lot, but the effect on the cast - given a specific rod - can be remarkable, especially when the cast is going for distance.  There isn’t any question in my mind that the results rest in the sum of the casting stroke, the rod’s action, and the fly line’s characteristics.  The 5.5 will give you very precise and easy presentations that all of us strive for.  I could not ask for greater accuracy, particularly in the 50 to 70-foot range. 

 With the 5.5, Cortland has given us not only a new line but also a line with new features.  For example, the 5.5. has a new front taper called the Rocket 2.  It’s designed with more weight up front and has an especially long back taper to enhance aerialization.  To this, add the slickest line coating yet from Cortland called Duraslick.  The outer coating is fully guaranteed for the life of the line.  Finally, the 5.5 sports a two-tone color to make it very simple to recognize the maximum load point.  Deciding where to lift into the backcast has never been simpler.  I just wish all manufacturers would follow suit in this practice.

  The 444SL Precision Tapers follow-on in the new packaging treatment I complimented in the review of the Sylk.  Along with the line, an interactive CD and cleaning pad are all incorporated into a very reusable plastic case.  As I said before, it beats the heck out of a cardboard box.  For beginners, the CD is a very useful tool; for those more advanced, it will assist in determining what line to try next, including the specifics of head length, belly, and running line.

 If you have a very fast 5-weight rod, or some other 5 or 6-weight that seems hard to please, I would be the first to recommend trying the Cortland WF-5.5-F.  It may just prove to be the perfect line for you.  And keep in mind that whatever does it best for you is the very best there is!       

 

 

Cortland’s 555 High Float Dyna-Tip - Featuring the WF-5-F 

 This report rounds out the Triad of reviews dealing with Cortland’s fly line highlights for 2005.  Thus far, we’ve covered the 444 Sylk and the 444SL Precision Taper, now comes the 555 High Float Dyna-Tip.  It is the final nail in what is one of the finest crafted coffins in the world -- it’s the only coffin that I know of that will make your fly fishing game more alive than ever.  I call that a creative coffin ...  And since a coffin is a vault of sorts, it seems a good place safeguard these lines when not in use – they are valuable!

  The 555 High Float Dyna-Tip.  This is a great addition to a continuing history of great fly lines.  The High Float does just exactly that – float high.  That means, of course, less effort on your part when lifting into the backcast.  It also means less disturbance to the water’s surface during the lift.  Remember those roster-tails you usually have?  They become a thing of the past, provided of course, that you don’t get sloppy in your casting stroke. 

 Unlike most of the other 555s, the High Float does not have a chambered mono core; instead, the core is braided nylon.  Other than that, the High Float enjoys the attributes of the remainder of the 555 family.  Let there be no doubt, the Cortland High Float is one helluva line.  Perhaps more remarkably than anything else, it’s purported to have the lowest specific gravity in the industry.  (I’ve heard it’s less than 6.)  Little wonder it floats so high!  To be sure, it is a joy to handle.

 So how does it cast?  From what’s already been said, if you guessed “fantastic,” you guessed correctly.  Supple, durable, no memory, and with a great guarantee, it would be hard to wish for more.  My longest measured cast is/was 101-feet.  I think that borders on the fantastic for a 5-weight … I think you will agree.  Quite candidly, I was amazed.  While I had other long casts with this rig, I may never repeat this accomplishment again.

 I use this as a simple example to amplify what this line can do in the hands of the skilled caster armed with the right rod, leader and tippet.  Distance, however, is but a small part of the fly fishing game.  There are few, if any, situations that warrant extreme distance.  If you’ve had trouble throwing 60 to 70-feet, I highly recommend the 555 High Float.  I’m certain you will attain your goal.

  Long casting is one thing, catching fish quite another.  Of the two, I highly commend catching fish.  You can of course use string … but if you want big fish try this line.  If a line can make a difference the High Float will.  What more can I say … tip casting, trick casting, gentle presentations … This line does it all.  It proves, once again, that the fly line is the most important aspect of the sport -- more important than the fly rod or fly reel.

  Is there a shortfall to the 555 High Float?  You bet!  The packaging hasn’t kept pace with new 444’s; consequently, expect the same old cardboard box without an interactive CD.  However, I doubt that either is a requirement for fly fishers more advanced in experience, technique, and age.  After all, I’ve lived for seventy years with the cardboard box and the idea of an interactive CD was (and sometimes still is) beyond my comprehension.

 If you have a desire to show your buddies just how a pro does it, I would be the first to recommend trying the Cortland High Float Dyna-Tip.  And when your fellows watch you in awe and ask, “How did you do that?”   Remember:  just shrug your shoulders and casually remark, “When you’ve fly fished as long as I have, you get a feel for these things.”  And as I like to say:  Whatever does it best for you is the very best there is!       

 

 For more information about these and other Cortland lines,contact: The Cortland Line Company, Inc.  3736 Kellogg Road, P.O. Box 5588, Cortland, NY  13045-5588.  1-(607) 756-2851.