My 9 year old boy and 7 year old boy are building 8 1/2 foot 5 weight Rainshadow RX6 (4pc) rods I gave them for Christmas.

I need to get the best line to match the rod for them as they would be considered a beginner. My 9 year old has been fly casting with cheap rods and lines for the last two years. I was considering the scientific angler 6wt head start line on the 5wt. Does anyone else have any suggestions or experience with this line/rod combo?

Fishing smaller flys (chironomid and leech patterns) on lakes in British Columbia. Average size rainbow trout = 2-5 lbs. sometimes a little windy conditions.

You need to determine how much power the rod has. Then it becomes easy to match a line to it. It's doubtful if he'll start off casting very long distances, so obviously you want to have a sufficient line on there to load the rod at shorter ranges. Do you have an ERN number for it?

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Ok, considering the flex point of the RX6, and the size of flies you're tossing, pretty much any decent double taper line would suit in my opinion. This should be a moderate to slow rod, but a great one.

Cheap fly lines are never cheap. Catch up with me for opinions there. My top choice, if it's not my money, will always be the RIO Versi-tip series. I use that on my 8 wt for salmon and steelhead.

Most lines anymore are set to match the blank. In the past it was always jump up a weight or two, but it seems things have balanced out.

Since no two 5-weight rods will possess the same power, I'm not sure how any specific line would match a specific rod blank.

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I like the hook and hackle fly lines for $25 online price. They come in olive color and cast nicley.

Those blanks are anything but slow, they are actually a mod fast action, and will throw either a 5 or 6wt line quite well, depending on skill. For a beginner I would probably go with a 6wt

Ron Weber

Thanks for the input so far. So far I have a couple of other lines to consider now. Some are saying weight forward-others double taper and now. we have The Rio versi-tip to consider as well. I don't have the ERN number with me but I will see if it is in the rod package at home. More suggestions are welcome.

I still fish with, and do rather well with, some of the lesser expensive lines out there. The Sci-Angler's Supreme II is still my favorite line. Others may be better in some respects, but I have no complaints with these in any way. They cost less than $40.

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I'd recommend against the versa-tip. It's expensive, too complicated for new anglers, plus with a 5 weight, you'll virtually never use the sinking tips. I'd keep it simple. A weight forward 5wt floating line will do what you want, which is to get your fly on the water. It sounds like you might be fishing under an indicator-if so, you don't want a sinking line.

One other thing I don't like about the versa-tip is that it tends to hinge at the loop junction. The kids will be having a hard enough time just learning how to throw the line.

This would be a perfect place for some store brand lines like the Hook and Hackle line mentioned above, or a Cabelas line. No need to spend $75 on a fly line for kids.

Drew

Cabela's has a weight forward floating line for $29.99. I would probably go for the 6 weight line. It will load easier at shorter distances, and it will handle the wind better. It's hard to know for sure without determining ERN and ELN, but I know from experience that that particular blank handles my 6 weight line (can't remember the brand) quite capably, out to about 45 feet, or so. Beyond that distance, the rod "collapses", and would be better served with a 5 weight line.

George Forster
Fort Collins, CO

Barry,
In general WF lines are better for distance, but more difficult to cast.
Level lines are the easiest to cast and cheaper, but more difficult to find.
DT lines are a good compromise and roll cast well.
Overlining the rod "slows" the action and forgives timing errors.
Underlining the rod speeds the action adding distance, but is less forgiving.
The last level line I bought was about $14 from Wal-Mart.
For a starter the heavy level line will provide the most feed-back from the rod making the learning curve easier.
After the caster develops the feel for the timing a light DT line is very versatile for fishing and casting.

Eugene Moore

Overlining slows the rod speed, but not the action. But before you can overline a rod, you have to determine what the "proper" line for any given distance is. You can't do that by simply looking at the number on the rod - it doesn't have any sort of standard behind it.

George mentions that he has experience with that particular rod so you might be wise to follow his advice. A 6-weight Weight Forward floating line should be a good choice for someone just learning and not expecting to fish at more than about a 50 foot range with that rod. Sounds like you were leaning in that direction to begin with.

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Thanks George and Tom (and everyone else) I will start with the 6wt scientific anglers head start. I picked it up on a baxing day sale for $34. I will also borrow some other lines from some buddies to try, we have about 6 others from the same rod building group buiding the same or similar rods so they will probably have a few other lines to try in 6wt. and 5wt.