...i have 4 fly rods & use cheap flyline on all of them...by cheap I mean 15-25 dollar line, so heres my question...what am i missing by not using the more expensive line ? do they cast much better, last longer , float better ? whats the deal there has to be a reason they cost 50-75 bucks ?

For me the $40+ lines have a taper at the head to help push a fly farther and with more control. I think they also stay slick longer. That allows better shooting of the line. Fishing in Cetral Texas means most days will be windy. I try to find the shotest WF taper I can to fight wind. It does not have to land like a feather for the fish I chase. That is why I spend more on line than a reel. The fly lines that have a loop end are great! Fast easy change of leader with out messing with the nail knot!

Premium fly lines are made with better materials, with better coatings, to more exacting standards. They will typically stay slicker, last longer, and be more likely to be backed by the manufacturer if something goes wrong. I've had several of my Orvis and Scientific Angler lines replaced with no questions asked if they developed cracks or breaks in the coating. I have several that are 10-12 years old and still going strong.

This a probably a stupid question, but what do the people of this forum use to clean their respective fly lines?

Do you have a certain brand of floatant/lubricant you use? Or does the warm soapy water followed by a coat of armor all work just as well?

I have heard bad stories about Armor All and if it were not that it came from Al Crise I might have disregarded them or taken with a grain of salt. But I put a lot of faith in Al's knowledge on fly tackle and casting. Armor All has a reputation for causing vinyl to crack and degrade after repeated uses. That may or may not be the case; I simply am not interested in finding out the hard way.

Soap and water are great, some mild dish detergent. I recommend buying some sort of made for fly line treatment. I have my favorite but am pretty sure that most all will do a fine job.

Not a stupid question at all. Everyone uses different cleaners/dressers depending on what they like best. I use the Scientific Anglers dressing and it works fine for me.

It's a good question. Warm water and gentle soap to clean the line, and I use Scientific Anglers dressing.

More expensive flylines tend to be made with more expensive materials that help decrease drag and repel water. However, it depends on what you are fishing for - I find that for most things, my orvis silver label line that I bought on sale works just fine because I usually don't need to cast more than 10 yards.

I have used 303 Aerospace Protectant before on my line, and rods. I just use it now and then. Lately I am trying Glide though on recommendation from a couple of people on here. I don't see that KVD conditioning on the line would hurt either, but don't bank on that. I have used it on my regular mono, and it works great...cuts memory and makes the line cast better. I am a newbie, so do take whatever I say about fly fishing with a grain of salt.

I really think that you end up spending more by using the cheaper lines. They crack pretty quick. They also have a lot more memory - meaning they stay in little coils when you take the line off the reel, and that causes tangles.

I like Air-Flo lines the best. All the other premium lines are very good too, but Air-Flo lines seem to last a LONG time without cracking or splitting. They perform as well as or better than any other line I've used too. Been using them for 10 years or more. I typically get at least 5 years out of them.

I haven't bought the latest versions of SA, Rio, or Cortland lines though. Do they last more than a year before splitting?

Yes, SA and Cortland have been very durable for me....I actually like the 444 over the newer 555.

I've used the 444 Laser Line in the past. Very nice line. I just had trouble with it cracking and/or splitting before I felt like I had gotten my $60 worth out of it. Have you had that happen, or was I just unlucky?

i bought orvis redfish wonderline in 8wt for bass bugs, it does seem slicker than my cheapie lines, and it casts big bugs very well, hopefully it will last a few seasons.

WoollyBugger,

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I haven't had that problem. Since Cortland came out with the 555, I've found the 444 on sale at 1/2 price on occasion...and feel it is a great buy @ 1/2 price.