Fly line taper chart?

Does anyone know if there's a chart or something explaining different taper lengths for front & rear, belly length, and how each effects the cast? Or is it trial by error and see what works?

I have studied the line diagrams of various manufacturers but that gets confusing as each has their own preferences for the same type of fish. My past purchases were made with the advise of the sales person but I would like to try and understand for myself if possible. Thanks!

Google the key words, there are a number of sites. Yes, you're correct that each manufacturer is a bit different, and theirs is better than all the rest :-)
Now that I think about it, Global Fly-fisher almost certainly has a small trove of info. Possibly Flyanglersonline as well.
In the end, it'll boil down to you and your arm and what feels best.
A great learning experience.

That would be cool to see a chart. There seems to be a lot of trial and error in finding the line that works best. One thing I've noticed is that there are substantial differences in how lines feel, the texture, the size of the running line, durability.

I like lines that have short heads. Heads that load with not much line out. I want that first false cast to get a good amount of line out in a hurry. SA Titan taper, Rio Outbound Short fit that that profile. But they may not be the best for longer distances.

Then different rods handle line in their own way. There are usually comments on various forums or websites with feedback about what line pairs up well with such and such rod.

When I first started fly fishing, I was happy with any line that I could cast. Now, I look at things like the line's texture and how well it handles, is it prone to tangling, how does it perform at various distances. It's where I can cast just about any line a couple weight sizes up or down from the rod's weight rating, but what line best fits what I like to do.

It would be hard to put all that in a chart.

It's not a chart, but Fish on the Brain had an incredible podcast on this topic with one of the product managers from Scientific Anglers. They really go into great detail about some of the physics behind why fly lines work they way they do.

Fish on the Brain Episode 40



They talked at length about these sorts of lines. The reason they work so well at short range is because when the heavy front loaded head turns over, it puts more speed into the back half of the line which allows it to turn over larger flies turn and increase line speed on shorter casts.

I think if you can understand the principles behind why fly lines work the way they do, when you see that picture on the back of the box detailing the head, you'll have an idea of how it will handle on the water.

Thanks for the link and others who commented. That did clear up a few things up for me.

I too have been using short head lines to help reduce the number of false casts. So far I only bass fish from my boat and currently use the Redfish and Bankshot from Orvis. Both also have relatively short tapers. Sometimes my line makes a hard landing and I think I'm spooking everything nearby. This is especially true with my 7 and 8 tip flex rods. The line really holds a tight loop and rockets out. This is why I'm looking to make a more educated decision on my next line as I want the big fly turn over ability but with a softer landing. The general purpose MPX lines look promising.

A few years ago, I did a presentation on fly line design to many of the local clubs and even at Fly Fish Texas that year. The design of the fly line affects the type of presentation and how the fly line performs. Basically, the more weight there is toward the tip of the line, the heavier the fly it can carry and the easier it is to "launch" the fly line with minimal false casts. However the trade off is how delicate the line will land on the water. Sometimes that matters and other times it does not.

Here are a few slides from that presentation. Rio sent me some of their taper designs with comments about their various strengths. Compare these designs to the designs from other manufactures and you can get a pretty good idea how a fly line design will perform.

RexW thanks for the slides