What the heck does that mean?

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For many years, when you went to purchase a fly line, you would find them packaged in a square box that had a label on the outside with the 3 part line classification code.  The first designation code is the "line taper"; the second code is the "line weight"; the 3rd/last code is "line buoyancy".  So, you could find a fly line box labeled, "WF-6-F".  Here's what each of the 3 codes means.

"WF" describes the taper

"6" refers to the line weight

"F" refers to buoyancy

taper codes meaning weight codes meaning buoyancy codes meaning
WF weight forward 1 wt. one weight F floating line
DT double taper 2 wt. two weight S * sinking line
ST shooting taper 3 wt. three weight F/S * sinking tip line
RT rocket taper etc., etc.,
SWT saltwater taper up to the maximum
BBT bass bug taper 15 weight fly line
* Sinking line designations   wharrowlt.gif (2583 bytes)  Previous topic  As fly lines evolve, we see more Species specific fly fishing: