|
History of the Fly Line
|
|
| 1620 | first mention in print of casting a fly: " … a line twice your rod's length of three hairs' thickness, in open water free from trees on a dark windy afternoon, and if you have learned the cast of the fly . . . " |
| 1700's | first fly lines were made of braided horse hair |
| early 1800's | line makers mix horsehair with silk |
| 1870's | first oil-finished silk lines appear, as well as tapered lines; these would become the standard until 1948 |
| 1885 | weight-forward & double-taper lines are available; first hollow line introduced |
| 1890s | finely-plaited dressed silk lines become widely available |
| by mid 19th century | silk gut line is established big business |
| 1938 | "Nylon" invented and patented by Dupont |
| > WWII | nylon becomes available, but due to finish problems is not popular |
| 1949 | "pvc" becomes coating for first successful nylon line |
| 1952 * | manufacturing methods allow tapering of coating on the line rather than in the core |
| 1958 | introduction of Dacron leads to its use as the standard in efficient sinking fly lines |
| 1961 | fly lines first became classified by "weight" rather than diameter by AFTMA (American Fishing Tackle Manufacturer's Association) |
|
* After the introduction of PVC in the early 50's, fly line manufacturers began to use a single strand, level core inside a tapered plastic coating on the outside. This method was less costly, produced a much better and more consistent product, and allowed the mass production of lines of exact uniformity. The heat cured process enabled the manufacturer to apply the plastic finish anywhere along the core at any diameter desired. Today this procedure allows the making of lines of innumerable tapers, densities and weight, which affects their casting, floating or sinking properties.
|
|
