Line companies that make 6 wt saltwater lines

[albacized]

So I recently picked up a G Loomis 6 weight NRX (prior generation - green version) which also comes with a fighting butt. I was thinking of rigging this as a crossover very light salt, heavier duty freshwater outfit...it'll be matched with a Hatch gen 2 finatic (mid arbor). Actually I have a pair of these reels and was going with the said floater on one, an a lighter integrated shooting line type line (likely 150 grain). 

 

I was initially looking at the airflow coldwater striper lines, since I have both 7 and 9 weight versions and like them a lot - but they only go down to 7 weight. I could go with a freshwater orientated line (rio gold series????)...but just curious if there are decent  6 weight saltwater lines on the market before going the rio route. I haven't checked out the rio cold water striper lines yet. But I've never used a floating version of that line in the past (just the integrated shooting head lines).

 

So any input would be appreciated

[JonC]

Wulff makes a 6wt floater, Bermuda Triangle tropical line that I’ve been using successfully for many years, it’s 210 gn, I suspect the NRX is not a true 6 but how much overweight you want or need is in question. As far as the tropical designation goes, it’s no problem, it’s stiff but not coily or tangly.

JC

[albacized]

Thanks  lot - I'll look into that. I also have an old beat up rio 6 wt floater that I'll throw around to see how that rod casts with it

[slip n slide]

The difference between a SW line and FW? Nothing at all.

Find a line that casts well on that rod,suits your casting style, and be done.

Some ppl like long heads,some like short, but whether SW or FW "designated" is irrelevant.

[surfrat59]

NRX I'd be shopping 7wt lines unless you're looking for a 50ft plus head to aerialize...plenty of good options on the market, SA or Wulff would be first look on my list

[DAQ]

I have the same NRX 6wt and find it close to the rating. Very different from the 7wt NRX. I agree with SnS, salt and fresh labeled line doesn't matter.

[numbskull]

SA bonefish

SA mastery standard

Both AFTMA true to weight lines.  The standard has a longer head.  Works fine in cold-moderate temp saltwater. 
Sexyloops sells a 6wt long headed true weight tropical floating line made by Rio (I think) for them.  Casts well but does not have the same lubricating coatings as newer lines. 

[slip n slide]

16 hours ago, numbskull said:

SA bonefish

SA mastery standard

Both AFTMA true to weight lines.  The standard has a longer head.  Works fine in cold-moderate temp saltwater. 
Sexyloops sells a 6wt long headed true weight tropical floating line made by Rio (I think) for them.  Casts well but does not have the same lubricating coatings as newer lines. 

The SA mastery has such a long belly that the total weight of the head is twice the first 30ft so you end up w/ a rather heavy line,good for a rod that is stiff for it's rating but judging by DAQ's comments the rod is solid in it's line rating.

I don't know anything about the bonefish line but the longer the belly the heavier than line rating the line will be as they weigh only the 1st 30'....stupid IMO bcz we don't just cast the 1st 30'.

Long headed true weight is an oxymoron.

The only company I am aware of that makes true to rating lines is Cortland.

[Pawww_Snap]

Sierra has closeout Coastal Quickshooters in intermediate 6 right now. I’m thinking I’ll grab one myself. I just got my 6wt back from repair, and I’m looking at the same kind of crossover.

[snapper1]

I have a OBS floater 6W on a Predator 6W 7'11...I like it for SMB...Small poppers, gurglers...

[numbskull]

7 hours ago, slip n slide said:

The SA mastery has such a long belly that the total weight of the head is twice the first 30ft so you end up w/ a rather heavy line,good for a rod that is stiff for it's rating but judging by DAQ's comments the rod is solid in it's line rating.

 

Hi slip

I used to share this misconception. 
Smarter people disabused me of it.

 

A six weight rod is not designed to cast just 160 grains.  It will, and is intended to, easily cast well over that. For example, a decent caster would have no trouble holding 50-60’ of a DT6 in the air with most 6 wt rods and that would weigh 260-320 grains.  Likewise, if buying a shooting head for a 6wt rod it would typically weigh over 200 grains.  
 

It becomes even more confusing because the distribution of that weight matters.  I can easily cast the 55’ head of the 6wt SA mastery standard line I own (which weighs 290 grains) on my 6 wt rod.  
I’d struggle, however, to cast the same weight in a 30’ head….but it would be me struggling, not the rod. 

This, as explained to me, has to do with inertia and slack/sag.  For the same total weight a 30’ head ‘feels’ heavier than a 60’ head because when we cast the shorter head we accelerate more of it more suddenly. 

As for the true weight SA bonefish line, it has a 35’ head that weighs 190 grains  and the NRX will certainly throw that just fine …… provided the caster can make a straight backcast.  If not then slack becomes an issue and the line will feel light. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 19 by numbskull

[slip n slide]

Any rod can cast a range of line weights but there is optimum and then everything else ,and that optimum is very subjective.

A line is the weight of the entire head,not the 1st 30'.The notion of "weight" is ridiculous,ie,6,7,or 8 etc is nothing more than an artificial construct.

What I take away from this is that you are incapable of casting a 30' head.That's OK...lotsa ppl prefer long heads.

[Mike Oliver]

Numbskull’s post does resonate a lot with me.  I cast a Rio single hand spey line 6 wt which weighs over it’s head of 33 feet the same as 8.5 single hand fly line. Because when spey casting the rod is only flexing against the top half of the D loop it is not over loaded. What did surprise me was that the 6wt Sage 1 rod was not struggling to cast this line overhead. Ok It is not a great overhead line but it is not the weight that causes any problem to the rod.

A  50 foot Long belly line whose first 30 feet is to AAFTM will cast fine with a rod of the same rating at 15 feet 20 and 30 feet. For Fishers who prefer long heads we will put more of it into the air when going for longer range. Ok this may take the line to one size up. No problem at all unless the rod is a POS.

It is becoming very common for guys and gals  to upline routinely almost it seems like a right of some strange kind of ritual. Now with a long belly line  and with a lot of it being put into the air this may not turn out well.  The most probable reason is that a lot of Casters just have problems with feel and more so if their back casts do not go straight and or if they suffer from creep. Their solution is to add weight which  they can feel as the rod struggles to move it. But what they do not have is line tension and without that then they dont have much in the way of performance.

Gear will rarely provide a solution to a human performance problem. But gear is what pulls in the cash rather than a desire for personal improvement.

Go figure. I can’t and it drives me nuts.

 

Mike

Edited March 19 by Mike Oliver

[numbskull]

4 hours ago, slip n slide said:

What I take away from this is that you are incapable of casting a 30' head.That's OK...lotsa ppl prefer long heads.

Phew!

I was afraid you'd be upset and show your true colors, Slip.

Glad we're all good on that.

Edited March 20 by numbskull

[mkus]

On 3/18/2023 at 9:32 AM, slip n slide said:

The difference between a SW line and FW? Nothing at all.

Find a line that casts well on that rod,suits your casting style, and be done.

Some ppl like long heads,some like short, but whether SW or FW "designated" is irrelevant.

Yep that’s what I do it’s really I’ve cast plenty of 8 wt lines on my RPLX 6 wt probably the first 6 made with a fighting butt I’ve caught plenty of Albies on it!

simple 

Edited March 20 by mkus