Ever wondered how to have five fly rods, but pay for one? Simple – own five different fly line tapers.
Each rod acts differently according to the weight of the flyline, and the taper, so it’s a great trick to manipulate your flyline selection to ‘customise’ your fly rod.
For instance, a flyline with a short and aggressive front taper (for example the RIO Grand) can turn a fly rod into a high line speed, pick up and shoot demon. Alternatively, change the line profile to a gradual front-taper, with the bulk of the weight towards the rear of the body (for example the RIO Trout LT), and your rod set-up will be well suited for delicate presentations, roll casts and a classic mayfly hatch. Flyline tapers play a really important role in how your fly rod works.
But what about a general purpose taper, that excels in the fishing that we do the most: sub 40 foot (12 metre) casts, with mainly dry flies or dry-and-dropper rigs? Enter the RIO Perception.
We’ve been using the Perception since March 2014, and it has quickly become the best flyline for the many hundreds of anglers we guide each year. The reason for this is the taper, which is quite different to most other lines. The body of the line is a quite compact, 36 foot (11.0 metres). On an average cast, which is 30-40 foot in Tasmania, the complete taper and weight of the line is beyond the rod tip, ensuring that the rod loads with ease. A second feature is the front taper: a two-step, eight foot taper, which provides a good dry fly presentation from a standard casting stroke, while having enough energy transfer from the thick line body to turn over a dry fly and dropper rig.
The RIO Perception is a line that is the sum of its parts: small subtleties that combine to create a really effective and user friendly taper, which makes fly fishing easier and more enjoyable for everyone.
