It appears that Cortland has discontinued some heavier models of their 444SL Floating lines. More specifically, they discontinued everything above a 10wt. I went through a few lines over the past couple of years and like Goldie Lox would say, this one was too soft, this one was too thin... but this one is just right.
The 444SL seemed to be a little stiffer than most. I liked that. It helped avoid some of those memory problems other lines have. It would lay out straight after a cast without the need for stretching it out before every use (what's with all the stretching anyway, this is fishing, not aerobics). The running line wasn't too thin or too "slick" so I could actually hold it when a fish took and it wouldn't accidentally slip from my fingers when casting. After a little use the line texture actually seemed to become a little dusty or chalky to the touch. Maybe the chaulkiness was salt build-up, but I like it that way, so I refuse to clean it. Chaulky fihishes won't slip through my fingers but they do slip nicely through the guides. The first time I used this line it was like a breath of fresh air.
I started with an Airflow floating, saltwater taper, something-or-other. I think it had a picture of a striper on the box. It felt like a rubber band when I was doing my pre-workout line stretching. Stretching was required for this line. It would coil into tight little pile as I stripped line off the reel before the first cast if I didn't stretch first. It would do this even if it has been only sitting for a few hours between uses. Drove me nuts. The finish was shiny and slick so it would "shoot through the guides", as well as my tightly gripping fingers, with ease. The line weight was way to low for the rod, my fault I guess, but I didn't like it much anyway.
Next I tried a Rio Outbound. I liked the line but there were a couple of issues. First off, it was a pleasure to cast but the running line was way too thin. It made line handling a real chore when trying to mend and was really difficult at times to hold on to. I had to squeeze too hard. Try pinching a section of dry Power Pro (braid) between two fingers, take a couple of wraps in the other hand and pull lightly. Try to hold on to the braid between you two pinched fingers... It was like that. The running line also had a memory problem that was worse than the airflow. I Looked through their other lines and they all seemed to have crazy tapers. They do define the grain weights and section lengths pretty well online though, so that was nice to see.
Then there was the 12wt 444SL. I loved it, still do. No fancy tapers or anything, it was simple weight forward floater. I wanted to try a double taper but I think those 444SL's have been given the axe as well. It looked like they went up to a 9wt too.
What gives? Why discontinue everything over a 10wt? Why no double tapers? At least they still make them under 10wt's... For now anyway.
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