Posted June, 2000

Long Distance 444SLs

Cortland has re-designed its 444SL fly lines with a stiffer core and added one line with a unique compound taper design. Compound tapers have been used in fishing rod design for quite some time to increase power without making the whole the rod too heavy and stiff to manage properly.

Basically, instead of the rod's taper going from the thick butt to the thin tip is a uniform way, such as an equilateral triangle, rod designers build "step down" spots along the rod where the diameter takes a significant reduction from butt to tip. It's not always so dramatic that it's obvious, but it's there. What Cortland has done is take its 444SL line, stiffened the core, and added a compound taper to the front of the head on its Wind Taper line. Where the forward portion of the taper would normally continue down to the tip uniformly, there are now two "step downs," adding a length of a medium diameter line between the thicker working portion and the thin tip.

Wind Taper fly lines are available in weights from 4 through 12.

The tip sections on all of the re-designed 444SLs are longer, but the tapers remain the same on the Pike/Musky, XRL, Steady Sink, Quick Descent, and Saltwater Quick Descent lines. The difference between the two QD lines is that the standard version has a 6-foot floating portion behind the 24-foot weighted tip while the saltwater version goes right to an Intermediate sink running line. 444SL Ghosttip and Clear lines retain the standard 444SL body.