Setting up a 3wt fly rod

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Oct 27, 2010
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I've recently acquired a nice Cortland 3-4wt 7' fly rod, I would like to get it set up for bluegill. All my current fly rods are 5/6wt or heavier. I also haven't been active in fly-fishing in a number of years, so I'm a little out of the loop. I need a weight forward floating fly line for it, but done want to spend a bunch of money. A quick search on the large auction site gave me the option of $12 Chinese or $80 premium stuff.

I'd like a line with low memory and a nice slick coating, but don't want to spend a ton of money if I don't like using 3wt. I have an extra reel I could use already, plenty of backing and tippet material.

So, what brands are decent for the money? Scientific Angler? Cabelas? Rio?


-Xander
 
Cortland 333 lines are a great value, I have a 1/2 dozen of them. The slightly more expensive Cortland 444 is a good line also
 
You should be able to find a fair quality line for less than $80. The Cortland 333 offers good quality at a reasonable price. I would also recommend Scientific Angler lines.
 
You might want to try a 4 wt if you are going to use weight forward line. Most rods which are designated 3/4 will perform better with a double taper 3 or a wt forward 4. I have used the cortland 333 and it is a good line for the price. SA and Rio also have moderately priced lines. Try a Google search for clearance or closeout fly lines.
 
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