Leland on the Scientific Anglers Sharkskin Steelhead Fly Line
Do you use a full floater for steelhead? Dries and skaters? Indicators? A shallow swing in clear water? Well then, you should take full advantage of ALL the advantages that the new Sharkskin Steelhead Fly line can bring you. This ultra long headed (65-69 ft.) line with a gradual, extended rear taper lets you mend and roll cast like no tomorrow. Swim your fly, or dead drift it. It responds beautifully for all the cool single handed Spey D loops that are becoming the functional rage these days. And, because it's a Sharkskin, it floats higher and shoots farther than any other fly line. When you've got the Shark with you, those steelhead are gonna try to run and hide! see the full review of the amazing Sharkskin Fly Line!
Specifications:
- Fly Line Density: Floating
- Fly Line Taper: Long belly, weight forward with welded front loop
- Total Head Length: 65-69 feet (varies by line weight)
- Running Line Length: 41-45 feet (varies by line weight)
- Total Line Length: 110 feet
- Core: Braided multifilament nylon for cold water use
- Coating: Sharkskin Micro-textured surface on 3M PVC
- Line Weights: 6 through 10 weight
- Color: Optic Green
Leland on the SA Sharkskin Fly Lines
The most impressive, and important feature, by my reckoning, of 3M’s micro-replication process is its awesome flotation properties. I couldn’t believe how high my new Sharkskin line floated on the water, even the line tip! Fly line manufacturers have been struggling to improve line floatability for decades with decidedly mixed results. There’s only so much that you can do with a given mass of PVC with internal micro spheres to reduce specific gravity. Not many years ago, one could expect the best distance floating lines to start sinking immediately, and even most recently, the first six to eight feet of my dry lines will sink unless they were cleaned that morning, and they’ll still sink by the end of the day. Sinking fly lines increase drag and make line mending much more difficult and far less effective. The coatings on most floating fly line tips are barely capable of keeping them on the surface at all.
According to Scientific Anglers, the micro-texturing of the Sharkskin Fly Line “Greatly increases the upward meniscus force (surface tension) through a combination of the water’s interaction with the new surface and the trapping of air into the valleys of the texture. The result is an over 200% improvement in resistance of the line to be forced into the water….effectively improving “floatation” of the line significantly beyond anything that can be achieved through the addition of glass bubbles or surface chemistries.”
The incredible flotation of the Sharkskin had a profound effect on my ability to make drag free presentations. Firstly, the high floating fly line better supported the floating portion of my leader, keeping it up near the surface in rougher water. Secondly, the Sharkskin lifted so damned easily off the water that mending, stack mending, and roll casting could be accomplished with a fraction of the energy of my other lines, particularly at distance across disparate currents. Thirdly, the Sharkskin line itself has less drag in moving water due to its high flotation, but it also has less drag due to its suppleness, compared to other fly lines. Softer material, be it line, leader or tippet, will create less drag in current. Most trout anglers stake their fish catching success on their ability to present dry flies or nymphs in the most natural manner, which usually means as close to dead-drift as possible. Veteran anglers will understand the import of what I’m saying here, but let me re-emphasize for the less experienced; the new Sharkskin line does everything so much better that it will improve your fly fishing, improve your casting and strengthen your learning curve.
The fly fishing line is, arguably, the most important functional piece of tackle you own, so we’re talking about something approaching the Holy Grail of desirability here. With this technology, fly lines won’t have to be so closely matched to rods, guide sizes on rods could conceivably be smaller and lighter, improving rod performance, sinking lines (when available) fished under tension would have greater tactile sensitivity. Not only that, the Sharkskin’s dull surface has virtually no line flash to scare wary fish, making it the most stealthy line available and a no-brainer for fishing spring creeks and hunting New Zealand brown trout.
Leland on Scientific Anglers
Scientific Anglers was founded in 1945 by fellow anglers Leon Martuch, Clare Harris, and Paul Rottiers in Midland, Michigan. They developed the first modern, plastic coated fly line in 1952, replacing silk fly lines which had been in use for well over 100 years. In 1954, SA introduced the Air Cel, widely considered the first modern floating fly lines. The development of 3M Microballoons in 1959 revolutionized the way that fly lines float and is the standard technology by which all manufacturers float their lines today. 3M, then known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, acquired Scientific Anglers in 1973.
Today, 3M is one of 30 companies comprising the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is ranked about 100 in the Fortune 500 listing with over $23 billion in annual sales, operating in over 60 countries with 29 international companies and 35 laboratories. It’s probably the largest company in the world directly involved in the fly fishing industry. No wonder these guys can make fly lines float! They obviously wrote the book on early modern fly line development and it’s not surprising that they have research and development resources way beyond the means of the handful of other major fly line makers that we usually see on the shelves, which include Rio and Cortland in the U.S. and Airflo in the U.K. Most other brands you buy are actually made by one of these few companies or in Asia. Machines to build modern fly lines are very sophisticated, very expensive, and take up a lot of space, to satisfy a very small potential market. Hence the dearth of players.
So, why hasn’t Scientific Anglers simply rolled over their competition? Well, the other companies may be small by comparison, but they too, have been innovative at times, particularly in coming up with specialized tapers for different fishing situations. These tapers are designed by knowledgeable fishermen, not scientists, so sometimes the little guy gets the jump on the big guy. Rio Products, recently purchased by the Sage rod company, has been particularly active, and successful, pioneering whole new categories of Spey and single handed fly lines.
I’m not a patent lawyer, but I’m guessing that the 3M micro-replication process might pose a difficult challenge for all other fly line companies seeking to mimic the advantageous properties of the new Scientific Anglers technology. Certainly expect S.A. to capitalize on Sharkskin with an expansion of the product line in the near future.
Scientific Anglers on their Sharkskin Steelhead Fly Line
"Specialty Taper"
Applications/Features:
Ideal floating line design for big water and steelhead flies
Long distance line control
Allows mending and roll casting at long distances
Stays supple in cold water
Welded streamlined loop — slick and strong — for easy connections and seamless fishing (front)
Taper characteristics:
Longer head for long range casting and control; turns over big flies with ease
Longer front taper delays turnover for better delivery at long range
Extended rear taper facilitates mending, pick ups and smooth casting
Scientific Anglers on Scientific Anglers
Scientific Anglers™ Technology
You may not know it, but every time you go fly fishing you're using our technology.
With Air Cel,™ Scientific Anglers™ invented modern floating fly line more than half a century ago. A few decades later, we invented Wet Cel,™ which established a revolutionary new sinking fly line technology. Our processes and methodologies have improved greatly since those early innovations, and as we continue to enhance fly line performance, the industry continues to follow suit. For instance, we pioneered the use of powdered tungsten in our sinking lines two decades ago, and we continue to perfect and optimize its usage. That may come as a surprise to some, because tungsten is now being heralded as a new technology. Likewise, our innovations in Advanced Shooting Technology – AST – created the slickness craze that every other fly line manufacturer is following today. That's okay, because that's our role – to lead and help the entire industry in the process. And Now - we have revolutionized fly line performance with Our New Micro-textured Sharkskin fly lines. Just last year we introduced System™ L2L line-to-leader connectors, which people are just now starting to recognize as an extraordinary product with incredible attributes. You can be sure that other companies will soon introduce their own versions of System™ L2L, and perhaps claim it as their own. System™ X waterproof fly boxes are another recent introduction that we think will revolutionize fly box design. And the great thing is – with Scientific Anglers™ – you don't have to wait years for knock-offs. You can find the future of fly fishing right here in this website. And best of all, you can find these products in the store – ready to help you catch more fish. After all, you're using our technology already – why not buy and use the real thing?
Once again, the greatest innovations in fly fishing come from the labs of 3M Scientific Anglers.™
When Scientific Anglers™ Mastery Series introduces a new fly line, you can be sure it is the finest performing fly line for its application. The four new lines at the top of the Floating Fly Lines page all have significant advantages over anything else on the market, and that goes for all of the Mastery Series lines on our site. At 3M Scientific Anglers™ we have an ongoing challenge to our scientists and taper designers, and that is to set a new standard in performance for every line that carries our name. It is not an easy undertaking and it requires much trial and error and extensive testing – not only on the water but also in laboratories. Fortunately we have unparalleled resources and the finest fly fishing minds in the business dedicated to building better fly lines. The list of our advancements is unmatched and we're only getting started. We hope you'll join us on the water so that you can see – firsthand – that there is much, much more to fly fishing than just the scenery.
