Fly Line Reviews

Barrio GT90 Fly Line
By Magnus Angus

Some time back we featured the Barrio Outcast. After a name change, that fly line became the GT140. I described that 140ft line as ambitious - I doubt many of us need lines that long. However, there is a niche, and GT140s have gained a following amongst keen and competitive casters.

The GT90 is more or less a shorter version of the 140. The front taper is a few feet shorter, the short belly is shorter and the running line is tapered. Put it another way, the GT90 is a different line using the same basic idea of a short belly and exaggerated rear taper.

On a 'normal' WF line, the rear taper smoothes a change from thicker, heavier line to lighter, thinner running line. Lines which suddenly jump from thick to thin line, i.e. shooting heads, have great shooting characteristics but they don't make it easy to false cast with more than a few yards of running line beyond the rod tip. Too much, and the line gets out of shape and out of control; too little and the head bumps the tip ring when we haul. A 'standard' WF line, with a head of around 40ft, makes it easier to carry a few yards of running line and smoothes that jump. However, I can still go beyond what that WF line will let me carry. I can still get things out of shape because the running line is too thin.

The slow rear taper on the Barrio GT lines allows me to carry more line, but for the same long carry used with a long- belly line the total weight I'm casting is less. The long rear taper means when space is limited and I need to false cast shorter and shoot more; this shoots better than a long belly, pretty much as well as that imaginary standard WF line.

It's my long-winded way of saying this is a nice line to cast. As with the GT140 this handles nicely: very smooth surface; almost limp so little or no coil-memory and it feels supple when I retrieve. Mike Barrio decided to call this shade of pale olive 'Mushy Pea' ... visible enough in the air for me to see well but, hopefully, not so loud it'll scare those shy fly fishers who get spooked by anything but olive fly lines.

If the GT140 was designed as a distance line which fishes well, the GT90 was intended to be a fishing line which we can throw for distance. In my opinion, it hits the mark, casting short, the GT90 loads my rod well. As I lengthen it, the loading increases slowly and predictably making it easy to stay in control. Shoot is good once the belly is outside the tip and gets better as I carry more line; the limit there seems to be the length of my rod and my skill as a caster. Turnover is 'punchy' so my leader straightens consistently and, this being a floating line, the GT90 floats predictably. This is not an ultra-high floating line and after some time - as with just about all floating fly-lines - the tip seems to get soaked and floats slightly less well.

An excellent 'all-around' floating fly line at a very reasonable price!

Barrio SLX WF5F
By Magnus Angus

Interesting profile, the SLX diagram shows a 24.5ft front taper to a 4ft belly, followed by a short (4.5ft) rear taper with an 'additional' 12.5ft taper behind the head. The blurb lists the head length as 33ft which I think is right because that 'additional' taper acts more like the handling line I might put between a shooting head and thin shooting line.

So, I have a fly line with a fairly short head by contemporary WF standards. That long front taper means this is set so more of the weight is near the rod tip. The general head shape reminds me of Wulff Triangle Tapers and is almost the mirror opposite of Barrio's GT lines.

At 33ft this line weighs 12grams, so at the AFTM standard 30ft this 5-weight weighs approximately 10.9grams; therefore, technically, this is a #6 line. I can almost hear one or two purists grinding their teeth at this point, however, the simple fact is that 10.9g and 12g are well within the range of mass I normally cast with DT or long-belly #5 lines. In fact, with a DT5 if I false-cast 60ft of fly line, which I often do, the line in the air weighs more than 18grams. So, while this #5 line is overweight, actually a #6, it suits the rods I normally match with DT5 or long belly WF5 lines.

Put the SLX on a rod and it takes a short time to get used to how this behaves. The head section is pale-ish olive to cream running line, the contrast there is too slight for me, in dim light I can't see the colour change coming. I can have the same line with an orange head, visible but loud, maybe I'll just get out a marker pen. This head length feels tidy, with a 9ft rod this feels handy and responsive. Casting overhead if I don't look and find the head, I automatically want to carry a little more, it'll take some discipline to break that bad habit. My maximum carry has the handling line just outside the tip, that yielded my maximum distances. Pull back a few yards so the rear taper is at the tip and the SLX is a lovely exact line. This turns over positively, loops tend to be tight and/or tighten as they travel. Then try a few roll casts and, arguably, the SLX comes into its own.

This rear weighted form of head is common among so-called Spey lines for good reason. With the leader and tip of the fly-line on water, I have most of the weight close to the rod tip, when I make my casting stroke my rod moves the heaviest portion of the head, which then drags the lighter part behind it. No surprises the SLX is an excellent line for roll and Spey-casting.

As I became used to the SLX, the head length and how the taper loads the rod, the simple usefulness of this line really began to shine. As this line disciplines me I false-cast less extravagant lengths, for a change I actually want to know where the rear of the head is. With a flick I can roll the head, co-ordinate that with a haul and I can shoot line. Lift the head and it shoots freely. The tip turns a decent length of a muscular tapered-leader very neatly, in fact turnover seems to take care of itself. Hmm, off the top of my head I can think of only two characteristics where a long-belly line (DT or WF) may have an edge - pick-up and brute distance.

I'm tempted to say the SLX makes casting easier, but that's maybe a slight exaggeration. However, turnover is so consistent it might just be. It's certainly an excellent, versatile, fishing line which I'd happily fish on rivers and stillwaters for trout, and in heavier sizes for sea trout.

Barrio Mallard Fly Line
By Magnus Angus

Design by committee is not always a good idea but when it works it yields products that ordinary consumers want. Fishery owner Mike Barrio brought together a small group of local anglers and a leading UK line maker. The idea was to produce a reasonably priced fly-line in a style reasonably normal anglers will want.

The Mallard is smooth and supple, with no significant coil memory. I'm told the colour is vanilla - pale cream/yellow - which works well; visible in low light but not so bright it'll frighten the horses.

Measurements for head length and tapers are not given but the head seems to me to be 'normal' - around 11 yards (33ft). Fine running-line follows the taper from the belly which is relatively short. That makes it easy to tell when the head is fully up there but does slightly restrict the amount of line one can carry. At the front the taper seems about 6ft and the tip is slender.

The Mallard loads a rod very predictably and when one finds the head length it's a very easy line. Without shooting, turnover and presentation are excellent. Shooting for distance? Let go and it flies. Although this is a WF line - which some folk wrongly take to mean a distance line - I think it's fair to say the Mallard was not designed primarily with distance in mind. The head and rear taper configuration means this is easily capable of presenting flies at 90ft. Had I felt more comfortable carrying a longer line it would've thrown farther.

Presentation was a primary design concern. Many of the people involved in this project are fans of furled leaders so I tried level leader, tapered nylon and a leader made of furled butt and tippet section. Obviously, it casts with all three leader types, however, having been a tapered nylon user for many years I'm taking another looked at furled leaders - much smoother than tapered nylon. IMHO level leaders suck!

Thanks to the fine tip the Mallard is capable of very controlled delivery. With a really heavy (thick-butt) tapered-leader I found myself wanting more oomph - cutting back the relatively long fine tip sorted that.

On water the Mallard lives up to its name, the belly is positively buoyant. The line tip floats well enough, that bit of any line is always the least buoyant part of any line so it's as expected.

Excellent line - super value!

DT Advantage
By Magnus Angus

Weight forward lines dominate the fly line sales. That said, I know a fair number of regular fly fishers who have switched to DT lines and love 'em. We probably all know the differences - DT is one long belly with a taper at each end - WF is a shorter belly with thin running line at the back and front taper at the pointy end. We're told that DT lines offer better presentation while WF lines are 'for distance'.

Mike Barrio's lines are smooth and supple. The cream coating sits nicely on water and is visible without being lurid. Compared to a WF line I really can't say presentation was any different at short range. Then comes the end of the WF head.

From the moment that head reached the tip ring, I seem to have more control with the DT. With the WF I need to shoot line, with the DT I simply aerialise more. As the loop reaches the end of the WF line, if I've judged it right the whole lot straightens and falls. With the DT it does seem easier to make more consistent turnover - I'd guess because I'm shooting little or nothing most of the time. Start roll casting and again, when the WF head is all out I need to switch cast, the DT keeps on going. Where mends and curves are part of the game, at longer distances the DT has distinct advantage.

These are inexpensive lines but feel great, float well and fish very well indeed.

The Inbetweeners
By Magnus Angus

Magnus Angus awarded the Barrio GT90i fly line "Best Slow Line" in his comparison test called "The Inbetweeners".

Barrio GT90i Comments: Supple line, little or no coil memory, cuts through wind, turnover is punchy. Technically the GT90 has a 90ft head, all the running line tapers — in use this feels like a long belly line. The design allows me to carry a very long line for distance or carry less and shoot well. Actually, carrying 50ft of line I found shoot is slightly less efficient than a conventional WF with a thin running line and more average belly length.

Nonetheless, on my rod, the GT90 is the longest casting line in this group. To achieve that maximum distance I need huge clearance behind me and simply can’t do it sitting down in a boat. Fishes shallow.

Test conclusion: I am now more convinced of the value of intermediate lines. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy fishing a slow intermediate just below the surface and how necessary a fast intermediate can be for taking flies to fishing depth and, from a boat, matching fishing depth to speed of drift and retrieve.

I have favourites from this group, but all the lines tested cast and fished well or well enough. For slow intermediate or neutral density lines, my choices are between the Barrio GT90 for distance and price, and the Snowbee XS ND as an easy casting all-rounder. Among the fast intermediates the choice is wider and more difficult, in the end I narrowed it down to the Hardy Mach or Rio Aqualux with the Vision Attack as solid budget-priced performer.

You can read the full comparison test on the Fly Fishing and Fly Tying Magazine website by clicking here.

Le Code della Barrio
By Massimo Magliocco

Mike Barrio e un nome forse sconosciuto alla maggior parte dei pescatori a mosca italiani, ma e uno dei piu importanti produttori di code ti topo europei.

Azienda scozzese, la Barrio produce code ormai da diversi anni con dei risultati eccellenti e, vista la situazione economica che stiamo vivendo, con dei costi assolutamente bassi in relazione all'alta qualita delle code che produce.

Mike, oltre ad essere un amico e un eccellente lanciatore specialmente con attrezzature classiche del nord della Gran Bretagna dove regna la pesca al salmone, ma e anche un eccellente disegnatore di code, elemento questo che lo rende uno dei piu preparati produttori di quest'ultime.

I profili delle code di topo Barrio nascono non tanto da chissa quali innovativi software, ma dall'arguzia e dal saper leggere le esigenze dei pescatori. Infatti Mike, ascoltando le richieste dei pescatori, assembla pezzo dopo pezzo, delle pseudo code che, a parer suo, possono avere un profilo valido per quel tipo di esigenza, dopo di che, quando ritiene che questo primo passaggio ha una base valida, trasferisce il prototipo elaborato anche con l'aiuto del computer. A sua volta Mike fa provare questo prototipo ai Barrio Pro Fly Fishing Team di cui mi onoro di far parte, che essendo grandi tecnici del lancio della coda di topo, danno il loro primo giudizio sulla coda, giudizio che verra poi rielaborato e dal quale nascerea il secondo prototipe e cosi via, fino al raggiungimento di un prodotto finale gia testato da una serie di "Masters" aventi tutti uno stile di lancio e una cultura della pesca a mosca del tutto diversa tra di loro, in quanto proventienti dall'UK piuttosto che dalla Francia, dall'Australia o dalla Germania, dalla Serbia o dall'Italia, insomma, non un giudizio che segue un tipo di stile e mentalita di un solo paese ma una sequenza di opinioni provenienti da tutte le latitudini.

Questo fa delle code Barrio qualcosa di veramente unico.

Guardando tra il suo catalogo, non troveremo una infinita di modelli di code, ma una serie di code estremamente performanti.

Una serie in particoloare va assolutamente segnalata, la GT. Se guardate, ha il un profilo simile ad una WF ma e piu simile ad una long belly anche se ha un profilo conico insomma e veramente performante. Ho provato la 4 e vi garantisco che ti "scappa dalle mani". Inoltre ha una scorrevolezza straordinaria e quindi uno shooting eccelente!

Qualcuno stara, giustamente, pensando che sto scrivendo queste cose per pubblicizzare questo prodotto, no, non e cosi, lo faccio perche in un mercato come quello della pesca a mosca dove i consti sono, a mio avviso, troppo elevati, avere un'azienda che vende delle ottime code ed altre eccezionali a prezzi bassi, credetemi, e una cosa da sottolineare e propagandare.

Inoltre Mike e una persona squisita, sempre pronto a dare consigli, ma la sua dote maggiore e che non se la tira e che e commercialmente onesto!!

Di solito i redazionali sono un tantino "spinti" commercialmente, fa parte del gioco, anche se poi il piu delle colte rispecchiano la qualita del prodotto. Questo redazionale invece e estremamente veritiero, non perche lo sto scrivendo io ma perche e veramente l'espressione scritta di cio che veramente penso, cioe un'azienda capace di fare cose importanti senza troppe fanfare.

Chi volesse visitare il sito puo farlo qui: http://www.flylineshop.com. Oppure se si vuole avere delle info maggiori puo anche contattarmi max@massimomagliocco.it

You can read the original copy of this review on the FFM website at FFM Scuola di pesca a mosca in their online FFMagazine number 18 on pages 88-89.