Silk fly lines
Fly lines made of natural silk are highly appreciated by connoisseurs
Silk fly lines have a long and fascinating history and have recently enjoyed a strong resurgence among fly anglers. While they are traditionally associated with split-cane bamboo rods, modern silk fly lines also perform exceptionally well on contemporary carbon fibre fly rods. Today’s premium silk fly lines combine traditional craftsmanship with the demands of modern fly fishing. They offer a uniquely soft and pleasant feel while gliding smoothly through the rod guides. Thanks to their significantly thinner diameter compared to modern plastic fly lines, friction is reduced, resulting in highly precise casts and particularly delicate fly presentations – even in windy conditions. With proper care, such as drying the line after fishing and regularly applying specialised line grease, silk fly lines are extremely durable, making their higher initial investment worthwhile over time. In our range you will find premium silk fly lines in various tapers and line classes, allowing you to experience the unique advantages and traditional charm of silk fly fishing on a modern performance level.
Over the years, fly line have evolved continuously. Initially male horsehair was used, then it has gone from silk to woven nylon and then to the present day with modern fly line made of woven nylon but covered with PVC.
Generally when a new and more performing technology revolutionizes a certain product it tends to sweep away the previous material turning it into an old memory. As far as fly line are concerned, however, this is not the case, in fact, silk fly line are still very much appreciated by many fly fishermen.
We of 1000 flies offer you silk fly line of the highest quality, made by the French company Au Ver a Soie which has been producing silk for all uses since 1820. Due to the numerous requests from the fishermen, they have developed the peche a soie brand in order to have a direct channel of communication with the fly fishing world.
The peche a soie's silk fly line are very appreciated by vintage enthusiasts and are often combined with bamboo rods. This does not mean that they cannot be combined with modern carbon fly fishing rods, on the contrary! Modern silk fly line maintain the same manufacturing processes as in the past but the various profiles have been adapted to be successfully matched with the latest generation of fly fishing rods.
Using a silk fly line the first feeling you have before you even fish is that you have in your hands a material that is extremely soft and pleasant to the touch. Already from the first casts you can appreciate the smoothness through the guide of the rod, also thanks to the fact that, at the same weight with a modern PVC fly line, the silk has a much finer profile. This thinness brings with it benefits even during the fishing action because it allows to reduce friction with air and water to a minimum. This results in a much more precise casting and a much more delicate presentation of the fly even in the presence of wind, while the dredging of your artificial fly is reduced to a minimum thanks to the fact that the silk fly line adapts much better to the current.
In order to always get the most out of your peche a soie's silk fly line you will need to give it some extra care compared to a classic PVC fly line but nothing complicated. At the end of each fishing session it is a good idea to unroll the entire section of wet fly line and let it dry in the shade away from heat sources. This is necessary to prevent the silk from rotting over time. Every 3-4 fishing sessions, before rewinding the fly line on the reel after it has dried, it is a good idea to apply the special grease that you will find included in the package. We do not recommend to use for its cleaning any kind of solvent, oil or various products. In order to maintain a uniform quality of the DT fly line, it is advisable to alternate the two ends periodically.
During the period of winter inactivity, the peche a soie's fly line must be dried very well and greased in the methods just described before being stored in a place away from humidity and excessive heat.