[domantas]

Been trying to organize my fly lines a bit. Decided that I need to mark each and one of them as things will get mixed up at some point...

I bought a few 0.1mm tip permanent markers and did some precision marks with numbering and letters even on running and 3 weight lines. Problem is some lines dont hold ink very well and will wash away almost completely while some like Airflo Delta will take ink very well.

I know this is a shoot in the dark but if you can give me advice on specific markers or ways to prep the line before writing on them please chime in. Not looking on clever ways to indentify them as I really love what 0.1mm marker can do! Yes Ive heard of big line for five method.

Thank you. Now on my way to my fav river

 

[DrBob]

Ultrafine sharpies work well for me.

 

[Bill S]

I cut a short piece of heat shrink tubing (either clear or colored) and write on the tube before shrinking it over the back end of whatever line I am marking.

Minimal bulk and adds a reinforcement to my loop.

 

[steelhd32]

Marking Lines

I have been "Bar Coding" the leader end of my fly lines for 15 years or so now, using a big sharpie. I use a wide (1/2" or so) band to denote either 500 gr on my spey lines or "5wt" on my SH lines. Then I use a narrower (1/4" or so) band to denote 100 gr on Spey lines or "1wt" on my SH lines. For Spey lines I also have a narrow 1/8" band to denote 10gr increments. Then the "Bar Coding" is done starting at the tip, using the Roman Numeral system. So a 620gr line would have a 1/2" band (500 gr), followed by a 1/4" band (100gr), followed by 2 narrow 1/8" bands (10gr each). For SH lines, a 3 wt is just three 1/4" bands, and a 9 wt line is a 1/2" wide band (for 5wt) and 4four 1/4" bands (for 4x 1wt). I find that wide bands last better, and are easier to see. I normally mark the line about 1-2 ft back from the loop. The marking system does fade a bit over time, but not enough to make it hard to identify a line.

BTW, I started doing this after spending a week fishing with a 3wt line on my 5wt rod. Only discovered the error when I went to change to a sink tip, and the spare spool with the sink tip line was too big. I had thought all week long that the line felt a bit thin. Have not had that problem since!

HTH,

Jim

 

[fredaevans]

Now that took me back to the '50's.

I have been "Bar Coding" the leader end of my fly lines for 15 years or so now, using a big sharpie. I use a wide (1/2" or so) band to denote either 500 gr on my spey lines or "5wt" on my SH lines. Then I use a narrower (1/4" or so) band to denote 100 gr on Spey lines or "1wt" on my SH lines. For Spey lines I also have a narrow 1/8" band to denote 10gr increments. Then the "Bar Coding" is done starting at the tip, using the Roman Numeral system. So a 620gr line would have a 1/2" band (500 gr), followed by a 1/4" band (100gr), followed by 2 narrow 1/8" bands (10gr each). For SH lines, a 3 wt is just three 1/4" bands, and a 9 wt line is a 1/2" wide band (for 5wt) and 4four 1/4" bands (for 4x 1wt). I find that wide bands last better, and are easier to see. I normally mark the line about 1-2 ft back from the loop. The marking system does fade a bit over time, but not enough to make it hard to identify a line.

BTW, I started doing this after spending a week fishing with a 3wt line on my 5wt rod. Only discovered the error when I went to change to a sink tip, and the spare spool with the sink tip line was too big. I had thought all week long that the line felt a bit thin. Have not had that problem since!

HTH,

Jim

Did the same thing way back in the day. Even similar markings.

 

[domantas]

Any sugestions? Once again, what marker or ink can be used to mark lines?

 

[WeeHooker]

I have been "Bar Coding" the leader end of my fly lines for 15 years or so now, using a big sharpie. I use a wide (1/2" or so) band to denote either 500 gr on my spey lines or "5wt" on my SH lines. Then I use a narrower (1/4" or so) band to denote 100 gr on Spey lines or "1wt" on my SH lines. For Spey lines I also have a narrow 1/8" band to denote 10gr increments. Then the "Bar Coding" is done starting at the tip, using the Roman Numeral system. So a 620gr line would have a 1/2" band (500 gr), followed by a 1/4" band (100gr), followed by 2 narrow 1/8" bands (10gr each). For SH lines, a 3 wt is just three 1/4" bands, and a 9 wt line is a 1/2" wide band (for 5wt) and 4four 1/4" bands (for 4x 1wt). I find that wide bands last better, and are easier to see. I normally mark the line about 1-2 ft back from the loop. The marking system does fade a bit over time, but not enough to make it hard to identify a line.

BTW, I started doing this after spending a week fishing with a 3wt line on my 5wt rod. Only discovered the error when I went to change to a sink tip, and the spare spool with the sink tip line was too big. I had thought all week long that the line felt a bit thin. Have not had that problem since!

HTH,

Jim

Same here. A black sharpie has held on dozens of fly lines and dozens of years for me. I use a similar system but slightly different. 1/2" band =5 , 1/4" band-1. Hence a seven weight line is indicated by one 1/2" band followed by two 1/4" bands. an 11 would ne two 1/2" bands and a single 1/4". If more info is needed, then that goes on a waterproof sticker on the backside of the spool.

 

[WeeHooker]

Any sugestions? Once again, what marker or ink can be used to mark lines?

Sharpie brand. Black is king.

 

[Bill S]

This is my Sharpie. There are many like it, but this one is mine......

Seriously, the Industrial Sharpies seem to work better in the water.

 

[Jabrowning24]

I think the problem is the fine point sharpie, I like those for many different things but quite often they won't hold when a normal sharpie does... Have you tried just a brand new one (like shown above) and just try barely using the tip so you can get it thin enough?

Sorry I don't have any real suggestions haha

 

[Bill S]

I think the problem is the fine point sharpie, I like those for many different things but quite often they won't hold when a normal sharpie does... Have you tried just a brand new one (like shown above) and just try barely using the tip so you can get it thin enough?

This is why I like to write on a short pc of shrink tubing (3/8" to 1/2" long) with a regular Sharpy. You can print larger than the finished product and then, when it shrinks, you have a small color coded (or not) label with printing about half the original size.

 

[bender]

I have measured lengths and weights of all shooting heads and WF line heads and wrote to a notebook so worst case figuring out what the head is takes only few minutes. Also when the color and possible color of the loops are written down I manage to keep track of them without measuring length or weight too often. I store shooting heads in Zip-Lock bags which have same data written and those which are empty usually are in reels.

IMHO measuring is very important because some lines have huge tolerances!

Esa