Fly fishing, like any pursuit, has more than few urban legends. These urban legends are repeated over and over again by well-meaning anglers, but ultimately they are either untrue, only partially true, or they were true at one time but modern technology has rendered them obsolete.

So that got me thinking, why not a Fly Fishing MythBuster thread? I'll get it started with the easy ones:

The Dual Line Weight Myth

Myth: Rods that carry a dual line rating (like 6/7) do so because the lower weight refers to a DT line and the higher weight refers to a WF line. So with a rod rated as a 6/7, you should use a #6 DT and a #7 WF.

Rod makers do this because a DT line is heavier than a WF because the DT line does not taper to a thinner line.

Fly Fishing MythBusters Verdict - Total myth. Completely untrue.

This fly fishing urban legend has driven me crazy for years. Like many urban legends, the armchair logic used to explain it sounds convincing, but it's totally wrong.

Even worse, the dual line rating myth has been circulated and repeated by many experienced anglers and angling journalists who should know better.

Pittsford Pirate has very correctly debunked this myth a number of times with the following:

"Click on the link and scroll to the bottom....

http://www.flyfishusa.com/lines/choose-line-home.html

As it confirms, fly lines are rated on grain weights, based upon the first 30ft of line, regardless of whether it is a DT or WF.

Incidentally, there are 15.432 grains in 1 grammes. The first 30ft of say both a DT#5 and WF#5 should be approximately 140 grains (9.07 grammes), with a margin of error of 134 to 146 grains (8.68 to 9.46 grammes)."

The bottom line is that a dual line rating means simply "either/or". The first 30 feet of a WF and DT weigh the same, so the dual rating has nothing to do with the taper of a line, it's just the manufacturer hedging their bets.

There. Now that we've debunked the dual line rating myth once and for all what myth should we take on next?

Grouse

If only TFG. We both know someone's going to post next week saying "blah blah lower number is DT and higher number is WF...blah blah".....You just know it.

Big field to choose from:
DT lines give "Better presentation".
Americans speak English.
The English speak better English.
Fly fishing is Superior - and dry-fly doubly so.
The BBC is better because of its unique funding method.

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Plusnet/Madasafish > Liars to the internet community

spoken in true "color"

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WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!

Why is this a myth?

Here's another.

An expensive rod will improve your casting.

Or what about ......

If you post a lot on an internet forum you're an 'expert'.

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[I]"I still don't know why I fish or why other men fish, except that we like it and it makes us think and feel."[/I] Roderick L Haig-Brown

[url]www.wildfly.net[/url]

[url]http://www.gameanglinginstructors.co.uk/[/url]

Obviously not.... Lighthouse.

I can vouch for that!

really ,thats great , ah but wait a minute how much do you have to of posted (hoping its not higher than my post count)

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WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!