[Hamish Young]

I'd have said the SLX or the GT90 myself, both would suit a relaxed style and softer rod IMHO.
Of the two I'd have the SLX first as I think it's unsurpassed as a fishing line.

As to 6 or a 7wt line then I would probably opt for the 7 myself but - horses for courses - much depends on what you're fishing for and with what tactics etc etc.
What line(s) are you using on that rod at the minute

H

[cmac]

I've used a #7 GT90, an old #6 Hardy DT and an ancient #7 Cortland 444.
Probably favoured the Hardy, but I am only one season back fishing after a 20 year hiatus so wouldn't rate my casting skills very highly just yet

[Ben Dixon]

Hi Ciaran,

What is your definition of "medium range" in feet from your position to the fly, what length of leader do you typically fish and what is the greatest amount of line you would want to lift from the water into a back cast without stripping in?  Also, do you double haul?

On the Redington I'd use a #4 SLX

Cheers

Ben

[cmac]

Hi Ben,

A #4 SLX for the Redington it is!
Regarding the Harrison rod I'd normally have something like a 12ft leader (tapered copolymer + tippet) to a single fly.  "Medium range" for me is probably somewhere between 40 and 60 ft.
Having learned to cast with double taper lines and always fishing from boats on Loughs, I grew up expecting to lift whatever length the bamboo rod du jour could handle (always a #6 DT regardless of the rod!!) and reposition in front of the latest rising trout.  Now that I do more bank fishing on relatively small stillwaters I have learned the error of my ways and often find myself cursing the lack of back casting distance available, so do tend to strip in more line than I may have done in the past.
Similarly my "double haul" is a work in progress (I was fly fishing for many years before I actually saw anyone double hauling.  I'm pretty sure that the generation who taught me to cast a fly would have frowned upon such energetic casting during the genteel practice of spent gnat fishing ).

Thanks,
Ciaran.

[Ben Dixon]

Hi Ciaran,

All that makes sense.  If back casting space is a problem and you are only looking to hit 60' from feet to fly then the SLX should be fine for the Harrison.  10' of rod, 33' of head a few feet of running line shot and a 12' leader will get you to 60' with no problem. Not sure where you are based but there is an Orvis / Barrio demo day at Haddo on 14th April, come along to that with your rod and try a few lines if you can.

Cheers

Ben

[Mike Barrio]

Good questions Ben, based on Ciaran's reply I think I would agree and suggest the SLX

Best wishes
Mike

[cmac]

I'd love to make the demo day, but I'm afraid it's a little too far from Co. Clare (West of Ireland) for a day trip!

At the 60' range, will there be much of a difference between the GT and the SLX?  And of course my bank fishing is probably going to demand getting better at presenting beyond the 60' range at which point the GT125 becomes the more likely suitor?

(if only budget were of no concern).

Thanks,
Ciaran

[Noel Kelly]

Hi Ciaran
Cant advise on the line but interested in where you will be fishing? I'm from Clare myself 

[Rob Brownfield]

I am not going to dissagree with the casting/line gurus here as they have forgotton more than I know, but I have been using Harrison blanks for a good number of years now and know the Sportfish blank pretty well.

As you say, it would be classed as a slow blank by modern standards, but despite its "bend", it recovers pretty quick.
 
I used a GT125 on one of them (#9 on a 9/10 rod) and it/I loved it. It was extremely relaxed and easy to cast with and just felt "right". It was easy to carry a fair amount of line and there was no need to "shoot" for the horizon, just let the line go and off it went. Presentation was nice as well (for a #9!)

I also used a WF #9 Airflo that cast well but just did not feel right. I had to work a little more with that line, and shoot a lot of line, which the softer Harrison does not really like.

Lastly I tried a DT 10 on it, just for sh!ts and giggles, and it was horrid. Felt very overloaded.

I built a 5/6 weight version for a mates dad and he used a Lee Wulff Triangle Taper line, saying it cast lovely, so an SLX on a river would be nice as the action lends itself to spey casting.

[Marc Fauvet]

I used a GT125 on one of them (#9 on a 9/10 rod) and it/I loved it. It was extremely relaxed and easy to cast with and just felt "right". It was easy to carry a fair amount of line and there was no need to "shoot" for the horizon, just let the line go and off it went. Presentation was nice as well (for a #9!)

 a 9wt Barrio line ? 

[Ben Dixon]

It's Rob Marc.  He means the GT140 

[cmac]

Thanks everyone for the comprehensive responses.  In rough order of response:

Hamish, this SLX line really is getting such rave reviews I might be a real numpty to get anything else for the Harrison.  It's certainly a #4 SLX for the Redington.  I appreciate what your saying about using a #7, but I'm not sure that the combination of me and rod is best served by the larger weight based on honest reflection of my efforts last season with the #7 GT90.  Decisions, decisions 

Cuileog, rather than completely hijack my first thread even further I pm'd you about the few places I've managed to fish in Clare last season.  Any recommendations gratefully received    (by the way, if anyone else is interested I can post, but it really doesn't compare to what's on your doorstep in Scotland).

Rob, great to here that you've found mike's lines to be a good fit for the Harrison rods.  I'll be using this rod almost exclusively on stillwaters so the recommendation for the GT125 over the SLX might be the way to go.  Interestingly it tallies with Mike's initial thoughts (currently amended to SLX).  As you say, a "slow" rod by modern standards but quite a bit faster than anything I used before the great sabbatical (a Warnants of Dublin early graphite with lines Fuji guides that really should have been on a float rod IMHO).

Ben & Mike, thanks for spending so much time on a single line query... very much appreciated.  Of course, in an ideal world I'd simply order a GT25 and an SLX for the Harrison, but unavoidable capital costs here on the farm have been pretty harsh this year so I think it's one line for the time being.  Quite a surreal experience to look at the cattle and mentally divide them into fishing tackle rather than steaks

I can see this ending in a coin toss

Thanks,
Ciaran

[Rob Brownfield]

It's Rob Marc.  He means the GT140 

I do..sorry...Mike gave me the line to try out...

[cmac]

Right!!! Sorry about the absence, but the cattle have made it through their annual testing and the necessary (and extremely urgent) fencing seems to to keeping man and beast at bay.  Just enough headspace to think about fishing again.

All set to place the order for the #4 SLX for the Redington, but which line for the Harrison?  If there are no major objections from the gallery I was thinking of the GT125 for no other reason than I imagine it will bear a comfortable resemblance to the DT#6's I cut my teeth on.

[Hamish Young]

I'm guessing your coin toss

I can see this ending in a coin toss

still leaves you undecided on which line to chose Ciaran. It's a bugger when the coin ends up on an edge, sitting on the fence in a neutral undecided sort of way 
If the 125 is what you fancy then you should buy that There you go, decision made 

H