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by Steven Neely

THE RIO AVID FLY LINE IS DESIGNED WITH TAPERS AND TECHNOLOGIES TO ENHANCE YOUR FISHING EXPERIENCE

When it comes to fly lines RIO is a name we can all trust; a market leader with an exceptional pedigree, at the forefront of fly line construction, material technologies and the development of highly specific tapers. If you’re looking for a particular fly line to do a specific job then RIO no doubt has it covered.

RIO’s mid-price range AVID series has landed in the UK with a £69.99 RRP and looks to me as if they have been designed specifically for the UK stillwater market. The tapers on these fly lines feature a slightly heavier front section squeezed in to a shorter length, like a bullet. This leads to extremely easy casting.

The casting performance of these lines is exceptional, from short range roll casts to full on, double hauls, punching the whole line out through the tip ring allowing anyone who can cast a decent line to see the backing each and every time.

In addition to the taper these lines boast XS technology, a chemical formulation that means dirt and debris are repelled allowing for extreme slickness. This hugely impressive feature allows for super slick movement of line through the rod rings – it’s effortless.

Another very noticeable characteristic of these lines is the fact that even right off the spool the memory is pretty much non-existent. This instils confidence straight away. For presentation fishing, dry fly and delicate nymphing techniques, a fly line which holds no memory is a godsend.

With the lines being built on a memory-free core, they keep their shape in all water conditions. Quite often as the temperature drops coils can form in some fly lines, but the AVID series stays nice and straight. When it comes to high floating this line blew me away. It’s a dual layered line, utilising a high floating inner coating which is constructed with tiny buoyant microspheres (tiny balls to you and me). This is then given a tough outer coating, which gives the line extreme durability no matter how much abuse it gets.

It’s this high floating attribute that sees me reaching for this line for my more subtle fishing styles. Having used the line from both boat and bank, this fly line’s characteristics give me exactly what I want in terms of presentation and performance. I can cast a nice straight line with ease, a quick roll cast to fish at close quarters, great for dry fly on the boat, at distance, double hauling a couple of nymphs, or a single lure off the bank – it does it all.

I’m a big fan of the colour too. It’s a soft, pale yellow, that seems to stand out no matter the light conditions. This massively aids take detection when nymphing. The super smooth, welded loop on the front also makes life a whole lot easier allowing for quick and easy changes at the drop of a hat.

Finally, the price. For a RIO fly line which offers so much in the way of technology, features and performance it’s a steal at only £69.99. You get an awful lot of fly line for your money. Plus the dual coating ensures it’s robust and durable and should, with a little care and attention, have a longer life than most lines.

Although no fly line is guaranteed to catch you more trout, I promise you this line in particular will mean that targeting them is a far better, more pleasurable experience!

Steve Cullen Fly Fishing

Steve Cullen YouTube Channel

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