RIO LightLine Still Best In Class
RIO LightLine has been around for over fifteen years, and honestly, it's my top synthetic line that I use not only on my bamboo and glass rods but also on my moderate-action graphite rods, like Winston Pure 2 rods. My favorite silk line by Terenzio, out of Italy, is the standard line I use to test all my bamboo rod tapers, as well as the RIO LightLine. RIO nailed this line upon its inception in 2015, winning the IFTD “Best New Fly Line” award just before launch.
I am a LightLine junkie primarily because of the application and niche it fills. The LightLine is a true-to-weight fly line. It comes in both a DT and a WF, but I would recommend it in a DT primarily because you can turn the line around once the line wears out and double the longevity of a single $ 100.00 purchase- simple logic. I would categorize this line as a technical line for a few reasons. The first is that it is extremely quiet. By quiet, I mean if you are fishing in gin-clear shallow water, which I do most of the time, its suppleness and ”splashdown rate,” for lack of a better words, allows it to land much more softly than a general-purpose line. “General purpose” fly lines come in a little hotter, like a jet as opposed to a glider; this is a way I often explain it to my customers who have delved into the cane world for the first time. The other reason I would consider this a technical line is because of its taper configuration. Most DT lines have a tapered head ranging from 5' out to around 12' and transition directly into the body. RIO's LightLine actually transitions from the front taper to a body taper that extends to another 8' which, in my mind, is the secret sauce that makes this line so special. (see diagram below) I have always thought of it as a kind of compound taper DT. It's a brilliant design. The LightLine pairs wonderfully with a 60" furled leader; depending on your rod length, you can go to a shorty at 50" or 70" or 78" if you're using a longer rod. I use both silk-braided and UNI furled leaders; both work great on this line.
(Above illustration: click to magnify)
So for fiberglass, bamboo, and moderate to slow action graphite, and for my most used application, which is very technical spring creeks in the Northeast, the LightLine hits a sweet spot. I don't use GP lines like the new SA Amplitude Trout GP (as an example), which supposedly is a new, improved version of the old Trout Standard, which it most certainly is not because it's not a true-to-weight line. It is one-quarter heavier in line weight compared to the old Trout Standard. So I have done a bunch of line reviews, and I will say it again: if somebody is reviewing a rod series like Winston Pure 2 and they are used to using faster-action rods in general, THEY WILL ALWAYS try to put a more aggressive head line on these moderate to slow-action rods. It drives me nuts. The new SA Trout GP is a good example of this BS. Numerous reviews have been written pairing this line with Pure 2 rods. I have run this new SA line through the Pure 2 series, and yeah, it works, but it's trying to make the rod into something it is not.
Why would you want to run a “General Purpose” line that is leaning towards a quarter heavier line designation on a very lightweight, technically designed dry fly rod? Total misapplication, which seems to be the current consensus among many retailers doing both rod and line reviews. Enough said. The RIO LightLine runs beautifully through the Pure 2 series, as do other true-to-weight DT lines and Wulff Triangle tapers. The LightLine fits the build consistently across the spectrum of medium- to slow-action rods of various substrates. Other commercially available rod series I have tested using the RIO LightLine are the Douglas Upstream series, Scott F Series, Orvis Superfine Glass, and the Thomas & Thomas Loctic series. *(Be looking for the New Loctic 2 series for 2026 adding two new rods to the series a 6'3" 2wt. and a 7'10" 6wt. with an alleged late August release)
If you're going to write a review on a line designed for slower-action rods, then I think I would want it to come from a die-hard bamboo or glass junkie. I'm kind of tired of seeing people over-lining delicate action rods in general; it's incredibly misleading, and the misapplication is glaringly inept.
Always test out lines and keep an open mind. But also be mindful of the application! How are you using a specific rod? Stay true to its design intent and engineering, because honestly, that's what you're paying for! Would you purchase a 4k dry fly bamboo rod, 7' 3wt., and run a shooting head through it? Horse thoroughly beaten.
Above photo: Demo lines of all kinds for bamboo, glass, and
slower-to-moderate action graphite rods.
So again, for the application, this line remains best in class. It's quiet, casts softly for stealthy situations, it's a small dry-fly spring-creek wonder, and is extremely supple. I would go out on a limb and say that it is more supple than any SA lines I have tested to date. So for bamboo, if my customer wants to spend less than $300.00, which is how much Terenzio silk line goes for, I steer them directly to the LightLine hands down. While still keeping an open mind about other DT lines, comparing for your particular application is always best.
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Clint Bova
