Silk Fly Lines - Care & Info

On this page you will find details on how to care for your new Silk Fly Line, plus lots of other information on the care and use of silk lines.

A Message from Iam Moxon (the maker) about traditionally made Silk Fly Lines:

"All my line are made from unbleached raw natural reeled silk (reeled silk is the best grade of silk followed by spun silk and then bourette). The raw silk goes through the following processes - skein washing (to remove the serracin, also known as degumming), dying if applicable, bobbin winding (various deniers), braiding (tapers are constructed by braiding), loose ends trimmed and burnt, vacuum impregnation with traditional varnish (essentially linseed oil and natural resins - various coats), polishing, leader loops added, weighed and measured and finally coiled up.

Because my lines are constructed in the old tradition way, there my be some very small lumps / bumps and small cosmetic marks. However, each line has been inspected inch by inch (by me) and no lines go out which won't cast well and catch fish. As with any maker's traditional silk fly lines, they always become softer and smoother over the course of the first half-dozen fishing trips and nothing should be done to try and accelerate that break-in process. All those lines have very fine tapered tips and my own micro braided leader loops attached."; Ian Moxon, 2021

Silk Fly Lines & The AFTM Scale

Applying the AFTM scale to silk fly lines, especially with very fine tips, isn't an exact science, but those I've rated 4/5 fall roughly half way between the two line sizes - as do the lines I've rated 5/6. There are, as is normal for silk fly lines, a few very tiny cosmetic marks on the lines occasionally where (1) silk threads have been changed during braiding and/or (2) very tiny specks of oil have flicked up off the braiding machine (they are few and far between and very small indeed, but I want to be totally honest).

How to Care for your new silk fly line:

New silk fly lines are usually a bit stiff and a bit rough to start with (and that is normal for a properly made silk fly line). The line will become softer and more supple over the course of the first half dozen fishing trips and nothing should be done to try and accelerate that process. Before each fishing trip apply a thin layer of line grease. After your fishing trip pull the line off your reel in loose coils into a cardboard box to dry (or put onto a line dryer if you have one). Never grease a wet silk fly line as that will trap the moisture inside and prompt rot. Occasionally a silk line will become sticky/tacky for no apparent reason (usually due to old line grease/residue) and if that happens wipe the line down with white spirit. With care your silk fly line should last your whole lifetime.

Unfinished Silk Lines

We sometimes have stock of 'unfinished' silk lines, these are lines which have been spun from unbleached silk and not had any colour or finishing added to them, i.e. they are white. These lines are usually bought by cane rod builders who would like a line colour of their choosing. Click the button below to download a pdf document which contains full details on how best to finish this type of line:

Finishing Silk Fly Lines