We are proud to announce we are now a carrier of Monic Fly Lines. Monic is based out of Boulder, Colorado, and has been around since the early 90’s. They are responsible for introducing clear tipped lines to the market, and have mastered that niche for both salt and freshwater. Monic lines are Eco-Friendly and made PVC free, this means there won’t be toxic chemicals leaching into our beloved waters. As PVC lines are exposed to the elements, the compounds break down and not only taint our waters, but also weaken the coatings on our lines, and cause them to crack. Once this happens, dirt and debris make their way into the inner core, which then begins to absorb water and sink. The PVC free lines from monic avoid a lot of this, as a result, they are better for our waters, and last longer. According to Monic, their lines should have a lifespan approximately 2-3 times longer than their PVC counterparts. These lines are a great value, and preform on par with other top line brands, at a fraction of the price. As stated above, Monic manufactures both fresh and saltwater lines. At the Caddis Fly Shop, we carry both, but this review will focus on their freshwater lines.
Precision Dry Stealth WF3-6F
Starting with the line I have fished, Monic’s Precision Dry Stealth line is a floating line offered in in line weights 3 to 6 and runs $104.99. It is a weight forward floating line that is specifically designed for the tactical dry fly fisherman. This line features a 12 foot clear tip with a welded loop. In the belly of the taper, the line changes to a dark, translucent chartreuse, and continues through the rear taper and into the running line. The 38 foot taper is designed to turn over dries and present them extremely delicately to picky trout. The line features a low-stretch core, which makes for quick hook sets when it counts. This line is unique, and stands out as there is not another dry fly trout line like this on the market.
I was hesitant to fish this line; I never had heard of Monic. I decided that taking it out on a nice winter day for an afternoon Baetis hatch would be a great time to test it. I swapped my old line out and spooled the dry stealth line on and headed down to a tailout I liked to fish. I was greeted by a pod of trout lazily sipping Baetis duns off the surface; just what I was hoping for. I was surprised that fish were continuing to rise right next to my fly line like nothing was there. Fish after fish rose to my flies. With my other lines, I feel like the pod of fish would spook after a few fish, or sometimes even after a few casts, nevertheless I continued to pull fish out, until the hatch died down. This outing gave me my much-needed dry fly fix mid January, and I headed back to my truck content with my time spent on the water.
I was skeptical at first that the clear tip was a marketing gimmick, but after several outings, I do think it makes a difference. I had another day, more recently, swinging emergers during another Baetis hatch. I had trout hammering my flies so much so that by the end of the hatch, they were obliterated and completely unrecognizable. This line would excel fishing spring/limestone creeks, on lakes for dries, or places with pressured or especially finicky fish. This line is one of the slickest I’ve ever casted, and its ability to shoot large amounts of line with ease is impressive. My only issue with the line is that it has a mono core which coils and holds its memory in colder temperatures, so this line is really is more of a 3 season line. The slickness makes up for the coiling though, and shoots the coiled line with ease. I am looking forward to warmer weather to really put this line to the test on some spring fed streams, as well as see how it performs locally with the various hatches coming up.
All-Around Trout WF4-6F
The All-Around Trout is Monic’s standard weight-forward floating trout line, and it comes in weights 4 to 6 and is 59.99. It is the go to line for the angler that wants to do it all. It features a 41 foot taper is designed to handle a range of fishing situations and techniques. The rear taper extends back to offer easy mending, line control, and roll casting. The front taper is delicate enough to turn over small dries, while also being able to handle nymph rigs and streamers. The line is engineered to perform in a variety of circumstances such as blue-lining on small creeks, or fishing on larger rivers. This line features a fiber braided core, which gives the line low to moderate stretch, while also providing some shock absorbing properties for aggressive takes. Generally, entry price point lines do not have this much technology packed into them. This makes this line an excellent line for a new angler, or a well seasoned one.
Advanced Trout WF4-8F
Monic’s Advanced Trout line is their more aggressive weight-forward floating taper and is offered in 4 through 8 weight options and costs $79.99. This lines taper is 36 feet and features Monic’s “Javelin” taper. This is their more aggressive taper which allows you to throw cumbersome rigs with confidence and ease. This is perfect for setups like: heavy nymph rigs, nymph rigs with split shot, double nymph rigs, bushy dries, large dry dropper rigs, poppers, and streamers. The construction of the taper allows the rod to be loaded with less line out and the slickness of monic lines allow you to shoot more line with less backcasting. Even though the line is engineered with an aggressive taper, it will present your smaller flies well. This line features a fiber braided core, which gives the line low to moderate stretch, while also providing some shock absorbing properties for aggressive takes. For seasoned caster that can control a more aggressive taper, this line is a great “do it all” line. Whether you’re fishing small creeks on a 4 weight, or fishing for steelhead on an 8 weight single hand rod, this line will deliver for you in situations where a more powerful taper is preferred.
Trout Master WF4-6F
Lastly, Monic’s Trout Master is for experienced fisherman that want a high-performance line with some extra features. This line is a weight-forward floating line and is offered in weights from 4 through 6; this line costs $99.99. The main feature of this line is its tri-color coded 30 foot taper which shows the angler what section of the line they are at. The front taper is green, the belly is gray, and the rear taper through the running line is light blue. This is great for the distinguished angler who likes extra features to help inform their casting style at different distances. The front taper aids in delicate presentation of dry fly and dry-dropper rigs. The line does have increased mass in the belly, which loads your line with ease and gives the line the power to load more cumbersome rigs like nymphing setups. The rear taper has increased mass and length to aid in an experienced angler making micro adjustments to their drift with mends, even at longer distances. This line features a fiber braided core, which gives the line low to moderate stretch, while also providing some shock absorbing properties for aggressive takes. Monic designed this line with the proficient angler in mind, and the line will serve an excellent caster well.
-Simon
