AirFlo Ridge Running Fly Line: AirFlo Shooting & Running Fly Lines

Airflo Ridge Running Line. AirFlo Ridge Running Shooting fly line.

We fish AirFlo Ridge Running fly lines for every application imaginable, because they are offered in a wide range of specifications, their low stretch properties enhance hook-setting on our usual 100-foot casts (ha ha), and because we have come to trust Airflo quality. Yes, these lines have the big Airflo factory flexi loop to make head-changes easy. Some fly fishers refer to these as running lines and others refer to them as shooting lines. No distinction in our minds. These AirFlo Ridge Running – Shooting fly lines are the thin diameter level lines that run or shoot through the guides being carried by the weight of the shooting head propelled by the unloading fly rod.

Airflo Ridge Running fly lines are “ridged”, duh, to reduce friction while shooting out a marvelous cast and make us look cool when our fly spats down waaaaaay off in the distance. Sounds fancy but it works.

Standard Ridge Running lines are offered as floating and intermediate lines rated at 20 and 30 LB strength. Without exception, we chose the floating lines for all of our Spey fishing, and the intermediate Ridge Running lines for fishing our sinking shooting heads, usually for salmon or lake fishing.

Where Spey fishing is concerned, we usually choose the 20 LB Airflo Ridge Running Line for 4-6 wt. Spey rods, and go with the 30 LB Ridge Running Line for Spey rods in the 7-9 wt. categories. The AirFlo Ridge Running – Shooting lines perform well on single hand, Switch rods, and Spey fly rods.

Similarly, the 20 LB intermediate AirFlo Ridge Running – Shooting fly Line is great for fishing shooting heads in the “trout size” category with shooting heads of 7 wt. and lower. We go with the 30 LB Intermediate Ridge Running Line for all of our “big fish” shooting head work, including salmon, saltwater species, and the like.

We usually recommend trying to match the strength of the running – shooting fly line to the fly line backing.