New Snowbee XS Hi-Viz line review – Dave Malpas
My 1st attempt at fly fishing was at Chew Valley in 1965. After a trip to Ireland fishing for bream, our host was a fly fisherman fishing Lough Sheelin for its beautiful brown trout, seeing these fish caught, turned my head to fly fishing. On coming home I bought a Sharps Scottie split cane 9ft 6ins rod with no line weight on it. I purchased many fly lines over the following months and still did not get the correct line for the rod. I think in 1966 the AFTMA numbers came on the market matching lines to rods, which helped a little. Over the next year my casting improved, so I started boat fishing at Chew Valley and Blagdon.
In 1980 I fished an England eliminator at Chew Valley and qualified for the national final at Rutland Water where I got 3rd place and into the England team. I then requalified for the England team several times, then qualified for the England World Cup team to fish in Italy.
In 1980 I fished an England eliminator at Chew Valley and qualified for the national final at Rutland Water where I got 3rd place and into the England team. I then requalified for the England team several times, then qualified for the England World Cup team to fish in Italy.
Over my fishing career I have bought many fly lines, some good? some very poor (not mentioning makers!).
Late 2021 I was fishing Chew Valley with my fishing pal Russ Symons who had 2 new Snowbee floating lines which were not yet on the market to try. I had the WF7F on a Snowbee Spectre 10ft rod. The trial line was in a different world to some of the floating lines I have had in past. I bought one of the new Snowbee XS lines for the 2022 season, I fished with it at Blagdon last Tuesday and asked it a lot of questions – and it came back with all the right answers!
I have to say it is the best floating fly line I have ever used, in over 57 years of fly fishing!
Before spooling the line on the reel I gave it 2 coats of Snowbee Line Slick and let dry.
A bottle of slick comes with every Snowbee line. After a few casts I found I could cast 25 yds with one false cast Also the line floated very high on the surface making lifting the full head possible. Casting across a 12 MPH wind very easy. This XS line allows you to cut false casting to a minimum.
Excessive false casting is the cause of most floating lines to crack behind the head. Other damage to fly lines is caused in the boat due to standing on the line. To save my new line from damage I will be buying a line tray to use in the boat, sounds odd but try it!