One of the most confusing aspects of fly fishing is the multiplicity of fly lines available.

There are floating lines, sinking lines of various densities, and floating lines with sinking tips. There are level lines, double tapers, weight forward tapers, shooting heads and a recently introduced "Triangle Taper."

Level lines have no taper, are the least expensive, are usually satisfactory in smaller diameters and are ideal where short back casts are desirable such as flooded streams.

The double taper is similar to the level except that it has an identical taper at each end. The taper allows the part near the fly to drop to the water with less commotion. It is the favorite of many anglers who fish open streams. The taper doesn't weigh as much as the regular line so more has to be in the air to load the rod.

Tapering the line is a carryover from the days of gut when long leaders weren't practical. This in turn, followed a practice started centuries earlier when woven horse hair lines were tapered down to two and sometimes even a single hair at the fly end.

Lines, in those days, were bulky both for strength and to give weight for throwing and tapered to a fine point so the fly could be presented delicately. An angler who could consistently land large trout on a single hair was much respected.

Double tapers are supposed to be the small stream fisher's favorite, but most that I know use weight forwards. The former usually have longer tapers so more line has to be out to energize the rod. Long back casts are a hazard in close quarters.

Many times in the manufacturing of these lines a level, taperless section of a foot or two is left on at the front end. All of this, except for a few inches, should be trimmed off. Some anglers trim the taper back slightly also.

A weight forward line is one that has its casting weight built into the first thirty feet or so with a taper ahead of that. The remainder, back of this, is of smaller diameter to facilitate its sliding through the guides. This is the one for long casts where line shooting is important.

Some weight forwards are made with very short front tapers that are designed to load a rod with little line out and allow getting into action with no false casting. They are called "salt-water tapers" because many ocean anglers habitually hold coils of line in their hand and shoot it to cruising fish with a single short back cast.

The same short taper "turns over" air resistant lures better and is also used on lines designed for bass-bugging.

Incidentally, when using sinking line, always retrieve so that all or most of it is out of the water. Trying to pick one up that is still submerged puts a dangerous strain on the rod.

Shooting heads are another form of weight forward line. They are merely a short length (usually 30 feet) of the weight required to make a rod work, designed to be spliced to a finer line that will slip through the guides easier.

They may be either sinking or floating and sell for about half the price of a complete line. They were developed by tournament casters and are popular where heavy lines must be cast a long way.

Monofilament running lines are popular with contestants but most fishers prefer a very light fly line. Many manufacturers now make level lines especially for use with shooting heads.

Monofilament casts slightly farther but tangles easier. Also, it is more difficult to grip and control by hand. we tend to associate line bulk with the weight necessary for casting but some thickness is necessary to facilitate line handling.

In fly casting, both hands are used. Tension on the line is maintained or released with the line hand. Line is retrieved and held in loops with this hand but passes through an extra guide formed by holding a finger or fingers of the rod hand slightly away from the handle.

Fish aren't usually played from the reel, but by releasing or snubbing line as necessary with these fingers against the grip. Monofilament or a too small braided running line can be difficult to grasp and even result in painful "rope burns".

The new Triangle Taper line was developed by Lee Wulff and is marketed by Joan and Lee Wulff, Inc., Box CC, Livingston Manor, New York, 12758. It is a weight forward with a continuous front taper that extends for 40 feet back through the line belly.

Lee and Joan are fly fishing legends. They have helped thousands learn about and enjoy the sport through books, articles, classes and presentations at shows and club meetings. I have met them both and they are gracious.

I have had one of the new Triangle Tapers for about a year and it works wonderfully well for distance, is easier to roll cast then conventional tapers and mends nicely. I would say it is a little more specialized than the earlier one and ideal for large water trout fishing.

With Lee and Joan marketing it themselves it should be available for a long time.

Besides the fact that line isn't cast directly from the reel or usually retrieved by cranking, fly fishing differs from other angling in that the line itself is thrown. Consequently, line weight in relation to rod action is critical.

When I started fly fishing, lines were categorized according to diameter. Letters of the alphabet were used to designate sizes. This was satisfactory because they were all oiled silk and those of the same diameter weighed the same no matter who made them.

Then along came nylon, a truly wonderful material. For the first time fly fishers had lines that floated without greasing. The lines had hollow centers. Some had air bubbles incorporated in outer coverings. Finishes were hard and slippery. They didn't have to be hung out to dry between excursions.

There was one drawback. Still categorized by diameter, there was absolutely no correlation between it and weight.

Weight wise, one manufacturer's D could be another's B and usually was. Some companies made more than one series of lines and these would differ widely in weight for the same diameters.

For a few years chaos really did reign. We think it is easy to purchase a mismatched outfit now, but that was really something else.

Eventually, common sense (and order) prevailed. Manufacturers agreed on a system that categorized lines by weight. The alphabetical system was dropped and numbers used instead. This is the system used today.

The weight of the front 30 feet (the amount of line in the air to load the average rod) exclusive of taper is assigned a number, each representing the difference in a specified amount of grams. Number one being the lightest and 15 the heaviest.

Sizes lighter than three and heavier than 10 have limited availability. Four, five, six and seven are the sizes that balance the majority of rods made today.

Most manufacturers include line recommendations in their rod specifications. A line that is too light won't put a rod's action to work. One too heavy, overloads it.

Perhaps some of the above will help you decide which line is right for the kind of fishing you do. The chances are, a floating weight forward of the proper weight for your rod will most nearly fit your needs for this area.