Ask MidCurrent: Why Should I Stretch My Fly Line Before Fishing?

When fly line sits on a reel for a long time, it develops memory in the form of coils, which can adversely affect your casting. Photo: Phil Monahan

Question: I keep hearing that I should stretch my fly line before I fish. How and why would I do that?
—Bob from Vallejo, CA (via the Ask MidCurrent form)

Answer: When you pull your fly rod from its case after a period of inactivity—whether it’s been days, weeks, or months—your line has been quietly developing memory that manifests as stubborn coils, reflecting how the line was stored on your reel. These coils are more than just an aesthetic annoyance; they can significantly impact your fishing experience.

Why Line Memory Matters

Line memory creates three distinct problems for the angler. First, when you’re casting, a coiled line doesn’t travel smoothly through your rod guides. Instead of flowing in a straight path, the line’s coils rub against the guides, creating unnecessary friction. This friction forces you to work harder to get your line out and limits your ability to shoot line effectively.

Second, once your line is on the water, those persistent coils create unwanted slack between you and your fly. This slack doesn’t just look messy—it makes hook-setting more difficult and reduces your connection to the water.

Finally, coiled line is a recipe for frustrating tangles when you strip your line in, especially if you’re stripping into a boat. When you go to recast, you may find that the coils rise up off the floor in a tangle, stopping at the stripping guide.

The severity of line memory is influenced by several factors. The core and coating characteristics of your line play a significant role, as does the ambient temperature. Generally, the colder the conditions, the more pronounced the memory effect becomes.

Different fly lines have more or less stretch and suppleness, which can cause memory issues. A tropical line (left), a trout line (center), and a striper line (right) all perform differently in different water and air temperatures, so it pays to use the line in the conditions for which it is intended.

Match Your Line to Your Environment

Before discussing stretching techniques, it’s worth noting that different lines are designed for different environments. Trout-specific lines made for cooler climates typically feature softer coatings and cores to minimize memory in lower temperatures. Conversely, tropical lines designed for warmwater species like bonefish or tarpon have harder, stiffer coatings and cores to withstand extreme heat.

Using a cool-weather line in tropical conditions will result in a line that’s too soft, shoots poorly, and tangles easily. Similarly, bringing your tropical line to a steelhead river will leave you with an overly stiff line that’s difficult to manage and requires frequent stretching. The first rule of optimal line performance is simple: use the right line for your application.

Three Effective Stretching Methods

Even with the appropriate line for your conditions, some amount of stretching is typically necessary. Here are three proven methods to straighten your fly line:

Hand Stretching is the easiest method, perfect for when you’re in a boat or when time and space are limited:

1. With one hand on the front end of the line, use your other hand to grab the line about 3 feet away
2. Stretch the section between your hands by pulling your hands apart and holding for a few seconds
3. Move to the next 3-foot section and repeat
4. Continue until you’ve stretched as much line as you expect to cast, plus one extra section

When hand-stretching, be cautious—pulling line through bare hands too quickly can cause painful line burns. Also, remember that you typically only need to stretch the front 50 feet or so of line that you’ll actually be casting.

The Anchor Technique requires an anchor point and about 100 feet of clear space:

1. Cut your leader back until it’s about 10-pound-test and tie a loop in the end
2. Attach this loop to an anchor, such as a branch or nail
3. With your drag set medium-tight, back away until most of your line is outside the reel
4. Clamp your hand on the reel and pull back smoothly—not sharply—for about 30 seconds
5. Take a few steps forward to release tension and check if the line falls in a straight line
6. Reel up and go fishing

The Pole Method works well when space is limited but you have access to a smooth pole (flagpole, fence post, etc.) that won’t damage your line:

1. Loop your line around the pole
2. Hold the end of the line in one hand
3. Back up, allowing line to come off your reel until you’ve reached the desired length
4. While clamping down on the line against your rod and holding the end tight, pull back smoothly
5. This method effectively doubles your line during stretching

Will Stretching Damage My Line?

Some anglers worry that stretching might damage their line’s coating. However, modern fly lines can stretch 25-30% before breaking, and the PVC coatings used today actually stretch even more than the nylon cores. This means that proper stretching causes no damage to your line.

For softer lines designed for temperate climates, you can sometimes “fish out” the memory during your first few casts if conditions aren’t too cold. But for tropical lines or during cooler weather, taking the time to stretch properly will dramatically improve your casting performance and reduce tangles.

Whether you’re chasing trout in mountain streams or stalking bonefish on tropical flats, starting with a properly stretched fly line removes one variable from the complex equation of successful fly fishing—leaving you free to focus on the fish, not your line.