[Mike Barrio]

Michael trying out a Barrio prototype line on the 15 footer

[Sandy Nelson]

I can't quite get my head around the pointy D-loop, it looks quite amazing with that flat leg against the water.
very cool. The trajectory is pretty neat too, i guess thats what they call the stop.

Sandy

[Michael Buchan]

Thanks Mike 

Thats one of the bonuses of the sexy loops weekend getting to try out cool new gear.  The new samon lines were really easy to cast and felt great, even made my crap spey casting look decent cool photo.

Michael

[Eddie Sinclair]

Guys,
I was fishing on a lower Dee beat today with Ben Dixon. Be asked if I would like to try the Barrio Spey line with a mono core running line and compare it to the Rio AFS that I usually use on my Mackenzie 14 foot DTX 8 9 weight 14 footer. This line was loaded on to an enormous gold (very bling) orvis Mirage reel that looked way out of place on the wee double hander and also it was left hand wind which to me is just WRONG. Anyway on to the casting. I started off fishing a single Spey with about 25 to 30 yards of line out and the turn over was excellent and the running line refused to tangle which was an immediate improvement on the AFS which although it does not tangle often, it does happen occasionally in the course of a normal days fishing when you dump coils of line on the bank and hit the forward cast as hard as I do which Ben has commented on in the past and has asked how many double handers I have broken (there have been a few). The line was fairly flying out and was pulling on the reel so I decided to pull more line off each cast and see what it would do and it just kept on going and it was turning over a 15 foot clear intermediate poly leader which is usually the worst tip to turn over with ease every cast. I also tried Bens newly built 15 foot tournament casting outfit which was a whole different ball game and quickly realised that there is a huge difference between fishing rods and purely casting rods. I will have to practice for a long time to get used to the power of that thing. However for us normal average casters I can thoroughly endorse the fishing capability of the Barrio line that I road tested today. For your average guy salmon fishing these will go a long way and deliver a fly effectively at long range and also turn over a fifteen foot tip and leader giving decent presentation and the running line did not tangle once. When this becomes available for sale I will change out the AFS which is not even one season old. It looks just like an SLX for salmon rods and performs just as well if not better.

However,
I need to go to the gym before I tangle with the tournament stuff again, as it says on the Yorkie adverts, Its not for girls.

Eddie.

[Matt Henderson]

Is it sticking around for the end of the week Eddie?

[Mike Barrio]

Thanks for the great feedback Eddie, I'm really pleased that you liked the prototype line!

Best wishes
Mike

[Mike Barrio]

Is it sticking around for the end of the week Eddie?

I think Ben might be fishing up North with it Matt, but you could try him via PM. I'm guessing you mean the line .... and not the TC rod

Best wishes
Mike

[Eddie Sinclair]

Mike,
no problem. As an auld mannie who has cast many lines since the late sixties and I am not usually impressed by much I can only say that this is a great fishing line, forget the casting set up that Ben had with him for pure distance, this is for proper fishing casts that translate on to fish on the bank which is an entirely different animal.

Matt I will talk to Ben and I will have the Bling reel complete with line on the river on Friday for you to try. This way it will  not only be the opinion of this grumpy old mannie with the weird casting style that counts.

I do  not think that you will be disappointed.

Eddie.

[Euan Innes]

For your average guy salmon fishing these will go a long way and deliver a fly effectively at long range and also turn over a fifteen foot tip and leader giving decent presentation and the running line did not tangle once.

Better than a shooting head Eddie?

forget the casting set up that Ben had with him for pure distance, this is for proper fishing casts that translate on to fish on the bank which is an entirely different animal.

As long as Mike has this ready for the start of next year it sounds like I might have found what I am looking for. 
Come on Mike!

 

[Rob Brownfield]

So, reading the above would I be right in saying the line is based on the same concept of an AFS Outbound, ie, an intigrated shooting head rather than a "spey" line with a long head?

How long is the head Mike?

And if its as good as the other Barrio lines, who wants to buy a couple of brand new, never been used AFS outbounds?...   

[Mike Barrio]

Hi guys

We are developing two salmon lines, we've been working on these for some time now and they are quite different designs. I'll make more profile information available nearer the launch date, which will hopefully be at the start of 2014, or maybe possibly before then .... all going well.

You'll remember from the photo below that Michael was trying these back in early May and we were working on them throughout 2012, line development takes time and cannot be hurried

Best wishes
Mike

[Ben Dixon]

Eddie,

Pleased you liked it 

I will need the lines tomorrow on the Spey but if you want to pick them up to use until the end of the week then I will bring the reels into the shop on Thursday.

We have had samples since May, profiles are superb but we are not happy with the running line yet.  Original RL was too soft and had a tendency to tangle when shooting large amounts, particularly when wading in funky currents.

There are two samples to test, the one you used yesterday which is a 40g head on a single strand mono core, this should be 43g as it is supposed to be the 10/11 line.  The 9/10 line that really suits the 14' DTX is 39g, this line is slightly shorter in the head and although the profile is perfect, there are issues with running line hence I did not give you that to use.  This line is absolute perfection on your rod but I know the RL is duff so was pointless giving it to you.  The mono line has a head longerthan intended for the 14' rod.

I have another sample of the 10/11 line on standard core wth a tweaked coating which is slightly stiffer than
the standard coatings that I would like you to try, this will need to be used on a 15' rod really.

If possible, could you try them when wading and deliberately manage the RL badly to see what happens?

In the process of the above, please look after the "bling" reel......

Cheers
Ben

[Eddie Sinclair]

Ben,
many thanks I will pick them up. Also I will look after the bling reel.

Euan,
to answer your question, this flies like a shooting head but presentation is so much better along with great turnover of the leader and fly every time. In short if this line does not do it for you then buy some golf clubs.

Eddie.

[Matt Henderson]

Thanks guys! Now I'm really excited about Friday!

[Matt Henderson]

Due to the fact I'm not a casting wizard all I'm going to say is that I'm already saving my pocket money to buy one of these lines when they become available.

Cheers.

Matt

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Matt, I'm really pleased that you like the line

Cheers
Mike

[Ben Dixon]

[Mike Barrio]

So .... you've got Kev at it now too  

Cheers
Mike

[Stuart Smith]

yes he has mike and keep this on the down low but he enjoys is

sorry kev

[Kevin Muir]

I had a chance of a day on the Dee as a guest and I was in two minds about going as I have very limited experience waving double handers about.  What the heck I do not get out with salmon rods very often so it was a good chance to get in a little time with the long rod.

The day started out with Ben and I both fishing single handers, I have never see the Dee so low before, I was using my 10' #7 helios (proper rods with only ONE place to grab hold of the rod), matched with an SLX it was great fun spey casting on the narrower stretches on the river.  Eventually as we worked down the river it became harder to cover the water as the river was wider so out came the telegraph poles (double handers to Salmon fishers).

Being honest I have very limited experience casting double handers,(3 or 4 days if truth be told) the new sample line I borrowed from Ben worked well on the rod I was using.  Eventually when you get a few hours into the day everything slots into place, knowing what to do without thinking about it at each cast, (I told you I don't do this double hander stuff very often) I had a great time.  I loved using the sample line, it seemed to go out well and even the Ghillie said I was managing to get the line out OK.  You know that by practising the loop shape could be better and I know that will hopefully come with time, I know what I need to do, well I think so.

The line straightens very well and turns the leader over very very well.  I was eventually picking out rocks on the far bank to try to drop the fly next to, low water so not huge distances but great fun, and that made using the rod / line outfit a pleasure, no fish but I expected that outcome given the conditions.  Great weather on a nice bit of water getting a lesson on how it should be done, thanks Ben and Alan I had a great day.

Mike I need one of these lines soon, I will be using it quite a bit over the winter to improve my casting with the big rod.  Very easy to cast, it just flatters even my poor casting abitlity carrying the fly to where you want it to go most of the time, can't ask for much more.  Quite deceptive really if the samples are anything to go by you are onto a winner.

GET THEM IN THE SHOP SOON.

Kev.

[Euan Innes]

GET THEM IN THE SHOP SOON.

Aye, what he said! 

 

[Ben Dixon]

Yeah,

C'mon Mike, get yr finger out 

[Mike Barrio]

Thanks for your feedback and enthusiasm guys

We've moved onto the next stage of development ....... and you'll be able to get yours soon!

Best wishes
Mike

[Mike Barrio]

The Don is still pretty low, we need more rain! 

[Ben Dixon]

At last, after a long time in development, the ISS line is available to buy  

Page is live here

http://www.flylineshop.com/barrio-ISS-fly-lines.html

This has been comprehensively tested and tweaked ad the final result is absolutely awesome.  Flies for miles, flies level, works well and turns over predictably at close range and is happy with most normal flies or tubes on the end.  Cast short off the tip at the colour change it shapes up to give probably the best shapes I've ever thrown on a salmon rod and, with a longer stroke and cast off the second extended rear taper, it goes a very long way with ease.

Looking forward to Skagit conditions disappearing so I can get out and throw it at some fish

Cheers

Ben