I’m based in the Netherlands and currently training for the EFFA Master casting exam. In the Netherlands, there are three casting certificates in order of difficulty: VNV, EFFA Basic, and EFFA Master. While correct technique is always the most important factor at every level, the rod, line, and leader combination plays a huge role especially for the EFFA certifications.
When training for the 24 casts required for the Master certificate, it’s essential to have the perfect rod and line setup that matches your casting style and can handle every single cast. Over time, I’ve tested many rods and fly lines, and I finally found the perfect rod for my training: the Guideline NT11 Saline #6, 9ft.
The real challenge, however, is that you are only allowed to use one fly line for all casts during the exam. That means you need a true all-rounder: a line that allows you to hold around 24 meters of line in the air, while also performing strong water casts such as an 18-meter roll cast.
That was exactly the problem I struggled with for a long time.
Lines with long heads (around 21 meters) are excellent for distance casting and for carrying long lengths of line in the air. But they don’t perform well for water-based casts. The rod simply doesn’t load properly, because the weight in the D-loop is too low. In short: great for distance, poor for roll casts and spey-style casts.
So I started looking for a line with a head of roughly 18 meters, combined with a taper that places more weight toward the front of the head. With a setup like that, it should be possible to comfortably carry 24 meters of line in the air, cast distance, and still perform strong roll casts and switch casts at around 18 and 22 meters, along with all the other required casts.
I couldn’t find anything that truly matched those requirements until I came across Moonlit Fly Fishing, run by Brandon Moon. After getting in contact with Brandon and explaining what I was looking for, he recommended the NIRVANA Apex Flight WF Taper Floating Fly Line: a line with an 18-meter head that is also designed to work well for spey-style casts.
I ordered two lines and tested them, and I can honestly say: this is exactly the line I was looking for.
The line is wonderfully smooth, features a dual-tone design, and has the precise casting characteristics I needed. I made two small modifications, see photo's: I removed the factory loop to get a cleaner and more direct connection between leader and fly line. I also melted and added a small extra piece to the running line to make the overall line slightly longer.
The result is a line that loads the rod extremely quickly during water casts and remains very stable when carrying both shorter and longer lengths of line in the air. Distance casting, both with standard casts and backhand casts has become noticeably easier and more consistent.
This will definitely be the line I’ll continue training with for the coming years.
On top of that, Brandon and his company deserve special credit. The support is outstanding: he’s incredibly helpful, answers even difficult technical questions, and genuinely thinks along to find the best solution.
In one word: fantastic.
