Reviewer: Captain Dave Beshara
Date: Spring/Summer, 2006
Introduction:
Cortland Line Company announces the new 555 SERIES Fly Lines. The world of the 21st century fly fisher is expanding at lightning speed. The cutting edge angler demands performance and value. The new 555 SERIES has been designed to be one step ahead of today's fly fisher combining groundbreaking new Barrier Construction Technology with application-specific tapers and proprietary coatings that tune in each line for the job at hand. A new addition to the 555 line up for cold water fishing is the Hy Float Dyna Tip. The Dyna Tip is engineered on a braided nylon core with 555 coatings to create a supple line for cold water conditions plus the added benefit of a 4' high floating tip section. Possibly the best all around floating trout, salmon and steelhead fly line available.
| Specifications |
| Manufacturer | Cortland Line Co., Inc. |
| Type | Weight Forward Floating |
| Length | 4 foot tip, 30 yds.  |
| Line Weight | WF-6 wt hi float |
| Color | Avacado |
| Core Material | Nylon Braid |
| Sink Rate | High Float |
| Surface Coating/ Slickness | Yes |
| On the Water |
Testing Parameters:
- Ease of casting
- Float characteristics
- Surface finish/ durability
- Line memory, stiffness and coiling
- Overall balance
- Leader and backing knotting
First Impressions:
The fly line out of the box had little to no memory to coil. The butt section was inserted into the core via a needle knot and attached to the backing material with an external loop. The coating on the line was noticeably slick and smooth. The 4 foot tip section was colored off-white with an integrated transition to the remainder of the line.
Casting:
The 555 line cast very well, whether throwing 50 feet or 15 feet. The line easily shot through the guides and was made even better by adding a silicone based line treatment.
Float:
The line behaved as advertised; the tip section floated higher than the main line body and I did not detect any line sink at the leader or butt section connections.
Surface finish/durability:
The surface finish right out of the box was excellent and only improved with the application of a surface treatment. The line durability appears to hold up well and will be judged over time and use.
Line memory, stiffness and coiling:
The 555 displayed little or no memory at temperatures in the 60-70 degree range and was relatively supple. At temperatures of 50 and below, the 555 displayed some memory coils. The coiling was easily cleared by simply stretching the line a bit.
Overall balance:
I used a fast taper 9 foot fly rod for casting and balance evaluations. The line handled acceptably for both long and short distance casts. I would expect the line to balance well with a medium fast action rod as well.
Knotting:
The 555 line was knot friendly; the line core was easily penetrated for blind splicing and needle knots. Using traditional nail and Albright knots showed no issues.
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| 555 Dyna Tip |
| Construction-Quality | The Cortland 555 has a smooth and slick surface and should hold up well with time and use. | 4.6 |
| Performance | The high float characteristics made this 555 line a great dry fly fishing tool. The 555 line casts well at short or long distance and is slick through the guides. | 4.7 |
| | |
| Price | MSRP $62.00, a bit pricy. | 4.5 |
| Application | The 555 is an exceptional dry fly fishing tool. The minimal line memory at temperatures below 50 degrees was acceptable but was an annoyance. | 4.6 |
| Score:1-5(5=highest) | Total Score | 4.6 |
| Plus | Minus |
| High float | |
| |
| Quality | |
| All-around performance | |
Conclusion:
The Cortland 555 Dyna Tip fly line is quality product with excellent casting and presentation characteristics.
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