Scientific Anglers Mastery Fly Lines 2016

Scientific Anglers fly lines underwent a really good makeover for 2016. Lots of upgrades to existing lines, many needed additions and some very interesting changes in categorizations. These changes should really help in the understanding of line uses as well as technologies. I hope to explain and make sense of these changes and along the way highlight some lines I think you should be aware of that may benefit your angling needs. 

Mastery Series

Mastery series lines have been around for many years and they are the original lines that really gave Scientific Anglers its name. Lines like GPX, Mastery Trout, Expert Distance and many of these great lines anglers are currently using today. S/A decided it was time for a complete makeover for the Mastery Series. Now before fear sets in that your favorite line is gone forever and you must buy up all remaining old lines while you can find them, STOP! Know this that your favorites are still there and have been tweaked to be better than ever. Let me dive in and highlight some changes you need to be aware of.

Mastery GPX is now MPX (Mastery Presentation Taper)

MPX replaces GPX

GPX could possibly be the most popular modern line of all time! With its half line size bump up in line weight it made an idea choice for modern fast action graphite rods. So why change a great thing? Over the past few years I think it is safe to say that fly line technology has probably lead the industry in the area of technological advancement. Everything from fly line cores to coatings, tapers to densities have seen many improvements in recent times. Here is a great breakout of exactly how this line has been shaped for the future.

Notice MPX is also offered in Wavelength. Wavelength is the Textured Series of fly lines. Well get more into Wavelength in a future article.

MPX Advantages
Tighter loop formation, with a slightly shorter head and more condensed mass, in addition to a larger proportion of mass at the front of the head. Redesigned with more mass toward the front of the head, the MPX provides the same benefits of the GPX, with an added emphasis on presentation. The power is still there, only with an added bit of finesse. The MPX makes casting for beginners easier and provides more performance for accomplished anglers. The slightly smaller tip diameter conserves the presentation of the line and prevents it from feeling over powered.

If GPX was your line of choice than you are really going to enjoy MPX. The new taper is a great improvement in the way of presentation and it is a very noticeable improvement!

Salmon / steelhead line

More Mastery Lines

Mastery Anadro
This is your Steelhead and Salmon line. Think Anadromous fish. Its made with a long head for easy roll casting and long distance mending. Formulated for cooler climates and utilizes a braided multifilament core for ultra low stretch performance.


Mastery Titan - The Smooth Titan!
Not to be confused with Wavelength Titan, The Mastery Titan is a smooth finish version of this very popular line.

The Titan line is a bumped up powerful casting line ideal for large flies and quick rod loading. Personally I would recommend buying this line in the textured Wavelength version but many anglers prefer the smooth traditional fly line feel offered in the Mastery Series. Either way it is a powerful line well suited for todays big fly anglers.

Mastery SBT (Short Belly Taper)
This interesting line actually came out new last year and flew under the radar. The taper is designed with a short head, (21.5 to 27.3). Note it is NOT line over-sized, (no weight bump).

Short Head but weight not bumped up!

This line really excels at short to medium range casting and allows for easy turn over of weighted nymphs and streamers. This line allows you to put some power in your trout rod without over-lining it. Its a really fun line to cast. I could really see anglers who fish small streamers for trout or panfish within reasonable casting distances really liking this line. It provides good turnover without feeling overpowered.


Mastery Grand Slam
The Grand Slam Taper is a proven powerful saltwater taper that has been refined over the years. This taper is also found in the Wavelength Series and Sharkwave Series. Its such a good powerful taper that many anglers have requested it in a Mastery smooth version. Scientific Anglers listened and delivered! The Grand Slam is a great choice for anglers pursuing Bonefish, Permit and Tarpon. This taper is such a great choice for many salt anglers due to its bumped up weight that will help you load your rod and launch quicker cast to moving targets.

Mastery Grand Slam Taper

Mastery Series Wrap up
Many other changes in this series but you will be able to recognize your favorites. Heres a short list.

• Trout - Revised taper for even more delicate delivery 
• Double Taper - No longer hiding under the Trout name 
• VPT- Versatile Presentation Taper is designed for delicate dry fly fishing. This line utilizes Sharkwave texturing on the tip for high flotation. 
• Expert Distance - No change and it still comes in a Competition casting version 
• Redfish - This line comes in both warm water and cold water versions 
• Bonefish - Updated into a two color format for easy head recognition 
• Saltwater - Taper improved for better presentation 
• Tarpon - Improved taper, two color format and braided core

Most of these lines saw subtle changes to improve their performance and continue to provide you with outstanding durability and most of all fishability!

Heritage Ultra Presentation

New for 2016 is a throwback to what some would say "better times." Back when lines were one color and not over-weighted. Lines made for a time when bamboo and fiberglass fly rods ruled the streams. Scientific Anglers went to the archives, dug up a retired taper, applied modern technology and bought it back to life. The Ultra Presentation taper is a line for those who have returned to embrace fiberglass and bamboo or todays ultra moderate graphite rods. A line to get back to a simpler time when one fly box contained everything you could need for a successful trout adventure. No sink tips, split shot, indicators or lure size streamers,  just you and a fly with your own passion and peace of mind. I could go on romancing the past. Sometimes its good to get back!

Heritage Ultra Presentation Profile

Species Chart Provided by Scientific Anglers

Note on the species charts: While these are good references I feel I must note that fly lines need to match the personality of the intended rod as well as water temp, fly size, wind conditions, type of water, technique of fishing and angler experience. 

New Packaging Explained

A lot of changes with Scientific Anglers for 2016 and while many changes also bring some confusion I can easily say after learning all the changes that todays S/A is much easier to understand and has much more to offer. S/A has always built high quality durable fly fishing lines and continues this tradition and commitment into the future.

Please dont hesitate to shoot us an email or give us a call with fly line questions. Remember this, the right fly line matched to your rod will bring out its best qualities! The wrong line on the best rod will make you question your ability as a fly angler.

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

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Scientific Anglers Ultimate Scandi Taper by Andrew Perrault

UST - Ultimate Scandi Taper

Scientific Anglers Ultimate Scandi Taper Fly Line

I love fishing Scandi Lines for steelhead whenever the conditions permit, but I also love the nice slow swing of an intermediate line. I saw these new S/A Scandi Lines last year and just had to try them out. They come in a variety of different combinations for different conditions. I chose a triple density line. Officially, it is the UST Floating/Hover/Intermediate 460 grain head. The back half is a standard floating head, with the front half split into two sections; a “hover” section with an intermediate tip. This combination gives me a nice angle in the water and presents the fly somewhere around a foot deep, maybe two or three feet if I am using a weighted fly. This is often where I want my fly to be, so I gave it a try.

Gorge Fly Shop - 541.386.6977

I got this line back in May and immediately took it down to the ______ River to just throw around and see how she casts.  I only had one little bass streamer with me, and no extra tippet, just a five foot section of 10# maxima that I pulled off a sink tip that was in my truck.  Now May is not the best time of year for steelhead.  The winter fish are upstream spawning and the summer fish are generally not in the rivers in any numbers yet. 

I made a few different casts, testing how the line throws.  I was just standing in one spot, casting, and stripping the line in and casting again.  Trying different size D-Loops, hang-down and line speeds. About fifteen casts into my morning, I was stripping the fly back immediately after it hit the water and bam! Fish on!  It popped off in just a few seconds.  That was great!  Hooking up on a steelhead three casts into my day stripping a bass fly across a run that is not really a known producer in the first place during the worst month of the year for fishing….  Interesting start for this line

I decided to start fishing this little minnow pattern for real this time.  A few casts later and bam! Fish on!  I ended up going three for five in the first pass.  One of those epic moments of my steelhead career came and went in about twenty minutes on a quiet May afternoon and no one was there to witness it. 

I thought this had to be a fluke.  I ran into a pod off aggressive fish and they were just riled up.  So I went back the next day early.  I stepped into this same run and went two for three with the same fly, now very, very chewed up and falling apart.  I would have loved to have stayed, but I had to work and I was out of time.  With a hasty drive back to Hood River and a ear-to-ear grin, I happily worked all day and was standing in that run again for the last hour of light. 

So anyway, this is a line review…  The point is that if you have a line that catches fish, it is a good line.  I haven’t got to the part about how it is not very easy to cast.  This line really just doesn’t fly off the rod like a Rage or a traditional floating Scandi.  Part of that is that it is a sinking line, so it takes much more energy to break the surface tension and pull the line into the air.  The other part is that I was using a weighted fly on a 37’ Scandi line.  Scandi lines don’t generally do well with a weighted fly, especially one that has lead eyes, and this one is no exception.  

A Scandi Head system with Single, Double and True Triple Density models.

However, I expect that if I am throwing a sinking line, a weighted fly is an integral part of the system in a lot of scenarios.  Not that I couldn’t cast it, but it is not very easy to cast, especially with a weighted fly.  I can still hit 60’, which is as far as anyone should be expected to cast in order to effectively catch fish. 

I will repeat what I said earlier:  If you have a line that catches fish, it is a good line.  The next time I used this head was on June 1 (opening day) on the Klickitat.  I fished it with a little Gotcha bonefish fly.  It was on my rod when I hooked the only fish of the day…  And that was on the second pass though the run after fishing it with a Skagit line and a bunny leech too.  The next time I used it was on the Deschutes a few weeks ago.  I landed the only fish of the trip on a Larimer’s Brazilian.  I started to see a trend with this new line.

I ended up finding that it casts better on a Burkheimer 7134-4 better than the Sage Method 7126-4 or the Echo Glass 7129-4, and definitely much better with a traditional, unweighted fly.  It still takes some precision and my cast tends to fall apart easily if I am not on my “A-game” with this line.  It takes quite a bit of line speed to keep it from sinking as you come around on your cast.  But hey, it is still far better than the old Rio Mid-Spey that I learned on. 

Reviewing this, I find that there is a balance between the fishy mojo that it has and the ease of casting.  For pure fishy mojo, this line is a 10.  I mean, I have not ever fished it without getting a hookup.  (dooming myself for months…)  As far as casting ability, I would give it a 6.  I can cast it 60’ just fine, but it definitely does not have the buttery smooth casting of an Airflo Rage or Rio Scandi Short.  It’s a give and take here and I will take hookups over ease of casting any day. 

So in my thirteen years as a two-handed steelhead junkie, I have had hot streaks, cold spells, mismatched gear as well as having tried just about every head, running line, sink tip and new trick that has come out.  This S/A Triple Density Ultimate Scandi Taper has by far accounted for more fish per hour than any other line that I have ever tried, and in the end that makes it likely the best line I have fished, even if casting it is not a breeze.  

Andrew Perrault
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

Scientific Anglers Ultimate Scandi Taper

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

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