How we make our Silk Lines

How we make our Silk Lines

J Busse Silk Lines are made by the traditional method of furling, also known as twining or twisting. We make our fly lines and leaders the way they were made prior to the industrial revolution in the mid-eighteen hundreds.

Hundreds of feet of silk are hand tapered into a furled line, with each line weight having a certain amount of silk to achieve diameter and mass in accordance with the particular line weight. Once the line is furled, the silk cord is dyed with earth pigments; common dyes are fustic, madder and weld. After the dyeing process, the lines are fully dried and then several coats of hardening oils are applied. The coating process is time consuming, each coat taking several days to dry. The integrity of the coating process is what finalizes the grain weight of the fly line and insures its water resistance. The coating has to be supple enough to allow enjoyable casting, yet durable enough to endure the rigors of fishing.

All lines come broken-in. This is part of the testing phase for durability that each line undergoes before it is delivered to the purchaser. If there are flaws in the line, they will most likely show up in the break-in phase, where far more stress, than will ever be encountered in fishing, is applied to the line. Once you take delivery of your J Busse Silk Line, it will continue to soften and become more pliant with use. Regular application of Mucilin during the early life of the line will ensure suppleness even after periods of storage.

The tapers are built around small stream trout fishing, but will suit casters in a variety of conditions. Generally the lighter the line, the shorter we make the taper. Light Silk Lines are by nature very stealthy, and combined with a silk furled leader, the presentation is whisper quiet. Custom taper lengths can be designed as needed. Lines mainly used for nymphing would benefit from a shorter taper, and a line for dry fly fishing on spring creeks could benefit from a longer taper. The base tapers are universal and designed around using a longer or shorter leader to target specific fishing conditions.

But for those of us who enjoy simplicity, the standard taper of the fly line and a furled leader will allow you to catch trout in varied conditions with much joy. Like any hobby, it can be as technical as you wish to make it. Some of us just choose to fish. This is why our Silk Lines can be provided fully rigged with leaders or loop to loop connections. Attach the fly line with the backing loop provided, reel it up, dress the first 30 feet with Mucilin, add your tippet and fly, and go catch some fish.

In the Works! Over the winter between 2007 and 2008, J Busse FlyFishing Company will be adding some equipment to expand into making Silk Lines to target salmon and steelhead. This will be an exciting time and we are very excited with the possibilities this will bring. We hope to offer silk Spey lines along with the salmon and steelhead tapers.