Who is making the best fly lines?

For you information, Orvis owns Scientific Anglers. Scientific Anglers makes all the fly lines that we carry at FlyMasters. Those lines include Royal Wulff, Orvis, and Scientific Anglers. Of those lines I prefer the textured lines which all three brands have in various tapers and weights. Three very important characteristics of textured lines are, 1. A textured line has less friction on the guides due to the dimpling. Smooth lines, regardless of how slick they are, are in constant contact with guides which creates more friction and less distance. 2. And the arrow dynamic drag of a dimpled line is significantly less than a smooth line. There is a reason why golf balls are not smooth. 3. To maintain the smoothness throughout the life of the fly line, Scientific Anglers AST Plus technology keeps emerging to the outside of the line maintaining slick and smoothness of the original fly line. 

"One of the most unique, and beneficial, aspects of AST Plus is that it is a coating additive, meaning it is built down to the core of each line and not just an overcoat that can wear off quickly. As our lines wear, AST Plus moves throughout the coating, constantly moving to the surface to regenerate slickness. This means that lines with AST Plus maintain that out-of-the-box slickness long after you spool one on your reel."

You can find some fancy names for slick fly lines. But the "slickness" might be more in the advertising than the product. 

How to read this chart: In our durability testing, we affix a weight to the end of a line and run it through the tip-top of a fly rod. One cycle constitutes the lowering and raising of this weight to provide friction through the guide. In looking at this chart, it is evident that lines with AST Plus last far longer than the lines of our top three competitors. In fact, lines with AST Plus last over 120% longer than the closest competition and, on average, 862% longer than the top three competitors.

For more information about Scientific Angler lines, go to their website and read the science of fly lines. They are the best!