Fly Line Weight Chart

Pick the fish you're after to get the line weight and rod length to use, or read the AFFTA chart: how many grains each line weight should weigh.

You typeWe calculate

How it's calculated

Line wt = grains in first 30 ft
5 wt    = 140 gr (134 to 146)
6 wt    = 160 gr (152 to 168)

The 30 ft leaves out the level tip. Grains are the AFFTA standard. Species ranges are Trident Fly Fishing's chart, with Orvis's range beside them.

Sources and worked example

Line weight for Trout1 to 6 wton a 6 to 10 ft rod

Most anglers start with

A 9 ft 5 wt covers most trout fishing. Use a 3 or 4 wt on small creeks and spring creeks.

Recommended target: 5 wt (140 grains in the first 30 ft). Step down toward 1 wt for tiny flies on calm water, or up toward 6 wt for heavy streamers and wind.

Rod length6 to 10 ft

Orvis says1 to 4 wt for smaller trout, 4 to 6 wt for average to larger trout

That range weighs (first 30 ft)54 to 168 gr

AFFTA fly line weights: grains in the first 30 ft, minus the level tip
Line	Grains	Allowed	Grams
1 wt	60	54 to 66	3.9
2 wt	80	74 to 86	5.2
3 wt	100	94 to 106	6.5
4 wt	120	114 to 126	7.8
5 wt	140	134 to 146	9.1
6 wt	160	152 to 168	10.4
7 wt	185	177 to 193	12
8 wt	210	202 to 218	13.6
9 wt	240	230 to 250	15.55
10 wt	280	270 to 290	18.15
11 wt	330	318 to 342	21.4
12 wt	380	368 to 392	24.6
13 wt	450	435 to 465	29.2
14 wt	500	485 to 515	32.4
15 wt	550	535 to 565	35.6

Download the chart as an image (PNG) to keep on your phone or print.

Track your rods, reels & lines:Setting up a 5 wt outfit for trout? The Fly Fishing Journal Spreadsheet checks every rod-and-line pairing (matched, up-lined or under-lined), tracks days fished and fish landed per setup, and includes the full AFFTA and tippet charts.

Do you own multiple fly rods and track your trips on the water?

Fly Fishing Journal dashboard on a laptop with season numbers, top flies and catch by water temperature

The full template

Match every rod and line, and see what each one catches

Rod Setups checks each line against its rod (matched, up-lined, under-lined or a mismatch) and the reel's rating
Days fished, fish landed and cost per day for every rod setup
Day Log and Catch Log with the setup, rig, fly and hook size behind every fish
Charts tab with the AFFTA line weights, line weight by species and the tippet chart

Fly Fishing Journal$18.99One-time · instant downloadExcel + Google Sheets + PDF guide5.0 shop rating on Etsy

How fly line weights work

A fly line's number is a weight class set by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA). It is the weight in grains of the first 30 feet of the line, not counting the thin level tip at the end. The scale runs from 1 wt at 60 grains to 15 wt at 550 grains, and each size allows a few grains either side: a 5 wt can weigh 134 to 146. The standard dates from 1961, when 30 feet was thought of as a typical trout cast.

Pick the weight for the fish and the fly

Bigger fish, bigger flies and bigger water call for heavier lines. Orvis's rule is that heavier lines cast farther, cut through wind on saltwater flats and big rivers, and push big, heavy flies through the air, while lighter lines put small flies down gently. That is why the chart above gives a range: the light end is for small flies and calm water, the heavy end for wind, big flies and the biggest fish. Trident and Orvis disagree on a few fish, mostly saltwater ones like mahi-mahi and permit, so the picker shows both.

Match the line to the rod

A rod's weight is the line size it was built to cast, so a 5 wt rod takes a 5 wt line, and the reel should be rated for that weight too. Orvis says you can get by within 1 to 2 weights of the ideal for a piece of water, which is why one 5 wt rod covers most trout fishing.

Up-lining, and lines that already run heavy

Up-lining means putting a line one size heavier than the rod's rating on it. Tom Rosenbauer at Orvis says you can usually go about one line size heavier, depending on the rod. The extra weight bends the rod more and slows it down: short casts get easier, long casts harder. It helps on stiff, fast rods, for short casts and with big flies. Going lighter does the opposite; the rod doesn't bend enough and you have to push the line out.

Check the box before you up-line, because many lines already run heavy. Some are built a full size heavy on purpose, and Fly Fisherman found 6 wt lines weighing anything from 160 to 235 grains. The grain weight printed on the box tells you what you have. Type it into the checker above to see its real AFFTA weight.

Worked example: a bonefish rod

The chart gives bonefish 6 to 9 wt on a 9 ft rod, and Trident says most anglers pick a 9 ft 8 wt. By the AFFTA standard an 8 wt line weighs 210 grains in its first 30 feet (202 to 218 allowed).

Up-lining that rod to a 9 wt line adds 30 grains: 240 instead of 210.
Fly Fisherman notes that RIO's DirectCore Flats Pro runs one size heavy: its 8 wt weighs 240 grains. The checker says: 240 grains is a 9 wt by the AFFTA standard (230 to 250 grains). So that line on an 8 wt rod is already up-lined by one size.

Once the line is on, the leader and tippet come next. The tippet size chartmatches the tippet to your fly size.

Fly line weight by species

Line weight and rod length from Trident Fly Fishing's chart, with Orvis's range where it names the fish.

Fly line weight and rod length by species
Fish	Line weight	Rod length	Orvis
Trout	1 to 6 wt	6 to 10 ft	1 to 6 wt
Panfish (bluegill, crappie)	0 to 4 wt	6 to 9 ft	1 to 4 wt
Grayling	3 to 5 wt	9 ft	5 wt
Smallmouth bass	5 to 8 wt	8 to 9 ft	6 to 7 wt
Largemouth bass	6 to 9 wt	8 to 9 ft	6 to 7 wt
Carp	5 to 8 wt	9 ft	6 to 8 wt
Landlocked salmon	5 to 8 wt	9 to 11 ft	6 to 8 wt
Steelhead	6 to 8 wt	9 to 13 ft	6 to 10 wt
Smaller Pacific salmon (pink, sockeye, chum)	6 to 8 wt	9 ft	6 to 8 wt
Silver (coho) salmon	7 to 9 wt	9 to 14 ft	6 to 8 wt
Atlantic salmon	7 to 9 wt	9 to 14 ft	6 to 8 wt
King (chinook) salmon	9 to 10 wt	9 to 14 ft	9 to 10 wt
Pike	8 to 10 wt	8 to 9 ft	Not listed
Muskie	10 to 12 wt	8 to 9 ft	9 to 10 wt
Peacock bass	7 to 10 wt	8 to 9 ft	Not listed
Golden dorado	7 to 10 wt	8 to 9 ft	Not listed
Bonefish	6 to 9 wt	9 ft	6 to 8 wt
Redfish	6 to 10 wt	9 ft	6 to 8 wt
Striped bass	7 to 10 wt	8 to 9 ft	9 to 10 wt
Permit	8 to 10 wt	9 ft	10 wt
False albacore	8 to 10 wt	9 ft	Not listed
Mahi-mahi	7 to 10 wt	8 to 9 ft	10 to 14 wt
Tarpon	10 to 12 wt	9 ft	10 to 14 wt
Roosterfish	10 to 12 wt	9 ft	Not listed
Giant trevally	11 to 12 wt	9 ft	10 to 14 wt
Sailfish	12+ wt	up to 9 ft	10 to 14 wt
Bluefin tuna	13+ wt	up to 9 ft	10 to 14 wt
Marlin	15+ wt	up to 9 ft	Not listed

The chart as an image

Save it to your phone or print it for the gear bag.

Sources

FAQ

Common questions

What weight fly line should I use for trout?

A 5 wt line on a 9 ft, 5 wt rod covers most trout fishing. Trident Fly Fishing's chart gives 1 to 6 wt for trout, with a 3 or 4 wt for small creeks and spring creeks. Orvis puts smaller trout on 1 to 4 wt and average to larger trout on 4 to 6 wt.

What do fly line weights mean?

The number is set by the AFFTA standard: the weight in grains of the first 30 feet of the line, not counting the level tip. A 5 wt line should weigh 140 grains, with 134 to 146 allowed. The scale runs from 1 wt, the lightest, to 15 wt.

Should the fly line weight match the rod weight?

Yes, start there. A rod's weight is the size of line it was built to cast, so a 5 wt rod takes a 5 wt line. Orvis says you can get by within 1 to 2 weights of the ideal for a piece of water, and Tom Rosenbauer at Orvis says you can usually go about one line size heavier, depending on the rod.

What is up-lining a fly rod?

Putting a line one size heavier than the rod's rating on it, such as a 6 wt line on a 5 wt rod. The extra weight (20 grains in the first 30 feet, going from a 5 to a 6) bends the rod more, which makes short casts easier but long casts harder. People do it for short casts, big flies and stiff, fast rods.

Why does my fly line weigh more than its number?

Many modern lines are made heavier than the AFFTA standard to load today's faster rods, and some are built a full size heavy on purpose. Fly Fisherman weighed ten 6 wt lines and found 160 to 235 grains. Check the grain weight printed on the box and look it up in the chart above.

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