By Brian M. Kelly
Albright Fishing products offers its XXT series of fly fishing lines in two models, an intermediate sinking line and a fast sinking line. The intermediate line has a medium sink rate of 1 1/2 inches per second, a short front taper and head, a long rear taper and large diameter running line. This brightly colored line has a clear, 15-foot forward section and is available in weights from 6 to 12. The retail price as of September 2009 is $34.99. The fast sinking line has the same taper and configuration as the intermediate line. These sinking fly lines have a range of 150 to 600 grains, giving them a sink rate of 3 to 9 inches per second. The retail price is $36.99.
Perks
Albright worked with fly fishing legend Lou Tabory to design the XXT fly lines, and they came up with a great product. The higher diameter running line section is easier to handle and causes few tangles on long casts. The fast sinking lines are a great choice for salmon and steelhead anglers at a fraction of the cost of other sinking lines.
Sacrifices
Albright lines are not easy to find at most fly fishing shops or online retailers. The Albright website seems to be the only outlet for this product. The other issue is the lines are not available under a 6 weight.
Bottom Line
The XXT series of fly lines from Albright are well designed and built for subsurface fly fishing applications. The quality and pricing of these lines are hard to beat.
About The Author
Brian M. Kelly has been freelance writing since 2003. His work has been published in respected outdoor magazines such as Outdoor Life, Great Lakes Angler and Salmon Trout Steelheader. He holds an associate's degree in automated machine design from Macomb College.
