Superior shootability created by vastly reduced friction through rod guides.



Saltwater Taper - The ideal multi- purpose line for saltwater.



Sharkskin's Ultimate Trout fuses their best taper features in one single fly line.



Sharkskin Magnum Taper for big flies and fast rods. Ideal for big flies in windy conditions.



The General Purpose Taper made half-size heavier to better load fast-action rods.

Scientific Anglers Sharkskin Fly Lines by Byron Begley

Scientific Anglers was founded in 1945 by Clare Harris and Paul Rottiers.  By 1952 they invented a new fly line made from polymers coating a braided core.  In 1959 they developed the Air Cel Supreme fly line that contained microbaloons which made the lines float better. 3M was involved at this point in time.  In 1960 the first modern sinkng fly lines were made by the company.  Almost every year Scientific Anglers introduces new technology or new products made using the latest science.

We have been selling Scientific Anglers products for 14 years.  During that time even more innovative products have been brought to the fly fishing market.  SA is a leader in technology for fly fishing.

In the Fall of 2007 Scientific Anglers announced their new Sharkskin fly line.  This line raised the price barrier to $100, something that left everyone in the business and our customer wondering, “Will it sell”, “Is it that good?”

To our surprise people paid $100 for fly lines.  It even surprised SA.  They were not ready for the demand.  They had to gear up production early on.  The new line would shoot better and farther and float higher in the water.  It was what anglers had been waiting for. Below is how Scientific Anglers describes Sharkskin fly lines.

What is Sharkskin?
By modifying the surface of the fly line with a micro-repeating structure, you can achieve surface interface properties that mimic nature such as the ability of insects to walk on water, the shedding and self-cleaning ability of Lotus leaves, or the adhesion that allows a gecko to walk up vertical surfaces.

Scientific Anglers Sharkskin technology is a precise texturing process that embosses the surface of the fly line coating with a repeating geometric micro-pattern.  The finished surface is no longer smooth, no longer exhibits unwanted line flash, and can be optimized via the engineered shape, depth, and frequency of the pattern to yield greatly improved line-to-water floatation, casting performance, and overall line suppleness and durability.

What is the specific benefit for a floating fly line?
The Sharkskin technology is a radical modification of typical smooth-surfaced fly lines...introducing a micro-pattern around the entire circumference of the line.  One of the pattern’s key features is that it changes the meniscus force balance that up until now, holds all other floating fly lines at close to a neutral buoyancy within the line-water interface...essentially 1⁄2 the line is above the surface and 1⁄2 the line is below the surface. The micro texture greatly increases the upward meniscus force through a combination of the water’s interaction with the new surface and the trapping of air into the valleys of the texture.  The result is an over 200% improvement in resistance of the line to be forced into the water....effectively improving “floatation” of the line significantly beyond anything that can be achieved through the addition of glass bubbles or surface chemistries.  The line sits higher in the water – less drag, easier mending, easier roll casting, easier pick-ups, less water spray.

What are the benefits of Sharkskin on casting?
Simply reducing running line diameters on weight forward (WF) lines has long been utilized as a way to reduce line friction in rod guides. However, reducing line diameter also reduces line durability, and increases the propensity for a line to tangle. Simple texturing of a fly line reduces the surface contact with rod guides during casting. 

Scientific Anglers introduced the Bonefish taper and other key distance-casting lines that utilize a braided monofilament core - modifying the surface of the running line, reducing the frictional interface during casting and resulting in the ability to shoot farther but with few tangles. The Sharkskin technology takes this a step further, allowing lines not made on stiff braided monofilament to have this shooting and casting advantage and the advantage extends to the belly and tip of the line, not just the running line.

Because friction in the guides is reduced significantly, even when the line belly is in the guides, shoot distance is increased allowing longer, easier casts. Casters who also double haul find haul resistance reduced which results in easier, smoother hauls, even on hot days or when the line is dirty. This, along with reduced shoot friction, has  resulted in increased test casting distance when compared to the exact same line without the Sharkskin texture. Distance increases compared to competitive lines without the advantages of AST, Sharkskin, and our new taper, will be significantly greater. Although these new lines excel at distance, the features that allow that distance make
shorter casts even easier.

What other features are improved with Sharkskin?
Another advantage of this new technology is complete elimination of line “flash”. Most other lines have slick, glossy surfaces that reflect light and can “flash” in the air scaring spooky fish. The micro-texturing process virtually eliminates surface glare, the finish is completely flat. When conditions are such that line flash is an issue, Sharkskin lines have an additional advantage over other lines.

One would expect this radical change to the line to diminish the coating integrity and resistance to cracking. Actually, the opposite occurs.  The engineered micro-repeating pattern effectively introduces flex points that increase the suppleness of the line and in lab testing, the durability and resistance to cracking is up to 3X greater.  A good analogy is how a bicycle chain, although made of metal, bends due to flex points in the links.

They describe an expensive fly line that seems to be worth the price to customers.  Surely there has to be a down side.  The Sharkskin line performs just like Scientific Anglers claims.  We have only heard two somewhat negative comments from customers in the past year. 

One, it is noisy when casting.  The lines make a zinging noise when it shoots through the guides of your fly rod.  Most complaints about the noise are not really complaints. They are just comments.  You get used to it.  The extra casting distance is worth it. Most people like it.

Some people have said the line is rough on your stripping finger and I heard one person say his line actually roughed up his fingers when a large fish was pulling line fast. 

Is Scientific Sharkskin fly line for you.  You can come in and test it at the shop.  Or take our word for it.  It will perform like they and we say it will.  If you don’t like it return it to us for a refund.  I don’t think we have had any returned and we have sold a whole bunch of them.  And, in this newsletter you are going to have the opportunity to sign up and maybe win one.

Buy Sharkskin Fly Lines Online with Free Ground Shipping Below:

Sharkskin Saltwater Taper

Sharkskin Trout Taper Color Blue Heron

Sharkskin Trout Taper Color Chartreuse

Sharkskin Magnum Taper

Sharkskin GPX Taper