Jim wrote:
“How do you know that you are buying the right line”

Line charts! With belly length and grain weight.

That’s where all these charts come into play (and you thought I was blowing smoke up your dress). There are NO standards when it comes to spey line weights. AFTMA Standards for Fly Lines are measure the first 30 ft. But manufacture rate there own way and very few measure the same.

Very few line makers put the grain weight on the box. But most manufactures have it on there web-site; line weights and belly lengths (but in KerryS circumstance you have to ask his wife).

Hardy Mach 1 8/9 weighs in at 324 grains while a Rio Grand 8/9 weighs in at 1100 grains. Looking at these two lines, this shows you why grain weight on rods would make life a lot easier. I think Bob onto something here!

To answer your question, you have to ask question that’s why that shop in Carnation will help you out so much. You can go there and try out all kinds of different lines on rods.