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This post is part of our Fly Line Shootout, so if you haven't read our main post, you probably want to check it out.
About Royal Wulff Fly Lines
Royal Wulff was founded in 1982 by America's most famous fly fishing couple: Joan and Lee Wulff. Soon thereafter, Lee put his engineering skills to work and earned a patent for the first continuously tapered fly line: the Triangle Taper. Whatever he did, it worked. Keep reading to see why.
The Reviews:
Royal Wulff Triangle Taper
Price: $72.95
The Hype: The most efficient transfer of casting energy as it unrolls because the heavier line is constantly turning over lighter line.
Taper Diagram:
Casting Notes:
Royal Wulff Triangle Taper was one of the best lines in the test, and it DEFINITELY lives up to the hype! It was the first line we cast that really stood apart from the group. Let’s look at what makes this line different.
Triangle Taper is definitely designed differently than other lines in the test. It’s got a continuous taper, with virtually no belly in the traditional sense (you’ll note that we listed a 29’ length in the chart because we used Royal Wulff’s guidelines). It’s also one of the lightest lines at 10’ with a mere 38 grains. This makes it hard to load in close.
While I can’t be certain it’s the continuous taper, Triangle Taper really does have excellent “transfer of casting energy” (or as we have dubbed it, loop stability). It not only makes this line cast 10-20’ further than most of the other lines, but erases a lot of casting flaws. Triangle Taper also roll casts better than all the lines except for single hand spey lines. Finally, its light tip gives it nearly perfect presentation with the ability to deliver a fly with not even a ripple (only Rio Trout LT is better).
As much as we loved this line, it’s not perfect. Because of how light it is in the beginning of the line, it provides virtually no feel for nymphs and streamers in close, though you can still cast a pretty heavy nymph rig with this line. It also means that this is a very poor choice for beginning casters. We were also left wanting 2-3 colors (to mark the different parts of the line) as well as a loop on the back.
Pros:
- See above. This line is amazing
Cons:
- Doesn’t load well in close
- Not for beginners
- No rear loop
Bottom line: If you’re a good caster fishing dry flies, this is perhaps the finest line on the market.
Royal Wulff Triangle Taper Plus
Price: $72.95
The Hype: A modern upgrade to the classic Triangle Taper Fly Line. An all-purpose line combines a western style half size heavier head with the roll casting and shooting ability of the Triangle Taper design. Perfect for today's faster action rods.
Taper Diagram:
Casting Notes:
While the theory behind TT+ is solid – Shorter head, more weight – in practice, it just doesn’t work all that well. Everything we liked about TT was eroded in some way on the TT+ until you’re left with a line with average performance.
Pros:
- A better line for beginners than TT
Cons:
- Loss in performance versus the original Triangle Taper was disappointing
- No Rear Loop
- Average performance
Bottom line: The only choice for Wulff fans looking for a faster loading line.
Royal Wulff Saltwater Fly Line Reviews
Royal Wulff Triangle Taper Saltwater
Price: $84.95
The Hype: The Triangle Taper is Royal Wulff’s most well-known line built for the efficient transfer of casting energy, delicate presentations, and roll casting.
Taper Diagram:
Casting Notes: Like the freshwater version, the Triangle Taper Salt is a lightweight-feeling line that casts better with a softer rod. We thought the line performed decently well on the Helios 3F, but were wishing we had something even slower. Because the line feels light, it’s not ideal for heavy flies or high-wind. The line performs best at longer distances with smaller flies. Think Bonefish.
Interestingly enough, the line didn’t have the stellar turnover we were expecting from a Triangle Taper. The freshwater lines roll cast really well but we found that the saltwater line didn’t quite capture that same efficient energy transfer throughout the cast. The loop stability was similar to other average fly lines in the shootout and it didn’t really stand out.
Pros:
- Solid performance at distance with smaller flies
Cons:
- Didn’t turn over particularly well
Bottom Line: If you have a softer saltwater rod and don’t plan on throwing big flies this line will get the job done.
Royal Wulff Bermuda Shorts Triangle Taper
Price: $89.95
The Hype: The Bermuda Shorts Triangle Taper features a short head and allows you to “blast with a single backcast”.
Taper Diagram:
Casting Notes: This line, like many others in the shootout that received high marks in the ‘shooting’ category, is a heavy-feeling, weight-forward line with a super short head. This Bermuda Short’s taper is slightly different from other lines in this category, however. The taper of the head allows for easier turnover and slightly better presentation at short distances with larger flies. This taper is a Royal Wulff trademark and works well on this line.
This line loaded the Meridian really well at short distances and allowed us to cast large flies accurately and easily punch them into the wind with minimal false casting. Like other ‘quick shooting’ lines with an aggressive front taper, this line received a bad ‘presentation’ score because of its aggressive nature. The Bermuda Shorts Triangle Taper would make a great line for Bull Reds in Louisiana or big flies at short distances in the mangroves for Snook and other species.
Pros:
- Shoots really well
- Loads well in close
Cons:
- Heavy, aggressive taper means it’s not a presentation line
Bottom Line: This is a solid streamer line that turns over large flies well and shoots line for quick shots at cruising, schooling fish.
Royal Wulff 2-Tone Bermuda Triangle Taper
Price: $89.95
The Hype: Royal Wulff added a 2-Tone color scheme to the Bermuda Triangle Taper for easier loading and casting.
Taper Diagram:
Casting Notes: This line (theoretically) casts the same as the Bermuda Triangle Taper. In our fly line measurements, we found that the tapers were not quite identical (but close enough) and Royal Wulff basically offers two different versions of this line (one that’s multi-colored and the normal Bermuda Triangle Taper).
BTT was one of the more interesting lines we cast. It’s not that great in close, but offers a lot of performance, and weirdly, presentation at distance. So much so, that we’d say that this is our top recommendation for beginners and intermediates bonefishing (or permit…) out of a skiff. It shoots line nicely, then when it runs out of power, perfectly turns over a small fly and gives you a nice presentation. It’s really cool!. It would very very likely also work well for better anglers in windy conditions. A great all-around line.
Pros:
- Beginner-friendly and versatile
- Marries presentation and power
Cons:
- Not for huge flies
- A little on the heavy side
Bottom Line: This is a great line choice in either version for the novice/intermediate angler looking for a fly line that can be used in a multitude of scenarios.
Royal Wulff Bermuda Triangle Taper
Price: $89.95
The Hype: Royal Wulff’s Bermuda Triangle Taper is their flagship saltwater line built for a wide range of angling scenarios.
Taper Diagram:
Casting Notes: This line has the same taper as the 2-Tone Bermuda Triangle Taper. See the notes on that line. The all-blue color of this iteration of the line will provide maximum stealth in blue water conditions. It’s also worth noting that these two lines are built on a 16-strand mono core that stays stiff in high heat. They’re also slightly textured for improved friction-minimizing performance.
Pros:
- See above
Cons:
- See above
Bottom Line: This is a great line choice in either version for the novice/intermediate angler looking for a fly line that can be used in a multitude of scenarios.
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