Looking to buy some line for a 9' 4/5 weight I've never fished. Want it to be good but inexpensive.

Goofed around with it tonight with some 444 WF6F that I had and it cast pretty well out to 25 paces or so, but had no "feel" - line was too heavy, casts needed to be deliberate.

Some some basic Prestige online for $17, thought I'd ask here before I gave it a try.

Thanks in advance

Its a $17 line. I think equivalent to the cortland 333 based on my limited experience

Gothcha. I like their 444 and the Sylk line, never tried the 333.
Any recommendations for value line? Don't want to sink $60 into this, but... I will if I have to. No point in casting bad line.

How much do want to spend? What are your casting expectations - about 30' will catch 85% of fish, 60' about 95% of fish? Are you fishing big lakes, big rivers, small lakes small rivers, tiny creeks? All of these will come into play in choosing a line. If trying to fish far and fine I would expect to need a top quality line. My small creek rods have budget line, as practically any line can be cast a short distance, for this fishing I still like the DT line which is better for role casting in tight places as well as fishing alpine lakes with timber close to shore.

Hi Prwlr

Agreed on short casting. I never need distance around here but I typically run WF line just to help me cast (I was never all that great and I'm super rusty now).
I just ordered some SA Aircell WF5F for that 4/5, and some no name DT3F for a 7' 3wt I have coming. DT should help me roll cast and mend with the little rod, and hopefully the SA line is good stuff in general.
Still hoping to get onto a small local pond for rock bass with the 4/5 this summer. They're feisty, aggressive eaters and not easily spooked. Perfect for a hack like me.

kragman

Looks like you got what you need. That SA Aircel is good line especially for what you fish for. WF helps especially if casting poppers for panfish. I use 3wt DT for my 3wt 6'6'' McGill fiberglass rod and my 3wt 7'6" graphite both for trout and panfish. Love catching bluegills, green sunfish, yellow perch, and crappie on a light rod.

Well I have fished lines from super cheap to the almost finest fly lines, lets call them yugos through the buicks (but not the cadiallacs). IMO if you are just getting into it, I'd try the very line you are looking at and (shock!) mebbe even something like you'd find on clearance at WalMart. Once you dial it in, then you'll have a lot better sense of where you want to go when you buy your second line for that rod. BTW I just used the Prestige line on a rod I took to Alaska for salmon, and it worked just fine. I don't think any of the snobs on the same trip had a clue, and I wasn't going to tell them either.