SF FL0705B-5 Fly Line Review
Our verdict
The SF FL0705B-5 fly line earns its spot at $19.99 for a 90 foot WF5F line that has pulled a 4.6 star average across 1,200 reviews, more than any other fly line in this comparison, while costing roughly a third of the $49.99 to $69.95 competitors.
Check price on AmazonBest for
Anglers who want a floating WF5F 5 weight line for trout water without paying Cortland or Rio prices. It suits budget conscious fly fishers stocking a second or third rod with a dependable 90 foot line.
Skip if
Skip it if you already own a Cortland 403055 or Rio line and want proven premium coating for years of casting. Anglers chasing the single highest rated fly line, the 4.7 star Cortland, should look there instead.
- Material Polyethylene
- Length 90 Feet
- Line Weight 5
- Technique Fly
- Size WF5F 90FT Line
- Color Sky Blue
Our scorecard
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Owner rating4.6/5
4.6 average across 1,200 owner ratings
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Popularity4.4/5
1,200 owner reviews, more than most models here
The overall score is owner satisfaction weighted by how many reviews back it, so a high rating from few reviews counts for less. The bars below show where this model stands against the other fishing gear and tackle we track in this category on price, popularity and size. Context, not marks against it, and our read of the data, not a lab test.
Overview
Picture stocking a second fly rod for smaller trout streams without spending another seventy dollars on line. The SF FL0705B-5 is built for exactly that gap in the lineup, a 90 foot weight forward floating line in a WF5F taper made from polyethylene and finished in sky blue, priced at $19.99.
At that price it sits well below the three alternatives tracked here. The Cortland 403055 runs $69.95 and carries a 4.7 star average across 242 reviews, the Rio Mainstream Trout runs $49.99 with 4.6 stars across 438 reviews, and the RIO 6-20751 runs $49.99 with a 4.4 star average across 216 reviews. The SF line costs roughly a quarter to a third of those, yet its own rating, 4.6 stars, sits ahead of two of the three premium options, and its review count of 1,200 dwarfs all three combined.
Bought last month sits at 200+, a figure that beats the Cortland's 100+ and the RIO 6-20751's 50+, and clears the Rio Mainstream Trout's 0+ by a wide margin. For anglers who want a floating 5 weight line on hand without committing premium dollars to a rod that mostly sees casual use, the FL0705B-5 covers the basics: a 90 foot WF5F taper, a single count package, and a color that is easy to track on the water.
Pros
- Priced at $19.99, a fraction of the $49.99 to $69.95 charged for the Cortland and Rio alternatives
- Holds a 4.6 star average across 1,200 reviews, the highest review count of any fly line in this set
- 200+ bought last month, ahead of the Cortland's 100+ and the RIO 6-20751's 50+
- 90 foot WF5F weight forward taper suits a standard 5 weight trout rod
- Sky blue coloring makes the line easy to track against water and vegetation
- Ships as a single 1.0 count line, no bundling confusion at checkout
Cons
- Listing does not break out core diameter or backing taper details the way some premium lines do
- Priced well below the Cortland 403055, which may signal a simpler coating or shorter expected lifespan
- No welded loop or leader details are listed in the specs provided
- At 90 feet it is shorter than some fly lines built for long double haul distance casting
Specifications
| Material | Polyethylene |
|---|---|
| Length | 90 Feet |
| Line Weight | 5 |
| Technique | Fly |
| Size | WF5F 90FT Line |
| Color | Sky Blue |
| Pieces | 1.0 Count |
Performance notes
A WF5F weight forward taper means the front section carries more mass to load a 5 weight rod quickly, which matters for anglers making repeated short to medium casts on trout water rather than long double hauls. Polyethylene construction is a standard base material for floating fly line coatings, and at 90 feet the FL0705B-5 covers a typical single handed setup without needing extra backing spliced in for casting distance, though anglers fishing large rivers who need more line out past the rod tip should note the shorter overall length compared to some 100 foot options. The sky blue color is a practical choice, it stays visible on the water surface so line management and mending are easier to track, which matters more on faster runs where slack line is hard to see against glare.
What buyers say
A 4.6 star average across 1,200 reviews is the largest sample of any fly line in this comparison, and it lands ahead of the Rio Mainstream Trout's 4.6 across 438, tied on stars but with nearly three times the review volume, and ahead of the RIO 6-20751's 4.4 across 216. Bought last month sits at 200+, doubling the Cortland's 100+ and quadrupling the RIO 6-20751's 50+, while the Rio Mainstream Trout shows 0+ bought last month in the same window. That combination, a high star average sustained across a large review base plus strong recent purchase volume, points to a line that keeps satisfying buyers at scale rather than drawing a small, self selected audience.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the SF FL0705B-5 a floating or sinking fly line?
It is a floating line, listed as WF5F, which stands for weight forward, 5 weight, floating. The 90 foot length and polyethylene construction match a standard floating taper built for topwater and near surface presentations on trout water and similar stillwater fishing.
How does the SF FL0705B-5 compare in price to the Cortland 403055?
The SF line costs $19.99 versus $69.95 for the Cortland 403055, roughly a quarter of the price. Despite the gap, the SF line's 4.6 star rating across 1,200 reviews sits close behind the Cortland's 4.7 across 242 reviews, with far more reviews behind it.
What rod weight does the FL0705B-5 match?
The line is built as a 5 weight, labeled Line Weight 5 and sized WF5F 90FT, so it pairs with a standard 5 weight fly rod. That places it in the same weight class as the RIO 6-20751, also listed as a 5 weight line.