About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the fly line, which I purchased with my own money in March of 2022.

My take

The Monic Icicle is a floating line with an aggressive front taper. It loads fly rods easily to allow for quick and close casts and helps turn larger flies over.

About the line

• Model: 2022
• Weight: 5wt (sized ½ size larger than AFFTA Standards)
• Fly line taper: Weight forward
• Core: Low Stretch Braided Fiber
• Ideal Temp Range (ºF): 100ºF to below freezing
• Loops: Reinforced welded loops at both ends of the line
• Total Length: 90
• Line Profile:

About me

• Preferred fishing style(s): Dry flies, nymphs, and streamers
• Experience: 40+ years of fly fishing

Test conditions

• When I bought this: March 2022
• Rod and Reel Paired with Line: Lamson Guru and Moonshine Drifter
• Days tested: 30+
• Waters I’ve used it on: Local eastern trout streams and farm ponds
• Species targeted with rod: Trout, largemouth bass, bluegill
• Fly Size: #2 streamers to #18 nymphs

How it performs

What I was looking for

As the Moonshine Drifter is more of a moderate action fly rod and most of the casts I would make would be close in, I was looking for a fly line that could efficiently load the rod with very little fly line off the reel.

Why I chose this gear

I found the Javelin taper of this fly line ideal for quickly loading the fly rod to make quick, efficient short casts.

I also looked at the Orvis Hydros, Monic 101 Fly Line, and the Scientific Anglers Mastery Infinity Fly Line. However, I ultimately chose the Icicle fly line because I felt the Javelin taper on the fly head would be better at loading my moderate action rod for short, accurate casts.

What I love about it

• Performance: This line has a head that easily loads a fly rod. This line can manage nymph rigs and can turn large streamers over.
• Quality: This is a high-quality line. There is very little line memory, making handling this line a dream.
• Versatility: The Icicle line has been able to delicately land dry flies and handle nymph rigs and fish streamers. It is a floating line, so I need a sinking line if I want to fish deeper in the water column.
• Durability: This has not been an issue at all. Routine line care and cleaning make lines last longer, but this line still behaves similarly to the day it was first spooled on my reel.
• Use Case: This line has been able to perform as expected. This line quickly loads my rod and can still make accurate casts. Because of the aggressive head on this line, I have been able to fish larger streamers and bass poppers that otherwise would have been challenging to fish on the moderate action fly rod it is used with. Due to the core of the line, this line also works well during all four seasons. I enjoy using this line as it does not turn into spaghetti in the summer and is not a coiled mess in the winter.
• Casting: Although I purchased this line with the intent of making short,** **accurate casts, this line is easy to cast and when the need has arisen, launching a cast 70-80 feet out is not an issue.
• Weight: By being ½ a weight over AFFTA standards, this line easily loads the moderate action fly rod it is used with.
• Aesthetics: The green color is pleasing to the eye, and the texture of the fly line feels good as it glides through my fingers. I also appreciate that this line will not break down and leach PVC chemicals into the water.

Issues I’ve encountered

This line has handled different fishing situations with aplomb over the month I’ve used it. I can honestly say there are no issues, but I will update this section if any arise.

Favorite moment with this gear

My favorite moment with this fly line was fishing a tight stream. Short, delicate casts were needed not to spook the fish. This line efficiently and quickly loaded my rod and delivered dainty casts to cruising trout in clear water conditions.

Value for the money vs. other options

This line functions better than more expensive fly lines, such as the Scientific Anglers Mastery Infinity Fly Line. I would not hesitate to purchase this fly line again.

Final verdict

The Monic Icicle is a great fly line. The textured line coating allows this to float high on the water and does not leach PVC chemicals. The aggressive head makes fly rod loading easy and enables accurate casting and easy turning over of even large, non-aerodynamic flies.