RIO Introduces Two New Gold Fly Lines for 2025
RIO is taking its legendary Gold series to new heights by introducing two new innovative freshwater fly lines: Gold XP and Gold MAX. These new lines are purpose-built and have been tested by guides across the globe to provide anglers with versatility, allowing them to adapt to various fishing conditions and techniques on the fly as as conditions change throughout the day.
Gold XP
The Gold XP builds on the classic RIO Gold's legacy, offering a mid-length head and a half-size heavy design for balanced versatility. Ideal for anglers who switch between subsurface flies and dries, it excels in a wide range of techniques. Key features include:
Mid-length front taper for turning over both small dry flies and heavier rigs.
Medium-long rear taper for superior line control and mending.
Blended performance for short casts or longer presentations.
Applications: Dry droppers, light indicators, and small to large dries.
Price: Elite Gold XP: $129.99; Premier Gold XP: $99.99.
Gold MAX
The Gold MAX caters to anglers targeting larger rigs, boasting a rear-loaded design and a full-size heavy weight for powerful performance. It’s built to efficiently handle bulkier flies and heavier setups with finesse. Key features include:
Short head length for easy turnover of heavyweight rigs.
Rear-loaded body for smooth casting of indicators and wind-resistant flies.
Short front taper for efficient roll casts and mending.
Applications: Heavy indicators, big dries, and streamers.
Price: Elite Gold MAX: $129.99; Premier Gold MAX: $99.99.
Words From RIO:
For 2025, RIO introduces two new freshwater fly lines to its multipurpose Gold portfolio – Gold XP and Gold MAX – designed to expand the possibilities in the places you fish most.
Multipurpose fly lines transcend fishing applications and push boundaries. Established in the early 2000s, classic RIO Gold set the Gold Standard by doing just that, bringing together design and performance elements that create opportunity as we explore ever-changing conditions on the water.
“The RIO Gold was revolutionary when it launched because it excelled in such a wide range of trout fishing scenarios,” says Chris Walker, Director of RIO Product Development. “Its front-loaded head bends a rod in close to enable the shortest, and often trickiest, casts, while its long rear taper means you never have to sacrifice delicacy in your presentation. I see it as a true product of its environment. It was designed on our homewaters of the Henry’s Fork and it remains our most iconic fly line.”
The new Gold XP, available in both Elite and Premier offerings, is the logical next step in the Gold family progression. With a mid-length head and half-size heavy design, its “extra power” relative to classic Gold gives it the flexibility to excel across a wide variety of techniques and casting lengths, offering truly blended performance.
“Gold XP shares the same mid-length front taper as the classic Gold, while its added power is balanced by a more level head design,” Walker explains. “The result is a taper just as capable of delicate deliveries with long leaders and small flies when duty calls. After years of tinkering, thousands of hours on the water and hundreds of prototypes sent to product testers, I’m convinced we have a line even more versatile than the classic Gold.”
Rounding out RIO’s gilded multipurpose trio, Gold MAX — also available in both Elite and Premier offerings — features a rear-loaded design and a line-size heavy weight distribution, making it RIO’s most powerful all-around taper for delivering plus-size rigs that get bites in fisheries not centered around long leaders and tiny drys. With the shortest head length in the Gold class, MAX carries more weight toward the back of the body, so anglers can turn over heavier rigs more efficiently, while the shorter front taper roll-casts bulkier rigs with ease, mends effortlessly at distance and delivers large drys with finesse.
“The MAX belongs in the Gold family because it’s aimed squarely at all-around, versatile performance, but its similarities to the classic Gold end there. Our design started with the requirement that it carry heavy rigs — and it is a full line-size heavy as a result,” Walker continues. “What sets it apart from other lines designed to handle big rigs is the rear-loaded head. It has the capacity to turn over a heavy indicator or wind-resistant foam fly, but the tapering body delivers those rigs without the “kick” that is so common among heavier fly lines.”
With the shortest head and the most power in the Gold family, MAX is the right choice anywhere that you rely on heavy rigs to catch fish.
For more information: farbank.com/pages/rio
