I’ve heard so much negative about this line but finally bit the bullet and bought one for my 6wt and I love it.
Went with the flats taper clear and have been very happy with it for about a month.
Why does it get such a bad rap?
I haven’t used the clear, but have Cortland lines on 3 rods. I like them.
I have the clear in 8wt and 10wt. I love the taper but got tired of how gummy the line would become through out the day. Strictly SA now for all my saltwater rods.
Over time it will become unruly. I find that it knots and tangles more. If you keep it clean and untwisted, it will be fine. Most complaints that I have heard are people who lose track of their flies, since you can’t follow the line. The clear tip lines are good compromise.
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You made a mistake, the SA clear lines are so much better it’s not even a comparison. Once that Cortland starts ticking you off go buy the SA line and you’ll be see the light. There’s such a difference I honestly can’t believe Cortland still sells their clear lines. The most expensive line you can buy but saying goodbye to tangles and not wanting to chuck a fly rod off the boat goes a long ways 
@Piratedave - My experience is the same as others here - its a great line . . . while it is a great line, and then it isn’t at all. As others have said, if you take care of it you will extend the enjoyable period, but it just doesn’t seem to have the same lifespan as other lines.
The first generation of the Liquid Crystal lines were not good and that reputation may have carried over to the redesigned lines.
I’ve never had an issue with the current gen of Liquid Crystal, I’ve fished them from the time they were released years ago, and back then they were problematic but I dealt with it for the advantage of fishing a clear line. Although to be clear (no pun intended), I prefer the Monic line, been fishing those too for years through different gens until they solved their line melting problems as well. Both lines work well for me, so I don’t see the point in spending the extra coin for a perceived advantage of the SA line.
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I’ll be that guy..
I tried SA clear lines this season looking for a better product and I just don’t think it is one. They twist just as easy and wind up causing the same issues. I like the design of the head on the cortland tarpon line better so I’m just sticking with it.
I know cortland is working on a new clear line. Not sure when it will actually debut. There are just a few prototypes out to guys right now that I’m aware of.
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I was given a few SA clear lines and threw them in the trash. I do not like a line that is heavier than AFFTA standards and have used an underlined grand slam intermediate tip in the past and loved it. Tried the clear grand slam and it felt way too light underlined then way to heavy say a line labeled 10wt on a 10wt rod. I know I’m the minority of fly anglers when it comes to things like that but they never made it past lawn casting.
That Cortland tarpon taper is a great all around taper and if you keep it clean and don’t fish it on an old Loomis one piece with recoils it’s fine.
I have Cortland as a back up line only because I got a great deal on it. That may tell you something. They coil too easy and are way too slick in the hands for my liking. I like a line I can grab and get a good hookset on bigger fish.
Really interesting we are all seeing different results from these lines…. I struggled for years trying to get along with those Cortland clear lines with nothing but pure frustration…right out of the gate. Last year I decided to try the new SA lines after pretty much all of my buddies recommended them, like all of them. Including my homies at Fl Keys Outfitters. There was such an improvement I’ve switched more of my reels to this line. I get some people don’t like the clear lines because you can’t see your fly, that’s a real thing, but you start to adjust and get, more comfortable with them. The best way I can describe the difference is when I strip my line back into my boat the SA line lays down flat and lays out, where as the Cortland lines just bunch up….it’s like they are way stiffer if that makes sense. Regardless, if it works for you then that’s all that matters.