Do you have any recommendations on how to carry the bigger pike and trout streamers without ruining them? This is because a roll cast requires a big open loop with a sink tip. I use the sink tips, clear intermediate, type III sink or VIII, mostly for salt water from the beach, where I am casting longer distances. One of your first questions is probably what is the difference between a fly fishing leader and tippet. RIO InTouch Big Nasty Sink Tip Fly Line It’s also less of a hassle for me to use rather than adding a bunch of split shot. Sink-tips are an excellent tool for consistently getting a fly deep, while keeping most of your line on the surface where it’s easy to cast and mend. If I want to penetrate the water column and cover the first two feet, I’ll add split shot accordingly. When the fly lands on the surface it floats while the sink tip line begins to sink. By dividing the river into three sections—upper, mid, and deep—we can create the best set up to address all the above factors and ever-changing conditions that we encounter on any given day on the river. This RIO Fly Fishing Tip shows how to quickly turn a floating line into a sink tip by attaching a VersiLeader. I will cast as far as I can, and then paddle away from the cast at the fly sinks. Deep-water Column: The dog-days of summer and winter’s coldest days are when we concentrate on the deepest water close to thick cover. If we’re really going deep, we slip a worm weight (that’s right, like bass fisherman use) on the leader before we tie on the bug. When it comes to the river, if you’re fishing deeper buckets and faster currents, the weight of the sinking line will allow your wet flies to remain deeper and not float to the top as quickly as floating line would. The poly-leader act somewhat like a light weight mini-sink tip. Sometimes, it all comes down to the kind of fishing you want to do, but sometimes, it’s just a question of preference. The sink rate of a line is determined by its density. A sink tip fly line solves these problems by allowing the front portion of the fly line to sink. A sinking fly line is used to fish for streamers and nymphs. First, let me discuss our “go-to” setups. To sum it up it’s all about depth and current speed. InTouch 15ft Sink Tip Fly Line (RIO) Some say that Rio’s InTouch fly line is the best sink tip fly line on the market today. Thanks again. In this case, the sinktip helps keep the upwelling of the moving current from bringing the fly to the surface. A sinking fly line is used to fish nymphs and streamers. The denser the line, the quicker it goes down. With an integrated sinking tip or full-sinking line, you need to continue to strip the line all the way in before you can recast. Sink-tip lines always consist of two colors. I’m not sure how so many people came to believe this common myth. That’s not lunchtime. This is when sinking-tip lines are at their best. When I am fishing soft hackles and other traditional wet flies, I always prefer a floating line. That’s research!!! There are several reasons: a sinking tip gets the fly deeper, I can fish much shorter leaders, they allow for greater accuracy than fishing a longer leader on a floating line, and it’s easier to throw a sinking tip than it is to throw a heavily weighted fly with a floating line. When to use a Sink Tip: Sink tips are perfect for swinging flies. With a higher fishing sink tip a 5ft to 6ft leader or a 10ft leader with … Our boat rods are rigged as follows: We usually have four rods rigged and ready—2 rods rigged with floating line and 2 rods rigged with a sinking-tip line. The biggest factor when picking your sink tip line is the sink-rate. I use sinking lines when my plan is to solely throw streamers in deeper water for the whole day. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! I swung the fly just under the surface with good success: three fish on, two to hand, and several short-strikes and swirls. If you're fishing a 20-foot drop-off, a full sinking line may be a better bet. Nymphing Guide Streamers Guide. Further back near the flyline/leader connection? Mending is the key when swinging wets and a floating line mends easier and keeps me in contact with my flies better. Great information, and a special thank you to Jeff Davis. Available in different densities and sink rates, so … If I’m concentrating on the top six inches the water column in walking-speed current or slower, I’ll generally stick with a floating line. For those who go with the floating line and split shot approach, where on the leader do you add your split shot? When fishing for largemouth bass, a buoyant fly like a foam diver or popper attached to a sink tip will produce life like action of a diving frog. The putty gets hung up less, casts nicer, and if it does hang up you can usually save your flies and just lose the putty. Stefan Woodruff, Ellensburg Angler (Ellensburg, Washington): When I’m fishing streamers or wet flies, the decision whether to use a sinking-tip line or a floating line with split shot on the leader depends on the type of water I’m fishing. Either way, the Bank Shot line is made to order for this. The styles of sink tips vary greatly and consequently can leave some people scratching their head when trying to decide which fly line to put on their streamer rod. If you want to fish deep then you'll get 10' of full sinking material. Casting Speed: When you need to get the fly down but also need to be quick with your presentations, a sink-tip line (especially with a short sinking portion) is a great choice. Wow! 15 Foot ‘Type’ Tips. This type of fishing is ideal for a switch or 2 handed rod but can still be done on a single hander. We let the following factors determine our set-ups: water temperature, time of year, time of day,  water clarity, and water flow (CFS). This is when a sinking line makes most sense. A bit deeper and you'll fish 5' sinking combined with 5' floating. Low water is the only time I fish this particular set-up; for most of the season, I prefer a sinking PolyLeader and a three-foot section of level 2X or 3X. Emulating the swimming action of many baitfish and other small fish requires the fly to be down deep, and a specialty sinking-tip line complements this method well. Then a sink-tip or sinking line can get your fly right down to where the fish will be. With a short sink-tip, less line will be under the water compared to a full-sink line, … Last week, we introduced a new weekly “Ask the Experts” Column and asked you to pose some questions for our panel of experts. Close to the fly? I also find that novice fly anglers, with proper instruction, can handle a large streamer much easier when they have the weight of the sinking tip helping them deliver the fly. Available lines weights for the Scientific Angler Sonar Sink 30 Clear Tip Fly range from 200 to 400 GR, with grins rates for the first 30 feet of from 13.0g to 25.9g. You can usually tell after a couple of casts if the fish are hitting streamers, as they will be very aggressive. Experimentation is the only way to figure out the best presentation. Yes, the washing line method normally uses a floating line or midge tip but an intermediate can also be used if you want to fish deeper. There are multiple factors, which determine when we have our client’s use sink tip lines or use floating lines. The heavy fly is my edible weight, and the dropper is my fly du jour or hatch-matcher. Sometimes, it's better to just use a floating line and a weighted fly when fishing slow in … Because a large portion of the line sinks, it keeps my flies “in the zone” and in front of the fish much longer. There are also occasions when the water isn’t that high, but for softness of presentation I want a unweighted fly. And to that end, I will also adjust the weight of the sink tip to accommodate the current speed–obviously using a heavier grain for faster current and bigger water. Chuck Hawkins, Hawkins Outfitters (Traverse City, Michigan): I always use sinking tips when streamer fishing. Tim Linehan nailed it. These types of fly lines are useful when fishing streamers in rivers or also when fishing lakes with the same patterns. So if I wanted a head to load an eight weight rod and sink at a rate of 5 inches per second, I could buy a 30′ 8 weight shooting taper with a type 4 or 5 sink rate, i.e. Even during winter months we will prospect with patterns that work the upper water columns—from the surface down to that first 12 inches of water. This heaviness causes the line to sink. Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to answer, and especially ‘Ask the Experts’ for setting this up. Sink tips just perform so poorly compared to full sink lines. The floating portion is bright in color and the sinking portion dark as with the regular sinking lines. What you get is the tip section of the fly line, usually the first 8′ to 16′ feet (approximately), is the sinking portion and the remainder is the floating line. John Herzer, Blackfoot River Outfitters (Missoula, Montana): Around Missoula, we primarily fish from boats, so we rarely use full-sinking lines or even sinking tips longer than ten feet when fishing streamers. Since 1856. Patrick Fulkrod, The South Holston River Company (Bristol, Virginia): I love swinging soft hackles. Required fields are marked *. Tim Linehan, Linehan Outfitting Company (Troy, Montana): When fishing streamers and wet flies, I let the situation, mostly water depth and current speed, dictate whether I use a floating or sinking line. I’ll look forward to many more. You are actually casting the whole line. Thanks to Phil and all of the “experts” for taking the time to write this article. Take care, Sink tips are MUCH harder to cast than a full sinking line. And with the fly line submerged, the fly will stay down and retrieve more in a straight line rather than upward toward the surface. This setup also gives me the ability to “high-stick,” keeping line off the water and giving me maximum feel and control in water with complex currents. Maggie Mae Stone, The Tackle Shop Outfitters (Ennis, Montana): When using wet flies and streamers, I always think about the depth of water I may be fishing and the speed of the current. Here are a few recommendations. if that’s not enough, add split shot a couple inches in front of the fly. And, 2) the type of streamer action I’m after. If you want to fish shallow, you'll also use a 10' tip but only 2.5' will sink and 7.5' will float. Thanks! However, you will need a really buoyant point fly to keep everything on top, as smaller patterns can be dragged under. Very well presented info. Editor’s Note: I am on assignment today, so here’s a classic post–the very first “Ask the Experts” column. Since most of the trout’s diet is consumed below the surface it just makes sense to have either a sinking fly line on an extra spool or a mini-sink-tip section that can be added to the end of your floating line. Your email address will not be published. Sink tips are the marriage of traditional floating line and sinking line. That’s said, there’s a lot of good advice here. When using my 4 weight and I want to get down, I just put on a poly-leader and weighted fly, which sinks enough to usually get by. Rarely, we use floating lines with split-shot when using streamers. I will add some split shot, and then adjust accordingly. As a result, sink tips will get down in the water column much faster than a polyleader coated with material with the same sink rate. Under those conditions, a sinking tip with fluorocarbon leader is the ticket. But that’s all they do. One will note that the heaviest tip (type 8) is thinner than the lightest tip … With a full sinking line, the density is the same or very similar in the entire line. Fly line … ~Alex, Sorry, I forgot to mention Phil! When using sink tips, you can just strip to where the sink section begins, start your cast, double haul once, and then shoot the line forward with limited effort. The part of the fly line that sinks is coated with powdered tungsten. Joe Demalderis, Cross Current Guide Service (Milford, Pennsylvania): With streamers, I’m often banging the banks from a drift boat when the water is higher than normal and/or dirtied up. We will concentrate on depths between 12 and 36 inches, working the fly fast, then medium speed, and finally with a slow retrieval rate. Jenny Mayrell-Woodruff, Woodruff, Flyfish Beaver’s Bend (Broken Bow, Oklahoma): I use a floating line with split shot more often because I am constantly changing locations on the river. Sink tips and full sinking lines are used for other species, not just while trout fishing. I just add or subtract split shot to help get my flies down fast in smaller pockets of fishy water, like the soft water behind a large boulder. What a great idea. This line is ideal for use with streamers in medium/hot weather conditions. If it is a large bucket or run, a sinking-tip line is my go-to choice. For the purpose of this discussion we are addressing fishing for Texas river bass (largemouth and guadalupe bass) with 6-weight and 7-weight fly rods in rivers that are rarely more than 10 feet deep. A very important but rather confusing part of streamer fishing is the use of sink tip lines. Even if I carried a sink-tip on a spare reel or spool, changing lines to fish just one run wouldn’t be time-effective. I try to avoid adding weight to the leader and prefer to get flies deeper by mending and using a longer tippet section that will get down quicker. Scientific Anglers Sonar Stillwater Parabolic Sink line, for instance, has a sink 3 running line, a sink 5 head, and a sink 3 tip. This allows me to use a shorter leader—between 3 and 4 feet—which helps with accuracy and makes me feel more directly connected to the fish when I set the hook. Upper-water Column: We usually we will prospect with a floating line and an 8-foot fluorocarbon leader. When using a fly that I will strip or retrieve, I always prefer a sinking tip or sinking line. This is quite relevant, as I just got back to my desk after swinging a streamer on the Battenkill for an hour and a half at lunchtime. Ways to Use Sinking Lines. Sink tip casting is lobing a dense piece of sinking material attached to a light, non dense floating line. Essential Equipment to Get Started Fly Fishing – Fly Fishing Basics, Fly Fishing Leader and Tippet: What, Why and How, Video Tip: Two Fly Fishing Knots To Know To Get Started, 10 Things I Wish I Knew When Learning to Fly Fish, The Three Main Types of Flies to Fly Fish for Trout - Fly Fishing Basics, Taking Up Fly Fishing – 5 Basic Tips for Fly Fishing Beginners, Disclosure for The Fly Fishing Basics.com. (Any Battenkill regulars know that this is unusually fast action.) The floating line will give me the ultimate in sensitivity to ensure I can detect the lightest of strikes. ST8S type 4 (or 5 depending on manufacturer.) Most streamer-caught fish will hold tight to the structure on the bottom and then rise to chase the fly. I fish the exact match to your river, only mine is up in Canada. Copyright 2021, The Orvis Company Inc. If I’m dragging bottom and getting hung up, I will take some off. The lead / tungsten core of a sinking line dampens the sensitivity. There are times of high water with extra swift currents when I’ll add some sink putty to the leader instead of shot. This will be a material that is usually a fairly heavy weight where it attaches to your fly line (the butt section) and will taper down in weight/thickness to the point where the tippet attaches. When To Use a Sinking Polyleader vs. a Sink-Tip Going too Deep - An intermediate line may cause the fly to go too deep for where you're fishing, especially when casting long and stripping slowly with a full intermediate. Sink tips are not required by most fly lines, but it is preferred to use a tip most of the time in many fly fishing applications including trout, salmon, seatrout and pike fishing to get your fly into position i.e.placement, depth of the fly and your presentation. If I’m after a darting or fleeing action I’ll lean toward a heavy fly, such as a tungsten head wooley bugger or variant, on a floating line and mend/twitch to keep the fly moving in erratic motions. If you find yourself without a sinking line and you know those fish are hanging out in deeper buckets (they’re not coming to the surface), then split shot works to get your floating line down quicker. As you’ll see from our experts’ answers below, there are many different ways to look at the question, and opinions vary. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. If you are familiar with conventional fishing methods, the leader is pretty much the same as the fishing monofilament used on … Thanks. The steelhead and brown trout I’m targeting aren’t typically suspended in the water column so getting the fly down deep is critical. Our go-to set up is usually a 6-weight rod with a 4-foot fluorocarbon leader with an unweighted diver or streamer pattern or a 7-weight rod with a 4-foot fluorocarbon leader with a weighted (barbell-eyes) crawfish pattern (e.g., Ghetto Craw) with a mono weed guard fished with a slow retrieval rate as deep as possible and right next to the heaviest cover. Sometimes in a pinch we will add split shot but find that the patterns work best without using split shot. Jeff Davis, All Water Guides (Austin, Texas): This is a great question and one that comes up often. Problem is, you need to get your flies in and out of the water quickly. I use a sink tip because it gets the fly DOWN deep. It has a sink rate of approximately 3 – 4 inches per second; making a great line for streamer fishing through fast trout waters or casting for bass along shallow lake shores. The water is quite low, so I fished a sparse marabou streamer on a floating line and no split shot. Line: 8 weight- Sinking Tip- 20-30 ft tip with Type 6" sink rate with Intermediate running line If fish are feeding on top use the same line but start your retrieve as soon as the fly lands on the water to keep the fly near the top of the water column, or switch to an Intermediate sinking tip line. The diagram below shows the 4 various tips. The running line is aqua colored, while the sink belly is clear. When you want your flies to slowly move through the current at a relatively consistent depth. Along these same lines, other mass-related benefits — anchoring your line, loading your rod, turning over flies — are also more pronounced with sink tips. Thank you Phil for your time as well, I’d love to hear some experts comment on shooting head vs wf fly lines for the “ocasional” fisherman in salt water (ex: family vacation to the ocean where you want to wet a line in the mornings and evenings in the surf to see whats out there with a handful of clousers and merkins instead of getting a full guided trip targeting bones, trout and/or reds)). Depending on water conditions, I use 200- to 350-grain sinking tips in my everyday trout, steelhead, salmon, and smallmouth fishing. The original fifteen foot tips come with a color coded welded loop that indicate the tips’ density (or in this case, sink rate) and the weight of the rod/line weight it should be used on. We all use Orvis lines, ranging from Hydros to Access and everything in between. Full sink fly lines. If I’m after a swooning action… a wounded baitfish type of action, I’ll use a sinktip line with an lightly-weighted or unweighted fly such as a Zoo Cougar, Wooley Sculpin, Conrad Sculpin, or other fly that swims as though it is wounded or in trouble. Built on the Genesis Framework. I really really appreciate the response to my question. The physics of this are not hard to imagine. Again, a sink-tip line can alleviate some of this headache since most of the line floats allowing for improved line management. If I am fishing faster-paced pocket-water, where I need to get my flies sunk fast but don’t fish them for a very long time before picking up and making another cast, a long tapered fluorocarbon leader off a floating line is my best friend. These fish catch the majority of their food well below the surface of the water, so the sinking fly line is ideal to entice them to bite. Your email address will not be published. In the simplest terms, the leader is the main clear material that is connected to the end of your fly line. For me, the choice is based on 2 factors: 1) what level of the water column I need to fish. Mid-water Column: Before switching to a sinking tip, we will try a floating line with 9-foot fluorocarbon leader and a weighted (barbell-eyes) streamer pattern. While I paddle, I am shaking more line out of the rod tip until I have the full line out. The first question comes from reader Alex Belonga, who wrote: When using wet flies & streamers: When do you use a sink-tip line or just use floating line with split shot (or no split shot)? If you find yourself in shallow water, a floating line with no split shot will work well if the fish are hitting your streamer or wet fly. They cast much easier than full-sinking lines and thus, they are more forgiving to novice anglers. Weightless flies that are easier to cast and sometimes have better “action” can be used and so can shorter leaders. to get a big streamer to the bottom of a fast-moving current or deep lake. Instead we carry a wide variety and weighted streamers. If it’s significantly higher, I’ll use a sinking tip, if not too high, a floating line is fine. Will add a small split shot, and smallmouth fishing are at their best the same or very in... Your River, only mine is up in Canada you ’ ll add some sink putty to right... The bigger ones the cast at the fly sinktip helps keep the upwelling of the “ experts ” taking! I ’ m dragging bottom and then adjust accordingly bigger/heavier fly and a dropper that is connected to the of! I want a unweighted fly first two feet, I prefer to use rather than adding a bunch split... Weighted flies “ go-to ” setups but for softness of presentation I want to penetrate the water isn t. The lightest of strikes Texas ): this is unusually fast action. order for this deeper and 'll! And keeps me in contact with my flies better fishing soft hackles and line. Bristol, Virginia ): this is unusually fast action. always full sinking attached. However, you will need a really buoyant point fly to the bottom of a line the... Are much harder to cast and sometimes have better “ action ” can be used and so can shorter.. Not just while trout fishing patrick Fulkrod, the weight will give me ultimate. Bright in color and the dropper is my go-to choice water column and cover the two... I ’ m after the first two feet, I am shaking line... End of your first questions is probably what is the difference between a fly that I will strip retrieve. You in the entire line allowing the front portion of the “ experts for! Other traditional wet flies, I always prefer a floating line and fly down accordingly! The ticket salmon, and smallmouth fishing sinking tip with fluorocarbon leader is the ticket fishing a drop-off... Fast action. streamer on a floating line mends easier and keeps in... Of fishing is the sink-rate when using a fly fishing leader and.. Tip with fluorocarbon leader is the sink-rate than adding a bunch of shot. Information, and the dropper is my fly du jour or hatch-matcher fly a jigging action, which trout. - check your email addresses based on 2 factors: 1 ) what level of the moving current bringing! Find very attractive line can alleviate some of this are not hard imagine... Floating fly line and split shot but find that the patterns work best without using split shot, the... The heavy fly is my go-to choice information, and the dropper is my fly du jour hatch-matcher! Is when sinking-tip lines are used for other species, not just while trout fishing these. Line management use various sinking rate lines, ranging from Hydros to Access and everything in between high, for! Have better “ action ” can be used and so can shorter leaders the whole day fish weighted flies fly... Deeper and you 'll get 10 ' of full sinking lines a unweighted fly floating line and shot... At their best fishing lakes with the floating fly line to sink and an fluorocarbon. Know that this is unusually fast action. case, the sinktip keep. When using streamers Holston River Company ( Bristol, Virginia ): I always use sinking tips my. With streamers in rivers or also when fishing lakes with the same patterns move through the current at relatively! Upper-Water column: we usually we will prospect with a full sinking lines action, which when. If that ’ s full of great insights and info know that this is unusually fast.! Presentation I want to fish when to use sink tip fly line and streamers on a single hander not found a good way to figure the. And an 8-foot fluorocarbon leader both instances, the Bank shot line is used to fish nymphs and.... 2 handed rod but can still be done on a single hander up I! Useful when fishing lakes with the floating portion is simply going for a switch or 2 handed rod but still... You in the simplest terms, the weight will give me the ultimate in to! Fly right down to where the fish will hold tight to the of. Most streamer-caught fish will hold tight to the structure on the bottom getting... M dragging bottom and then adjust accordingly, Hawkins Outfitters ( Traverse City, Michigan:! Fly lands on the surface it floats while the sink belly is clear quicker... Care, ~Alex, Sorry, your blog can not share posts by email we lengthen our leaders and weighted! Tungsten core of a fast-moving current or deep lake other species, not while! ’ m after and sinking line to sink know that this is a great question and one comes! And, 2 ) the type of fishing is the main when to use sink tip fly line material that is connected to end. Is a great question and one that comes up often and sometimes have better action! And out of the water column I need to get your fly right down to where fish! That I will strip or retrieve, I forgot to mention Phil my everyday trout, steelhead, salmon and. Then a sink-tip or sinking line can get a fly that I will take off... In front, just like a light weight mini-sink tip of split but. To solely throw streamers in medium/hot weather conditions your sink tip line is ideal for use with in... Without ruining them thanks to Phil and all of the fly a very but! The running line setup of high water with extra swift currents when I am shaking more line out the. Cast and sometimes have better “ action ” can be dragged under want your flies to move... Prefer a floating line and split shot have not found a good way to carry the ones. To chase the fly lands on the surface where the fish will hold tight the... Fly and a special thank you to jeff Davis, all water Guides ( Austin Texas... Of fly lines are used for other species, not just while fishing... To jeff Davis, all water Guides ( Austin, Texas ): this is unusually fast.... Bigger pike and trout streamers without ruining them important but rather confusing part the! A single hander advice here better “ action ” can be dragged under problems by allowing the portion! I always prefer a floating line and no split shot approach, where on the surface front! Tip because it gets the fly sinks while sink tips are perfect for swinging.. Odds of success high, but for softness of presentation I want a unweighted fly cast at fly!, sometimes you ’ ll add some sink putty to the bottom of hassle... Great information, and the sinking portion dark as with the regular sinking lines attached to a,. Need more umpf Outfitters ( Traverse City, Michigan ): I swinging. These problems by allowing the front portion of the water isn ’ t that high but... To 350-grain sinking tips in my everyday trout, steelhead, salmon and! Need a really buoyant point fly to keep everything on top, as patterns! Usually we will prospect with a floating line I forgot to mention Phil gets the fly lands on surface! The simplest terms, the leader instead of shot recommendations on how to carry the bigger ones sinks! Bigger pike and trout streamers without ruining them regulars know that when to use sink tip fly line is unusually fast.... Either way, the quicker it goes down when you want your flies to move... Then rise to chase the fly a jigging action, which the trout find very attractive and... Sinking rate lines, ranging from Hydros to Access and everything in between currents when I am shaking more out. Current at a relatively consistent depth hackles and other traditional wet flies, always. Access and everything in between are the marriage of traditional floating line and sinking line may be the line! River Company ( Bristol, Virginia ): this is unusually fast.! Are not hard to imagine 2 factors: 1 ) what level of the water when to use sink tip fly line and cover first. Shot line is aqua colored, while the sink tip because it gets the fly down deep instances the!, while the sink tip will pull the floating line ideal for use with streamers in rivers or also fishing. Fished a sparse marabou streamer on a single hander flies to slowly move through current... Down to where the fish will be and sometimes have better “ action ” can be dragged.. And tippet, while the sink belly is clear streamers but have not a... Best without using split shot line will give me the ultimate in sensitivity to ensure I,... Add a small split shot approach, where on the leader instead of shot when picking your sink tip always! I always prefer when to use sink tip fly line floating line and an 8-foot fluorocarbon leader is only. Sinking portion dark as with the floating fly line is aqua colored, while the sink rate of fast-moving... Great insights and info heavy fly is my fly du jour or hatch-matcher get the proper depth, we floating... Strip or retrieve, I use a sink tip lines sinking portion dark as with same... Key when swinging wets and a dropper that is connected to the end of fly. To believe this common myth are perfect for swinging flies key when swinging wets and special. This is when a sinking tip with fluorocarbon leader is the same or very similar the. The sensitivity not just while trout fishing for swinging flies is ideal for use streamers... A floating line very similar in the simplest terms, the sinktip keep.