Full Sink/Sink Tip for Stillwater and Rivers

[camtheflyman]

Hey all, wondering if anyone has any sinking line recommendations for a 5 weight. I live on a lake these days so I'm going to be doing a little more stillwater fishing. I currently have a floater and an Airflo Streamer Max short. I would like something with a little longer head length and one that sinks a little slower. I'll also use it to toss some smaller streamers around in rivers too, Lil' Kims, buggers, and what not. The line will probably be used more on stillwater, maybe 60/40. Thoughts anyone? TIA

 

[camtheflyman]

I'm new to the forum so can't post on classifieds yet. I just mistakenly bought an Airflo Sixth Sense WF5/6 sink 3 for my 6 wt. I just got done putting it back on the original spool and in the box. It has a couple of inches cut off the head and butt where I made my backing and leader connections, but has never been in the water. I replaced it with the same line in a WF6/7. I would take $75.00 for it and will pay shipping. If interested you can contact me at rengleh@gmail.com.

Thanks for the offer, but that seems like a far too heavy fly line for my preferences. I'm also just looking for some recommendations right now, I'm not sure that matches up with my intended uses.

 

[_WW_]

This is the one you want for still water.

Type 5 Level Sink

WATER: FreshwaterLINE: Type 5 Sinking TAPER: Weight ForwardLENGTH: 110ftCORE: Braided Nylon Multifilament • Sink Rate 5 - 6 IPS• Distance Shooting• Hang Marker Indicators Features an aggressive density compensated taper design. The bright hang markers at 14ft & 24ft are perfect for knowing when...

www.cortlandline.com

 

[Billy]

This is the one you want for still water.

Type 5 Level Sink

WATER: FreshwaterLINE: Type 5 Sinking TAPER: Weight ForwardLENGTH: 110ftCORE: Braided Nylon Multifilament • Sink Rate 5 - 6 IPS• Distance Shooting• Hang Marker Indicators Features an aggressive density compensated taper design. The bright hang markers at 14ft & 24ft are perfect for knowing when...

www.cortlandline.com

I've had mine for 4+years and have caught a stupid amount of fish on it. I absolutly love it.

 

[krusty]

This is the one you want for still water.

Type 5 Level Sink

WATER: FreshwaterLINE: Type 5 Sinking TAPER: Weight ForwardLENGTH: 110ftCORE: Braided Nylon Multifilament • Sink Rate 5 - 6 IPS• Distance Shooting• Hang Marker Indicators Features an aggressive density compensated taper design. The bright hang markers at 14ft & 24ft are perfect for knowing when...

www.cortlandline.com

Excellent line....I have three of these Cortland competition sinkers (a 5, 7 and an intermediate). They literally have the least coiling memory of any sinking lines I've ever had, even in cold water. Not cheap, but worth every penny.

 

[camtheflyman]

This is the one you want for still water.

Type 5 Level Sink

WATER: FreshwaterLINE: Type 5 Sinking TAPER: Weight ForwardLENGTH: 110ftCORE: Braided Nylon Multifilament • Sink Rate 5 - 6 IPS• Distance Shooting• Hang Marker Indicators Features an aggressive density compensated taper design. The bright hang markers at 14ft & 24ft are perfect for knowing when...

www.cortlandline.com

Gotcha, anyone use it for moving water?

 

[krusty]

I'm not keen on sink tips on stillwaters or rivers. Tend to use floaters on rivers. Fast sink and you'll be doing a lot of snagging. IMHO sink tips just increase the response time for a take. Even with an intermediate on a slow deep stretch of river I have no idea where the belly of the line is going in the submerged currents.

 

[clarkman]

Cam, what's your preferred use for rivers?

I love sink tips like the Airflo Streamer Max Short for rivers when I feel like just fishing streamers (especially unweighted ones where you get the full advantage of their movement properties since it's not deadened with weight on the fly). It doesn't dredge like a full sink would (but gets down plenty quick) and zero hinging (Honestly, if you're doing any sort of active presentation, that's a non-issue on any sink tip....)

totally agree with the above for lakes....

 

[camtheflyman]

Cam, what's your preferred use for rivers?

I love sink tips like the Airflo Streamer Max Short for rivers when I feel like just fishing streamers (especially unweighted ones where you get the full advantage of their movement properties since it's not deadened with weight on the fly). It doesn't dredge like a full sink would (but gets down plenty quick) and zero hinging (Honestly, if you're doing any sort of active presentation, that's a non-issue on any sink tip....)

totally agree with the above for lakes....

Our uses sound about the same, it’s mostly for unweighted or lightly weighted flies in deeper and quicker sections. I find myself catching bottom a little more frequently that desired with the streamer max short I have. There’s a lot of parts of the line I like, especially the head weight, I just wish it came in a 3-5 ips instead of a 7.

I'm not keen on sink tips on stillwaters or rivers. Tend to use floaters on rivers. Fast sink and you'll be doing a lot of snagging. IMHO sink tips just increase the response time for a take. Even with an intermediate on a slow deep stretch of river I have no idea where the belly of the line is going in the submerged currents.

Trying to mitigate some of that, I do some tight line presentations as well as some stripping of weighted streamers which works sometimes, but I also fish quite a few unweighted streamers and seem to do better with them. I haven’t found a good way to fish them without a sink tip yet in deeper (4+ feet) water.

 

[camtheflyman]

It sounds like I may just need to buy a stillwater specific line and another spool if I want something that is good at both?

 

[clarkman]

Our uses sound about the same, it’s mostly for unweighted or lightly weighted flies in deeper and quicker sections. I find myself catching bottom a little more frequently that desired with the streamer max short I have. There’s a lot of parts of the line I like, especially the head weight, I just wish it came in a 3-5 ips instead of a 7.

I ended up just cutting the tip a little ways back....knowing that it'll reduce the long distance capability of the line, but yeah, I hear you on that one. I love that super aggressive taper of the line but wish they made it in several different sink rates.

 

[camtheflyman]

I ended up just cutting the tip a little ways back....knowing that it'll reduce the long distance capability of the line, but yeah, I hear you on that one. I love that super aggressive taper of the line but wish they made it in several different sink rates.

I’ll start with that then since I already have that line and it’s getting close to a replacement anyway thanks to my Patagonia LineShredder 9000 boots. About how much did you cut away that helped?

 

[clarkman]

I’ll start with that then since I already have that line and it’s getting close to a replacement anyway thanks to my Patagonia LineShredder 9000 boots. About how much did you cut away that helped?

started with about 1', but ended up with a little more than 4' cut off, which is a ton for an already short head.

 

[camtheflyman]

started with about 1', but ended up with a little more than 4' cut off, which is a ton for an already short head.

Thanks, I’ll probably start at like 2 then and go from there!

 

[Buzzy]

It sounds like I may just need to buy a stillwater specific line and another spool if I want something that is good at both?

@camtheflyman - In the second post you're replying to @Engee where you say, "far too heavy fly line". Too heavy as in 5/6 weight or type 3 sink rate? I think that line is perfect for a five weight fly rod and it's sink rate is moderately slow; slower than the type-5's mentioned in following posts. Airflo lines, in my experience, are durable and well designed. Same with the Cortland lines that are recommended. Good luck in your search, and yes, you'll need a few extra spools/lines as time goes on.

 

[_WW_]

I use a Wulff TT line with a 10' intermediate tip in rivers - when I use a tip for trout that is. Most trouting that I do in streams is with a floating line tho...

 

[camtheflyman]

@camtheflyman - In the second post you're replying to @Engee where you say, "far too heavy fly line". Too heavy as in 5/6 weight or type 3 sink rate? I think that line is perfect for a five weight fly rod and it's sink rate is moderately slow; slower than the type-5's mentioned in following posts. Airflo lines, in my experience, are durable and well designed. Same with the Cortland lines that are recommended. Good luck in your search, and yes, you'll need a few extra spools/lines as time goes on.

The weight of the line is a preference thing. The total head on it weighs something like 240 grains and that’s more than I like to cast with a 5 weight. I may be in a different camp than most, but I just don’t enjoy casting a like much heavier than a line size or two up from the recommended weight. I really like that 160 grain streamer max on both a 5 and a 6 weight, but I guess I’m not throwing super big flies or really long leaders. If that line had a head weight of like 185 grains it’d be a good option. 3-5 ips is what I’m looking for I think, instead of the 7 I have now

 

[camtheflyman]

I use a Wulff TT line with a 10' intermediate tip in rivers - when I use a tip for trout that is. Most trouting that I do in streams is with a floating line tho...

I noticed in my searches that Wulff TT comes in a sink tip. How does the triangle taper handle small to medium sized streamers?

 

[clarkman]

240gr shooting heads are what I use on my 7wts (I have one 6wt that can handle that). While it's a very different taper than the Streamer Max, it might be worthwhile checking out the SA Titan Sonar selection. I also use those pretty frequently (I use the intermediate and type 3 sink tip all of the way through the 3D line that ends in type 7 on 7-12wts--I just really like how the streamer max fishes). But, the titan taper still gives you that super quick loading that a shooting head does so you're minimizing false casts but the head is a touch longer so it behaves a little bit more like a true to weight line. It should also be noted that the titan isn't as easy to roll cast as a taper like the streamer max.

Sonar Sinking Fly Lines | Sonar Titan Fly Lines | Sonar Sink Tip Fly Line

Fish feed below the surface 90% of the time, Scientific Anglers Sonar Fly Lines allow you to target subsurface feeders in a full range of environments..

www.scientificanglers.com

 

[_WW_]

I noticed in my searches that Wulff TT comes in a sink tip. How does the triangle taper handle small to medium sized streamers?

The one that I have is an intermediate/clear tip. I run about a 4' leader on it because the tip is clear. The line itself will handle your flies but you'll need to size your leader appropriately. I use it on a rod that I actually built for the line. It's an old three weight switch blank at 10' I have a handle extension that screws on if I need to spey cast it. That Wulff line is good at roll casting, spey casting, and overhead. The one line to rule them all!