Anyone tried rio VersiTip lines?

O

OnTheFlyWitHKy

Smolt
Looking at getting my reel some new line and came across this. Seems appealing from a versatility standpoint (comes with multiple heads that can be swapped out for varying water conditions)

Wondering if anyone on here has any experience with it.

Thanks!
 
I used RIO's and Airflo's, they work great but can hinge a little but it never bothered me nore hindered my casting.
RIO fly lines suck so go with Airflo!
 
I like the Rio SVT/SSVT. I own one for each of my two hand rods. I had horrible luck with Rio Gold, but my versitip lines have not had the same cracking issues.
 
SculpinSwinger said:
I like the Rio SVT/SSVT. I own one for each of my two hand rods. I had horrible luck with Rio Gold, but my versitip lines have not had the same cracking issues.
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That's good to know, my RIO gold lasted 2 days
 
OnTheFlyWitHKy said:
Looking at getting my reel some new line and came across this. Seems appealing from a versatility standpoint (comes with multiple heads that can be swapped out for varying water conditions)

Wondering if anyone on here has any experience with it.

Thanks!
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I have five of them, 2 each 6 weights and two each 8 weights built on the old Windcutter tapers, the fifth one isn't made anymore, it's a nine weight coldwater Striper line, its main body is a clear blue intermediate.

The six weights are part of an all around, catch all system. The reel and an extra spool, one contains the Versi-Tip system with it's small sink tip wallet, the other spool contains a shooting head system ( 20 lb. Amnesia ) with a wallet filled with 8 weight shooting heads from clear intermediates to type VI.
Those are used for American Shad, Black Bass, Carp, Summer Steelhead, Surf perch, occasionally seeing duty as my nymphing rig on Nevada's pyramid lake and anywhere else I might find myself where I didn't expect to be fishing.

The eight weights have similar shooting head counterparts and those outfits pick up the bulk of my large ( trophy ) trout angling, steelhead, light Striper, etc, etc, fishing.

The nine weight Striper VT system is used predominantly for Stripers from shore on the shallow flats on the southwestern side of San Francisco Bay, for both Stripers and California Halibut, only occasionally for Leopard Sharks.
 
Trout Trekker said:
I have five of them, 2 each 6 weights and two each 8 weights built on the old Windcutter tapers, the fifth one isn't made anymore, it's a nine weight coldwater Striper line, its main body is a clear blue intermediate.

The six weights are part of an all around, catch all system. The reel and an extra spool, one contains the Versi-Tip system with it's small sink tip wallet, the other spool contains a shooting head system ( 20 lb. Amnesia ) with a wallet filled with 8 weight shooting heads from clear intermediates to type VI.
Those are used for American Shad, Black Bass, Carp, Summer Steelhead, Surf perch, occasionally seeing duty as my nymphing rig on Nevada's pyramid lake and anywhere else I might find myself where I didn't expect to be fishing.

The eight weights have similar shooting head counterparts and those outfits pick up the bulk of my large ( trophy ) trout angling, steelhead, light Striper, etc, etc, fishing.

The nine weight Striper VT system is used predominantly for Stripers from shore on the shallow flats on the southwestern side of San Francisco Bay, for both Stripers and California Halibut, only occasionally for Leopard Sharks.
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Solid info, I'm looking at the 5wt for my Swiss army rod, mostly trout angling. It caught my eye because it seemed to have the advantage of the sinking tips and that could come in handy in sub surface situations.
 
OnTheFlyWitHKy said:
Solid info, I'm looking at the 5wt for my Swiss army rod, mostly trout angling. It caught my eye because it seemed to have the advantage of the sinking tips and that could come in handy in sub surface situations.
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Just don't expect the floating tips with their loop connecters to replace a Trout rod with a traditional ( DT or WF ) full floating line when it comes to delicacy with a dry fly. Delicate they are not. The Versi-tip tapers ( at least mine on the old Windcutter tapers ) are designed more for power and turn over, they're great where distance and wind bucking is a premium. That's the trade off. But I've caught gads of fish on those systems and they do cover a wide range of situations.
 
I have a 4wt Rio Versi-tip on my Echo 10 foot 3wt euronymph rod and like it a lot.
 
Thanks guys! I've decided I'm gonna get that spooled up for my 5wt, if I really dig it I might even go for it on my heavier 9wt for Chinook and coho.

Appreciate the feedback!
 
It really is a great system that the old timers made on their own back, back, back in the day.
 
Paige said:
It really is a great system that the old timers made on their own back, back, back in the day.
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Yep, this. ^
Just cut the front taper of a old floater, add a loop and make your own heads. Lots of head options you can create on your own.
SF
 
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I got a versi tip line and the lop to loop wouldn't fit through the tip top of my 4wt. Pretty sure it was a Rio.
 
I got the 8wt for my 8wt rod that I had built for me. I got it about 20 years ago for Steelheading in Washington. Since I'm in Montana, it hasn't seen the light of day since I moved here. Where I fish an 8wt is over kill. Maybe I ought to check it out to see if it is cracked.
 
Like @Old Man, my Versatip is old, 20 years. I just pulled it out of retirement and spooled it. It is in good shape. I don’t like the “click” sound of the loop connection when carp fishing - but it’s a good river line and worked well for river coho.
 
I used to have one and it did what I needed it to do. Nothing that’s versatile will be as good as it’s dedicated counterpart but I was fine with that.
 
I ended up going a different direction. My gut was telling me that versitip would be much more useful on my 8/9wt setup, instead of my 5wt, and the guys at the fly shop agreed. I put SA MPX on my 5wt reel for a dry fly/nymphing river set up and got a 5wt Rio camolux sub surface on another 5wt reel for stillwater fishing, on the recommendation of the guys at the shop. I feel good about the decision.
 
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