In Part One, we took a closer look at sinking lines and their history, applications and general composition. Now it’s time to explore the two most popular sinking lines sold today: integrated shooting heads and full-sink fly lines.

Integrated Shooting Heads

Integrated shooting head fly lines take the shooting head concept to the next level by integrating the running line and weighted head into a single line. Here, the running line is a length of level fly line, which then transitions into a short taper and single-density head (or belly).

These lines are made to quickly load and shoot with ease, allowing anglers to cover water swiftly and efficiently. Some integrated shooting heads are designed to fish high in the water column, while others can reach significant depths. They’re able to turn over flies powerfully, as well as hold depths on a rapid retrieve, making them the perfect tool for streamer fishing.

The heads on integrated shooting heads aren’t long, typically averaging only 25’ to 30’. They’re sold at different grain weights to cover several line weights. The weights of these run from 150 gr. to over 500 gr. and the heads can range in density from floating to fast-sinking.

These are probably the most versatile of sinking lines as they have such a wide range of use. Line cores and coating can be switched up to maximize performance in various water temperature ranges from cold-water trout to saltwater tropics. Combined with various densities and sink-rates, we can select a line tailored to a specific application.

The following chart gives a general overview of grain weight to line weight, sink rate and depth range.

The great thing about these lines is how easy it is to cast them far and with minimal effort. Once the head is out of the rod tip, there is no need to continue false casting. In fact, the cast will likely fall apart if you let too much line out because the caster abruptly goes from feeling the weight of the head to a virtually weightless running line.

Instead, once the head is out of the rod tip, it’s surprisingly easy to simply shoot the line on the forward cast and let the weight of the head carry the running line out. Incorporating a double haul will add additional distance, but most beginners work way too hard when casting these lines (until they trust the rod and head to do the work).

With a known sink rate, it is easy to count these lines down to a specific depth (within reason) where you want to present the fly. The maximum practical depth for these lines is around 30 feet. With the long head and thin running line, the fly will stay in this range for an extended period of time on the retrieve. Simple math shows a Sink 6 head (6 ips rate) takes 20 seconds for the line to reach a depth of 10 feet. This actually gives pretty precise depth placement of the fly—especially on stillwater or in areas with slow current. If current or boat movement is involved, this depth will decrease a little, but after a bit of experience with these lines you’ll get a feel for where the fly is.

We also see these lines used in true big-game situations. Built on extra-strong cores of up to 100 lb. breaking strength and heads up to 750 gr., these lines are made to tackle a variety of bluewater species such as sailfish, tuna, giant trevally, and marlin. They load heavy rods quickly and turn over the largest flies.

Full-Sink Lines

The last lines we’re going to look at are full-sink lines. Sinking lines have been around for over 100 years, as the original fly lines—made from silk—sunk when they got wet. These lines had to be dried and then dressed with a floating substance in order to fish on the surface, which is how they were generally used. There is very little in the literature mentioning early lines used to present flies below the surface.

We noted earlier that the first modern sinking lines, known as Wet Cel, were introduced in 1960. Here, the entire length of the line was made to sink below the surface. These were revolutionary because they were made in specific line weights and could be cast as a regular fly line. This opened up a whole new range of fishing opportunities for fly anglers.

Full-sink lines mean precisely that—the entire length of the line is made to sink below the surface. These can range from super-slow-sink designs made to keep flies in the surface film, to lines designed to sink rapidly and crawl flies along the bottom.

These lines are mostly used for lakes and ponds with little current present, although they’re often fished from a drifting or slowly moving boat. They’ve reached their present level of sophistication for use on the reservoirs of the UK and lakes of western North America where trout are the main target and anglers need a series of lines throughout the fishing season.

Many of these lines are quite specialized. For example, “hover” lines stay in the film, suspended just below the surface to keep flies in “the zone”. They may be used to fish floating flies to minimize the drag created from being pushed by the wind. This helps keep the fly floating naturally.

There are also lines where the full length of the line is clear to reduce visibility and give a super-stealthy presentation. These clear intermediate lines can be a game changer on clear, calm, flat water, turning reluctant fish into active feeders. They also have applications for other types of fishing such as stalking carp on shallow flats.

The early full-sink lines were a single density, and a fast-sink version tended to sag from the rod tip creating slack and reducing the ability to detect strikes and get a good hook set. This problem was addressed by the introduction of multiple-density lines. These lines are densest (sink fastest) at the tip with less density at the mid-section and back end. The goal is to achieve a straight-line connection from the rod tip to the fly with minimal sag. This improves bite detection and allows for a better hook set when a fish hits.

These lines have two or three density changes in them, and the premium versions have a graduated change between densities to eliminate hinging when being cast. They are offered in slow-sinking to fast-sinking versions. As with the integrated shooting heads, a countdown method can be used to keep the fly in the desired fishing zone. Once again, we will put the practical depth range to around 30 feet.

There are also situations where the fly needs to be crawled just off the bottom. Here, the fastest sinking section may be in the middle with a lighter density at the tip. This keeps the fly off the bottom, visible and away from weeds and debris. If fished mid-depth, this type of line gives the impression of a critter swimming towards the bottom, which is often a great strike trigger.

Over the years these lines have become quite sophisticated. Some manufactures have added “hang markers”, which are there to tell the angler how much line is out. This helps to gauge fly depth and indicates when to pick up and cast again. For many, these lines are a key tool for having consistent success on the water.

Add Ons

There are various leaders and tips that can be added onto conventional lines to take flies below the surface. Poly leaders are short, polymer-coated monofilament leaders available in different densities. Though designed for swung-fly use, they can also be added to single-hand lines to get the fly a bit deeper on the retrieve. These do not significantly increase the line weight for casting as long as they are used with a 7-wt or heavier line.

Some of the tips made for Spey lines can also be added to single-hand lines. Here we need to be aware of the grain weight of the tip being used so we don’t overload the rod when casting overhead. For example, the manufacturer standard for an 8-wt. line is 210 gr. If we add a 10 ft. Scientific Anglers TC Tip that weighs 120 gr, we are 330 gr. total (which is more in the range of an 11-wt. line for overhead casting). In most cases, this is too much for our 8-wt. to handle

Adding tips is best done with heavier weight rods (8-wt. and above) to give some added versatility if needed. You can quickly adjust a line with the addition of a tip if you don’t have a suitable sinking-tip line. While this is the norm when it comes to two-hand lines, it is outside the box with single-hand lines.

Similarly, a short floating tip can also be added to a sinking line to work a fly just off the bottom or keep it above weeds. In any of these applications, casting may be compromised a bit as these tips will likely hinge when cast overhead. However, this is not a permanent set up, rather it is a quick solution to a problem that needs to be addressed at that time. Whenever you are on the water, it pays to be flexible and adjust to the situation you are faced with.

Wrapping Up

No matter where you fish, sinking lines will likely increase your fly-fishing opportunities and success. Fly line technology continues to advance. Durable coatings with wider temperature ranges extend line life and effectiveness. Controlled stretch cores give better bite-detection and allow easier hook sets. Stronger cores allow larger fish to be targeted. As the limits of fly fishing continue to expand, sinking lines will play a major role.

The post From Top to Bottom: A Look at Sinking Lines (Part Two) appeared first on Anchored Outdoors.

If there’s one piece of fly-fishing gear the average angler can add to their kit to open up a whole new dimension of angling opportunities, it’s sinking lines. Sinking lines can be used in a wide range of scenarios to take flies to fish where regular floating lines just can’t get the job done. Understanding when and how to put a sinking line to use can be a game changer for many fly fishers. In some situations, they’re an absolute necessity.  

In this article, we’re going to take a look at the various types of sinking lines available today and how they can be used. Single-hand rods will be the focus due to the extensive range of waters and species that can be targeted—but remember that regardless of where you fish, having some sort of a sinking line with you makes sense and is often the difference between fish and no fish.

Introduction to Sinking Lines

OK, so why do we need anything beyond a floating line? Can’t you can just use a weighted fly and maybe some split shot to take it below the surface? Yes, a weighted fly works well when it’s dead-drifted under an indicator or fished Euro-nymph style, but there’s only so much you can do with solely a weighted fly and a floating line.

If you need to swim the fly below the surface for any distance and have it hold depth for a period of time, the sinking line comes in to play. Sure, you could use a 20-foot leader and heavy fly to try to get your fly down around 20 feet (if you could even cast it), but as soon as you begin the retrieve, your fly is going to start climbing towards the surface. The faster you strip, the faster the fly climbs and the higher it goes. The result is a fly that spent very little time in the depths—at the very most, 3-5 feet.

The sinking line, however, will hold the fly at a certain depth for an extended period of time. To understand this, let’s take a look at modern sinking lines, how they’re made, and their ideal applications. 

A Brief History

The earliest sinking lines were used in big-water applications. Sections of lead-core trolling line were attached to a monofilament shooting line and set up as shooting heads. This configuration brought the fly down, but was somewhat hazardous to cast as the lead-core was not very flexible. Tangles were also a significant problem, as well as needing to duck on the forward cast to avoid injury.  

Back then, use of these lines was limited. They were primarily used for northeast striper fishing or for targeting Chinook salmon in deep coastal estuaries. They weren’t really practical as a general fly-fishing line simply due to the weight of line that needed to be cast. Most were used on 10-weight outfits.

Eventually lead powder was mixed into PVC and flexible shooting heads were made. Varying the amount of lead powder and PVC helped control the grain weight and sink rate of the head. It was the beginning of full-sink lines, where the running line and belly were integrated as a single unit and manufactured into various line weights. Scientific Anglers introduced these first lines called Wet Cel in 1960. Since then, line technology has advanced to a point where sinking lines are made to cover a wide array of uses in freshwater, saltwater, tropical and coldwater scenarios. They can be made up of multiple densities and range in depth from just below the surface to several meters down.

In 1980, manufacturers turned to tungsten powder because of the toxicity of lead. Nowadays, the amount of tungsten powder added to the PVC or urethane base of the line is carefully controlled to achieve certain densities to control the sink rate of the line.  

If we look at sinking lines that are currently offered by manufacturers, we find a staggering assortment of options—trying to select the best options for your needs can be intimidating. Let’s take a look at the various sinking line designs available and where they are best applied.

Sink Tips

In this line design, we’re looking at one-piece lines where most of the line floats and only a portion of it sinks. While there are separate tips that you can add to a two-hand line when swinging flies for steelhead or salmon, that’s not what I’m referring to in this section. The one-piece sink tip lines are weight-forward designs made to fish flies from just below the surface film to depths of around 10 feet. Their length and density of the sinking portion varies.

Sink-tip lines are offered in specific line weights and normally in three primary sink rates. Intermediate tips sink at just over 1 ips (inches per second). Sink 3 averages 3 ips, while Sink 6 is 6 ips. These are usually sold for 5 weight rods and up. The reason for this is that lighter line weights aren’t really practical because the tungsten powder needed to sink the line will exceed the designated line weight.

These lines are primarily used to cast and strip streamers in lakes, rivers and streams when fishing chironomids, leeches, and various nymphs in stillwater situations. They can be used both when wading or fishing from a boat. The base material used in line construction is clear and has a density slightly higher than water, so the intermediate tips can be kept undyed for a super-stealthy presentation near the surface.  

By switching up the length and density of the sinking section, the angler can control how deep the fly is fished and how fast it can be retrieved. For example, short, clear tips (5’) are used to fish small flies with a slow retrieve near or in the surface film of the water. A longer (15’) Type 6 tip will keep a streamer down 6 feet or so on a fast retrieve. With the main body of the line floating, a general rule of thumb is the shorter the tip and faster the retrieve, the shallower the fly will run. Another note to make is that since most of the line floats, these lines are quite easy to pick up and recast.  

As fly fishing horizons have expanded, so has the application of these lines. They are now built up to 12-wt. for use in extreme environments such as the Amazon and saltwater flats, used across the world for peacock bass, tarpon, permit and other gamefish.

The next lines we’re going to cover are integrated shooting heads and full sink lines. Fly line technology has advanced significantly over the years, and modern sinking lines are precision fishing tools. As anglers, it’s helpful to at least understand the tools that are available to us for less than desirable circumstances or tricky to reach fish. Be sure to check back in a few days for Part Two, or subscribe to the Anchored Outdoors newsletter to have updates brought to you.

The post From Top to Bottom: A Look at Sinking Lines (Part One) appeared first on Anchored Outdoors.

By Jerry Darkes:

One of the great things about fly fishing is that it provides life-long learning. There are numerous avenues available to us to expand our knowledge and experience. Whether it be in fly tying, casting or fishing itself, the opportunities for personal growth are endless.

As fly anglers, many of us tend to focus on specialized aspects of the sport and fall into something I’ll call, “the comfort rut.” This is where we are confident in the place we are fishing or the technique we are using. We have had consistent success in the past, so we tend to repeat. This is great for our self-esteem, but in reality, we have become stagnant and learning has stopped.

This is not to say we shouldn’t continue doing things that are successful and comfortable to us.  But every once in while we should add something different to the mix and challenge ourselves to become more versatile, well-rounded anglers. There are plenty of different ways to do this.

Casting is perhaps the primary foundation of fly fishing. Most fly anglers seem to reach a plateau in their casting career and stop. One thing everyone can do is become a better caster to help them adapt to the various fishing situations they may encounter. Yes, learning to double haul is an important step, but then what?

How about bringing Spey casting into the mix. The first thing is to dispel all of the incorrect information about Spey casting. First, you can Spey cast with any fly rod, regardless of line-weight, and with just about any line. Spey casting is just a style of casting developed for a situation of limited back cast room and can be easily applied to any single-hand rod. 

 

We are fortunate at present as the popularity of switch rods and the increased interest in two-hand rods, has spurred development of a host of fly lines specifically designed for Spey casting.  A number of these lines were developed for tight quarter use with both single-hand rods and switch rods that can be cast either single or two-hand. They are shorter and lighter-weight than conventional lines and usually referred to as ultra-short or ultra-light Spey lines

Some of these lines are presentation-style lines for use with floating flies while others are designed to throw larger, air-resistant flies and have interchangeable density tips to cover the water column from top to bottom. What they are is a solution to a problem—allowing a variety of flies and presentation with little casting area.

Essentially, these are another tool to pull out of the box when the situation calls for it. We can effectively fish areas that would be very difficult to do with conventional single-hand lines. Maybe a way to simplify all of this is to call these “roll casting lines,” as a Spey cast is basically a roll cast that incorporates a change in direction. Here we move the line from a straight down-stream position to a point where we are at an angle to the flow and do an energized roll cast.  

There a few more things to take note of. First, this is a water-loaded cast and often requires a bit more energy to propel the roll cast forward. We can call it an energized roll cast. Here is where we get into more technique and terminology involving D-Loop, but the basic components are quite easy to understand.

There is a large assortment of lines for this application. They have extra short heads for maneuvering in close quarters. They load quickly and only need a short casting stroke. We can simplify this into two main types of lines: Scandi-style tapers that have a longer front taper for lighter, delicate presentations, and then Skagit-style that are designed to be used with various floating to fast sink tips and turn over heavier, often weighted, flies.

 

These are available as individual heads that can be added to a running line or as fully integrated one-piece lines. I would opt for the fully integrated line that eliminates the loop at the running line to head connection. It is much easier to strip a fly and fish just as a standard line. Your local fly shop should be able to walk you through all the nuances of these lines. If not, I would say time to find a new fly shop as this looks to be a critical casting/fishing category moving forward.

Table 1 Shows comparison of line weight equivalents for “Roll Casting Lines.”

Keep in mind that these lines can also be cast overhead, too. Yes, the rod will be overloaded but if you slow down your casting stroke and let the rod and line work together, the results may surprise you. Versatility is the beauty of these lines.

I have seen several very competent overhead casters become totally unglued when first working with these lines. The main reason is that many casters really don’t know how to roll cast properly. Plus, immediate results are often expected, but not achieved. It’s been so long since they have added anything new into their skill set, the concept of learning again has become foreign.  

I would encourage all of you to take a step to learn something new in the fly-fishing realm and this is a great place to start. The initial results may make you feel like a beginner and you will have to swallow your casting pride a bit. But you will become a better angler, able to adapt to a wider range of situations, and fish places you may have bypassed in the past.   

Episode #: 20 (click to listen)
Duration: 1hr 13 min
Topics Discussed: Jerry’s favourite species and methodologies for each of the Great Lakes.
Buy Jerry’s Book: Fly Fishing the Inland Oceans: An Angler’s Guide to Finding and Catching Fish in the Great Lakes, Fly Tyer’s Guide to Tying Essential Bass and Panfish Flies
Bio: Jerry has been immersed in the fly fishing industry for most of his life.  He is the author of the only book solely written about fly-fishing the Great Lakes themselves.

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