With a higher fishing sink tip a 5ft to 6ft leader or a 10ft leader with a full floating line is normally about right. On the outside of the swing, or inside? Once the retrieve begins, the fly line will pull the fly in the same direction it is being retrieved. The Titan taper is easier to cast than a lot of other full-sinking lines out there, and due to the sink profile where the tip sinks the fastest, you get a straight-line connection to the fly line that gives you extraordinary feel when fishing delicate chironomid patterns, and when you’re setting the hook at long distances and in deep water. On top of that the sink-tip portion can vary in lengths from as short as five feet to as long as thirty. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. When I was a young salmon fisher and part time River Tay Summer ghillie in the 70's good old Maxima was doing a reliable job then just as it does today for many Tay ghillies so on the basis that 'if it's not broken (excuse the pun) then why fix it'. First, as the tip rockets down the water column it’s not having to drag a floating line down with it, which is the case with normal sink tip lines. If you are going to use full sinking lines or sink tips longer than 15 ft use a stripping basket. If you're fishing structure that's 5-10 feet deep, an intermediate fly line may be the best line for the job. Change ), Which tip do I fish? It has become apparantly obvious over the years that although many salmon anglers fully understand all about the different densities and lengths of the sink tips that are available very few fully understand exactly where these tungsten impregnated sink tips are taking their salmon fly to in the water column in each and every differing water condition. This buys you two things. Weighted flies fish best on the outside of the swing and in deep buckets. A sink tip fly line is around 90 feet long. There are a number of sink fly lines that perform somewhat differently to one another. With a light size 9 or 11 late Spring or Summer fly on the Tay I'd be fishing between 15lbs & 18lbs Maxima and nothing lighter than that in case a high teenager or bigger salmon has a go as I don't want to wait until after spawning time to have a chance of landing it! The rule of thumb is to shorten the leader down to as little as 3 or 4ft if you're fishing a heavy sink tip as you don't want the fast sinking tip down deep and the fly still riding high because your leader is too long. Remember that a 6 weight rod will not cast a heavy tip as well as an 8 weight. PRO TIP: When fishing the outside of the swing, keep your mending to a minimum so that you don’t disturb the fly where the fish is holding. 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 angler landed a salmon even though when he started to fish he got his fly snagged and lost the only leader he had as he'd forgot to lift his spare leader material from his car boot that morning. Like any other fly line, the tip of a sinking line is thinner to aid presentation and allow you to get a nice taper down to your leader, so this bit sinks slowly. Phone: +44 (0)131 618 7058Email: jock@salmon-fishing-scotland.com. It features 15 ft of weight forward line. 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. When it comes to fishing streamers in cold water, it’s difficult to beat the SONAR Sink 25. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. When I fish lakes, my plan to to keep the fly at the proper depth as long as possible. Big boulders- fish a short, light to medium tip depending on depth so the tip doesn’t get wrapped around the boulder (I love the Airflo 10’ FLO Tips in this situation). Decide if you want a floating, sink-tip or full sinking line; Decide what type of taper you want the fly line to be. You can find these tips and more at The Ashland Fly Shop. Simon’s response was invaluable and I will include it, but first, let’s talk a bit about the difference between traditional fly lines and Spey systems. What’s the Best Way to Cast Sink Tips on a Fly Line Since the river I fish is a tree choked 40 to 70 feet across, I usually roll cast down and across the current. I honestly believe that some of the salmon fishing book authors either have caught few salmon or had consumed far too many drams while they were writing. Designed with a short 25′ fast-sinking head, the Sink 25 sinking fly line gets flies deep extremely quickly and is paired with a large diameter handling section for excellent line control. Where is the fish likely to hold? The depth of your salmon fly is an important part of success in salmon fishing so in the next few paragraphs I'll give you a few of my own personal thoughts to hopefully clear up a few misconceptions on this fascinating topic. The sink-tip line is a combination of the floating fly line and sinking fly line. They present streamers and wet flies well. It is really difficult to convince a picky steelhead to grab if your fly is not being presented well so pick a sinking tip that is within your casting ability. Fish a long, heavy tip (12’ of T-11 or T-14) and situate yourself in a place so that you hang down on the channel side of the run and hold on. If you’re wading, these lines can keep you in the zone longer and increase the odds of success. At times, only a mere two feet of sinking line is needed. Most steelhead fisherman use 6-8 weights. Cold Water (below 52 degrees F)- fish may be lethargic and are typically found in the slower moving, shallower sections of runs. When the tip of the fly line is 10 feet upstream of your target, start making short strips to pull … The front taper, the belly and the rear taper form the head. There are times when an angler is looking to specifically sink their fly into pocket-water, or behind structure without the use of a full tip. As a rule of thumb the darker the tip the faster it sinks. Therefore these digits bear zero reference as to the sink rate performance the same sink tip material would achieve in a flowing river. The sink-tip lines with longer tips can also be used in lakes for trolling or fishing along the edges of shoals. Fast/Heavy water usually requires getting the fly down fast. Photo credit Marcus Mattioli. I recommend longer, heaver tips (12-15 feet of T-11 to T-17) and a weighted fly. Here is what you will find in my sinking tip wallets. An intermediate line sinks very slow and should allow you to fish in 1-6 feet of water very effectively with an unweighted fly. Sink-tip lines always consist of two colors. Tube flies (unweighted) are slightly buoyant and fish best on the inside of the swing or shallow riffles and runs. Selecting the proper sink tip to maximize your steelhead fishing success is not simple like choosing your favorite fly. I will cast as far as I can, and then paddle away from the cast at the fly sinks. Choosing a weighted fly will help get your fly down faster on the outside of the swing. Then a sink-tip or sinking line can get your fly right down to where the fish will be. They can be floating or intermediate lines. It is the most common line used today for fishing nymph and streamers. RIO InTouch Big Nasty Sink Tip Fly Line The rule of thumb is to shorten the leader down to as little as 3 or 4ft if you're fishing a heavy sink tip as you don't want the fast sinking tip down deep and the fly still riding high because your leader is too long. The first 10 to 30 feet is the sinking section; the balance is a floating line. What these number are referring to is the depth of what a 1 inch cut section of this material would sink at if dropped into a glass of water i.e 3 inches or 6 inches per second. Choose a line that achieves the sink rate that you desire. A sink tip fly line solves these problems by allowing the front portion of the fly line to sink. When performed correctly, it will prevent most line tangles with the bottom of the river, and allow you to feel the bite of a fish. Here I am fishing a weighted fly and a short, heavy tip. Casting and Swinging a Sink Tip Fly Line . In order to get the proper depth, we lengthen our leaders and fish weighted flies. 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