Pretentious Snobby Bastard Fly Fishing!

This Ain't Necessarily Fly Fishing => Gear Reviews => Topic started by: bmadd on February 02, 2015, 20:18:55 PM

Title: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: bmadd on February 02, 2015, 20:18:55 PM
I'm looking to get a sinking line for my 8 wt. I've no experience with sinking lines and no shop real close to go to. This line will primarily used for bass fishing so mostly warm water. Should I be looking more at saltwater lines? I've read that some, mainly those with a mono core, will have more coils in the warmer temps. Teeny 350 or Rio Outbound seem to have best overall reviews for warmer water.
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: Big J on February 02, 2015, 20:50:36 PM
Rio Outbound for me.  Own a couple of them and they have served me well.
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: croaker on February 02, 2015, 20:56:50 PM
You may want to look into Shooting Heads.  LC-13 or T-8 through 20 sinking lines.
I have a couple reels set up for shooting heads.  Floating, intermediate to fast sink.
You can adjust them to suit your needs.

Dan Blanton's BB has some good info on getting deep and shooting heads:

http://www.danblanton.com/bulletin.php (http://www.danblanton.com/bulletin.php)

The Rio T lines are better IMO than the LC 13 line... Amnesia is a good running line.

Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: Jfey on February 02, 2015, 22:30:19 PM
x3 on the Outbound lines, but I don't have much experience with anything else.    You can find some deeply discounted as I think they changed the colors and discontinued the old ones
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: Al on February 02, 2015, 22:35:01 PM
I have a multi tip set up on one of my reels. Basically a running line with 3-4 sink tip shooting heads in various sink rates and a floating head as well. They connect lop to lop.  Most of the major line manufacturers sell them.

Works well when you're not sure how deep you need to go and you don't want to purchase and carry a mess of spare spools.
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: bmadd on February 02, 2015, 23:25:22 PM
Big J/Jfey, have y'all had any coiling problems in warmer water temps or summer time?
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: Transylwader on February 03, 2015, 08:04:44 AM
Braden, get you some 250 grain sink tip SA. RIO salt lines shouldn't be used in fresh water. Tropical or cold. Water has a different densitydensity when you change salinity and lines fuck out easily. I use a 6wt sink tip on a 4/5 wt 8'6" helios. Best go-to rig. Why LMB? Theys trash fish. Come get you the original trashy. Schlong nose gar and Bowfins.
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: Big J on February 03, 2015, 08:13:43 AM
I have a Rio Outbound Short WF10F/I which does give me a little bit of trouble with tangling, especially in the warmer months.  Another line to consider is the Rio Striper 26 ft Sink Tip.  Have the 450 grain line and took a little getting use to, but I love it.  They have a 250 grain version to fit your needs.  This line does not tangle as easily for me. 
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: bmadd on February 03, 2015, 09:46:53 AM
Mike, is the problem with saltwater lines in freshwaters strictly a problem of Rio? Could I use SA, Cortland, or Airflo salt lines in the fresh waters of rural west tn? Also, there will be some flies tossed at gar as well as steam plant stripers. But Billy Bass is a lot easier to find in my area and I want a line to toss when it's too hot for topwater.
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: Transylwader on February 03, 2015, 10:35:06 AM
Quote from: bmadd on February 03, 2015, 09:46:53 AM
Mike, is the problem with saltwater lines in freshwaters strictly a problem of Rio? Could I use SA, Cortland, or Airflo salt lines in the fresh waters of rural west tn? Also, there will be some flies tossed at gar as well as steam plant stripers. But Billy Bass is a lot easier to find in my area and I want a line to toss when it's too hot for topwater.
I don't think the brand matters much. Im a huge fan of Rio and SA. Airflo used to be OK when I was in my early teens. I hear mixed things about their triangle taper. Never used Cortland much recently. Liked their 444peach Rocket taper lines for smallies in SA. I know this little tid bit: Salt water lines tend to have thicker coating and have cores suited to certain temps, the density of salt water is higher than fresh, so this might be a factor in why salt lines tend to feel harder. Salt water tapers tend to be a lot more aggressive too, because if you are trying to get the line out quick, it helps to have shooting taper/tarpon taper or whatever the fuck they call they fancy shmancy shit nowadays. Rio lines are great because they are very specific. They have a wide range. I personally however am getting sick of lines delaminating from the core because they aren't designed to be used in different temps. I'd say it's a temperature factor more than anything. Fresh gets way hotter than salt and I generally stick to lines used for fresh in fresh/salt in salt.
That WF10F power fly line I use for Gar? Well I used it in SC last year in the marshes for redfish and not even a week later, it was shitcanned. I ended up getting a WF10I for reddrums and a WF10F for gars, just got an extra spool and backing so it's an easy swap on the same rod.
You don't really need a heavy ass sinking line for bass. My suggestion on fishing for em is to hit them fuckers in the spring as the water is starting to warm up. They can be found in relatively shallow water, especially rip rap embankments. There's a big lake down here and between a mate and I we really gave em hell last year early March. Or you can be a real winner and wait for em to spawn and get you some big girls full of em aigs. That ain't my style though. Now what I really want is to stick a fat ole bitch carp on the 6wt and see how that works out. Just remember to overline the crap out of your rods if you want to go lighter with rod weight and make sure you bring a roll of Scotts TP coz you will shit yourself when you have an 8lb bitch turn on yo clouser and eat.

Also, try a sinking leader. That way, you aren't restricted to a line that will serve a specific purpose. I'd much rather have a floating line than a sinking line since floating lines will sink if you make them. The only time you'll catch me fishing a 350grain in fresh is for them strippers on the Roanoke River up north from Raleigh. That's because the river is deep as all get up and them strippers spend far less time on the surface than is desired.
If you use a sinking line on gar, I can tell you this much, you won't see them eat and you won't be able to set the hook. The gar fishing here on Neusie is all visual. They move really quick. Thankfully in the dead of summer, Neusie becomes a gin clear red bottomed kiss and tell playground. Im thinking of dyeing a line in burnt sienna or burgundy just to experiment to see if they are picking up on the flyline. They are the true assholes of the aquatic world and it certainly takes one to know one. If you're ever this side, holla. I'll be hitting them from Goldies boat.
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: bmadd on February 03, 2015, 10:43:46 AM
Listen bru, I'm good on the bass knowledge. Before I started fly fishing I used to zoom around lakes and rivers hucking gear at bass shallow and deep. Where I live, you're either a bass fisherman, crappie fisherman, or monster catfish fisherman.

I've got an 8 wt and a reel with 2 extra spools. I already have a floating line for topwater, etc. Specifically asked for a sinking line here to use in the middle of summer between the magic hours of sunup and sundown, you know when the basses lay low. I also will use this line for gar, stripers, beach vacations, etc. I need variety Mike.
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: Transylwader on February 03, 2015, 11:56:54 AM
http://www.rioproducts.com/fly-lines/freshwater/sink-tip/15ft-type-6-sinking-tip/ (http://www.rioproducts.com/fly-lines/freshwater/sink-tip/15ft-type-6-sinking-tip/)
I suspect you gonna be swimming alot, to untangle the line from sunken logs n shit. I had a beast ass grassie wrap me up a few years ago in Durant lake. Alas, I never did recover that flyline and it was a floating one.
http://www.rioproducts.com/fly-lines/freshwater/lake-sinking/intouch-deep-5/ (http://www.rioproducts.com/fly-lines/freshwater/lake-sinking/intouch-deep-5/)
I honestly do not find value in a full sink line unless you blind fish like a muthafucker.
Haha. "Listen bru":
You sound like my pissed rugby coach.
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: JWJ on February 03, 2015, 12:00:48 PM
If you fish for bass in the summer, go tropical (mono core). I cannot recall having issues with my Outbound Short Tropical when it's hot out. I've even fished the Rio Bonefish line for bass. The mono core prevents the line from turning noodley in the heat. Our premo bass conditions, in my part of VA at least, pretty much match saltwater flats conditions: blazing sun, 90-100 degrees, bathwater water temps. 

If you fish for bass when it's cold, go freshwater (braided core). A mono core line gets super stiff in the cold weather, because it wasn't designed for it. My musky line is a tropical line and I spend half my time untangling and the other half drinking.
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: bmadd on February 03, 2015, 12:17:15 PM
I guess I had the mono core backwards. Good to know. Thanks for all the help.

Tranny - intermediate line for sub surface near the brush. Sinking line for points and drops. Blind casting fo sho.
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: JMiller on February 05, 2015, 07:15:09 AM
Hey man, buy a couple of these, they're under 20 bucks right now.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Fly-Fishing/Fly-Lines-Backing/Lines-Backing/pc/104793480/c/104721480/sc/104338980/i/105553080/Cabelas-Prestigereg-Sink-Tip-VI-Fly-Line/1440062.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Flines-backing%2F_%2FN-1102366%2FNs-MIN_SALE_PRICE%3FWTz_l%3Dundefined%253Bcat104338980%26WTz_stype%3DGNU&WTz_l=undefined%3Bcat104338980%3Bcat105553080 (http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Fly-Fishing/Fly-Lines-Backing/Lines-Backing/pc/104793480/c/104721480/sc/104338980/i/105553080/Cabelas-Prestigereg-Sink-Tip-VI-Fly-Line/1440062.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Flines-backing%2F_%2FN-1102366%2FNs-MIN_SALE_PRICE%3FWTz_l%3Dundefined%253Bcat104338980%26WTz_stype%3DGNU&WTz_l=undefined%3Bcat104338980%3Bcat105553080)

I use them all the time. Just can't bring myself to spend like $70 on fly line. It casts. It sinks. Also, where you at in TN?
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: bmadd on February 05, 2015, 09:56:57 AM
In the NW section. Located almost halfway between Memphrika and Cashville.

I've wondered about those lines and also the new SA frequency lines.
Title: Re: A real question - sinking lines
Post by: Darthmonkey on March 17, 2015, 19:16:46 PM
Realistically it does not matter one iota when fishing deep structure for bass.
http://www.rioproducts.com/fly-lines/freshwater/specialty/outbound-short/ (http://www.rioproducts.com/fly-lines/freshwater/specialty/outbound-short/)
The choices comes down to either Intermediate sink rate, Type 3 or Type 6. I say Rio because I won't let a dollar of my money to go the whOrvis sellouts @ SA.
Side note, virtually every issue with regards to coiling are due to user error. Most common is due to the line being loaded improperly. Half the time @ the shop I'm having to un-fuck people's shit because some dickhead at Cabela's or BassPro loaded lines on the reel as if they were any other trout line where 50 feet of the line serves no practical purpose. The other half of the time is because people naturally cast in an elliptical manner which creates coils when you aerialize line. In both instances it can be easily fixed by pulling all your line off the reel and then reeling it back on while pinching the line through a microfiber towel to straighten everything out. Finally, EVERY monocore shooting line needs to be stretched prior to fishing it. Doesn't matter if it is an integrated monocore shooting line on a Teeny 400 grain line, or the OPST Lazar shooting line I have on my spey rods, mono needs to be stretched prior to fishing if you want to avoid all the coils and tangles.