Sinking lines

[one-shot-wonder]

We did floating lines, now lets talk wet lines..... In the market for a new full sink line. Say a #3 or #4 not sure yet, what do you use as far sink rates go? What is your go to sink setup?

[Fisher-Dude]

Still use the good ol' Wet Cell II from Scientific Anglers. They don't make them under that name anymore, now they are Professional Series. I've had them last for 30+ years of abuse.

http://buy.scientificanglers.com/lines/professional-series/full-sinking.html

[Stone Sheep Steve]

You looking to go deep? Or considering a slow sink clear line? Have had lots of success using a slow sinking clear line. Keeps you in the zone longer. Just have to be patient until it sinks to your target depth.

[one-shot-wonder]

I am not much of a troller, I prefer to anchor and cast, usually working 2 lines. A slow sink might work well as I leave my wet line to settle as I attend to my dry line. Might just need to pick up both a slow and fast sink line.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

A neutral clear line is a good alternative to using a floating line with an idicator and is superior when the wind is blowing.

SSS

[one-shot-wonder]

clear line......what are you a gear chucker ;)

[SPEYMAN]

You should go to a fly shop and have the people there explain the new fly lines. There are clear lines, floating lines,slow sinking, fast sinking. sink tips, loop to loop attatchments.

Fly casting and fishing has come a long way in the last few years.

[one-shot-wonder]

You should go to a fly shop and have the people there explain the new fly lines. There are clear lines, floating lines,slow sinking, fast sinking. sink tips, loop to loop attatchments.

Fly casting and fishing has come a long way in the last few years.

I am aware thanks....... hence the ;)

[hunter1993ap]

type three sinking for me. I've fished this line for a few years. I do like the look of the clear intermediate lines out now. I fish mainly out of a belly boat so to adjust my depth I just let out more or less line. I feel I can cover the water column from 3' to 30 feet with this sinking line and a floating line, deeper if I want I just havnt.

[GoatGuy]

Still use the good ol' Wet Cell II from Scientific Anglers. They don't make them under that name anymore, now they are Professional Series. I've had them last for 30+ years of abuse.

http://buy.scientificanglers.com/lines/professional-series/full-sinking.html

Who's been abusing them, your dog?

Very seldom I use a full sink anymore. The odd time when dragon nymphs are headed to shore, boatmens or chronis @ >25 ft. Think I have a clear type 3 in a box at the house you can have.

[one-shot-wonder]

I managed to aquaseal (halfass program) my full sink line for this weekends outing.....will buy me more time to consider my alternatives.

I am swaying towards a 12ft sink tip, pair that with a 12 ft tapered leader/tippet and I am plenty deep for the lakes I fish.

[Fisher-Dude]

GR had some nice lines on half price as they were getting out of fishing stuff recently. I picked up a couple of SA 5 weights for about $25 each. They may still have some on the rack.

[835]

i have always bought the fastest sink i can get, being river fishing all the time i need something that gets down now. i prefer full sink to sink tip because it maintains direct line to the tip a bit better.
Slime lines ( clear ) i really liked for lake fishing, in the shallows, it allowed a wet fly to be fished slow and the fish wouldnt see the line as well. Slime lines cast wicked, you can also get a dry line with a slime tip, they work pretty great for casting a dry in a river on a windy day.. but your drift is a bit shorter and you better have a full jug of floatant.

[Ourea]

I will share a little bit on sinking lines and deeper waters.
When larger trout are not moved up on shoals or shallows reacting to a hatch or food source they can be tough to figure out.
One thing about large trout is that they do not suspend much in the water column.
Generally they are belly to the bottom.
To fish deeper water (20'-30'+) and get along the bottom in the bigger fish zone it is important to have a line to get you down there.
I do not have the patience to let a type 4 or 5 sink for a 60 to 90 seconds to get in the zone.

I personally feel that a type 6 Hi D line is an under utilized line in most anglers arsenal....especially if you are after larger trout when they are not actively feeding.

I will site a recent example.
I was out myself at a local trophy lake last week.
Chatting with a couple groups as I launched the fishing was slow with only a fish or two being caught so far by noon.

I zipped over to the edge of a drop off and dropped the anchors. It was a little tougher to find the edge as the lake level is way up.
Anchored in 18 feet I was casting into 28'-30' feet where the lake bottom levels off.
I chucked for 45 mins with my type 6...nothing.
Something's wrong, I should be into a fish or two by now.
The only thing I could think of is that I am still not getting down deep enough.
I clipped a SS split shot onto the last six inches of my flyfline and got back in the water.

First cast...fish on.

http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd428/browndog100/Sawmill2_zps431b0837.jpg

Decent trout

http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd428/browndog100/Sawmill1_zpsceaa8c26.jpg

And then another

http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd428/browndog100/Sawmill3_zpse2ac7a10.jpg

Long story short, total count was 13 fish in 3 1/2 hrs up to 4 lbs and a bit.
There were a couple very frustrated boats bobber fishing (choroni fishing) by me that had yet to touch a fish.
The key was not only my ability to get down into the critical fish zone on the bottom but to stay there for a good portion of my retrieve.
That coupled with a pattern that most don't fish was highly effective and has been for years for me.

Do not underestimate the effectiveness of Hi D lines in some still waters

[Ourea]

Here is the pattern twitched along the bottom.
A #18 pale immature scud.
It can prove deadly for large rainbows in most lakes when fished off the bottom.

http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd428/browndog100/sawmill6_zps7fd1c49a.jpg

The boat.
15 foot waterfowler I had shipped up from Arkansas.
It is a beautiful design for still waters, nothing to get in your way casting and is very stable to walk around in.
http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd428/browndog100/Sawmill4_zpsaf139241.jpg

Insert shameless Bone Beer Plug here.....

http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd428/browndog100/Sawmill5_zps8d29160a.jpg

Again, wanted to call out just how effective Hi D lines can be on certain waters.
Cheers.

[hookedonblacktails]

Rio aqualux, best sinking line I've used

[one-shot-wonder]

Thanks Ourea....that reads much better than in single form texts :)


For those following I peeled an old dry line off one of my Chilcotin reels and put a Rio mainstream 12 ft sink tip. Hoping to get out for one last time this summer on the long weekend, June has been a great month of fishing. Next spring feels so far away!

[boxhitch]

I have one spool set up with a weight forward , shooting-head type line , with a real fast sink rate , with one foot of stiff mono to roll out the tippet.
Handy for breezy days , or firing one out fast infront of a cruiser ,
It doesn't lay down very subtly , but that is forgotten when it gets down to 20+ feet

[Grumpa Joe]

I use a full arsenal of floating, camo slow sink, type 3 and type 6 lines on different cassettes that I can quickly switch on my reels.. I even have a length of lead core with a loop that I can attach if the fish are REALLY deep. I find that depending on what my finder is telling me I can quickly adjust my strategy to fit the situation.

If I'm fishing a lake for the first time or just to allow me to relax and take in the sights I'll put out the slow sink and the type 3 or 6 depending on the depth to search for what they are doing. Then I'll adjust my lines to whatever is working. Sinking lines aren't simply for trolling either. I use them often to chironomid fish in water to 30' with great success as trying to use leader and tippet of that length is virtually impossible to cast and takes forever to get down that far. I've had phenomenal success at times using this method dangling the fly 1' off the bottom.

As for brand, I find that paying for a good floating line is worth the investment, whereas with sinking lines it is less critical as the line just needs to get down. That said, I have a RIO Type 6 line that is so narrow profiled and well balanced it is amazing to cast, contrary to the traditional thought that sinking lines are real bears to do so.

RIO, Scientific Angler, Cortland are all good brands. See what you can get the best deal on and what you are going to use it for.

Joe