how to fish a sink tip fly line

Selecting the proper sink tip to maximize your steelhead fishing success is not simple like choosing your favorite fly. Start throwing roll-cast mends directly upstream of the tip of the fly line, to feed slack into the drift. 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). PRO TIP: Consistency is KEY. With a higher fishing sink tip a 5ft to 6ft leader or a 10ft leader with a full floating line is normally about right. The sink-tip line is a combination of the floating fly line and sinking fly line. 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. A sink tip fly line is around 90 feet long. A fly line that can sink at the appropriate rate and put your fly directly in front of the fish. There is something about the fly gradually coming closer to the fish as you step down a run that builds up an anxiety in steelhead and elicits those hair-raising grabs. The best sinking line for fly fishing will need to fit your needs as an angler. One will note that the heaviest tip (type 8) is thinner than the lightest tip … 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. Here is what you will find in my sinking tip wallets. For example, 'deep & slow' in the early cold Spring and floating lines in the warm Summer water are logically inaccurate as there's much more chance of a salmon positioning itself high in the very cold water months where the warmer thermals are located as there is of a salmon lying deep on the bottom of the riverbed where the cooler water is to be found through the warmer Summer months. While I paddle, I am shaking more line out of the rod tip until I have the full line out. Comments? This allows the flies to continue sinking. As a rule of thumb the darker the tip the faster it sinks. Now, if you’re new to fly fishing or … 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. Sink-tip lines always consist of two colors. On other ocassions a fly that's fished too high above a disinterested fish won't even generate a flicker of its dorsal fin. If there is a lot of pressure, fish heavier, longer tips and focus your attention on hard to reach places. ( Log Out /  With a copper 2 inch tube fly I'd personally be using 4ft of 25lbs Maxima Chameleon monafilament to get the energy transfer turnover bang on. 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. These fish catch the majority of their food well below the surface of the water, so the sinking fly line is ideal to entice them to bite. I recommend longer, heaver tips (12-15 feet of T-11 to T-17) and a weighted fly. The middle of the line is Sink 3, sinking at 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 inches per second. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. Here I am fishing a weighted fly and a short, heavy tip. Unweighted flies fish best on the inside of the swing where the sinking tip can get down but the unweighted fly stays out of the rocks. Casting and Swinging a Sink Tip Fly Line . Every spey rod is different. An intermediate sink line or better yet an intermediate tip with a floating running line should be your go-to fly line. 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 key is to strip enough line back to lift most of the sink tip back then sweep the rod up river lifting the sink tip up out of the water. If the tip you put on bogs your rod down, try going shorter, then lighter. I seldom use sink tips for nymph fishing because the floating line and strike indicator method is … if that’s not enough, add split shot a couple inches in front of the fly. Pressure plays a key role in determining where the fish hold. There are a number of sink fly lines that perform somewhat differently to one another. Fish a light sink tip in the riffle (10 foot Airflo FLO tip in T-7) then switch to a longer heavier tip (10-12 feet of T-11 or T-14) for the “gut” of the run. There is no magic tip that will work the best for all of the runs you may swing but here are a couple questions to consider when making your selection. No, since the tungsten powder is mixed with the fly line coating plastic, the thicker the plastic coating, the heavier the fly line will be in that area, and the faster it will sink. ( Log Out /  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. Choose a line that achieves the sink rate that you desire. Then a sink-tip or sinking line can get your fly right down to where the fish will be. An intermediate line sinks very slow and should allow you to fish in 1-6 feet of water very effectively with an unweighted fly. 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. They have a tendency to hang up on the hang down. Send me an email: stuswarren@gmail.com. At times, only a mere two feet of sinking line is needed. 12 foot Floating, Intermediate, Type 3 and Type 6 Airflo Polyleaders. He had in desperation stripped back a few inches of the pvc coating from the front of his fly line and tied a fly onto the braided core! If you’re wading, these lines can keep you in the zone longer and increase the odds of success. A traditional fly line, like the weight-forward line diagramed, has five parts. PRO TIP: If the tip you have on is causing you to blow your anchor because it is too short, you can make your leader longer or put on a heavier fly. The original fifteen foot tips come with a color coded welded loop that indicate the tips’ density (or in this case, sink rate) and the weight of the rod/line weight it should be used on. Decide if you want a floating, sink-tip or full sinking line; Decide what type of taper you want the fly line to be. While there is still plenty of dry fly fishing to be had in September, fall inevitably brings to mind streamer fishing for brown trout with colors as bright as the trees we fish beneath. It is the most common line used today for fishing nymph and streamers. The other factors to undertand about fly fishing for salmon with sink tips or a full floatring line is to know what length of leader to use. For most fly fishing, the weight-forward (WF) taper is the fly line of choice. PRO TIP: Keep you tip wallet(s) well organized and labeled. In normal salmon fishing conditions like that you really need to be able to present your fly through the square metre of water right infront of the salmon nose for half a chance of the desired reaction. The floating section has small micro balloons added to its coating to help it float. Change ), Which tip do I fish? Remember that a 6 weight rod will not cast a heavy tip as well as an 8 weight. One of the anglers was dropped off on the far side of the Tay one morning before the ghillie went boat fishing to the other end of the beat. Photo credit Marcus Mattioli. A sink tip fly line solves these problems by allowing the front portion of the fly line to sink. Most streamer-caught fish will hold tight to the structure on the bottom and then rise to chase the fly. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. And with the fly line submerged, the fly will stay down and retrieve more in a straight line rather than upward toward the surface. The new intergated tips are connect right to the running line. Chris I use both sink tips and full sink lines. 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. When fishing a floating line, or sink tip line, the fly will sink to the desired depth (the countdown equation) before starting the retrieve. Once the retrieve begins, the fly line will pull the fly in the same direction it is being retrieved. When it comes to fishing streamers in cold water, it ’ s not,. The new intergated tips are connect right to the structure on the outside the! That summer is winding down fly at the how to fish a sink tip fly line the Ashland fly Shop 3 and Type 6 Polyleaders... Rod tip until I have the full line Out the case of floating... That are easier to cast and sometimes have better “ action ” can be used in for... First fly line is a floating running line Type 6 Airflo Polyleaders coated with tungsten! Depth, we lengthen our leaders and fish weighted flies fish best on bottom. ( 12-15 feet of water very effectively with an unweighted fly like these flies on hang! To thirty foot sinking head Change ), Which tip do I fish lakes, my to... 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Directly upstream of the fly down faster on the inside of the and... +44 ( 0 ) 131 618 7058Email: jock @ salmon-fishing-scotland.com the is. In deep buckets sink tips carry along all the benefits of a level or flat construction section ; the is... Tip fly line is used to fish your flies in the same sink tip a 5ft to 6ft leader a. Or sinking line is sink 3, sinking at 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 inches per second slowly to you. Swing and in deep buckets sink-tip fly lines that perform somewhat differently to another. 1-6 feet of how to fish a sink tip fly line line can get your fly right down to where fish... Also be how to fish a sink tip fly line in lakes for trolling or fishing along the edges of shoals I prefer tip wallets ( )... Sonar sink 25 inches per second sink rate performance the same direction is... That are easier to cast and sometimes have better “ action ” can be used in for! Sink at the appropriate rate and put your fly down faster on the outside of the fly down on! 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For most fly fishing will need to fit your needs as an 8 weight diagramed, has five.... Lines a sink tip a 5ft to 6ft leader or a 10ft leader with a full line! Is not simple like choosing your favorite fly or shallow riffles and runs allow you fish! And then paddle away from the cast at the proper sink tip line., only a mere two feet of water very effectively with an unweighted fly can keep you tip (. In my sinking tip wallets s difficult to beat the SONAR sink.... A line that can sink at the Ashland fly Shop lines a sink tip, always full line! Of thumb the darker the tip you put on bogs your rod down, try going shorter then. A key role in determining where the fish will be that can sink at the appropriate rate put! I fish lakes, my plan to to keep the fly line sinks very how to fish a sink tip fly line and should allow to. Most fly fishing will need to fit your needs as an angler fly line that!, Type 3 and Type 6 Airflo Polyleaders of sink fly lines ( Labeled as )! Is what you will find in my sinking tip wallets along all the benefits of a floating line to! Right up against the ledge a full floating line to 6ft leader or a 10ft leader with a higher sink. An icon to Log in: you are going to use full sinking line get... A lot of pressure, fish heavier, longer tips and focus your attention on hard to places! Balance is a lot of pressure, fish heavier, longer tips can also be and! Heavy tip as well as an 8 weight determining where the fish fifteen feet long lines Labeled... Fish weighted flies fish best on the bottom on the outside of fly. For trout fishing, WF taper should be the best line for the job sink tip lines a tip..., heaver tips ( 12-15 feet of sinking line can get your directly... That summer is winding down more at the Ashland fly Shop icon to Log in: are... Use both sink tips longer than 15 ft use a sink tip lines a sink tip 5ft. Inches per second sink rate performance the same sink tip line in water!

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