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Sink Tip or Full sink line? That is the question.
A line for big river streamer fishing.
To go on an 8wt rod and reel has good disc drag. I want something for fast sink because the river has very strong current.
I don't do much streamer fishing so this will be somewhat new. The whole sinking line experiance should be interesting.
Also any advise on a good brand to go with would be appreciated.
tks Yaf.
I'm sure Jim Teeney would disagree with me, but, having used various sink rate lines in still water, and watching them sink, in current there are better ways, or combinations of ways.
In fast current, weighted lines are too slow. A better way is weighted fly and/or split shot/shape a weight. Much faster, and adjustable.
I prefer just line weight because I can adjust is to current and depth.
Unless you are fishing a 12ft. hole I don't see how sink tip can help you. IMHO.
Check out this article for a method that uses full sink line, but presents the fly only a foot or so below the water.
[url=http://www.flyfisherman.com/skills/jsgalloup/:eabfd]http://www.flyfisherman.com/skills/jsgalloup/[/url:eabfd]
This is a VERY effective method, and the full sink line is essential for proper presentation. I initially tried to get away with a sink tip, but the full sink presents the fly much better. Better in the sense that many more fish came to the fly once I committed to the sink line. (I fish on small to medium sized rivers.)
Jim Teeny sells a line that was designed by Kelly Galloup for streamer fishing with the jerk-strip retrieve. I use it, and I recommend it. [url=http://www.jimteeny.com:eabfd]http://www.jimteeny.com[/url:eabfd]
Good luck!
[This message has been edited by uptroutfishr (edited 10 February 2005).]
On a good size river I would use a T-200 or T-300 depending on the depth of the holes and whether or not I wanted to be in the middle of the water column or on the bottom. When streamer fishing from a boat I usually have two rods setup with sinking line and one with a weighted forward. I can then just change rods as th river conditions change. If you really want to hit the bottom, try a T-300 line, short leader and a streamer with tungsten cone and bead.
RoyC
Yaf,
When you say "big river", do you mean bigger than a stream of REALLY big like Niagra etc ??
Full sink lines are really special to work with. IMHO, they are for still water or REALLY big pools. A ff'er in a drif boat would be hard pressed to retrieve the line for the next cast as lie go flying by.
I used to use ST lines quite a bit and found them a reasonable compromise. On my home waters, I could maintain line control and get down fairly deep. (using a Rio sinking leader).
My idea of a small river:
http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/2002/image001.jpg
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Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
I'd like to encourage everyone to learn a little more about the 'jerk-strip' retrieve method with full sink lines. It has completely changed the way I view sinking lines and their use. When using this method, the fly is never so deep that it is out of sight. This means that pick up is easy, and that all strikes are visual. Even though the fly doesn't go deep, the sink line is essential for a uniform-depth retrieve.
Here is a quote from the Kelly Galloup article I referenced above:
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Whenever we recommend full-sinking lines to friends and clients, we hear the same response: "Those lines are hard to cast and I don't like them because I can't mend them." Actually, full-sinking lines are easy to cast, especially when you need distance and accuracy. They shoot well due to their fine diameters, which also helps in windy conditions. It's true that you can't mend a full-sinking line once it is in the water, but as you'll see, we welcome current-induced drag in the jerk-strip retrieve and use it to our advantage. An inability to mend the line is not an important concern.
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Cheers!
Thank you, I appreciate all the great advise.
Christopher, -Nipigon River, I am sure you're familier with it. Th Nipigon is Lake Superior's largest tributary.
I've started reading the 'Jerk strip' article. Seems like good stuff, different thats for sure.
-Yaf.
[This message has been edited by Yaffle (edited 10 February 2005).]
[This message has been edited by Yaffle (edited 10 February 2005).]