Sinking line

[Big Bad Wulff]

Any methods of using it I should know, other than letting it sink and retrieve?

How about in a stream?

[tailingloop]

Fish floating flies on a sinking line. Use patterns made from foam, deer hair, cork, or other buoyant material. Cast and let line settle to the bottom. Use a stop and go retrieve or stop and pause. The fly floats up. The retrieve pulls it down and then the fly rises on the pause. Sometimes this is referred to as a yo-yo presentation. If the water is deep enough, the same retrieve can be used anywhere in the water column. Depending on the fly and location, this can works for many different fresh and saltwater species including trout, bass, panfish, etc.


In streams, sinking lines with streamers can often be fished very effectively on upstream casts. Current needs to be slow enough that you can retrieve the line and fly faster than the current. I once saw a technique demonstrated that used an upstream presentation in fairly fast moving water. The cast was made far upstream and across. The angler then turned to point the rod downstream, away from the fly. The current caught the bend in the fly line, causing the line and fly to go downstream faster than the current. When trout grabbed the fly, the tension on the line was enough to set the hook.

[Big Bad Wulff]

Thanks. I like the "yo-yo".

[Uncle Jesse]

A little trick I learned and someone else also pointed it out on the board here. Retrieve your line in to begin your cast, make a roll cast to get the line and fly in the air before making a regular cast. It takes a little more work than a floating line for this ole country boy.

[Humber Brad]

A little trick I learned and someone else also pointed it out on the board here. Retrieve your line in to begin your cast, make a roll cast to get the line and fly in the air before making a regular cast. It takes a little more work than a floating line for this ole country boy.

I figured that one out the other day...only way I could get the fly in the air, but I still didn't really know what to do with the retrieve. That "yo-yo" I guess it'll be called seems like just the ticket!

[hungNtree]

In streams, sinking lines with streamers can often be fished very effectively on upstream casts. Current needs to be slow enough that you can retrieve the line and fly faster than the current. I once saw a technique demonstrated that used an upstream presentation in fairly fast moving water. The cast was made far upstream and across. The angler then turned to point the rod downstream, away from the fly. The current caught the bend in the fly line, causing the line and fly to go downstream faster than the current. When trout grabbed the fly, the tension on the line was enough to set the hook.

I have never used a sinking line, but I used the same technique just fooling around this summer with a floating line. I am not sure if I can explain this but I'll try. I cast upstream, did a mend downstream, except when I mended I sort of shot out line at the same time. If that makes sense? The fly line went downstream and curved back upstream and past me. The water was shallow, so I had to retrieve my fly to keep it off bottom, but the current was faster than my retrieve. I could see the fly underwater and retrieved it slowly. By the time the fly was even with me, the fly line was downstream about fifteen feet or so, then curved back up to me. There was some brush on the far bank and the fly floated right past. I caught a little bream with the fly just below me. i was just fooling around, but it worked. At least once anyway. If the water is very deep, I'll bet that it would work better with a sinking line.

hNt

[Uncle Jesse]

Gentlemen, thanks for teaching a old man something on a Thursday evening. I will have to admit I don't particularly enjoy using a sinking line but not being able to resist something that might help me catch a fish, especially if it's at a good price I bought one a couple of years ago. I think I may have to put it on a rod.

Thanks again.

[FIREMAN]

The jerk stip retrieve. Look up Kelly Galloup (Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout) and you may find a link. Or.... buy the book its good info with techniques and flies that work. Its a blast fishing this way.

Seege