sci angler Sharkskin shooting line

[flywriter]

Just a short Question: Anyone have an opinion about the new sharkskin shooting line? this is to kinking, shooting ability, and handling. i realize that price is high. thanks

[tailingloop]

I have one (I didn't pay for it). Shoots very well. Floats well Handles quite well too - just the right stiffness for cold through warm conditions. Might be ok in the tropics but don't know. Used with a striping basket or bucket with spikes and some water in the bottom I have had very few tangles. I did find the slightly rough surface easier to grip and hold when striking with wet hands than the S.A or Rio intermediate shooting lines. Doesn't kink. Some people have complained of sharkskin lines being noisy going through the guides. The sharkskin shooting line is the only sharkskin line that I have used and I didn't notice any more noise than with other shooting lines. The built in loop on the shooting head end is great, I wish they put one on the backing end also. One thing that I didn't like is that the 12' handling line closest to the shooting head is light grey. This blended in with the color of the LC13 shooting heads and some old light grey type IV S.A shooting heads I use so I encountered some difficulty in positioning the head outside of the rod tip with the correct amount of overhang because I lost the normal visual cue of a dramatic color change. I did get used to this though and it wasn't a problem with darker heads or light colored floating heads.

I thought it was a very good shooting line, among the best that I have used.

That said, I didn't notice that I got any more distance than I do with the S.A. Saltwater Floating and Intermediate Shooting Lines or Rio's intermediate shooting lines that I use most often. I get hundred foot casts with all of them. Didn't try to cast any farther.

Would I buy one? The primary advantage I found for the Sharkskin shooting line was that it was easier to grip than other lines. I don't find this worth the extra $25-$28 compared to the other S.A or Rio shooting lines.

For reference, the other shooting lines that I have used are that are still in production are the other S.A shooting lines, the Rio Intermediate shooting line, Rio Slickshooter, Amnesia, and assorted braided mono lines. I have also used some Airflo integrated lines that I think the running line is the same as the Airflo shooting line.

[flywriter]

Thanks for your extensive review! One other mention: If noted, How does Miracle shooting braid, Frog Hair and Guideline compare???

[tailingloop]

I have not tried those shooting lines. I gave up on braided shooting line years ago and are hard on the hands even though they often shoot very wel because the braid stretches so much that it impairs hooksets at long distances. Miracle Braid has solid core though so the stretch might not be an issue. I know several people who tried Frog Hair but didn't think it was that much different than Amnesia, but I haven't tried it myself. The Guideline sounds interesting but my local shops do not stock it and I haven't fished with anyone who has been able to let me try it.