Anybody have any experience using running lines with shooting heads/poly leaders on single-hand fly rods? Do you get a lot more distance on casts?
Would love to hear your experiences...the good and the bad.
Running Lines, Shooting Heads, PolyLeaders.....?
Anybody have any experience using running lines with shooting heads/poly leaders on single-hand fly rods? Do you get a lot more distance on casts?
Would love to hear your experiences...the good and the bad.
David Merical
St. Louis, MO
I have a 7 wt. Rio Outbound line that I use for streamer fishing. I think the Rio Outbond line has something like a 37' shooting head followed by a clear poly running line. I have it on an old Abel Big Game #1 reel, which I mostly use on a 9 1/2' Sage XP rod. That combo really handles big streamers with ease. Most of the time, I'm wading (often up to my armpits) and casting 50' or so with no problems. When I say "big streamers" I'm talking a heavily weighted streamer that's 4-5" long. Standing up in the front of my drift boat where I'm higher above the water level, and/or not wading in as deep water, or using smaller or lighter streamers and I'm able to cast that combo well over 60' with ease.Originally Posted by FishnDave
Anybody have any experience using running lines with shooting heads/poly leaders on single-hand fly rods? Do you get a lot more distance on casts?
Would love to hear your experiences...the good and the bad.
About the only thing I could say negative (and it's really not a negative about that specific line) is that it is not a fast sinking tip line, which can be an advantage in some situations.
I've used similar set-ups in saltwater. You must use a stripping basket!! 100' of running line gets very tangled very fast. I've never used it with a poly leader. My shooting heads are all sinking so I would not want a floating leader. Using a 9wt you can easily cast 125'. Perfect for saltwater shore beach fishing. Careful when a big fish hits short line, the running line can cut your fingers if your not careful getting the fish on the reel.
The man who coined the phrase "Money can't buy happiness", never bought himself a good fly rod!
Yes, you get more distance out of a shooting head rig (i.e. a running line with a changeable head). Monofilament lines like Amnesia or the newer nylon products like Rio SlickShooter typically will throw the farthest, although dedicated "fly line" running lines like those made by Rio etc. are MUCH easier to handle (and can be found in floating or sinking varieties).
That being said, shooting heads are a royal pain to deal with, and I'd rather use an "integrated" line (i.e. a non-changeable shooting head) any day of the week. The Rio Outbound someone mentioned is a good example, as would be the classic Teeny T Series lines, but everyone makes a similiar line.
Polyleaders/Versi Leaders are really a different sort of beast. I guess one could set up a shooting head on a very light rod with a poly leader (one would have to match the grains to the rod) with a running line, but not sure why you would want to. More often than not, they are used as impromptu sinktips, or leaders on spey rigs.
Back in the 'dark ages' they would take a double taper line and cut it in half, using it as the shooting head tied onto an Amnesia line and they really cast great. Then the line companies caught on to what the fly casters wanted and they started producing some really good shooting head lines. My favorite is the Rio Outbound, great for casting longer distances when you don't have much of a backcast area. Stick with the modern day shooting head lines rather than going old school and cutting a line in half.
Larry ---sagefisher---
So how is the running line attached to the end of the shooting line so that everything goes through the guides without hanging up?
Dave
Most of my fishing is warmwater and done with floating lines, so I'd like to start with a floating shooting head. I can use Clousers when I want to fish deeper. I also still want the option of using a sinking head if I do need to get deeper in current in a "dam/spillway" situation.
Thanks for the responses so far! Keep 'em coming!
David Merical
St. Louis, MO
Here is the old school method http://www.speypages.com/customlines.html we used back in the day sagefisher is talking about. Works just as well today.
"The reason you have a good vision is you're standing on the shoulders of giants." ~ Andy Batcho
Lots of great info given here, I would add this;
Since the 60's, I have and still use heads of various designs and manufacture on my single hand rods. They range in length from 27' to 35', floating, intermediate, fast sinking, to a Sunset line that is 32 grains to the foot. The designs are off the shelf, hybrid types(with and without looped tips), to custom compound formulations. The method of forming loops for attachment to tips or running line are explained above. As for running lines I have mono lines 30# Amnesia, 50# Slick Shooter, 80# Frogs Hair for various situations. My favorite running/shooting line is Airflo ridge in 20# or 30#, easy to handle and never lose my grip, which can be problematic with mono when it gets wet. Lastly, yes for use as a tool to get more distance in the casts.
wcglass
Last edited by wcglass; 12-07-2012 at 02:50 PM.
I use a lot of them, especiallywhen fishing for halibut on fly gear... You need to get deep fast and the thicker and heavier fly/running line just slows that process.
I use it a lot for small stream salmon, especially silvers where you often need to move very large flies and do it with a roll cast while adding English, a reach while holding your mouth exactly right, and flicking your tongue... or something like that. Loading the rod can be very tough in a lot of these situations and being able to pick up a very short line and get it back on the water exactly where you want it is often much easier with a heavy shooting head.
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