shooting head info wanted

[David Parker]

Hello everyone. I am interested in knowing more about shooting heads...... how to use them/rig them, advantages, disadvantages, casting with large flies and so on. As I have periodically read other posts from some of the members here, you folks are my best source to try to figure them out. I have not been really successful at casting large flies any decent distance ( especially against the wind ) and am curious if a shooting head arrangement would improve things. I currently fish both a 7wt Sage for LM + SM Bass and a 9wt Sage for Northern Pike, Musky + large Steelhead using an assortment of big flies from Sar-Mal-Macs, Clousers, deer hair critters and large attractor bucktail streamers. Nylon coated stranded wire leaders for the Pike and Musky waters have been in regular use and also create their own problems. I would appreciate any comments that might me unravel both my casting dilema and the mistery behind shooting heads.

[bowfin47]

Check out Dan Blanton?s Forum: http://www.danblanton.com/bulletin.php


At this site you can search the Achieves for dozens of posting on shooting heads. Many of which are full of excellent material.

The Tackle and Techniques section has a list of articles posted Dan Blanton?s articles many of which deal with shooting heads: http://www.danblanton.com/tack_tech.html


Below, I have pulled out some of those shooting head articles by Dan Blanton below:


The Mix & Match Tip Shooting Head System: http://www.danblanton.com/mix_match_tips.html

The Shooting Head - Casting : http://www.danblanton.com/casting.html

Getting Looped: http://www.danblanton.com/gettinglooped.html


Tight lines,

Bowfin47

[BigFlatBrook]

If you're distance casting with a sinking line, you might try using a short, stiff leader. I find that helps in turning over flies. In fact, I've been using about 5' of straight flourocarbon as a leader on my clear, intermediate sink line as well as on faster sinking lines.

I have a shooting head system on my 10 weight, one advantage is that the shooting head system is a lot cheaper than than carrying extra spools with integrated lines of different sink rates. I have intermediate, Type IV, and Type VII heads for it.

Casting a shooting head is a little different. You must have the head outside the rod tip before letting go. Because of that, most will shoot line on the backcast to help get the head out. Also, you have to be able to double haul -- in my opinion, no point in investing in a shooting head system unless you are ok at the double haul. I find it's a real skill to shoot just enough running line out to make the forward haul. Make sure you have a decent stripping basket. Tangles are unavoidable, but the fewer the better. A good stripping basket with spikes will help a lot.

I'm often casting to structure with floating lines, opening in the lily pads and what not, when bass fishing. I don't think I'd be happy with a head in that case because the loop connections would clack through the guides. I think that would make your delivery less accurate at certain distances (annoying at the least). But if I'm blind casting with a sinking line over open water, a shooting head might be just the thing.

Some expert well-known casters prefer integrated lines over shooting heads -- Ed Mitchell immediately comes to mind.

Those are some of my thoughts, anyway.

[tailingloop]

David,

I use shooting head systems for 75-80 % of my fishing, which includes saltwater, largemouth bass, and a pike expedition. I employ them with 6 thru 13wt rods.

Shooting head systems are very versatile but not an answer for every situation. They do give you the flexibility to have a single rig that can be quickly adapted to use different sink rate heads at a lower cost than multiple lines.

Many consider this versatility an advantage over integrated lines (like the Teeny lines or S.A. Streamer Express that have a dense head factory mated to a floating or intermediate shooting line).

Shooting head systems also allow you to make very long casts with a single back cast and shoot, without needing to extend a lot of line.

Shooting head systems can be used for very accurate casting with practice by shooting the line towards the target and grasping the shooting line as it runs out to stop the line and fall to the water. I regularly use shooting head systems to cast flies tight to structure. If you cast a shooting head properly, the connection between the running line and the shooting head is outside the rod tip during the cast so it does not interfere with the cast.

Shooting heads are ideal for long distance casting and are not the best option when you are making casts of less than 40ft or so, though it is possible to make shorter casts, and in fact I often do if the situation demands it.

If you have difficulty casting large flies with a floating line, you may find that you have an easier time with an intermediate or sinking line. This is because the thinner sinking line has a smaller cross section than a floater so there is less air resistance. The same benefit occurs with a sinking shooting head.

When matching shooting heads of about 30ft long to a rod, standard practice is to use a head rated 2wts greater than the rods rating, such as 10wt head with an 8 wt rod. This is not overloading the rod, since a 10wt 30ft head is roughly the same weight and thus load as extending 40-45ft of an 8wt full length line out and mid and heavy wt rods are typically designed to load optimally with about this much line out. There is one exception to the 2wt upline, and that is that Rio has automatically factored this in to there box labeling the last couple of years. I understand the Rio may be reverting though next year. Either way, Rio marks the head wt in grains on the box.

This practice of uplining shooting heads helps some anglers casting larger flies because they can make the cast without extending as much line as with a full length line. You may find the shorter section of line easier to handle and cast than a longer section that weighs the same.


Will a shooting head help you? It may. But if one of your issues is casting large flies in the wind the one piece of advice I have is learn to cast as tight a loop as you can. Advice is often given to use a more open loop when casting large and/or heavy flies, however this can be counter productive when the wind is blowing. I have had the opportunity to observe and fish with some exceptional casters when they were employing large flies. The one thing they had in common was that they were casting very tight loops. After observing this and receiving some tips from these casters my ability to deliver large flies over longer distances in the wind was greatly enhanced.

[David Parker]

Thanks guys for all that great information. It is really appreciated. Before I go investing hard earned $ into a shooting head system I must heed the advice you have passed on. I fish mostly alone from my 16' bass boat and unfortunately where I fish, the wind is often blowing. Here in Ontario, Canada on inland waters close to Georgian Bay it isn't calm too often. I have learned the benefit of a stripping basket (with fingers) and use it at all times. It has really helped keep line untangled from any/everything on the boat deck.
I certainly will work on my casting techniques, for that is likely where most of my problems are. I really want to be able to reach out beyond 40 feet at times, to become a better caster and just to prove to myself that I can master the long casts. I have bookmarked Castwell's instructional on-line session on learning the double haul and have been practicing that with some improved success since the spring, but tighter loops may be the answer to some of my difficulties.
I use a variety of fly lines....Floating, WF and Sink tip usually with a wire leader, because everywhere here are the Northern Pike that eat just about anything. The likelihood of catching Pike on any outing is certainly a sure thing and being bitten off has happened more times than I can remember.
Thanks again for your comments and advice.
Good fishing!

[rrhyne56]

David

I believe you may find that several hundred grains of lead core will behave differently in the wind than normal fly line. Perhaps not drastically differently but markedly differently.


My personal experience based on tips from others is, roll cast the lead core to the top, one back cast and fire! No false casting.

Here are a few other links just to add to the confusion

http://www.hatchesmagazine.com/page/december2006/290

and here is a thread on building a head that will load up with minimal line outside the tiptop


http://www.texasflyreport.com/forums....aspx?id=91677

then this

http://www.flyfishusa.com/lines/shoo...ting-lines.htm

_________________
RRhyne56
http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com
http://robinsrumination.blogspot.com

[David Parker]

Another good suggestion. Thank you. I knew I could count on my fellow members for help and advice. I just so happen to have a spool of lead core line in my closet (overfilled) of gear that has been there a few years............like I tell my wife.........I may need that someday!

[rrhyne56]

I just so happen to have .......in my closet (overfilled) of gear that has been there a few years............like I tell my wife.........I may need that someday!

I resemble that remark!
_________________
RRhyne56
http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com
http://robinsrumination.blogspot.com