Do I really need an Intermediate Line

[spike-2]

Hi
I do all my fishing in Narraganset Bay in RI from a boat. I have fished with several gudes and all of them use full sinking lines even around structure -- I have carried Floating and Intermediate on each trip and never spooled them!. I am changing reels and want to avoid the cost of an additional spool.
Appreciate your input
Dave

[DickM]

spike-2 ..............
An intermediate line can be a welcome addition to your arsenal. On windy days it will cut through the wind while casting much better than a floater. You will find that you can cast much farther with an intermediate which means more time for the fly to be in the water in the strike zone.
On wavy days the surface waves will not interfere with the action of your retrieve.
There are many benefits.
Hope this helps,
DickM.

[spike-2]

DickM
Thanks for the response. But would not the sinking line do the same thing or do I not understand the difference. I'm thinking the RIO Outbound?
Thanks
Dave

[dudley]

I fished the Greenwich Bay section of Narragansett Bay, out of my kayak, 2-3 times a week this past fall. Maybe 10 weeks straight.
Floating line nearly every day.
Blitzing fish require quick casting and a floating line is easier to pick up and recast.
That said, what Dick said is all true too
It's an either-or

I find I rarely use an intermediate at all anymore, preferring a floater or a full sink.
Then again I don't fish Clouser minnows either

[Thunderthumbs]

In my experience it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

There are a lot of benefits to each of those lines, it just depends on the fish and what type of presentation they are looking for. I think if you start using an intermediat line on a regular basis, you'll see that it can come in pretty handy when you do need it. You can certainly get away with using only the other two, but it could make the difference between a good day and a great day.

TT.

[Eight Thumbs]

I bought an intermediate line on the advice of a number of saltwater types who said that no saltwater arsenal was complete without one. My experience has been that floating lines work well most of the time. If the floating line is not getting the fly into the zone, the intermediate line is not likely too either. Then I will switch to a sinking tip or a full sinking line. I still have the intermediate line but it fits in only a very small, selective niche and therefore doesn't see much service. Just my 2% of a dollar. I'm sure others will disagree, they always do. 8T

[Guy]

Dick M's comments are right on on the castabilty and fishabilty of intermediate lines over floating lines in the wind. It is also true that a sinking line will also cast better into the wind. And Eight Thumbs is correct that you basically fish the same "zone" with a floater or imtermediate. Essentially floating lines and intermediate lines are almost interchangable for that reason. Where the intermediate comes into its' own is fishing "shallow" in windy conditions. It is my experience that the intermediate will outfish a floating line in strong wave action. But as Thumbs pointed out there are also times where quick casting and easy pick up pays dividends as well and the floater wins in that department.

Guy

[DickM]

DickM
Thanks for the response. But would not the sinking line do the same thing or do I not understand the difference. I'm thinking the RIO Outbound?
Thanks
Dave

spike-2 ...........
An intermediate line is a sinking line. It is a very slow sinker. 1.25 to 2.0 inches per second.
Other full sinking lines have other sink rate characteristics up to about 6 inches per second.
Hope this helps,
DickM.

[sagefisher]

Dave,

I fish a Rio ?Outbound? in the saltwater. It really casts well and you can slam it into the wind when necessary. That would be a good choice as long as you don?t have to do too deep.

For going deep I use an Airflo ?Depth Finder? fly line.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[spike-2]

Thanks Everyone very helpful.
I "need" the floater for indicator fishing for salmon here in MI. I will get the full sinker for the Bay annnnnnnd if experience is any indicator I will apply my "faulty" marginal buying analysis and end up with intermediate -- just in case.
Dave