did anyone try this line? is it worth the money? thanks
Rio makes excellent lines, as does Scientific Anglers, Cortland, Orvis, etc. Versi-tip lines are a comprimise but a pretty good one if you want to get the most applications out of a single fly line. They usually cost about $130 with four tips. Conversely, a quality fly line is around $60. So, if you purchased four lines to fill all of your needs you’d be spending $240, more or less. There are some complaints against all multi-tip lines, the most usual being that the loop-to-loop connection sometimes hangs up in the guides of the rod. This usually only occurs with older rods which generally have smaller snake guides.
Good Fishing,
Les Johnson
I have a couple multi-tip lines, one a Rio. I do like it and them.
Are they worth the money?
Hmmmm…maybe, if you have application for them. Our goal was to “simplify” the “package” we carried when trying new water, stream type usually. Versitility, sort of.
We do not use them enough to make them cost effective for us. But believe THIS…we have wasted far more money on far less. 
And will surely do so again. 
Soooo…?
…lee s.
A local fly shop owner and guide tauts them… [and he could easily fish with any line he wants]…he likes them for steelheading so he can change relatively easily for different river depths.
I’ll admit that I’m one of those people who needed to be drug, kicking and screaming into the twenty first century. I’m not by nature an early adopter of technology or new ideas, being more of a “Give ?em a couple of years to work out the bugs” kind of guy.
It was no different with my introduction to the various VersiTip systems put out by Rio. Even though I’ve used looped mix and match shooting head systems for years, the idea of a factory prepared, interchangeable sink tip line didn’t at first seem like the most useful product.
It wasn’t until they’d been around for a couple of years that I nervously plopped down the dinero to buy one and even after I bought it, I was left wondering, when and where it would really get used for anything other than a “cover the bases”, back up line.
Little by little I found myself trying it out in various situations, all the time trying to determine if it was actually filling a void, practical for daily use or was it just me, trying to validate a purchase.
It’s been about six years since my initial purchase and I employ VersiTip’s in line weights from six to nine. They’ve proved themselves to be highly valuable additions to many of the types of angling I participate in.
While I do boat and tube, these lines are for me a superior tool for times when I’m shore bound or wading, where the use of a full sinking line might be more of a hindrance when dealing with a retrieve in an ever narrowing water column, than it would be with the use of a sink tip.
That and the systems simplicity, space and weight savings for a wading angler over carrying spare spools, or longer, less easily swapped out thirty foot heads while wading ( that’s not to say that they’ll ever replace a head, where a head is indicated. ) Rather as an adjunct to the wading anglers arsenal, they can be a hassle saver.
In addition to the traditional floating VersiTip system, I also have the Striper VersiTip that employs an intermediate or slow sinking mono-core style line body. That line when used in concert with the variety of sinking tips supplied with the system, has taken the place of the multiple full sinking lines rigged on spare spools I once carried while boating or tubing. Where cross winds and streamers are concerned, in all but the deepest still water applications, this line has worked out very well for me.
Are there draw backs? In mind they’d be few, but they do exist. For one, in the area of delicate delivery of a dry fly, these lines are not at their best. I still use a traditional floating line when plying Trout streams. As for the loops, I’m from a shooting head background, so for me loops are just part of the deal. I’ve been making my own braided loop connections for decades and a well made braided loop simply lays down better than a factory fused loop, using either a sleeve or doubled over fly line. Yet in their defense, the doubled over loops used on some ( if not all, at this time ) do in time lay down and take a set, resulting in less hanging up.
I did have one factory loop fail on the tip end of a six weight floater, which luckily manifested itself during a back cast. A quick trip up to my rig to get my equipment bag and the fixings to make a braided loop solved that problem. So out of a half dozen VersiTip’s sporting about five loops per system, I’ve had one factory installed loop fail in six years. I can live with that, although in better than two decades of applying my own braided loops, I’ve yet to experience a failure with one of those. Take from that what you will, but my confidence in Rio’s loops isn’t shaken ~ I’m still buying them.
All the best, Dave
[This message has been edited by Dave E (edited 25 April 2006).]
Dave,
Was the failure with their old loop or with the welded loop system?
Hi Lee,
The welded loop, on the floating tip section.
Which seems odd to me, the floating section has a greater surface area for the weld to adhere to, thus I would’ve thought a failure would’ve been more likely to have happened with one of the high density tips.
Just one more example in my life of why people were willing to pay me to row, as opposed to designing things. B^)
Best, Dave
I really DO NOT like the multi-tip lines.
I tried one a few years ago (from Orvis)and I hated the connectors and the concept.
I’ll just spend more $$$$ and get seperate lines. Yes, I’ll get seperate spools as well.
All I use anymore is a floating line and a density compensated line, so the multi sink rate tips are a bit of a waste to me anyway.
Ken
I fish, therefore, I am… I am confused!!
I too, have been looking at these lines. I bought a 6 weight 6 piece travel rod and have a 6 wt double taper for it but have been toying with buying another spool and a versi-tip. This rig is made for traveling when I need to go light so I am trying to get the most versatile system in the least space.
In theory I can fish for most fish with a 6 wt. anywhere I go (limited salt, I know)Typical uses would be trout in Utah, bass, bluegill and maybe some surf fishing in the likes of San Diego. So those of you that have experience which set would you buy? I know that Rio makes several versions so…
Dan
I used the rio versi tip on a trip to British Columbia for steelhead last October. The versi tip line is ideally suited for that type of fishing. Each pool on the river presented different conditions and I did switch the tips easily. The line also worked beautifully when we tried the headwaters lake with float tubes. The fishing was outstanding and I enjoyed using the line. No particular drawbacks come to mind that haven’t already been mentioned. Many pictures from the trip are posted on [url=http://www.damdochax.com.:dab31]www.damdochax.com.[/url:dab31] I’m the one in the float tube that doesn’t have a mustache.
The Versi tip is a great line for certain applications. They work great steelheading, or river trout fishing. Where they do not work well, is in stillwater. If your retrieveing the fly, the loop to loop connection will drive you nuts going back and forth through the guides. When your steelheading, they are great because you aren’t pulling the connection into the guides on every cast, the only time it comes back into the guide youve got a fish on, or your reeling up to move.
Josh White [url=http://www.rogueflyshop.com:3a619]http://www.rogueflyshop.com[/url:3a619]