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Alaska flyfishing is often considered a subsurface game.
Trout feeding on fry, smolt, insects, and the by-products of salmon spawn
are usually found in the middle of the water column or lower, as are the
state’s bottom-hugging salmon. These conditions often require the use of
sinking lines. Salmon still in the salt and other gamefish like lingcod,
rockfish, and even halibut can also be targeted with sinking lines. But what
line to choose?
The new sinking lines come in a multitude of sink ratios, tapers, and
designs, and it can take a little investigative work to find the ideal line.
While the standard, medium-density 10-foot sink-tip line will suffice in
most Alaska environs, a different line will oftentimes increase your success
rates. Plus, having a variety of lines will give you the latitude to fish
many different water flows, depths, and conditions. With that in mind, here
are some basics to get you started in selecting just the right line.
Sinking lines are similar to floating lines in the way they are
manufactured. The cores are also similar, and without getting into technical
analysis of the different core types, it is basically the coatings that
differentiate floating from sinking. Twenty years ago lead powder was often
used in fly-line coatings. This process of manufacturing was highly toxic,
as micronized lead was mixed with coating solutions. More recently,
tungsten, which is denser than lead, has been employed as the main
ingredient in the coatings. It is ten times more expensive, though, and
significant amounts are needed to create the faster-sinking lines.
Ratings
Sinking lines vary from intermediate lines that sink very slowly (one to
two inches per second) to very high-density, fast-sinking lines that can
sink greater than 10 inches per second. Most sinking lines sold today are
rated in a number system from one through six, which is often shown in the
line designation on the box. A WF8-S type I is a slow-sinking line, while a
WF8 type V is a very fast-sinking line. As you can see from that example,
most lines are also designated with WF (weight forward), ST (shooting
taper), or other letters to differentiate the type of sinking line or taper.
Thus, a WF9 type V is commonly referred to as weight-forward nine-weight
line with a type V sink rate. After inspecting the labels on a few different
boxes, the ratings will become easier to understand.
It is also important to remember that ratings are determined under
controlled laboratory conditions; however, in the real world, currents and
other variables will often affect sink rates.
Full Sink Lines
Uniform sinking lines are full-sink lines that vary from very
slow-sinking intermediate lines to Type II, Type III, Type IV and V sink
rates. Rio Line Company and other manufacturers also produce Type VI and
even Type VIII sinking lines. However, the faster heads or sink-tips are
primarily used for saltwater or heavy-current fishing.
Most anglers fishing lakes will use the new intermediate clear lines;
these are clear, slow-sinking lines that drop one to two inches per second.
These lines are useful when fishing nymphs, emergers, baitfish, or other
food forms in the shallow back bays and lake weed beds. These lines also
have recently become popular in Alaska for salmon and trout fishing in
estuary or other stillwater conditions.
A downside of full sinking lines is that no portion of the line floats.
Thus, any form of line control, like repositioning the line or mending, is
impossible once it has hit the water. Once you cast the full-sinking line,
where it lands is where it stays. In lake fishing this often is not a
problem, but when fishing rivers, line control and mending can be required
to drift flies into prime lies.
Sink-Tips, Wet-tips, and Versi-Tips
Sink-tip or Wet-tip (F/S) lines are floating lines with a sinking section
in front. They are designed primarily for fishing moving water with
streamers or nymphs. The sinking section of the line delivers the leader and
fly below the surface while the floating portion remains on the surface
where mends and line control can be implemented. The length of the sinking
portion of the line can be as short as four feet and as long as 30 feet. The
most popular sink-tip lines have sinking sections from 10 to 15 feet long
with sink rates of three to eight inches per second. Rio, Cortland, and
Scientific Anglers have also created lines that have interchangeable tips.
These tips vary in densities from slow-sink to very fast 600-grain heads.
The bonus with these lines is the ease of changing tips; spare spools of
line are not needed as a simple change is done via a loop-to-loop
connection.
The density of these different lines can range from very slow to very
fast-sinking tips. Larger bodies of water and heavy currents often
necessitate the use of these heavier lines. Light and less dense tips are
often needed for shallower waters. Taking a variety of sink-tips can give an
angler lots of latitude when fishing different rivers and lakes.
A floating/sinking line combination that has become popular for Alaskan
anglers is the Teeny T-Series of lines. These lines are similar to shooting
heads, but they have an attached small diameter floating running line. These
lines can cast larger flies easily and they sink fast. The primary advantage
of the Teeny T-series is the seamless connection from the weighted (sinking)
forward portion of the line and the running line.
CORTLAND
www.cortlandline.com
444SL Quick Descent (QD)
The “QD” weight-forward design of this Cortland line
incorporates a 24-foot sinking head with a six-foot floating section and
rear taper directly behind the head for maximum durability and casting
superiority. The combination of the design with a small diameter running
line makes shooting a long cast a breeze while the floating section of the
body helps with line control when mending. This line has many
applications, from fishing for salmon and steelhead to Alaskan saltwater
and deep lake environs. It’s available in 175, 225, 325, 425, 525 and
625-grain. Suggested Retail $49.
444SL Saltwater QD
444SL Saltwater Quick Descent lines are specifically
designed for saltwater conditions with depth in mind. The fast 24-foot
sinking section is followed by a specially designed, tapered, intermediate
running line, which allows the head to get down even faster and deeper.
The rear taper design eliminates unwanted hinging. This Cortland line is
available in 175, 225, 325, 425, 525, and 625-grain sizes. Suggested
Retail $49.
444SL Change-A-Tip
The Cortland Change-A-Tip system is tailor-made for the
resourceful angler who needs to adapt instantly to changing conditions.
This 4-in-1 versatile system allows for maximum flexibility, giving the
flyfisher an edge whether chasing shy rainbows on top of stillwater lakes
or digging big steelhead up from the bottom of a raging river.
Each compact loop built into the 12-foot, weight-forward
taper, interchangeable tip is constructed with the core of the fly line.
These super-strong loops are designed to be extra stiff for reduced
hinging effect while remaining of minimum size to pass through guides
easily and be changed quickly, no matter what the conditions.
The Change-A-Tip system is also designed to meet any
angling situation: tips include a floater, clear intermediate tip, type
III sink and a fast type VI. Included with each Change-A-Tip system is a
ventilated storage wallet, which keeps the tips organized and allows them
to dry after use. It’s available in sizes WF5 through WF10. Suggested
Retail $99.
RIO
www.rioproducts.com
VersiTip
Designed for coldwater fishing for steelhead, Pacific
salmon, and other saltwater species, Rio’s VersiTip is an interchangeable
tip fly line in a one-line-does-all configuration. Unlike other sink tips,
this line is designed with a thick belly to turn over heavy sinking tips.
The VersiTip has a front floating tip one or two sizes smaller than the
normal weight of the line, which facilitates a light presentation of the
fly, and anglers can attach either the floating tip or one of the sinking
tips directly to the belly. The best way to cast this line is with the
belly just a foot or two outside the rod tip.
This system comes with a clear, slow-sinking tip, a type
VI, and new type IX sink tips (sizes 8-10 only). The VersiTip can be
customized by using heads and cutting any size to length for the
prevailing fishing conditions. This line has a coldwater coating on a
nylon multifilament braided core and is particularly favored by Alaskan
guides and other serious steelhead flyfishers.
The Dredger 24-foot Density Compensated VersiTip
This is the interchangeable head version of the
density-compensated 24-foot sink tip, with a loop at the 24-foot head for
interchangeability. The line has a thick floating body to help turn over
the heavy density head. The Dredger is used mostly for coldwater
situations and comes with 200, 300, and 400-grain heads (500 and 600-grain
heads can be purchased separately), as well as a head wallet and body.
Density Compensated 7-foot and 15-foot Tapered
Sinking Tips
RIO Density Compensated sinking tip fly lines are
designed with a balanced length of thick floating body so there is no
hinge, or kick, during the casting stroke. Density compensation stops the
problem of sinking tips or full-sinking lines from sinking in a curve.
With density compensation, the tip sinks at the same speed as the body,
producing more strikes, precise depth control, and better strike
detection. These lines are available with a seven-foot or 15-foot sinking
tip and have coldwater tungsten coating on a braided multifilament core.
Density Compensated 24-foot Tapered Sinking Tip
The Density Compensated 24-foot sink tip lines from RIO
are some of the best in the world. The short, thick body section behind
the sinking tip makes these lines much easier to cast than some competing
lines. Plus, the durable running line ensures that these fly lines will
last longer than many competitors’ products. With faster sinking speeds
for 2003, these lines are unbeatable for trout and all types of anadromous
fish and are available in 150, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600-grain sink
rates.
HyperSink
After numerous requests for a super-fast-sinking line in
heavier line weights, RIO introduced this new ultra fast-sinking line.
Perfect for salmon fishing in heavy current and designed to be equally at
home in freshwater as well as saltwater, this line will load up nine
through 11-weight rods and has a sink rate of over eight inches per
second.
JIM TEENY
www.jimteeny.com
Jim Teeny’s original plan was to develop a one-piece fly line with a
sinking deepwater express shooting head mated to a floating running line
that would be easy to cast and very strong. The plan also called for a
line that would be perfectly balanced and color-coded so one could easily
see when to roll cast or pick line up off the water for optimum results.
The lines he came up with were originally designed for flyfishing
salmon and steelhead on West Coast rivers and streams, though shortly
after their introduction, it was apparent that many other anglers had
their own ideas about the possible uses for the lines. Saltwater stripers,
blue fish, halibut, billfish, tarpon, and many other species all fell prey
to the T-Series lines, a line series that has not only opened new
fisheries in both salt and freshwater, but one that has become a very
popular choice among Alaskan fly anglers.
T-Series
The T-series of lines come with a 24-foot front sinking
portion and 58 feet of thin running line. These lines load fast, roll cast
effortlessly, and shoot far. Available in grain-weights of 130 to 500.
Prices are $52 for all sizes.
TS-Series
The TS-Series represents a longer version of the
original Teeny T-Series fly line. The sinking section is 30 feet long with
a 70-foot running line, totaling 100 feet of fly line. The title of the
line is Saltwater Series, but it works equally well in freshwater when
distance is important.
This line was designed for anglers who prefer to cast
long distances of up to 100 feet and tends to be very useful on big, wide
rivers where distance is a factor. However, this series also works well
when fishing short distances of 20 to 30 feet, as anglers simply need to
roll cast some of the sinking line. Short leaders seem to work best with
these lines, about four feet of leader off the fly line for steelhead or
salmon.
The best way to cast this type of line is to get the
color change to your rod tip, roll cast your line to the surface, and then
immediately make a single false cast. Then simply shoot the line wherever
you want it to go. The TS-Series is available in 250 through 750-grain
weights. Prices are $57 for all sizes.
XD-Series
This is a 120-foot fly line specifically designed for
the distance caster. The front head is 35 feet long with an 85-foot
running line. This line was originally designed for East Coast fly
fisherman going after blue fish and stripers, though this fly line casts
well in any situation that calls for long casts, be it saltwater or on big
rivers and lakes. Like the other sink tip lines, wind is not a problem.
The Teeny XD-Series has been designed for either single-handed or spey
rods and is available in 300 to 500-grain weights. Prices are $72 for all
sizes.
Mini-Tip
Jim Teeny developed this line as a chum and sockeye line
for fishing in Alaska, but it also works well for a variety of other
species. The design is a weight-forward taper floating line with five feet
of quick sinking tip. It is easy to cast with great visibility to the
angler. It is also easy to pick up and provides great line control during
your drift.
The Teeny Mini-Tip line is a favorite fly line for
subsurface fishing, except for when you need to get down quickly in heavy
currents or deep waters. In rivers, a leader length of four to six feet is
usually the best. If fish are suspended in slow, deep pools, a nine to
12-foot leader is best, as it makes for a more natural presentation. If
you need a line to get your fly down with minimal line drag and excellent
control, the Mini-Tip performs flawlessly. It is available in line weights
of 3-12 and is priced at $50 for all sizes.
—Tony Weaver
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