Best fishing line for Alaska 2022
Sufix ProMix Braid rapala.com We tested the 30-, 50-, 65- and 80-pound-test and loved it. We used 30 and 50 when trolling for coho and Chinook salmon and used 65 and 80 in the salt targeting bottomfish with jigs. It’s quiet, ties solid knots, is tough and we really like that the color didn’t leach out like we see with some other braids. It comes in nine sizes from 6- to 80-pound-test and in a range of spool capacities (150-, 300-, 1200- and 3500-yard options for all but 6-pound-test (150 and 300)). 
RIO Coldwater Series Striper Fly Line rioproducts.com Although these lines were designed for stripers, they are an excellent line for stripping streamers in a variety of Alaska fisheries from saltwater salmon and rockfish, to lacustrine lakers, Arctic char and rainbows, to stripping strip-truders for river kings. Basically, they fit almost any streamer-stripping application. We used the 300-grain version with an 8-weight rod to target char in lakes using 5-inch EP Minnow-type flies with excellent results. The 300-grain version is comprised of a 30-foot density-compensated head that sinks at over 7 inches per second married to an intermediate running line. All lines in the series have welded loops on each end, and are coated with Rio’s SlickCast coating, touted to be the slickest, most durable coating in the fly-line industry. The series includes a floater, a clear intermediate with a luminous running line, and a series of 30-foot density compensated sink-tips. 
RIO Elite Skagit Max Power Shooting Head 475 grain rioproducts.com This 20-foot floating shooting head is designed for shorter spey rods and to deliver the heaviest flies and sink-tips in your arsenal. The 475-grain version averages 23.75 grains per foot—enough mass to easily turn over tips as heavy as T-17 with a large fly in tow. The head features a refined taper to help maximize flight time while turning over a heavy payload. It’s built on a low-stretch (6%) core (ConnectCore Technology) and has durable welded loops on each end of the head for easy loop-to-loop connections to your running line and sink-tip. For shorter Spey rods (think 12- to 13 feet) or situations with limited room for D-loop formation, this is an outstanding Skagit head.
RIO Fluoroflex STRONG Tippet 3-Pack rioproducts.com Rio’s newest tippet material, Fluoroflex STRONG is aimed at the trout-fishing market. It’s a high-quality, 100% fluorocarbon tippet material that ties great knots, has a fine diameter, is extremely supple, and is truly strong for a given diameter. The 3-Pack is available with spools of 3x, 4x and 5x, or 4x, 5x, and 6x. The 3-packs provide an excellent selection for anglers fishing for trout and grayling with dry flies and nymphs. Single spools of STRONG are available from as fine as 7x up to as heavy as 100-pound-test! Note that the larger sizes (16-pound-test up to 100-pound-test) use a slightly different formula that is not so supple, but is more abrasion resistant. Each single spool contains 30 yards of tippet, but 100-yard guide spools are also available. This is the best RIO tippet material we’ve used in the size range we tested (3x, 4x and 5x).
Seaguar Gold Label Leader seaguar.com This is Seaguar’s thinnest fluorocarbon leader material designed for maximum stealth. We tested 25-pound-test using roe for Chinook in clear-water, highly competitive environments, a situation where the best fluorocarbon will get you more bites. We landed numerous king salmon with it in this application. Gold Label is noticeably thinner than some other brands of fluorocarbon which improves presentation to spooky fish. It is fairly limp and ties great knots. It’s surprisingly tough and abrasion resistant considering its small diameter. It is a winner for situations where only the best fluorocarbon will do.
Daiwa J-Fluoro Leader daiwa.us Available in pound-tests from 2- to 150, J-Fluoro is a high-quality, Japanese-made fluorocarbon leader on 50-yard spools with an elastic spool band that makes it easy to dispense leader and control the tag end. We used this material in 25-pound-test for herring mooching leaders, as well as for tying up hoochie rigs, Super Baits and in 40-pound-test for spinners fished behind flashers. This is a fine fluorocarbon leader material and is one of the more affordable 100% fluorocarbon leader materials.
