To Sink or Not to Sink

[jlibs]

I've always used a WF Floating Line. I want to fish my streamers and nymphs deeper in high water/deep pools in rivers and in lakes/ponds.

What do you recommend for sink tips, sinking lines with intermediate sinking running line and/or full sinking lines for a 5wt?

What are the best fishing techniques to use with your line recommendation?

JLIBS

[Mark Patenaude]

My primary "big water" trout rod is a 5 wt. and my Smallmouth rod is an 8 wt. (primarily because of the big/bushy flies I'm throwing).

When fishing streamers, I throw a Rio sink tip line (6' tip on the 5 wt. line and 15' on the 8 wt. line) or a full sinking line for both (I have extra spools for both).

When fishing nymphs I will also use a WF line with the appropriate # and size of shot about 18-24" above the fly. My opinion is that sink tip or full sinking line does not allow for a proper dead drift presentation. I know using a full sinking line or sink tip line when fishing nymphs is popular in the Patagonia region of Argentina, but I don't like it and prefer the "accepted" method.

When fishing streamers, I cast straight across, setup the drift with a book or a reach mend and employ a number of different strip styles until I figure out what is working on that day.

Mark

[flyfishgb]

Personally, I only use a WF Line with no sink tip... This is because I feel that you can get flies deep enough if you practice patience. I feel that it covers all the bases. I will be using a sink tip once i get a saltwater setup and a sinking line. But for now i havent had a problem without a sink tip.

[yashuone]

i also have rio's 5wt sink tip on my spare spool for my 6wt rod when swinging streamers in deep or fast water or when drifting nymphs in deeper water. i used to only use wf-f line but just started using sink tip last year and have most definately increased my number of fish brought to hand. perhaps i'm just a better fisherman than years previous ;D

[FishinCane]

Although I don't use a sink tip very often when I do I prefer to use homemade sink tips. Cortland sells LC-13 Lead Core Line in 12 foot lengths which you can use to create a bunch of sink tips in varying sizes for about $12. Cut to length and nail knot a 1 foot section of heavy mono to each end. Tie a loop knot to each end of the mono so you can easily swap them on and off any line.

[jlibs]

Thanks for the comments, Gents.

3 points/questions:

1. Do you suggest a stripping basket with the sink tips/sink line when wading?

2. Do you cast nymphs (not just streamers) upstream/up-and-across and rake a retrieve just faster than the current to "feel" hook-ups UK style and how Joe Overlock does it (except Joe uses a WF floating line I think)?

3. Regarding swinging streamers with or without a sink line/tip, a very knowledgeable guide and trophy trout hunter told me that he casts a sink line upstream and across and mends to get the fly and line down. He tries to get the fly to swim heading/facing either downstream and/or across stream broadside as opposed to swinging/swimming heading upstream. This is because from his experience, a wounded or chased baitfish will most often swim with the current and not against it. It makes sense to me, although I have never thought about it before.

-Any thoughts or comments?

JLIBS

[Mark Patenaude]

No need for a stripping basket unless you are tossing in excess of 70' of line.

Cast nymphs up and across, throw a decent mend to get the fly down, when its across from your position, straighten your mend out a bit and follow the fly with the tip of your rod keeping it downstream of the fly at all times. Adjust the mend as needed.

I fish streamers by casting up and across or straight across (depending on the current speed) throw a mend to get the fly down a bit. When the fly is across from your position, throw a small downstream mend to get the fly moving and keep the line somewhat tight to stay in contact with the fly. At the end of the drift when the fly is directly downstream from you, hold it stationary for a few seconds and then either drop you rod tip or strip some line out so the fly backs down in the current. If a fish was shadowing the fly and sitting downstream of it, you'll put it right in his face. With that being done, strip the fly back to you and start again.

Your comment about fishing the fly broad side will work with a Riffle Hitch only and is typically used to fish a streamer broadside or skating a dry fly on top for Steelhead. I wouldn't worry about trying to swim the fly this way. Just make it swim with the current employing different strip rates until you figure out what works.

Mark

[yashuone]

i agree with mark on the stripping basket, i've never used one in the sweetwater only salt.

as far as drifting nymphs, i think i've mentioned before that i'm still really not very good at detecting strikes without an indicator. i'm fine if i'm applying some action to the nymph, but when drifting i just keep the slack out and wait for the bobber to dip, i know... cheating

the technique of "swinging" streamers as it was taught to me works about like this; you are generally casting downstream and away from you to put your fly at roughly a 45 degree angle from you as the current will be your zero degree. as the current effects the fly it will travel across and begin to rise as it comes in line with your position. (because of this effect a dropper nymph behind the streamer tends to be very effective as the fish key in on the rising nymph as if it were on its way to emerge) your target will be anywhere in the arc created by the flies path across the current but i find that most strikes occur just as the fly is coming directly downstream of your position and begins to rise at a more rapid rate. often little or no stripping is needed and the effect of the current on the fly will give you all the necessary action. one thing to be aware of is that if you're fishing a peice of water with varying currents, mending becomes very important to prevent your fly from swimming in an "unnatural" fashion as quicker currents will tend to drag the fly far too quickly across the target arc, essentially you are mending the same way you would if you were drifting a dry fly and trying to avoid an unnatural wake when the current plays on your line except that your fly is underwater in the case of swinging. there are several good articles on the subject to be found online and if i come across some i'll post them up.

[jskowron]

Some of the technique might depend on the type of bug that you're emulating with the nymph, as well as the type of water. I fish a lot of soft hackles and other traditional wet flies (using a wf floating line), casted across and mended/drifted downstream. I have had success with this method in fast moving or big water (e.g. early season Westfield, Upper Androscoggin, Upper Connecticut). It doesn't seem (to me at least) work as well in smaller or slower moving currents or with non-swimming nymph imitations.

In smaller brook trout streams, I will often cast downtream above a plunge pool, and let the wet fly (or soaked to the point of being wet dry fly- I love to use EHC for this method) roil up below the foam with an ever so slight slack in the line that i gently unslack. The fish will often strike as just as I'm removing the slack. This might be imitating a bug theat got swept downstream, was briefly out of control, and now is just about to get it's bearings and escape.

I'm not against puting some split shot on the leader to get it down. I like the option of quickly switching from dry to wet to streamer. If you use a nicely aged elk hair caddis, you can fish it wet on one cast and then, after a few good back casts, fish it dry for the next presentation.