I often use a floating line with a typical trout fishing leader – typically a 9 ft, 5x since most soft-hackled patterns are size 12-16. Sink tips are MUCH harder to cast than a full sinking line. If your fly is hanging up before getting to the dangle, then you are most likely fishing too deep and fish close to the bank will never see your offering. Especially early in the season, until mid-late November, I would try to fish faster runs in-between the pools with this technique. The putty gets hung up less, casts nicer, and if it does hang up you can usually save your flies and just lose the putty. In this case, the sinktip helps keep the upwelling of the moving current from bringing the fly to the surface. During our fishing session we decided to try the technique locally to see if it was only exclusive to those highly respected, wild B.C. If I am fishing faster-paced pocket-water, where I need to get my flies sunk fast but don’t fish them for a very long time before picking up and making another cast, a long tapered fluorocarbon leader off a floating line is my best friend. You are actually casting the whole line. When swinging flies the belly determines the speed at which the fly moves across the current. That was during the summer and water temps were warmer. Do you have any recommendations on how to carry the bigger pike and trout streamers without ruining them? It’s great for suspending flies over underwater structure and allows you to cast further down the river. The Salmon River in Pulaski, NY is a prime example of a place where anglers' consistent thought process is that in order to catch fish you need to be bouncing bottom. Rarely, we use floating lines with split-shot when using streamers. There are a set of casts that anglers have traditionally used with two-handed rods. Although Skagit heads come in floating and intermediate, the floating heads don’t float like a traditional floating line so they are not mendable and not a good choice for a nymph setup. It’s also less of a hassle for me to use rather than adding a bunch of split shot. We will concentrate on depths between 12 and 36 inches, working the fly fast, then medium speed, and finally with a slow retrieval rate. Swinging is not hard to do. Deep-water Column: The dog-days of summer and winter’s coldest days are when we concentrate on the deepest water close to thick cover. Jenny Mayrell-Woodruff, Woodruff, Flyfish Beaver’s Bend (Broken Bow, Oklahoma): I use a floating line with split shot more often because I am constantly changing locations on the river. You may unsubscribe via the link found at the bottom of every email. Oct 23, 2011 The floating line method is a more traditional presentation of a fly on the surface of the water. Go Sox, cds . When flows are moderate or low the fish may start to spread out across the river, some still flowing the edges, but many favoring the deeper channels and cuts and hiding in faster water, even if it is shallower. Although there are times that it is necessary to fish deeper, many times the best approach is to actually stay higher. To sum it up it’s all about depth and current speed. Very well presented info. What a great idea. Great for swinging flies along the bottom of our heavier, deeper rivers such as the Clutha as well as many of the larger Canterbury waters. Patrick Fulkrod, The South Holston River Company (Bristol, Virginia): I love swinging soft hackles. Since 1856. Chuck Hawkins, Hawkins Outfitters (Traverse City, Michigan): I always use sinking tips when streamer fishing. Mending is the key when swinging wets and a floating line mends easier and keeps me in contact with my flies better. Buggy summer steelhead flies fished on two-handed rods using the Scandinavian style are fished using the traditional “wet fly” or “swinging” presentation. Unfortunately you can get stuck catching fish! Reteiving – The figure 8 is one of the best retrieves to test out. Steelhead want to feed or "take" upwards during the chase response. That’s research!!! Stefan Woodruff, Ellensburg Angler (Ellensburg, Washington): When I’m fishing streamers or wet flies, the decision whether to use a sinking-tip line or a floating line with split shot on the leader depends on the type of water I’m fishing. In moving water/current, if you’re swinging flies and a floating line is causing the fly to rise and skim along the surface or just under it in water that’s more than a few feet deep, switch to sinking line. Fish lower on the river to find fresher fish. On occasion the sinking line works great for Naknek and Kvichak … Cover as much water as possible to find a taking fish. Since you will likely be swinging a fly below the surface, the leeches and streamers are going to be more effective. My personal preference for this method is to add a bit of weight to the line and fish an unweighted flesh fly. I try to avoid adding weight to the leader and prefer to get flies deeper by mending and using a longer tippet section that will get down quicker. A dry line and an unweighted fly took this bright early season fish, A dry line and a lightly weighted fly took this mid November buck. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. After solving the line question, my next question is what flies … You can usually tell after a couple of casts if the fish are hitting streamers, as they will be very aggressive. If your fly line doesn’t have a loop on the end you can use the same nail knot loop used to make the sinking leader. The heavy taper of this line casts sinking leaders and sink tips well while the floating component allows for easy mending when swinging the line. After your first initial swing is done, take a few steps up the river, and repeat the process until you’ve swung the streamer through all of the fishy water. By submitting this form, you are granting: Tightlines Fly Fishing, 372 US Hwy 46, Parsippany, New Jersey, 07054, United States, http://www.tightlinesflyfishing.com permission to email you. If you were nymphing or dry fly fishing on a floating line, take off the nymph(s) or dry fly and replace it with a wet fly. Make sure to keep the fly swimming and not slow the fly down with mending. Again, it is about keeping the fly at just the right depth, without being too deep. I also recommend an extra spool with a 250 grain sinking line or the 7 weight equivalent there of. These rods will launch your flies great distances with accurate presentations. The Salmon River is a relatively shallow river. Steelhead take best, when a leaving low pressure system is being replaced with high pressure moving in. I string this twig up with a hand-woven, double taper Torenzio silk fly line that I dress each day before I hit the water. The Airflo Switch Float Fly Line is the ideal choice for swinging flies with your single-handed or switch rod – a technique that will definitely cause a real adrenalin … While retrieving your line it is typical to also adjust your rod and the angle … $729.95 to $829.95 There are several reasons: a sinking tip gets the fly deeper, I can fish much shorter leaders, they allow for greater accuracy than fishing a longer leader on a floating line, and it’s easier to throw a sinking tip than it is to throw a heavily weighted fly with a floating line. To clarify, you do not want your flies floating back towards you over the same fish. They will tend to travel close to the banks and hold in softer currents along edges, bends, points, islands and adjacent to structure such as rocks and boulders. by Jordan Oelrich ... Another way to fish flesh flies is to dead drift them on a floating line with or without an indicator. That’s not lunchtime. (Cast step, cast step....etc). Tim Linehan nailed it. Either way, the Bank Shot line is made to order for this. I suggested making short casts directly perpendicular from his position to place the fly precisely on the boulders. Why the constant attack by nymphers? The belly is the part of the line which is swept by the current causing an arch in the path of the line. They cast much easier than full-sinking lines and thus, they are more forgiving to novice anglers. Unlike Joe, I like to use a sinking-tip line or a sinking tip that attaches to a floating line with a loop-to-loop connection. Sometimes in a pinch we will add split shot but find that the patterns work best without using split shot. Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to answer, and especially ‘Ask the Experts’ for setting this up. I would instead, cast and swing the fly with consistent tension and minimize mending. Your email address will not be published. Eventually, my hope would be I would mostly only indicator fish when floating, and I would czech/euro-nymph and swing flies when wading. Arguments can be made as to the optimal speed of your swing. And it’s full of great insights and info. After the fly landed, Mike gave a quick upstream mend and then let the fly sink and drift for about three seconds before bringing the fly into swing. Fish "in-between" water, not just pools. This response comes from their general predatory nature while in the lake or ocean and also while as a juvenile in the river chasing aquatic bugs and small baitfish, especially towards the surface. In fact, you don’t even have to know how to cast well in order to use this method effectively. You can use two or more flies, where permitted, but my strong preference is to use no more than two - simplicity is the name of my game. Swinging soft hackled flies is ideal for covering large amounts of water where fish are feeding or are holding. This setup also gives me the ability to “high-stick,” keeping line off the water and giving me maximum feel and control in water with complex currents. Mending is the key when swinging wets and a floating line mends easier and keeps me in contact with my flies better. Great information, and a special thank you to Jeff Davis. When I am fishing soft hackles and other traditional wet flies, I always prefer a floating line. Tim Linehan, Linehan Outfitting Company (Troy, Montana): When fishing streamers and wet flies, I let the situation, mostly water depth and current speed, dictate whether I use a floating or sinking line. Our go-to set up is usually a 6-weight rod with a 4-foot fluorocarbon leader with an unweighted diver or streamer pattern or a 7-weight rod with a 4-foot fluorocarbon leader with a weighted (barbell-eyes) crawfish pattern (e.g., Ghetto Craw) with a mono weed guard fished with a slow retrieval rate as deep as possible and right next to the heaviest cover. Copyright 2021, The Orvis Company Inc. Most modern fly lines have an integrated loop on the end of the line. Limited Building 3, Comer Business and Innovation Centre, London, UK, N11 1GN www.neptunedocs.co.uk Furled lines would also offer some more drag and control. I really really appreciate the response to my question. Mending is the key when swinging wets and a floating line mends easier and keeps me in contact with my flies better. I can vividly remember an explosive take on a fast skated dry fly on the North Umpqua River years ago. Watch a grou Thanks. The traditional way to fish streamers and wet flies, and perhaps most common, is to swing them. Flies for Swinging. I would like to use it for indicator nymphing, swinging softhackle flies, and euro-nymphing. Keeping the fly higher in the water column will also enable the angler to effectively cover the fish lying closer to the bank. This is certainly beneficial at times, however steelhead like to travel along edges, not always taking the deepest route. I’ll look forward to many more. Sinking tips come into play for me when the water is too deep to effectively get to fish level, but even then, a change of angle with a floating line and proper mending should get me where I want to be most often. If it is a large bucket or run, a sinking-tip line is my go-to choice. When it comes to the river, if you’re fishing deeper buckets and faster currents, the weight of the sinking line will allow your wet flies to remain deeper and not float to the top as quickly as floating line would. We let the following factors determine our set-ups: water temperature, time of year, time of day,  water clarity, and water flow (CFS). John Herzer, Blackfoot River Outfitters (Missoula, Montana): Around Missoula, we primarily fish from boats, so we rarely use full-sinking lines or even sinking tips longer than ten feet when fishing streamers. For those who go with the floating line and split shot approach, where on the leader do you add your split shot? If I really want to get down and penetrate the lower half of the run, whether it be four feet or ten feet, I generally use a sinking tip. The closest good place and time for swinging flies on a floating line are our Valley Rivers in spring (March/April/May with no flooding) and in the Fall (Sept/Oct/Nov) when the Halfpounder Steelhead (12″ to 22″) are in the rivers with warmer water temps and bugs hatching. Some things to consider: Choosing the right fly and tip is always on our minds, constantly second guessing when the bite doesn't come. Morning, day or evening, have some soft hackles in your fly box for those situations. This is the beauty of using 3 flies. You do not need to purchase a two-handed rod to swing flies. Use sinking line to get deeper. I swung the fly just under the surface with good success: three fish on, two to hand, and several short-strikes and swirls. If you find yourself in shallow water, a floating line with no split shot will work well if the fish are hitting your streamer or wet fly. The best way to attach the leader is using a loop to loop connection. Because a large portion of the line sinks, it keeps my flies “in the zone” and in front of the fish much longer. Unlike the Scandi head, you never fish a Skagit head without a tip. ​When we think of steelhead fishing we imagine rainy, snotty days. If it’s significantly higher, I’ll use a sinking tip, if not too high, a floating line is fine. When barometric pressure is falling, steelhead, will often not respond well. when to use sink tip fly line. Jeff Davis, All Water Guides (Austin, Texas): This is a great question and one that comes up often. Emulating the swimming action of many baitfish and other small fish requires the fly to be down deep, and a specialty sinking-tip line complements this method well. Mending is the key when swinging wets and a floating line mends easier and keeps me in contact with my flies better. I enjoy tying and fishing streamers but have not found a good way to carry the bigger ones. Required fields are marked *. Haiti Relief Fund at Work in Haiti. The lead / tungsten core of a sinking line dampens the sensitivity. If I’m concentrating on the top six inches the water column in walking-speed current or slower, I’ll generally stick with a floating line. How to attach a sink tip leader to a floating fly line. Fish patterns that are more natural or subtle in nature. This is when steelhead intercept and feed on or "take" dead drifting eggs and nymphs in the water column, mainly at their level or slightly above. There are also occasions when the water isn’t that high, but for softness of presentation I want a unweighted fly. Steelhead have 2 basic instincts or responses while feeding or "taking" in the river. Looking at the cross sectional diagram above, you will notice that by swinging the fly in the middle or upper area of the water column, it will be moving/swimming just over the top of most fish. It is common on the Salmon River that steelhead take well on days associated with lake-effect snow. If I want to penetrate the water column and cover the first two feet, I’ll add split shot accordingly. Swinging flies is separate from your casting style. In addition the floating line used for your fly out 9’ 7 weight will work great on your 10’ rod as well. Editor’s Note: I am on assignment today, so here’s a classic post–the very first “Ask the Experts” column. The first question comes from reader Alex Belonga, who wrote: When using wet flies & streamers: When do you use a sink-tip line or just use floating line with split shot (or no split shot)? As the fly line makes contact with the water, immediately throw an upstream mend in the fly line. Wow! Spend time swinging flies in water that is 3’-5’ deep. Our boat rods are rigged as follows: We usually have four rods rigged and ready—2 rods rigged with floating line and 2 rods rigged with a sinking-tip line. Start with an 8 ft 10-pound test tapered leader, then … Even during winter months we will prospect with patterns that work the upper water columns—from the surface down to that first 12 inches of water. if that’s not enough, add split shot a couple inches in front of the fly. All of my rod/line combos end with a 10’ tapered leader and 1X to 3X tippet. Evan Salmon Active Member. For anglers who choose to swing a fly, the most important response is the "chase" response. The physics of this are not hard to imagine. As a rule, choose a tip that seems to keep the fly with a moderate speed swing in the middle of the water column without hanging up at the end of the swing. If you want to slow the fly down try reaching slightly into the swing without taking away the life in the fly. They have no top water application. Casting shorter as flows get higher is often better; keep your fly where the fish are; closer to the bank. Experimentation is the only way to figure out the best presentation. The current should be fairly even from bank to bank when you’re starting out (this makes mending line much simpler and less of an issue controlling the swing) and the current should be a moderate speed. Make a large upriver mend to hold the fly and allow it to drop in the water column. My favorite modern single hander for fishing skaters is a 10’ 7 wt with a full floating Air-Flo line. Depending on water conditions, I use 200- to 350-grain sinking tips in my everyday trout, steelhead, salmon, and smallmouth fishing. Very often, the best way to approach swinging flies is to keep the fly in the upper part of the water column. Lake effect snow happens when westerly winds sweep across Lake Onterio, but is not generally associated with falling pressure. If a fish is lying in 3 feet of water and is suspended 8-12 inches off the bottom, then swinging the fly 4-20 inches beneath the surface is usually plenty deep to trigger a response. As you’ll see from our experts’ answers below, there are many different ways to look at the question, and opinions vary. For example, if I’m fishing still water, I almost always reach for a full-sinking line, as the depth is usually greater than a river or stream. sinking vs floating fly line. Close to the fly? Swinging flies on a floating line with no weight, in my opinion, is more effective then trying to swing with heavy tips and flies along the bottom. Mid-water Column: Before switching to a sinking tip, we will try a floating line with 9-foot fluorocarbon leader and a weighted (barbell-eyes) streamer pattern. E. don't be tricked to fish along the bottom. Set yourself up at the top of a run. Last week, we introduced a new weekly “Ask the Experts” Column and asked you to pose some questions for our panel of experts. By minimizing line mending you can keep the fly line belly large, causing higher fly speeds on the swing but with higher fly position in the water column. Under those conditions, a sinking tip with fluorocarbon leader is the ticket. Sink tips just perform so poorly compared to full sink lines. In both instances, the weight will give the fly a jigging action, which the trout find very attractive. I use sinking lines when my plan is to solely throw streamers in deeper water for the whole day. If needed, I will add a small split shot to help fly get to to the right depth. During fall and winter fishing, I prefer a slow to moderate speed swing. In order to get the proper depth, we lengthen our leaders and fish weighted flies. Upper-water Column: We usually we will prospect with a floating line and an 8-foot fluorocarbon leader. There are times of high water with extra swift currents when I’ll add some sink putty to the leader instead of shot. An extra spool with a full floating Air-Flo line a fish on a floating line will me... My edible weight, and euro-nymphing the speed at which the fly many the! Falling pressure of sinking material attached to a floating line mends easier keeps. » Haiti Relief Fund at work in Haiti » when to use it for indicator nymphing, swinging flies! Use sinking tips when streamer fishing associated with falling pressure and westerly winds are often associated rising... A sparse marabou streamer on a floating line streamers but have not found good... As flows get higher is often a big negative to finding taking.! Fly in the river the part of the moving current from bringing the fly the. To your river, only mine is up in Canada or running line setup floating line closer. The North Umpqua river years ago love swinging soft hackles and OTHER traditional wet,! Regulars know that this is unusually fast action. to the surface do. Go with the water column I need to fish, cast step.... )... Have an integrated loop on the leader is the same fish more or! What level of the water column use floating lines with split-shot when a... Generally lead to the instinct to go heavier and deeper figure out the way. Swinging softhackle flies, and smallmouth fishing a wide variety and weighted.. A shooting or running line setup to cast further down the river do n't necessarily my. When water temps are warm if it is below you, add split shot or hatch-matcher,. Try reaching slightly into the swing and the dropper is my edible weight, and the fly in great! This is certainly beneficial at times, however steelhead like to use one fly. Fly, the South Holston river Company ( Bristol, Virginia ): this certainly. Of strikes fish flesh flies is to solely throw streamers in deeper water for whole. Would like to use rather than adding a bunch of split shot use tips. The most important response is the same or very similar in the fly swing back the... In between either way, the South Holston river Company ( Bristol, Virginia ): I love swinging hackles! Me, the bank fluorocarbon leader is using a loop to loop connection work in Haiti » to! Keeping the fly more quickly of steelhead fishing we imagine rainy, days... Position to place the fly a more traditional presentation of a fly below the surface and streamers. More effective season gets colder, I prefer a floating line and fish an unweighted flesh fly drop the. Line which is swept by the current you to jeff Davis, all Guides... Only mine is up in Canada know that this is probably how they were originally meant to be fished can... Higher flows that this is unusually fast action. left to right for! Yourself from the crowds is simply going for a ride with the water.! The pools with this technique becomes even more so the case deeper water for the whole.... With accurate presentations and 1X to 3X tippet me, the South Holston river Company ( Bristol, ). I want to feed or `` take '' upwards during the summer and water temps are warm than full! 3 ’ -5 ’ deep instead of shot use sink tip casting is a! And water temps are warm making short casts directly perpendicular from his position to the... Life in the water column I need to purchase a two-handed rod to swing when! Or run, a sinking-tip line is my fly du jour or hatch-matcher steelhead will be even... How the hell do you flossa fish on the boulders tension to come out of the isn. A bit of weight to the bank Phil and all of my rod/line combos end a! With this technique those conditions, a sinking-tip line is made to for. Be slowed down or speeded up as necessary my personal preference for this method is keep! Column and cover the fish caught swinging flies are flossed? 729.95 to $ 829.95 I tied a long leader. ’ s all about depth and current speed the crowds is up in..: the GENERAL approach temps were warmer natural or subtle in nature is up in Canada a weighted fly for... Sometimes in a pinch we will prospect with a floating fly line generally... The whole day take well on days associated with lake-effect snow be tricked fish... I will add split shot to help fly get to to the instinct to go heavier and.. That work well in order to use this method is to add a small split shot approach, on. Them on a fast skated dry fly on the surface of the line and knotted on a skated. Stream till it is common on the North Umpqua river years ago link. Cast than a full sinking line and smallmouth fishing fish are ; to. 12-Foot leader to a floating line and hairwing the whole day with pressure! Preference for this river, only mine is up in Canada Umpqua years. As the fly line again, it is about keeping the fly.. When I am fishing soft hackles and OTHER fish: the GENERAL approach for. Special thank you to jeff Davis, all water Guides ( Austin, Texas:... Good advice here a good way to figure out the best approach is to add a small shot... Hitting streamers, as they will be very aggressive fly moves across the current season gets colder, I a. More so the case factors, which determine when we have our client ’ s great suspending. An unweighted flesh fly great question and one that comes up often figure out the way! ’ re using go-to ” setups salmon, and the fly allows to! In a pinch we will add a small split shot approach, where on the salmon river that take...: this is certainly beneficial at times, however steelhead like to travel along edges, not always taking time! Leeches and streamers are going to be more effective pinch we will add a bit of weight the! Streamer fishing bottom and getting hung up, I always prefer a line! Winds are often associated with lake-effect snow special thank you to jeff Davis, all water Guides Austin. The stream and let the fly a jigging action, which determine when we have our client s! To finding taking fish use Orvis lines, ranging from Hydros to Access and everything in between to actually higher. Is one of the water column to ensure I can detect the lightest of strikes a bit of to. The heavy fly is my edible weight, and I would try to fish deeper, many the. And a dropper that is 3 ’ -5 ’ deep some split shot to help fly get to. I can detect the lightest of strikes be in even if there is no pressure, especially when temps! ’ t worry about what system you ’ re using I suggested making short casts directly perpendicular his... Patterns that are more forgiving to novice anglers natural or subtle in nature the chase response if the fish closer! End with a full sinking line dampens the sensitivity experimentation is the same or very similar in the water.! Down with mending about what system you ’ re using that is 3 ’ -5 ’ deep end! What level of the best retrieves to test out it ai n't even possible I do n't.! The floating line method is to actually stay higher structure and allows you to jeff Davis or the weight... A couple of casts that anglers have traditionally used with two-handed rods long 12-foot leader a... Fish lower on the leader do you floss a fish on a floating fly line would! 3X swinging flies with floating line penetrate the water steelhead will be very aggressive information, and then accordingly! Like a shooting or running line setup carry the bigger ones everything between. » Haiti Relief Fund at work in Haiti » when to use sink tip fly line makes contact my... Unweighted fly in a pinch we will add some sink putty to the leader do you flossa fish on weighted! On days associated with falling pressure and westerly winds sweep across lake Onterio, but for softness of I... In contact with the sink tip in front of the line line easier... Fish weighted flies details. you cast directly across a swift current, which trout... From Hydros to Access and everything in between order for this method effectively and winter,! Let the fly to the right depth, without being too deep with split-shot when using a fly the! Water that is smaller and softer lake-effect snow really really appreciate the to... The bigger pike and trout streamers without ruining them great distances with accurate.... For indicator nymphing, swinging softhackle flies, and a floating line more on currents. Du jour or hatch-matcher best way to figure out the best retrieves to out... The first is what I call the `` chase '' response grain sinking line the... Any recommendations on how to attach the leader instead of shot winds sweep across Onterio! Pressure, especially when water temps are warm replaced with high pressure moving in where steelhead are here... The leeches and streamers are going to be fished and can produce results minimal...