Lead Core Sink Tips

[Fishidiot]

For freshwater FFing, we find ourselves occasionally needing to get down, dirty, and deep to catch fish. This is esp true on larger waters where trout, walleyes, or bass are hanging out in deeper holes during cold periods and you really have to dredge the bottom to catch them. I find, when nymphing, the answer is simply a longer leader and more split shot - but for streamers in heavy current and with long casts, a sink tip works better for me. I'm not a multiple spool guy and prefer to attach to my floating line a removable lead core tip. These are the types that come in lengths of about 4 feet with loops on the ends. Since I don't care for loop-to-loop connections, what I'll do instead is cut the leader butt off about four inches from the connection with the fly line; roll up the old leader and save it for later; tie the sink tip to the fly line using the four inch tag; then tie to the other end of the sink tip a new leader/tippet that is significantly shorter, say about 3 feet with a foot of that being the tippet. After fishing, I snip off the sink tip and re-tie the old, longer leader to the fly line. Each time you tie on a sink tip, you'll lose about four inches of your leader butt, but IMO, this is just as quick as messing with a loop-to-loop and more user friendly.

 

[afishinado]

I'm a loop guy. But I do essentially the same thing. I use an Orvis sink tip section, but I retied the loops on each to cure the hinging effect of the factory tied loops. I have loop (that I tie myself) on the end of the fly line to attach the sink tip section, and I tie on a short stout tippet with a loop. It takes less than a minute to set up or remove. It works rather well for streamer fishing in deeper / faster water. Maybe I’m a little loopy, but I have never understood some angler’s aversion to loops.

 

[tomgamber]

I have looped lead heads I use as well. They are cheap. Found mine in a bargain bin.

 

[Acristickid]

Not using the loop connection to me would signal a commitment to the sink tip and streamer fishing. It is a type of fishing that I rarely do (in comparision to nymphing and dry) so I guess I use the loops so I can switch back if I needed to. Typically, I am not a fan of loop to loop connections for fishing which makes tying up the loops even more prohibative. Call me crazy.

FI- what type of knot are you using to make the connection? The sink tip I have has a material over the core which would seem to be difficult to tie a knot.

 

[Fishidiot]

Yeah, the sink tips that I use are also coated with a stranded material, plastic I think, which also surrounds the loop section. To attach the tip to the four inch tag I simply use an improved clinch knot (same with attaching the leader on the other end of the tip). So far, this hasn't been a problem although I should point out that I attach a sink tip only a few times a season. Nevertheless, my sink tips are probably a decade old and they have held up pretty well. As for loop systems, I like 'em for my saltwater reels that have shooting heads but I build my 8WT and up rods with the largest tip-tops and single foot guides I can get and the loops pass thru pretty easy. For some of my smaller bass and trout rods with "tighter" guides, loops just get on my nerves. My trout rods have the end of the fly line looped with a splice made of kevlar fly tying thread. This loop is barely large enough to pass 40Lb mono that I prefer for butt material - this loop is too small for typical loop-to-loop connections and is deliberately designed to pass thru rod guides. Man, I'm getting loopy just writing this.

 

[Acristickid]

Thanks for sharing. Probably do some more streamer fishing next year.