Sink Tip Line

[MrMustard]

I'm considering purchasing a sink tip line for the first time. Though I never used one before, my primary anticipated use of the line would be throwing streamers on the Yough and other "bigger" waters.

I am just curious as to whether you use/recommend sink tips for streamer fishing. I am also curious as to whether/how often anyone uses them for other purposes (ie nymphing, swinging wets etc).

Thanks in advance.

 

[jay348]

While I've never used an actual sink-tip "line" (I'm assuming you meant the full line?), I have used and would recommend a poly-leader or some equivalent. Great for getting flies down to the depth you want, and they're easy to cast as well. Plus, at $10-$15 each, you could get a few different lengths/sink rates for the price of a single line.

I've only used these for streamer fishing however...cant really help on the swinging side. Nymphing w/ a sink tip just sounds difficult, but somebody w/ more experience may be able to chime in here.

 

[Paraleptalata]

Get one if your serious about fishing streamers. I think it is a game changer when it comes to fishing them correctly. Rio Streamer tip is a good one and also SI Galloup line is great. Never fished the Yough but it's more than enough water to find benefits in fishing a sinking line. I fish them all the time on streams much smaller than the Yough. Up to you but I would not bother buying anything less than 200 grain and you need more than 12 ft for the sink section in most cases . I find no use for them while nymphing or throwing streamers on small creeks. They are great for keeping streamers in a chosen strike zone, manipulating the retrieve, staying in contact with the fly,repetetive casts, etc. Good Luck and enjoy the process.

 

[midnightangler]

I recommend a full sink, 300-grain. You'll get a better hookset when fishing streamers if you don't have to pull the slack floating line off the surface. For big streams there is no question this is the way to go. Of course, wade fishing with full sinks can be irritating if you don't have a stripping basket.

On small streams, I prefer weighted flies and floating line. If you need to get a fly down really quickly a tungsten conehead is the right tool for the job. Sinking lines are great for presenting a streamer over longer distances, but this often isn't useful on small streams. On small weedy limestone streams, sinking line is a pain.

I think sink tips are a good transition for people who aren't mentally comfortable with a full sink. If you fish streamers a lot on rivers, my guess is that you will eventually own a full sinking line, and that will be the line you use the most.

 

[1wt]

I've tried them a lot in big water.

A sink tip will let the line float, just the sink part will sink. This is perfect for streamers.
My fave for fishing the Susquehanna (around Wrightsville in slow current about 5' deep) is the Intermediate Invis sink tip line. The last 12' are clear mono and it has a slow sink rate of about 1.5 IPS. I would use a 3' piece of straight fluorocarbon and tie on a big unweighted woolybugger. I would use a 5wt and actually outfish the liver boys with the channel cats and smallmouth (when they were still there)

I've tried a sink tip in Muddy Creek, and I did OK with the trout in high water, but ......... really you will do much better with a Chez style tight-lining the tungsten head buggers. It's better to flip your line 20' and bounce the bottom rather than casting a long way in a little creek. IMHO

I use "full sink" Striper line on my 8wt for surf fishing. You have to get down fast in the strong current and a full sink is the way to go.

 

[slackwater]

I started fishing a full sink this past year and I'm blown away by how effective it is. But as midnightangler said, it can be a pain wade fishing.

 

[sandfly]

Why would you have a problem wade fishing ???

 

[midnightangler]

Mainly just because you just can't strip line onto the water like you can with floating line.

 

[lv2nymph]

I use a full sinking line because as you strip line in strip pause strip it helps to keep the fly deep. I think the line I have is a class v sinker, it goes down really fast in the faster currents that's what you want.

 

[osprey]

Bob Clouser showed me how to use plastic coated lead core trolling line , used mostly in salt water trolling , take small sections and incorporate them with loop to loop connections into your tapered leader , while i mostly fish with dry flies , in the occasional situation where u need to get down there , the Outflow at the Yough is a great example , this has done the trick for me. It's also much cheaper to buy three feet of lead core off of a spool at a shop than to buy a sinking line/sink tip line. TRY IT...........Good LUCK!!!!

 

[MrMustard]

Thanks for the advice guys; I appreciate it. I recently saw a sink tip on sale for $15 and thought it might be worth a try. I think I'll definitely give it a shot for the $$.

 

[sandfly]

midnightangler

Mainly just because you just can't strip line onto the water like you can with floating line.

so you let your line drag in the water, that will keep you from making a long cast 30'+ if you need to from the drag. I coil my line in the left hand (right hand caster)then release as I cast the streamer. letting your line drag in the water is a good way to get tangled for sure.

 

[hammertime]

sandfly wrote:
midnightangler

Mainly just because you just can't strip line onto the water like you can with floating line.

so you let your line drag in the water, that will keep you from making a long cast 30'+ if you need to from the drag. I coil my line in the left hand (right hand caster)then release as I cast the streamer. letting your line drag in the water is a good way to get tangled for sure.

When casting across a stream the size of Penns Creek, you can't keep all the retrieved line in your left hand. It has to go on the water. A floating line will stay on top, the sinking line sinks to the stream bottom, making the pick-up and recast needing a little more effort.

 

[midnightangler]

The best and easiest thing is a stripping basket.

 

[drews]

I tried a full sink in pine when water was up some last spring (250 grain) and it was a pain(we were drifting). 25' rio sink tip 150 -200 has been very good line for me... IMHO full sink should be reserved for large water with good current and the weight f the line depends on the water your fishing. I got a 10' orvis sink tip 100 grain I believe and use it when fishing smaller waters here in potter county. Works great.

 

[afishinado]

drews wrote:
I tried a full sink in pine when water was up some last spring (250 grain) and it was a pain(we were drifting). 25' rio sink tip 150 -200 has been very good line for me... IMHO full sink should be reserved for large water with good current and the weight f the line depends on the water your fishing. I got a 10' orvis sink tip 100 grain I believe and use it when fishing smaller waters here in potter county. Works great.

Agreed. Maybe Full sink line for a large deep/fast river or a lake, but not in small and medium streams. I would try a sink-tip or a poly leader with a floating line.

 

[mutzinbaugh]

i just tried sinking line for the 4th time this year, the 3 previous times i said why the hell did i buy this. then i tried it on the penns with streamers and what a game changer, i did not catch many but i did catch more than my buddy using floating line.