Sink tip line

[MtBrittany]

Should do a search before going any further but I am having way too much trouble navigating this forum. Should be much much easier.

Anyway, have always fished wet flies with a dry fly line. However, today tried fishing them with a type III sink tip line. What a pleasant surprise.

I am not about to fish flies with any type of weight, i.e., beads, lead wire, split shot, etc. but the sink tip worked okay today. Will definitely try it again when the dry fly line doesn’t work.

[Oenophileangler]

I've used Rio Versileaders for this purpose.

https://www.rioproducts.com/products/trout-versileader

You don't have to switch out lines or reels while on the water.

Dale

[MtBrittany]

Dale, thanks for the suggestion about versileaders, will consider them.

As water temperatures drop, I generally like to get my flies deeper with the exception of a hatch of midges or olives.

Rod

[Oenophileangler]

I might be banned from this forum for saying this, but I use these weighted leaders when dragging streamers with a floating line. Big ugly streamers.

Dale

[jddietrich]

I like the Rio single hand spey 3d.

[Roadkill]

Besides using sinking and sink tip lines, I also make add on sink tips in various lengths out of T-14 line.

[Fishnkilts]

I know I'm going to word this very badly, and also be misunderstood. So I'm prepared for any comebacks.

Wouldn't it be considered that by using sinking line or versileaders, that, that defeats what fishing wet flies are all about? Aren't wet flies only supposed to float from beneath the film to about 12 inches below the surface? And so the object of this game is to "entice" the fish into biting. That's what I get from all the literature that I have read from the great authors and fishermen from way back. Maybe I'm just a guy who is stuck with the old traditional ways, and that's probably it.

But I suppose if you're catching fish, what does it matter, right? I know a fisherman or lady has to be versatile in their approach to catching fish, and I try to do that myself, but I guess with limitations.

I don't know, I guess I really don't see any real reason not to use sinking lines of any type as long as it's legal. I have always read, heard and was taught to fish the traditional ways, and when I read or hear and see someone, let's say, going against the grain, it sets me back a bit.

I need to relax a little and come to terms that when it comes to fishing, there is no right or wrong way to catch fish unless explosives are involved. I have wondered about using fluoro leaders when fishing wet flies, but it always seemed to feel wrong in my gut to do so.

I'm just going to have to try this method out for myself and come to my own conclusion for the way I like to fish. As for the rest of the fishing community, I say go for it if it makes you happy. And isn't that what fishing is really all about, getting out, enjoying the day and nature, catching a fish or three and just being happy that we can do that?

Though, this is what I like about forums. There's so many different ways to fish a fly that I need to get with the times. It just feels like cheating to me for right now. But if I give versileaders a try, I may find out what I have been missing for all these years.

O.k., let the crucifixion begin.

[Mike62]

Personally, this video epitomizes for me the entire context of our Skues/Halford ecclesiastical debate. Piscatorial ecumenism: it's what's for dinner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLdK9zaLaG8

[Fishnkilts]

Personally, this video epitomizes for me the entire context of our Skues/Halford ecclesiastical debate. Piscatorial ecumenism: it's what's for dinner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLdK9zaLaG8

[redietz]

I have always read, heard and was taught to fish the traditional ways, and when I read or hear and see someone, let's say, going against the grain, it sets me back a bit.

I'm not sure what's not traditional about a sinking line. Leisenring would have been fishing an undressed silk line, which would sink. Marryat, the "Prince of Fly Fishers." who taught Halford about dry flies, surprised some people after he died and his tackle was auctioned off by how much split shot that tackle contained. Heck, even the Treatyse contained info on weighting your line.

That said, I would never weight a fly. Most of the time, I do want it right in the film, or just below. There are times, however, when I do want it a little deeper, and polyleaders/versileaders are the way to go for that, for me at least.

And they have advantages beyond just sinking the fly. They also function as a mini shooting head, making some single handed spey casts much easier. In fact, I use floating and intermediate polyleaders far more often than I do sinking ones for just that reason. Give them a try.