Fly lines

[themattman 0]

So since i primarily fish for pan fish and bass, i would like to know if i should go from a floating line to a sinking line?

 

[skeet3t 0]

Floating. If you want the line to sink, get a sinking tip and use a long leader and tippet. I have been flinging flies for about 53 years and never had the need for sinking line. I'm sure that there are situations where you would need a sinking line. Practice casting as it's a different ballgame with a sinking line or tip.

[flytire 0]

stay floating

[Dave G. 0]

Fish will very often hit below surface when they won't on top. How you get the fly down there is a matter of your personal preference. But I always like a spare spool with some form of sinking line on it, personally ( less important on rivers than ponds or ocean and totally un-needed in stream fishing).

[mikechell 0]

I guess one factor (two aspects) to consider, how deep is the water you're fishing, and how deep are the fish in that water.

 

Where I fish, the water is rarely deeper than 12 feet. Even more rare is when I am fishing deeper than 6 feet. So a floating line is perfect. If I need the fly to get a little deeper, I just tie on a longer leader. I still can get down (and the floating line will start to sink if I leave it long enough) but I don't have to pull a lot of line from underwater to start the cast.

 

Plus, I like using the line as my bobber. Watching the line for small tics is a great way to detect strikes. Works in all but the fastest water flows.

[Brian Myers 0]

If you need to get deeper you can always add on a VersiLeader or such. http://www.rioproducts.com/fishing-leaders/versileader/freshwater-versileaders/

[Crackaig 0]

That would depend on how deep you want to be fishing, from what I have heard a floater would be my choice. If you want one that casts really well, lies straight on the water and is of renown quality, you could do worse than get a GT90

When I got the first one I was amazed and haven't bought anything else since.

Cheers,

C.

[themattman 0]

OK, thanks. What about when i am fishing on a lake in boat? I am going to be fishing in Lake Michigan in July. Would the floating work fine here as well?

[themattman 0]

Also does quality determine how far you cast? Or is it mostly the skill of the caster?

[Dave G. 0]

Big lakes, boat, July. That's a whole different affair. Much depends on water temp this summer in the area of the lake you are fishing and the species you target etc. Time of day as well..

[Meeshka 0]

If you are going to be trolling streamers in a boat I would recommend a type three sinking ( about 4 inch per sec ) with about a 15 foot 15# mono leader and a 6 - 8 foot 8# mono tippet. Thats pretty much my trolling rig. Sinking lines or intermediate lines are more difficult to cast. If you are new to fly casting and you are just buying one line and want to learn how to cast buy floating. Distance comes from skill so the quality of line will not really matter. Work on technique, the better your technique the further you will be able to cast that fly. Just my thoughts.

[Dave G. 0]

If you are going to be trolling streamers in a boat I would recommend a type three sinking ( about 4 inch per sec ) with about a 15 foot 15# mono leader and a 6 - 8 foot 8# mono tippet. Thats pretty much my trolling rig. Sinking lines or intermediate lines are more difficult to cast. If you are new to fly casting and you are just buying one line and want to learn how to cast buy floating. Distance comes from skill so the quality of line will not really matter. Work on technique, the better your technique the further you will be able to cast that fly. Just my thoughts.

A type 3 will be just enough to get it under the surface, depends on trolling speed completely of course, but it does insure that your fly won't water ski behind the boat. It might be working perfectly for you but don't think for a minute your line is sinking 4" a second while under way trolling. Soon as you hit 2 mph it will gradually rise accordingly or incrementally as you up speed and sink as you lower speed.. Been there done that.

 

We use lead core when trolling for the most part, we also use full sink for high up in the water column. Floating line is good for drifting a marabou streamer on the wind or current and giving a little twitch now and then to show life. . This works great in the golden light hour of evening and it's possible to get the best fish of the day this way. If people are serious trollers or even just serious lake fishermen from a boat, they are going to have a fish finder. As you mark fish in the evening you will notice they come more and more up to the surface compared to daytime. Those fish that were down around 35 ft most of the day start now marking around 3-6 ft. Any self respecting fish will rise 6 ft to get a tempting bait. If you are marking next to nothing the fish didn't disappear, they are probably right up in the surface film. Fish finders read in a cone or upside down V, so a fish could be off the center of the that cone up near the boat and you won't read it. Nuff said.

[Meeshka 0]

I troll generally in about 12 feet of water, fly line out to backing behind the boat with an electric. If I want to get down much deeper (say 25 - 30 ft ) I do use lead core - but I run it behind a 10 - 13 wt rod equiped with a mooching reel.

[Dave G. 0]

My wife and I used to use a 3 sink with big woolly buggers from our old boat and get into 11ft of water in this one pond. There were stumps under there and I wouldn't go there with this boat we own now. But we used to troll through there going maybe 2-4 mph and strip the line in, then let it back out and strip again. We picked up small mouth one after another doing that at certain times of the year.

 

I won't repeat what I stated in my last post but stick by it..

 

For lead core there is a certain series ugly stick we use for trolling and on those we have Okuma Classic series Level Wind reels with star drag. Awesome rigs, we love them. Although you do have to watch how you let the line out so as not to backlash but we are used to it.

[Meeshka 0]

Ripping a 3 sink while trolling buggers or streamers is a very effective technique!