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miketipp

Rio Gold Floating line that sinks

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Hi all, I bought a new Rio Gold 5weight floating line and used it for the first time on Sunday and the top foot of it keeps sinking. Any advice. First time ever been used so I'm a bit confused. i had a Rio in the past and it was excellent. Anyone else come across this problem?

 

Thanks, Michael

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It's possible the line has very small cracks in it and takes on water making it sink. It has happened to one of my lines, being a RIO. My personal opinion of RIO lines is not good. I think Scientific Anglers and Airflo make far better lines.

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I don't think I've ever had a line that floated perfectly up near the tip. I think the mono tends to drag it down, and since I let my flies sit for long periods, sinking a little is expected. (by me)

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My sa titan taper floats like a champ, as do all of other floating lines except maybe my bass pro line it did for the first year I had it though.

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Crack or cut in the plastic sheath letting it soak up water is usually the problem. I have made nail knots that damaged the sheath and caused tip sinking. Some lines are very soft and damage easily from impact or being stepped on. But if the fly is weighted that can pull the line down.

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If you are using a butt section, grease the butt section of your leader with floatant. By doing this the butt section actually aids in keeping the fly line tip floating rather than pulling it down. Re-grease the butt section every few hours especially when you start to see the fly line tip starting to sink.

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Thanks for the replies, like I said its brand new, never been cast before thats where my surprise is. I checked the top of the line and the texture is very smooth but as I said about a foot from the welded loop is rougher. I dont remember my last Rio line to be like that. And it is sinking a good bit down and not just the tip. Maybe over a foot, then there is a floating section and then it sinks again.

 

I have read online that there have been plenty problems with Rio lines, at €75 is looks like a waste of money.

 

Thanks again for replies, Mike

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There's nothing wrong with the Rio brand of lines. I have used them for years and always had nothing but great satisfaction from them. When it comes to lines there could be something damaged that is not even visible to the naked eye. Call / email Rio and tell them what is going on and they will most likely take care of you I would bet.

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There's nothing wrong with the Rio brand of lines. I have used them for years and always had nothing but great satisfaction from them. When it comes to lines there could be something damaged that is not even visible to the naked eye. Call / email Rio and tell them what is going on and they will most likely take care of you I would bet.

 

I have been in contact with my local fly fishing shop where I bought it and he asked me to bring it back. Like I said I had a Rio in the past and it was excellent. They are a great line to cast.

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Try putting some fly line conditioner on it. I do all my lines a couple times each year. Helps with flotation and shooting.

 

Will do. I was looking at the line in a bath yesterday and I noticed that it was very coiled, so when on the water some of the coils sink below. So I put the reel on a shelf and hung a small weight on the end to try and take the coil out of the line. This might help too.

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Update on fly line, I was out again over the weekend and the line was a bit better to float. I had a small weight hang off the line over the last weeks to remove the coils that I think are the cause of the sinking but is there a better way to remove line memory from a fly line?

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I stretch my line almost every time I use it and every time it is cleaned or dressed. If it is kinky off the package spool it will take a bit of work to spin the kinks=twists out of it. Start by pulling off 50' or so of the line and stretching away from the reel a few feet at a time and getting the kinks to spin out at the leader end- if you start at the leader the kinks will end up on your reel.

Once most of the kinks are worked out, the line can be tied between two bushes (or what ever) and you can walk the line with a damp soapy rag to remove dirt/algae/old dressing/etc. Gripping the line firmly will further stretch it, repeat with dressing, then repeat with dry clean rag to remove excess dressing. (excessive dressing will pick up dirt) I clean the lines a couple times a year.

others stretch lines in other ways

https://www.homewatersclub.com/stretching-fly-line-to-eliminate-memory/

https://www.ginkandgasoline.com/fly-fishing/stretch-thy-fly-line/

https://midcurrent.com/gear/fly-line-memory-and-stretching/

 

Almost guaranteed that a cracked coating is allowing water to soak into the core is the reason it sinks.

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Almost guaranteed that a cracked coating is allowing water to soak into the core is the reason it sinks.

wasn't this disproven by someone here a while back on another thread? Something like the cores won't absorb water. Floatation comes from tiny glass bubbles in the coating. And water in something less sense than water can't make it sink in water. Or am I misremembering this?

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