Full sinking fly line reviews?

[eastern fly 0]

Does anyone have one and your thought? I'm looking to buy some.

 

Kevin

[Dave G. 0]

I've just always used Cortland 444 depending on the sink rate you want. In sink rate 3, I buy Cortland 333 because it's cheaper than 444 and works as well, IMO. I tend not to go past sink rate 4 anyway. In ponds I tried 5 and basically dredged up weeds all the time where I fish, unless stripping fast and I don't always want to strip fast, since I use full sink mostly in cold weather/cold water when fish are slower moving. Your use may vary or you may need to get down deeper.

 

To some degree I've gotten away from full sink because we tend to troll with lead core these days vs casting from shore. So I either troll near the surface with the 3 sink rate or go down with lead core. But there was a time when full sink was my main way of fishing.

 

In rivers, if I'm using a full sink line it's again that three sink rate and down stream nymphing. Otherwise I use a sink tip line if I want to get down, or weighted flies, sometimes both. One time I walked a mile down river nymphing ahead of myself, just high lifting the rod and letting it down, high lift, let it down, the whole way with type 3 full sink. Never caught so many brookies in my life but they were all pretty small in a place that has some big fish. Still, I was doing this because we were wading down river to where we would get out of the river, so this was all bonus catches in knee deep water. All on small Hares Ear nymphs, it was long ago now but I want to think size 18, maybe 16. Ya full sink has it's place in my heart ! I could go on with stories but well, you get the picture.

[JSzymczyk 0]

yes I have a few. A 6wt type IV, a 7wt type II, and an 8wt type VI. Off the top of my head I don't remember what makes they are, I think one is a SA, one is a Rio, and one is Cabela's. I have had others in the past. They have their place. Although they are not HEAVIER than an equivalent weight floating line, they are DENSER (duh... that's why they sink). They cast differently than a floating line for sure. They sink through air the same way they sink through water. IN MY OPINION they require higher line speeds to cast acceptably compared to floating lines, and are not what I would call pleasant to cast. Obviously, it is much more difficult to pick up any length of line out of the water for a back cast than a floating line. With the faster sinking lines, expect to fully retrieve the entire length of the cast before making false casts again. I don't fully understand the physics, but very smart people have told me and I've found it to be true, that it works well to overline 1 weight with fast action rods when using a full sink line. I've used them to catch different fish, including stuff like flounder by dragging a weighted fly along a sand bottom with a fast sink line. Also have reached deep 20+ feet holding bass in Lake Erie and other lakes, redfish in tidal rips, caught some nice trout in heavy current rivers, etc. Honestly though at this stage in my life, if the fishing situation requires a fast sinking fly line, I think I would be happier using spinning tackle.

[mikechell 0]

Honestly though at this stage in my life, if the fishing situation requires a fast sinking fly line, I think I would be happier using spinning tackle.

This ... but I am not a fly fishing only guy, never have been. In any situation that I need to get deeper than 10 feet, I am going to spinning and casting tackle. Even 9 to 10 feet deep is going to be a toss up whether I use fly or conventional gear.

[vicente 0]

I use the Rio outbound short I've been very happy with it.

[Dave G. 0]

Casting full sink line penetrates the wind better than floating line. It also sinks at your feet and gets caught on rocks and such, so you need some means of controlling the extra line. Some people get good at untangling from the rocks LOL. Ideally, a method of handling the spare line rolled in the hand needs to be adopted, or use a stripping basket or fish where it's sandy bottom. . In a river, in part, this is why I like sink tip, plus you only really need that tip section to sink in a river to begin with . I've found SA Mastery series line to be good in sink tip, in terms of casting it feels much like floating line to cast. However, Cortland 333 or 444 will outlast SA Mastery line, in my experience but have more hinge effect.. For where I river fish, it's early in May that you need to get down, the rest of the warm weather and into Sept floating line is fine.

 

I've found that sink tip line used in ponds doesn't work as well as full sink, I don't know if it imparts different action on the flies or if it just doesn't reach bottom but my fish rate goes way up with full sink in cold water ( like now through all of March and into early April as long as we have open water ). There is one beach area or two that I might still cast full sink line from in the colder water weather but as I said before, that once the boat is in use then we troll for sub surface fishing, either type III or using lead core.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

I'm not fond of full sinking lines - but I really like their more modest cousin -the intermediate line. All of my heavier rods (10wt on up) use a full intermediate line - and we routinely fish them deep in waters that might be as much as 12 feet deep - by simply counting the sink rate down after the cast - along with a big, bushy fly with large bead chain eyes that sinks at the same rate as that intermediate line - for controlled depth fishing or you can fish one just under the surface by simply starting stripping before the line sinks.... There's only two things you can't do with the intermediate - fish popping bugs or other patterns you want to remain at the surface, or pick up the line for a second cast (without stripping the line almost in before rolling up what's left , then doing a smooth backcast and a powerful forward cast after you clear the line from the water with that roll cast...

 

The intermediate tends to suspend at whatever depth you start your retrieve (whether that's just sub-surface or ten feet down). Folks that use an intermediate tip on a floating line soon learn that the moment you start stripping the fly that short intermediate line rises to the floating line - meaning that your fly might start deep but with a few strips it's no longer where you want it....

 

The intermediate is also superior to any other line for casting as well as when you're working a fly in the surf since it cuts below the waves and allows you work your fly with little wave interference....

[ihang10 0]

I use the Rio outbound short I've been very happy with it.

Yes. 250 grains for my 7wt throws shad darts very well.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

I've only every owned one full sinking line, which I bought because it was recommended by Kelly Galloup and Bob Linsenman's book Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout for throwing the huge take-no-prisoners streamers like the ones that you tie so well . I don't know if that's why you're shopping for full sinking lines or not, but if it is, I can tell you I swapped mine out pretty quickly for a sink-tip because they do the streamer thing just as well and are one whole heck of a lot easier to cast.

The full sinker that I have is a Cortland 444 "Rocket Taper" and it's more or less compatible with 6/7 wt. rods. It's only been used a few times and honestly I'll give it to you if you want to try it out; I don't use it anymore.

[Kudu 0]

I fish full sink a lot. I choose it over the intermediate because of the flow. I streamer fish a lot at 7000 to 13000cfs below the wolf creek dam. It is a pain to cast especially since I fish a 15' leader with 3 streamers at a time. I use the orvis brand. Bought it on closeout cheap.

[eastern fly 0]

I've only every owned one full sinking line, which I bought because it was recommended by Kelly Galloup and Bob Linsenman's book Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout for throwing the huge take-no-prisoners streamers like the ones that you tie so well . I don't know if that's why you're shopping for full sinking lines or not, but if it is, I can tell you I swapped mine out pretty quickly for a sink-tip because they do the streamer thing just as well and are one whole heck of a lot easier to cast.

The full sinker that I have is a Cortland 444 "Rocket Taper" and it's more or less compatible with 6/7 wt. rods. It's only been used a few times and honestly I'll give it to you if you want to try it out; I don't use it anymore.

PM me I would like to try that line.

 

Kevin

[vicente 0]

Another good option for a sinking tip with less of a hinge effect is to get an intermediate line and use a versa leader.

[Hatchet Jack 0]

I have a few Orvis Access full sink lines. I can cast them fairly well but it took a while to get the timing down.

Biggest thing that helped was to shorten my leader to no more than 3 - 4 feet.

(it's just a length of level monofilament, no taper)

 

I do not try to get nice tight loops when casting a full sink; it's counterproductive and leaves my head covered with spaghetti.

A constant motion, constant load "Belgian sorta cast" works good.

 

I use them mainly fishing lakes, but there are times I'll use them on a trout stream to get streamers down deep.

 

Give a full sink a try, & just be patient with it when casting, you'll get the hang of it.

They do have a benefit over a bead line of lead sinkers

[eastern fly 0]

I have tried full sink likes on my friends rods. I want some to get my fly down and on the same plain with the line. I have several sink tips so I don't really need more.

 

Kevin

[vicente 0]

Yea sometimes you need a full sinking line I mostly use mine in pyramid lake to fish a wooly bugger behind a floating beetle near the bottom. A sinking tip doesn't work very well for it.