Fly Lines

[Lance]

Has anyone tried any of the new interchangable tip lines from Rio or SA? I'm thinking this might not be a bad answer for my steehead rig but I'm a little skeptical/nervous about stuff like that until I get some first hand information.

[silverbullet]

Lance,
I bought a reels last summer that when i recieved it the guy left the line on it.The guy told me it was a Cabela's prestige plus multi tip less the extra tips just the floater was on it.I tried it last fall for steel on my 6 wt rod and found i wasn't fond of it.It may just have been me but it felt more like it hinged rather than roll over on a cast.I tried it with different flies and still never got the feel of it.sorry i can't be of more help.
jeff

[Lance]

That hinged feel is the part I'm afraid of.

[mattgmann]

Just curious as to where in ohio you use a sink tip for steelies.

As for the "hinge effect", if you cast a good loop you won't notice it. Take a look at Jim Teeny lines. I own a few different floating models and they are some of the best lines I've cast. His sinking lines, and sink tips are what gave his company such a great reputation though. Teeny lines are all super specialized and work wonders for what they're made to do.

I personally have never needed a sink tip, or sinking line for steelhead in ohio. I use a Teeny, Kelly Galloup "Indicator" line. It's got and extra long belly and can easily carry alot of extra weight, i.e split shots and indicators. It's the best line I've found for the kind of fishing we do here.

I do not reccomend any of the new "steelhead" lines from orvis, rio, or SA (or any other company). They're all designed with west coast fishing in mind, long casts, swinging wet flies etc. If you look towards a floating line, and don't go with the Teeny indicator, look for any nymphing specific lines. They'll all be variatoins on a WF-F line.

[Lance]

I was mainly thinking of a sinktip for fishing streamers in the fall on the Grand or Conneaut when the fish are in deeper water. I'm not fond of loading up too much splitshot if I don't have to and am looking for another alternative. Currently I use an SA WF8 Mastery Ultra2 on my steelhead rig. It works great for nymphs and eggs in the spring.

[mattgmann]

When I have to get deep, I use a sinking leader. I use 30-40lb lead core trolling line as a butt, and taper a short leader off of it.
I rarely do that anymore though. I've found through casting at the right angles, I can get very lightly weighted flies deep, in ever quick currents.

I generally use a scott sas 10' 6wt, but I prefer a 5wt whenever I can use it. Grand normally calls for my 6wt though.

Have you had a good spring steelhead season? Seems to me that this spring is going exceptionally well. I've only been out a half dozen times, but fishing for me has been great. Landed the my biggest steelie yesterday at Chagrin, 35". Don't know the weight, but it was a huge beautiful hen, and encredibly thick. It looked like she belonged on the west coast. The next largest fish I've got this spring was only 28", but on a 5wt, and a #20 prince nymph was a whale of fun.

I've heard great things about the SA mastery lines, but haven't got to use one yet. Hopefully I can find an excuse to try one out. Have you tried any of the mastery lines on smaller outfits, i.e. 3-4wt?

[Lance]

My spring has been a story of not getting out much. Ive' gotten to fish 6 1/2 hrs so far of which 5 were yesterday in cold muddy water. Every time I try to go something screws me up.

I use the SA Mastery lines on almost all of my rods. I've got the XPS line in DT3F DT5F and WF5F and have Wonderline on my backup steelhead reel. I have been very pleased with the SA lines. The Wonderline just doesn't see much use to be able to judge it. The only Cortland I've had exposure to was some Laserline that my buddy got when he bought a new rod and reel. In a year the coating was crack throught the length of the line so I stay away from Cortland at this point.

[Neapolis]

I bought a full sink line on the recomendation of a guy I fished with on the AuSable in MI (BIG Streamers for BIG Browns) and I have been using it for steelhead in OH and MI, I find I can cast it better than the sink tip that I was using.