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[Xgolfman]

I took my 6 wt out today on the squamish, i have two lines for it, an S.A. floating line, xxd and a full sink line for lakes...even though i was chucking some weighted fly's, they weren't getting down enough...i need a good sink tip line and would like to hear what is recommended...would you want a shooting line in this and is that acceptable? are there different lenghts and weights etc. i would be using this line on our local systems, i.e. vedder, squamish, stave where ever you'd need a little more weight....your thoughts and knowledge would be greatly appreciated,

[itosh]

For the cheapest option, my suggestion would be to buy some bulk T-14 and make you own tips.  Lengths of 5, 7.5 and 10 ft. should cover most depths and/or applications.  I believe it sells for ~$0.50/ft.  At the store, get them to nail knot 30~40# mono on one end with a small perfection loop so that you have a 4 inch tag end.  When you get home:
1. Taper the last centimeter or so of the line with a razor blade
2. Fold the line back onto itself so that is forms a small loop
3. Wrap the line with thread and tie off
4. Coat the threads with a flexible adhesive such as Aquaseal

Thats it.  Super cheap, easy to do but is not pretty to cast (but then, heavy tips in general aren't pretty to cast).  The tapering of the line allows for a smaller profile where you wrap the thread, which helps the line travel through the guides.  Just loop the tips onto you full floater (assuming you have a loop on hte end of it).  I use this system the most on rivers, but as i said earlier, it is not pretty to cast. Slow your stroke, open your loop and try not to false cast so much.  And be prepared for some sore muscles (right Rodney??... lol).

Another option that you could try is just use the tips off of a versi-tip line.  I have a 8wt versi tip, and use the tips on my 5/6 wt. rod no problems.  The type 8 & 6 tips have gotten me into the zone, but I just prefer using the shorter tips for control reasons.

Just remember to use a shorter leader when using tips, about 3~4 ft, otherwise your fly might not be getting down enough.

There are probably other methods out there, but the T-14 works for me and is cheap.

Shane

[Steelhead King]

if you gonna get a line for Squmish system, i would go for the SA ultra 4 wet tip type 3 or 5 . Its a 10 feet sink tip, with a sink rate of 4ips to 8ips. Its super smooth casting, great for distance as well as control. If you need get down in a faster run, you can simply add a 7 feet of super or extra super fast sinking polyleader, with a short tippet and a weighted fly, you can get down pretty deep...  As for the T-14, i use them but its not a easy line to cast, you have to slow down your stroke and basically flop out the line. Again, its the cheapest way to get your fly down. And if you do have an old floating line that you don't really want, you can make your own sink tip line by cutting back about 10-18ft of the front taper ( cut it where the fly line just tapered to the fat body.) Put on a braided loop, and follow shane's instruction, cut pieces of T-14 and looped on to your floating line. Or you can just simply buy a actual sinking tip from Rio in type 3 or 6 or 8 depends on the location you gonna fish.  Now to answer your question, a shooting line would work for both distance and depth. But don;t got much line control, if you gonna buy a shooting head system, might as well buy a actual sink-tip line.   Come down and see me at Anglers West if you have any other question.

Marco

[newsman]

I would go with itosh's advice. I tend to a maverick when it comes to standard fly fishing convention (custom or customary practice), after over thirty years of having had the time and the money to have been there and done that I find allot of the stuff and products out there, to nothing more than verbal wind passing a bunch of self promoting elitists. That being said I believe that sink tip lines are redundant with the advent of shooting heads. With a little time and study anyone can manufacture their own heads at home to cover whatever application desired, and not be resticted to what a manufacturer mass produces on the assembly like.

And now I recant what I said about the book "Advanced Fly Fishing For Steelhead".  After not having looked at my copy for ten years I leafed through my copy last night to look again at the fly suggestion. Starting on page 99, the chapter on Shooting heads, there good instruction on how to use and build shooting heads.   

[Xgolfman]

thanks for the info...last question..Ok, probably not, but can or is what your describing be used as a nymph line as well???

[newsman]

Yes the technic some of us have named leadheading, and use when tageting Salmon, is a variation of wet line nymphing.

[Xgolfman]

Ok, as i got stuck doing errands and having to go see the accountant i got punked out of my weds fishing...did find the time to hit the one shop in bell'hm that has some fly gear and got an SA wet tip line....got it with a 5 sink rate as well...choose these more because that was all the shop had and as well as i called up M & Y's and talked to them and they told me it was the same line one of their guys uses and is fine...So, yes i'm lazy and if smarter i probably should have waited till next weekend's big fly fishing show in Seattle..but i'm hoping to use it this weekend so what the heck, hope this line is a good one,,,thanks guys,

[abito]

Multi-tip systems are the best for river fishing..cause each run can be different. They are easier to change then to change a spool or a reel.

Rio multi-tip system for factory tip system..smallest factory loops but the problem is with a 6wt the loops might get caught on the guides unless the rod is a salt water series which comes with oversized guides.

Making your own tips are good too but again got to make sure the loops are nice and small.

If you are fishing alot of rivers, you might want to look into getting yourself a two hander...u will wonder why you didn't get it earlier.

Golfman, do you fish the nooksack at all?

[itosh]

Hope it works out well for you.  Personally, I have found that a Type 5 tip usually isn't heavy enough to get down in most of the spots I fish.  That being said, if you use it in the right situation (depth/flow) it will be fine.  I also have a Type 5 head (5 ft.) that was donated to me that seems to work best when the water is 3-4' deep with a slow to moderate flow.  Worked great with 3' of leader to a small fry pattern last spring in one particular run.  Due to the lightness though, it was MUCH easier to cast than a comparble length of T-14!

Shane

[Xgolfman]

Yes, i've fished the nooksack but not a whole lot, may go up on Sat. though if the weather holds...i guess i should more but i honestly like the Vedder a lot more so don't....i have the rio multi tip...(andronomos advantage) on my 9wt. i didn't want to go with that on a 6wt for the reason you said etc. Itosh, i'm hoping that with the shorter leader and going with a sinking leader and heavy flys it will work out...it's got to be a heck of an improvement over the dry line though so it's at least a start...i'm not planning on doing a whole lot of river fishin with the 6wt. ill stick with the 9wt for most of that...but i at least have a dry line, a sink tip and a full sink for the 6wt for everything else...again, thanks for all the help!!! just shows the more you learn the more you realise you don't know diddly...guess i'm a 18 handicap at this sport still.

[abito]

you like the vedder more?
from what i hear from some guys at a local tackle shop, they would fish the nooksack over the vedder any day of the week.

[Xgolfman]

you like the vedder more?
from what i hear from some guys at a local tackle shop, they would fish the nooksack over the vedder any day of the week.

let me guess, the guys at M&Y's?? and they use stone flys to catch them too....to each their own, i've fished the nooksack and while a nice stretch of water it is heavily netted, it's not even listed as decent in the fish guides....the skagit? yes..but not the nooksack