Walter & Group...
Good question from Peter Morse:-
Gordy some time ago someone touched briefly on research done on
sinking flies and sinking lines and the importance of having the fly
sink faster than the line, I'm pretty sure I read it on one of your
threads here. Can anyone elaborate on this.
Thanks,
Peter
Team Sage
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Fly
Fisherman, Writer, Photographer.
PO Box 7033
Leura
NSW 2780
(61)
0247821198
0422607038
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Peter... I can answer your question from personal experience. Forgive me if it is more than you want to know.
SHORT ANSWER: Density compensated full sink fly lines are designed so that the tip of the line sinks almost as fast as the belly, thus keeping the fly fished deep longer during the retrieve.
DETAILS AND PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS :
Several years ago, at Montauk, we noted that when fishing in water anywhere from 10' to 30' deep that the fly anglers didn't get anywhere near the number of strikes from Striped bass as the fishermen using heavy jigs and spinning rods. The fish were feeding deep on and near the bottom.
We rigged with weighted flies (Clousers) and intermediate sink lines and did a little better ... but not well.
Then we started using sink-tip lines and improved our hook up to cast ratio.... But still not as good as the guys with the jigs.
Logic dictated that we had to get down deeper more quickly, so we went to using full sink lines and shortened our leaders to no more than 3' in length ...... improved even more. Same when using 30' + 45' sinking heads.
When the DENSITY COMPENSATED FULL SINK FLY LINES came on the market, we used them with great success and, in fact, did better than the jiggers !!
We took these lines to the Bahamas . There, we did some diving in crystal clear water to see for ourselves just exactly how these lines performed. Here is what we noted:
1.) Both the standard full sink lines and the sinking heads got down to the bottom at about the same time.
2.) The sink tip lines got down to 10' almost as fast .... but took a lot longer to get down to 20'.
3.) THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE WAS THAT AS THE SKIFF DRIFTED WITH THE WIND, THE RETRIEVED FLY REMAINED IN THE STRIKE ZONE NEAR THE BOTTOM MUCH LONGER THAN WITH ANY OF THE OTHER LINES.
4.) In no instance did the fly actually sink faster than the tip of the line unless it was a weighted fly.
When a standard fly (not heavily weighted one) was used, the tip of the fly line took longer to sink than the belly when a non- density compensated full sink fly line was used. On the retrieve, the fly was eventually pulled down to the level of the belly, but that meant that it didn't stay in the deep strike zone very long. (The belly of the uncompensated line would sometimes be dragging on the bottom while the tip of the line and the fly were a good 6' to as much as 10' more shallow.)
The density compensated fly line was weight balanced so that the tip of the line sank at almost the same rate as the thicker and heavier belly. Since the leader was only about 3' long, the fly remained close to the bottom strike zone throughout most of the retrieve.
The best scenario was to use these Density Compensated full sink fly lines along with weighted flies when the fish were feeding only near the bottom.
When the current was booming in a direction opposite that of the wind, it was more difficult to get down to where we needed to be, so we did this:
Instead of using Class II (Type II) to Class IV lines, we went heavier with the use of density compensated Class (Type) VI one size heavier than the rating of the fly rod. We matched these to weighted Clouser flies and short (3') leaders ....
We "cleaned their clocks" with those rigs !!!
Some may be wondering why we didn't simply use the sinking heads. Reasons: 1. They didn't keep the fly in the strike zone as long so we got fewer strikes. 2. If we had a strike near the end of the retrieve and had the thin shooting line or mono on the deck it stood the risk of tangling as the fish ran. 3. When the current and wind were both fierce and in opposite directions, the full sink density compensated lines allowed us to make a short cast, then feed line by making a series of stack roll-mends to get down fast enough. 4. We couldn't "roll cast it repeatedly to the surface" if the fish suddenly came up in the water column.
We have used these lines and techniques for many other deep running species in various places. One example was the fishing we did for Pacific Big-eye tuna off Bahia Tamarindo, Costa Rica. (Bob Andrea and I each got a World record tuna that way.... records since bested. ) Worked well, too, for deep running African Pompano. Worked for deep feeding GT's near the ship channel pilings off Weipa (York Penninsula, northern Australia as well.)..... also for bagging a delicious dinner grouper from a coral reef.
Having said all this ..... I MUCH prefer to fish any and all species by sight fishing near and at the surface.... it's just that there are times when the fish are stuck feeding down deep. Only then do I put down my surface outfit and go down for them. I'll even sometimes try getting deep fish to come up for a surface strike by using a popper to "chug em up".
Gordy