[DixielandDelight]

Axle, the rod I have it rigged up on is a 7wt Avid. Thusfar, I have only used it making shorter casts with streamers on the D so it has taken a bit of getting used to handling the sink belly line in my hands (it slips through my grasp if I am not paying attention). Once I get out onto some larger tailwaters or bass rivers, I figure I will be making longer casts that will get all of the 30' sink section out and be handling the running line - which my fingers are more accustomed to. But for now, I think I have to get better at making presentations, mends, and hooksets with the sink belly line in my hand on those shorter casts on the trout streams I fish.

[Riparian]

Dixie,

I dont have a lot of experience with sinking lines but the key to making long casts with these things seems to be finding the point or amount of line which properly loads the rod to its full potential. That amount, no more , no less and making one back cast and the shoot everything you have stripped off the reel in one forward cast.

[DixielandDelight]

Roger. It helps me to pause an extra half second in my back cast, too, but that seems to be true any time I am throwing heavy flies regardless of line type. But, I have noticed that when I launch a cast the sink belly tends to want to wrap around the rod between the reel and the first guide. Is there a good way to reduce those occurrences?

[Riparian]

Originally Posted by DixielandDelight

Roger. It helps me to pause an extra half second in my back cast, too, but that seems to be true any time I am throwing heavy flies regardless of line type. But, I have noticed that when I launch a cast the sink belly tends to want to wrap around the rod between the reel and the first guide. Is there a good way to reduce those occurrences?

may be over powering it.

keep the extra line in your left hand and let it shoot through your hand instead of just letting go and letting it flop against the rod.

[axle27]

Originally Posted by DrLogik

I don't fish much with them but I would "think" the rod's flex would alter how the rod handles the weighted line as much or more than a heavier rod.

A stiff fast action rod would most likely handle the load better than a medium flex rod....in any weight rod. Take that one step further and I'd drop down a weight if I were using a medium flex rod.

That's an interesting way to put it. Never thought of that. Being the Avid is notoriously slower than most anything else (at least what I have. My Avid 4wt is much slower than my Imperials or Legend Ultra), this would make sense if I decided on a long belly. For $27 a piece, I might be willing to get a 6wt and a 7wt and try them out.

I'm almost convinced to use a standard long belly WF floating and add a sinking tip (Ti6) if I get to a pool or something. That, or use my 5wt as a second rod with the sink tip for streamers. I really won't know anything until A) I get a reel and line for the 7wt and get to casting it and B) hit the water where I'll be fishing. I hate making these sort of determinations when I'm on the water, but it seems that sometimes this happens.

[hoosfisher]

I have a 300 grain or 250 grain on my 6 wt I use for lake fishing. However, trout fishing I have still found my floating line works much easier and attach a sink tip leader, I carry 3 usually, a 12 ft. 7ips and 12 ft 5ips, and a 7 ft 7ips.. I have found it is alot easier to pick these up out of the water than a full sinking line and much more versatile if you decide you don't want the sink tip anymore. I ALWAYS fish tip-flex/fast action with streamers and sinking lines.

In my opinion, on any of the local trout streams you never need a full sinking line- a 12 or 7 ft section is plenty to get your fly down even on the tailwaters with the water up, unless you wanna deep run the deepest holes...