[Jim Wallace]

I plan to hit my favorite local "stocker pond" on Monday, but I might head up there tomorrow morning.
Might be fun just to enjoy observing the "circus."

I tried out my intermediate line with the sink tips a week ago. I ended up looping a 12' type 3 tip onto the type 2 intermediate main line, and then looped a 12' type 6 sink tip onto the end of that. This type 2/3/6 "frankenline" cast better than I expected. It took my fly down deeper than if it were just a type 2 intermediate. However, the trout didn't seem to like the fly I was using, or maybe I didn't get it in front of one, and I got no hits on that setup.
I ended up anchoring and casting to some stockers hanging out in 8' to 12' depths with my other rod, rigged with a type 1 clear intermediate. Had a #10 Halloween Bugger on the end, retrieved deep and slow. Meh. Was a so-so day. Nothin' over 14". Five to the net, five LDR'd, and a bunch of missed takes.

 

[Jim Wallace]

Didn't go today. Folks show up there at midnight to get an early start. The launch is a zoo all morning. The parking areas get packed, but you can always find a spot. The weather is fine, cloudy with some blue holes light winds and virtually no precip, yet. These nice conditions are supposed to deteriorate after 11 am, when the wind picks up. Tomorrow looks too breezy/showery, and Mon looks a bit breezy, but with chance of showers diminishing by afternoon, and maybe some sun breaks, it doesn't look too bad. The crowd will be a bit thinner.
Tuesday morning looks to be fairly balmy.
When I go lake fishing for trout these days, I like it to also be an enjoyable time on the water, whether or not I catch anything. So I pretty much quit lake fishing in the rain and stiff breezes. Showers and light winds are OK, as is sunny and a bit breezy. It turns out that this morning would have been just fine, except for the crowd and "zoo scene."
I usually avoid fishing popular spots on weekends, but I've been known to head out then, when I'm meeting up with another angler who can't fish on week days.
Its nice to be retired!

 

[Jim Wallace]

Seems like you could just throw the type 6 on the intermediate, skip the 3, and achieve almost the same sink rate with a simpler setup. Never tried it though I have considered it. GL Monday.

Thanks! The lake where I'm heading has some nice shoals and dropoffs, where I'm fishing in the 3' to 12' depths, and I just use a straight clear intermediate type 1 or type 2 there (I have a couple of each, in different weights). Sometimes I even use a floating line to cast to trout feeding up on the shallow shoals (2'to 4'deep) above the drop offs...when I notice them there. Later, when the crowd thins, I might try slow trolling along the "old creek bed" which is 15' to 21' down, and then I'll need a deeper/faster sinker. I usually just troll over that "gully" after I launch to get to the far end, where I prefer to fish. Then I can anchor and work a drop off zone.
I like to avoid the subtle game of "chicken" being played by some of the trollers when nobody wants to alter their chosen route.

Oh, almost forgot to say that 24' of quicker sinking line seems to troll deeper than only 12' of it (looped to the end of my type 2 main line).
I can also remove the faster sinking tips and swap back over to the clear type 2 tip.

 

[Jim Wallace]

Yes, I can see that would be true. And if trolling, any casting detriments are minimised to near zero. And, if you discover the fish are holding (say a thermocline) 12' to 16' deep, you can quickly remove the 6.

Yes, and I can take both tips off and re-install only the type 6.
Jeff Dodd offered me a type 3 Cortland 333 that he doesn't use. That's the "same" line that I had before, and lost. I'm also still eyeing the Sixth Sense type 5.