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What type of line do you use for streamers?

2284 Views 34 Replies 20 Participants Last post by  Anglermang
Do you use sink tip for trout? I'm not talking salmon or steels, just for trout. Or do you use you standard floating line?

I don't fish streamers a ton and trying to figure out if I want to buy an extra spool and line for a new reel I got. My old reel has an extra spool with sink tip on it but when you add up the spool and sink tip for the new reel it would be $275 so I want to see if it is worth it from folks who throw streamers more often than I do.

Thx
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Polyleaders of different sink rates.
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It depends. If I'm jerk/twitch fishing them, think bass fishing with a jerk bait, I run a floating line with 9' Ox . If stripping and swinging, floating line with 5-6' of T14 and 4' 12lb maxima.
I used a sink tip line for trout fishing for the first time this week. Every time before that I used floating line with sinking leader, but it seemed like it wasn't effective when I got to deeper water.

I definitely got more hits on the streamer than I am used to. Especially in deeper, calmer water. Started tossing upstream a little further and started the swing when the streamer passed by. Definitely going deeper. Definitely getting more action.

Plus, in shallower water, I didn't notice the sink tip causing me any issue as I thought it might. As long as the tension is there, my streamer never touched the bottom or hung up.
opst commando and straight 10ft tips at 80grains and different sink rates. Also modified my 9ft 6wt to an extended bottom handle.
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opst commando and straight 10ft tips at 80grains and different sink rates. Also modified my 9ft 6wt to an extended bottom handle.
I still want to try out your homemade Barbie switch rod!
I still want to try out your homemade Barbie switch rod!
Indeed you will. The pink ghetto switch is deadly.
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15 ft integrated type 6 sink tip, 6 wt
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I have an 8' integrated sink tip type 4 on my 5wt. 10' type 6 on my 6 wt and 15' type 6 on my wt and I use a 3-5' leader
I have been enjoying Outbound Short Hover 260 grain. I have some T-7 lying around that I make my own Polyleaders out of.
Rio Streamer Tip 24' 200 grain on my 7 wt, 300 grain on my 8.

I'm not really a fan of the polyleaders due to the hinge effect.
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I will say one thing, of you use heavily weighted streamers, a sink tip can be gnarly.
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About 8 years ago I finally decided to buy extra spools and started to use sink tip lines and I have to say that my number of days on the water has stayed the same but my fish count has easily quadrupled for sure.... now all of my reels have at least 2 or even 3 extra spools and I have several different types of sink tips from Scientific Anglers to Rio and Orvis too.... the front welded loop thing has also been a boost and my standard jam now is a simple straight short length of flouro tippet and then the fly... simple and easy and it does the job man.... go for it amigo... best fly fishing decision I have made bro....
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SA Streamer express. Match the grain weight to your rod. 150-200-250 grains for a 5-6-7 weight.
Does anyone use an intermediate Outbound? Or to put it another way, anyone use their beach line in a river?
Does anyone use an intermediate Outbound? Or to put it another way, anyone use their beach line in a river?
I don't fish streamers for trout very often, but sometimes I will do that with my 8wt because it will cast almost any trout streamer a mile. It is definitely overkill, but sometimes I like to have a dedicated streamer rod in the boat and it's the one in my arsenal that makes the most sense. Standing in the front of a drift boat, an 8wt Outbound Short will put a heavy streamer basically anywhere in the river that you want. It's pretty fun.
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Old school for me.
I use either a Rio Versa-Tip or Airflo multi-tip running line and slap 15' of T-14 on it.
Caught a lot of fish on that set-up and it lasts much longer then the six months or so I've been getting out of Outbounds before they start to crack.

OBS is the worst $80.00 + investment you can make in a line. Buy them on close-out for $35.00 so you won't feel so bad when they become a total POS.
SF
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Used to use Outbound shorts on my 7wt.... it felt like too much work for me to cast...

This year, I switched to Rio's 24ft 200 grain sink tip and much prefer it to the outbound heads.... still get the sink effect I want, but not so heavy in the front end....
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I second the votes for Rio Outbound or Streamer tip lines as they throw the heavier streamers much better than a standard WF line.
Second spool ordered. Many thanks for the input.
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