Looking for a floating line?

[Whitetail111]

Hey guys I have a 10wt G.Loomis CrossCurrent and was wondering what you
guys suggest for a good floating line? Thanks. Is the Cortland 444 Lazer any good or would you go with a higher end line for stripers/blues? Thanks.

[merch]

I recently had the pleasure of using a Snowbee line. It was a dream.

I use the 444 SL's in the offshore/rocket taper and I am quite happy with them. They're are not as trendy as other lines but the price is right and the function is just fine.

You may want to go up a few line weights from the label though. I have a 9wt crosscurrent and I need to use and 12wt to get it singing.

The Rio Outbounds are very good too although the running line is a little thin. I'd try the 10wt or 11wt outbound with that rod. The heads are actually 420 and 465 grains respectively. The equivalent of about a 13/14 weight.

Hope this helps.

[cb2fly]

Whitetail, Did you select a line, or have you tried any that you like?
cb

[merch]

I was wondering as well...

[Whitetail111]

I use the Airflo lines and like them. I have both an intermediate and a depth charge line that work well with my set up. Seeing I really won't use the floating much. I was leaning towards a different line not as expensive. I may occasionally want to toss a popper for stripers/blues and just want to be ready. Not that I can't with an intermediate....just figured having the floating would be nice to add to my setups.

[merch]

You can do jhust about everything that you can with those other lines with a floater alone... and much more.

Get a floater and study some floating line trout and steelhead techniques. You'll see what I mean.

Have fun!

Tom

[Whitetail111]

Anything specific Merch? I have the fast sink tips in the various rates....if thats what your referring to? Are the schoolies around your way yet? Can't wait!!!!

[merch]

I haven't fished for any schoolies yet but I'd imagine they are trickling in.

There are a lot of specifics. Too much to post. In general, look up the greased line swing, slipping drift, etc. The traditional (steelhead/salmon)floating line tichniques are refered to as greased lining since flyfishers used to put "grease" on their silk lines in order to make them float.

Jock Scotts book, Greased Line Fishing is very old, but it is the authority and original work on floating line techniques. The stuff in it can be directly applied to fishing the salt.

Sink tips are one way to make it work, but you can also fish deep with an unweighted fly, long leader and floating line alone. In general, casting further upstream and mending your line to keep the current from dragging your line and fly will give the fly time to sink and fish deep. Sort of like bucktailing in a rip. The further upcurrent you cast, the more time the jig has to sink.

I do use split shot on the leader at times as well. It gets things down a little faster when necessary and allows me to continue to fish an unweighted fly a little deeper. Unweighted flies are great because the will hover and move with 6 degrees of freedom. The split shot does not inhibit that either. Weighted flies tend to give a jigging action and need to be moved or pulled to maintain depth. They have their time and place though.

If you want to know more I'll be happy to tell you what I know. Maybe in a PM as not to clog the forum with my ramblings. Or maybe I'll go ahead and clog it.

Let me know.

Tom