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Lateral view of a Female Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
Hex Mayflies
Hexagenia limbata

The famous nocturnal Hex hatch of the Midwest (and a few other lucky locations) stirs to the surface mythically large brown trout that only touch streamers for the rest of the year.

27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
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Mcflyangler
Mcflyangler's profile picture
New Mexico, United States

Posts: 35
Mcflyangler on Jan 21, 2017January 21st, 2017, 9:50 am EST
I am looking for a good sinking tip line for streamer fishing. Where I fish it can get as deep as 20 feet, and its rather quick moving water. I don't need to hit the bottom though, just get a good 10' or so. I plan on using a Sage Method (its rather stiff) in a 6wt. Any recommendations? A line that can cast with such a stiff rod?
Mc Fly Angler
http://www.mcflyangler.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/mcflylures
Partsman
Partsman's profile picture
bancroft michigan

Posts: 321
Partsman on Jan 21, 2017January 21st, 2017, 1:29 pm EST
I have been studying streamer lines myself and I'm considering the airflo streamer max, the only to find out is to buy it and try it.
Mike.
PaulRoberts
PaulRoberts's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 1776
PaulRoberts on Jan 23, 2017January 23rd, 2017, 9:56 am EST
Ten feet of moving water is asking a lot. You'd need a ton of weight so a 6wt wont do it. I've fished 20+ feet down using a full sink main line and a leadcore head. That was in still water and you had to be patient.

Maybe a conventional spinning rig?
Mcflyangler
Mcflyangler's profile picture
New Mexico, United States

Posts: 35
Mcflyangler on Jan 27, 2017January 27th, 2017, 6:49 am EST
No thanks on the conventional. I think I am going to try the Rio "outbound short" 10' sink tip... I can always add a bit of weight on the streamers and throw them on a longer leader to get down even deeper. Any thoughts?
Mc Fly Angler
http://www.mcflyangler.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/mcflylures
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Jan 27, 2017January 27th, 2017, 11:08 am EST
Mcflyangler wrote;

and throw them on a longer leader to get down even deeper


I'm not 100% sure about what I am about to write but I'm pretty sure that I read someplace that you defeat the intent of a sink tip fly line by using a long leader. I kind of remember seeing an illustration of the sink tip portion of the line getting deeper in the water column then seeing a belly in the long leader and the fly well above the depth of the tip of the sink tip line.

In my thought process I would imagine a short leader would be more effective in getting the fly deeper. I often use only a piece of 0X about 2' - 3' long when the water in the river I fish is higher than normal and stained. I'm no expert though regarding sinking line strategies.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Jan 29, 2017January 29th, 2017, 12:42 pm EST
Matt, I've heard the same recommendations, including on here when I asked. I have a 5-weight sink tip to deploy one of these days at Reid Lake, which has a maximum depth of 38 ft. Not that I need to go THAT deep, but I am planning on going deeper than with just a weighted fly on a floating line. It was a couple of years ago I walked into Wellman's bait and tackle, at the mouth of the Au Sable, to drop off some perch from that lake that I was shown someone else's catch from that lake...and thought they were walleye! Those can't be perch - OMG, they ARE! 15" and up, caught by a guy still fishing down deep. Perhaps if I can get one of my KBFs down in their faces I can haul up some monsters like that! And, that could also be where the lunker rainbows hide...

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...

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