Streamer/Nymph Line Recs

[mtskibum16]

Getting ready for a River float in AK this summer and I need to get a line or two as I’m outfitting my father-in-law and myself and most of my gear is for saltwater. Think big and heavy mostly with fast rods. Streamers, dead drifting flesh flies, mouse patterns. Would also be nice to have something that can handle a sink tip possibly. I’m not sure how big the water will be, but having good line control for mending and roll casting could be a bonus. Will be used from a boat and wading.

I was looking through the sites for Airflo, Rio, SA, Cortland looking at their latest tapers. Traditionally I’d just get a standard WF for general trout duty, but with all the specialty tapers these days I’m wondering if there is a better option. Lots of options for streamer, nymph, salmon/steelhead, etc. Any real life feedback on something that would work well would be appreciated.

 

[clarkman]

I've never tried sink tips on it, but the Airflo streamer float has been the perfect balance for a good floating streamer line (with weighted streamers) and nymphing line. I've tried throwing sink tips on my SA Anadro and it didn't go well (that's a fucking awesome nymphing line though).

Are you looking for one line? or would you be opposed to getting two?

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

My setup: SA anadro for nymphs. Love it for nymphing, mends really good. SA titan (I/3/5) or rio predator for streamers (F/I/3) or OPST w/ tips. The OPST is usually reserved for bank work, the other two when fishing from the raft.

If I'm limited on rods for whatever reason I'd probably bring the SA amplitude MPX and poly leaders to do both (if I could only have one line).

 

[mtskibum16]

I'm hoping to find a line that can pull double duty. I'm still trying to decide on a number of gear related issues. I keep hearing 6/7/8 wt depending on the target species as we move down the system. I have enough 6s and 8s for both of us, but just a single 7wt rod and I'm considering grabbing another so I can have a 6 and 7 or 7 and 8 rigged depending on the portion of the river and fish we're encountering. If I did that then I could have one rigged for nymphs and one for streamers.

But I may just have the 6 and 8. My first thought was to throw a streamer line (floating) on the 8 and a nymph line on the 6. Just sounds like with the big rainbows and 6" flesh flies I might be pushing it with the 6. So a line on the 8 that can do double duty decently well would be nice. I have a sink tip streamer line I can throw on the backup 7 too if we need some depth. But my buddy is saying he really doesn't think we need sink lines. IDK

 

[mtskibum16]

OK most companies have pretty similar nymphing and streamer lines. Here are a couple lines I thought were interesting for various reasons.

Rio etreme indicator: looks more like a streamer profile. says designed for boats so I'm thinking it is just a streamer line and they assume you don't need much line control from a boat. Not sure it adds much over a standard streamer line.
Cortland Salmon/steelhead: Seems to have a more aggressive front taper than Rio's Salmon line, but has a longer handling section similar to a nymph line.

Any other in-betweeners worth looking at? The other option is a standard WF do-it-all line I suppose. I'm beginning to think dead drifting is going to be the primary mode on the trip.

 

[Matt B]

I’ve had good luck with the SA Air Cel, up lined a line weight or two, for throwing junk on a budget.
If I were you I’d bring the 6 and 8 and have floating lines for each. I’d bring an integrated 10-15 foot sink tip line for at least one too, for streamers, if not both. Or you could just go floating lines with poly leaders for streamers.

 

[mtskibum16]

I’ve had good luck with the SA Air Cel, up lined a line weight or two, for throwing junk on a budget.
If I were you I’d bring the 6 and 8 and have floating lines for each. I’d bring an integrated 10-15 foot sink tip line for at least one too, for streamers, if not both. Or you could just go floating lines with poly leaders for streamers.

I've wondered about uplining a standard WFF line. I might do that for a budget option for the FILs 6wt.

My current plan for the pair of us was to bring 2 6wts, 2 8wts, and 1 7wt.
My current lines owned (that fit the bill) are 6 WFF, 6 OBS floating and intermediate, 7wt Airflo Streamer Max, 8 Airflo Striper float, 8 Orvis nymph. I have some other shooting head type beach lines but not sure a type 3 Airlo 40+ (etc) will be that helpful.

Sounds like there will be some normal nymphing for like grayling and trout early on (6wt). But I think there will be lots of egg/bead and flesh fly dead drifting. I wonder how well a nymphing line will handle big heavy articulated flesh flies. I suppose the 8wt nymph line would. But it makes me wonder if I should just stick to the streamer type lines for that work. I also think the two of us will be on one raft often so only one person fishing at a time. If I assume we don't need double of everything at the same time, I could rig one nymph 6wt, one streamer, sink streamer on the 7wt, then one nymph and one streamer 8wt. That would minimize the lines I need.

Do you think a 6wt OBS floater would fish well for smaller streamers and mice? I know how it will handle casting the bigger flies, but they aren't a great mending and handling line since the head is so heavy and the running line so small.

 

[Matt B]

I've wondered about uplining a standard WFF line. I might do that for a budget option for the FILs 6wt.

My current plan for the pair of us was to bring 2 6wts, 2 8wts, and 1 7wt.
My current lines owned (that fit the bill) are 6 WFF, 6 OBS floating and intermediate, 7wt Airflo Streamer Max, 8 Airflo Striper float, 8 Orvis nymph. I have some other shooting head type beach lines but not sure a type 3 Airlo 40+ (etc) will be that helpful.

Sounds like there will be some normal nymphing for like grayling and trout early on (6wt). But I think there will be lots of egg/bead and flesh fly dead drifting. I wonder how well a nymphing line will handle big heavy articulated flesh flies. I suppose the 8wt nymph line would. But it makes me wonder if I should just stick to the streamer type lines for that work. I also think the two of us will be on one raft often so only one person fishing at a time. If I assume we don't need double of everything at the same time, I could rig one nymph 6wt, one streamer, sink streamer on the 7wt, then one nymph and one streamer 8wt. That would minimize the lines I need.

Do you think a 6wt OBS floater would fish well for smaller streamers and mice? I know how it will handle casting the bigger flies, but they aren't a great mending and handling line since the head is so heavy and the running line so small.

As to will the OBS work--I think a lot of it has to do with the river and season you're floating. A lot of AK rivers aren't all that wide and deep, they have a lot more braiding, etc. (Ed. note--probably because they haven't all incised like has happened across more developed N America). If you're working in close and not trying to mend the running line (forget it) it might be okay. Might be great. Until you need to mend the running line for some reason.
The fact you plan to fish from the raft (a lot?) makes me wonder if you won't be on a bigger river and maybe trying to cover many miles/day. I have fished AK some but not a multi day float. Sure have read about it and dreamed about it though!
I like your idea for lines/rods as described though. If you both want to nymph smaller, no reason you can't put the heavier floating line on the 7 weight rod.

 

[mtskibum16]

As to will the OBS work--I think a lot of it has to do with the river and season you're floating. A lot of AK rivers aren't all that wide and deep, they have a lot more braiding, etc. (Ed. note--probably because they haven't all incised like has happened across more developed N America). If you're working in close and not trying to mend the running line (forget it) it might be okay. Might be great. Until you need to mend the running line for some reason.
The fact you plan to fish from the raft (a lot?) makes me wonder if you won't be on a bigger river and maybe trying to cover many miles/day. I have fished AK some but not a multi day float. Sure have read about it and dreamed about it though!
I like your idea for lines/rods as described though. If you both want to nymph smaller, no reason you can't put the heavier floating line on the 7 weight rod.

Goodnews River. I think it's actually on the smaller/lower/braided side. But it's a 7 day float and I believe about 60 miles of river. I'm not sure how we'll break down the miles/day traveling, but in the end we still have to float 60 miles of river. So I'd guess 50:50 on raft though the first couple days may be less floating.

There's a very good chance I'm overthinking it and most stuff will be short distance and minimal mending needed. I just want to be prepared and make sure gear isn't what limits our success/enjoyment.

I'm pretty confident in my line handling abilities but less so for him, so maybe I'll plan to rig pops with a 6wt nymph and myself with 6wt streamer. Then he can jump to a 7/8 with a streamer line if necessary. I haven't even counted up reels and spools, but I'll probably have enough to have some backup/alternate lines spooled up too. So maybe I'll look at picking up a two new 6wt lines and probably an 8wt streamer line.

Though it's also tempting to get a new 7wt rod I can load with a streamer line. Seems like something I'd use more frequently in the lower 48 too than an 8wt streamer setup.

Did you happen to look at that Cortland Salmon/Steelhead or Rio xtreme indicator line? Both look to possibly be a bit of a hybrid taper.

 

[Matt B]

Goodnews River. I think it's actually on the smaller/lower/braided side. But it's a 7 day float and I believe about 60 miles of river. I'm not sure how we'll break down the miles/day traveling, but in the end we still have to float 60 miles of river. So I'd guess 50:50 on raft though the first couple days may be less floating.

There's a very good chance I'm overthinking it and most stuff will be short distance and minimal mending needed. I just want to be prepared and make sure gear isn't what limits our success/enjoyment.

I get it! Sounds like a badass trip. I hope you will take lots of photos and share some with us. At this point I will just leave you to your obsession and offer one more tidbit: It's Alaska. You could catch fish on paracord if you can get a hook lashed to it.

 

[mtskibum16]

I've never tried sink tips on it, but the Airflo streamer float has been the perfect balance for a good floating streamer line (with weighted streamers) and nymphing line. I've tried throwing sink tips on my SA Anadro and it didn't go well (that's a fucking awesome nymphing line though).

Are you looking for one line? or would you be opposed to getting two?

Do you find you like the Airflo streamer in the prescribed wt class or what? You use a lot of glass rods right? I suppose that would have an effect on what wt line works best. So much of my fishing the last decade plus has been heavy integrated shooting lines, so I'm flying a bit blind in selecting more normal lines for these rods I've never fished a normal line on.

 

[clarkman]

Do you find you like the Airflo streamer in the prescribed wt class or what? You use a lot of glass rods right? I suppose that would have an effect on what wt line works best. So much of my fishing the last decade plus has been heavy integrated shooting lines, so I'm flying a bit blind in selecting more normal lines for these rods I've never fished a normal line on.

yeah, but I still went with 6wt for my 6wt. Unfortunately it only goes up to 7wt, because I'd use the 8wt for steelhead if they made it. (just more versatile than the actual nymph line). Honestly, I go heavier than most folks probably do though...even on my glass when fishing shooting heads (which is a large part of my fishing), but part of it is just that the higher grains per foot, the more shit it'll turn over regardless of rod material. I use use the normal lines for trout or carp where fly size/weight is much lower than the crap that I'm typically throwing.

 

[clarkman]

I'm sure that helped you exactly zero....

 

[SpeyrodGB]

Have you thought about poly leaders to add to your floaters. I fished out of Yakutat several yards ago. All i used was a WF 8wt for silvers. I also used a furled leader that had the sink rate of an intermediate. A few weighted flies took ca of the rest, including some size 6 closures. The worked pretty darn well.
Good luck.

 

[SculpinSwinger]

I did the Goodnews in August, mainly looking for sea run Dollie’s, and coho.
We fished very little out of the rafts, mainly gravel bars. No real wood for camp on the Goodnews, gather what you see on the bars for camp.

No help with lines, I swung a 5 wt spey rod.

 

[mtskibum16]

@SpeyrodGB yes I'll probably take a few poly leaders along. I just haven't spent much time on running water in quite some time. Back when I was river fishing a ton I was a broke kid with one rod/reel/line setup, so I've never had a chance to experiment and dial in gear for river fishing really and certainly not for AK.

@SculpinSwinger thanks for the Goodnews tip. At what point on the float did you start to encounter searun dollies and coho? So you primarily floated to water you liked then waded? I guess swinging spey rods from a raft doesn't really work. I know one of my buddies is planning to bring a spey setup. What flies did you find effective swinging?

 

[SculpinSwinger]

We were into Dollie’s by day 2, we didn’t travel too far on day 1, found a couple nice rainbows in the camp water. Silvers by day 4, I found one on day 3. The Goodnews isn’t braided until it’s lower sections.

I was the only spey rod in our group, none of us really fished out of the boats. For flies
Dolly llamas - various colors over white
Anything pink/orange and prawn like caught Dollie’s and coho
Pink/white clousers for coho
One of our group swore by polar shrimp for the Dollie’s

 

[jasmillo]

The last few times I’ve gone to AK I’ve fished my type 3 OBS for streamers and some run of the mill Rio line (Gold ?) for dries and mice.

Also - if you want to take along another 7 weight as backup for your trip, let me know . Welcome to take along one of mine. As you know. As you know, I’ll likely have two of them with me that same week up there. The third is a TFO Pro I’ve kept just in case but have not used in years. Not my favorite rod ever but will get the job done as a backup if it comes to it.

 

[mtskibum16]

@Long_Rod_Silvers @clarkman I'm pretty interested in picking up an Anadro line. Do you find the listed line wt matches the same rod wt well? As in should I get a 6wt line for a modern fast action 6wt?

 

[clarkman]

Going with the listed weight worked great for me. It's way overweighted, but for roll-casting any sort of payload it's absolute money. Even my glass rods can handle overhead casting it just fine as well.