Intermediate vs full sink

[cooper]

Im looking into one of the two lines that will be most efficient for me on lakes.

I have a 6wt, also why do lines come in 5/6 or 6/7? there are some airflo lines im looking at that are a really good sale price and i thought i remember someone on this site quoting there 6th sense lines are a really good stillwater line!, but almost all of them are in 5/6 and 6/7.

[Coastrider]

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If it were up to me, i'd go intermediate sink as it works for 75% of my lake fishing. If you troll or wanna get deep, go type 6. I use 3 line in the lake.....floating, clear intermediate and type 3 sink. They all work for the lakes I fish as they are not that deep. Sink lines are more suited to trolling and usually dont cast as well and the others

[cooper]

i do have alot of big local lakes around to that i really enjoy fishing, i guess to fish it efficiently i could just throw some of that black sinking line on the end of my floater to really work those big drop offs, i just hate how heavy that stuff is

[Zane]

I use a type 3 and 6 for sinkers, a intermediate and a floating line for lakes, pretty much the standard fare. It really comes down to using the right line for the right application at the right time. Why would you want to put (what I assume) is the equivalent of a sink tip on a floating line instead of using a long leader or a full sink line? If you want to use tips there are multi tip lines available, but in my opinion they are better suited for what they were designed for, fishing rivers. As to why lines are rated 5/6 etc., there really isn't a lot of weight difference between the 2 and most modern rods will use either well. You could use a 5/6 weight line on a 5 or 6 wt. rod.

[Steve Zissou]

I used one of the sinktips on a WF6F almost exclusively when fishing chironomids because it kept my fly where I wanted it to be, and when I would accidentally lift the rod too violently to strike, it allowed the fly to quickly return to the zone. It's not the easiest setup to fish (especially with an indicator on), but if you're patient and take the time to learn how to get the most out of the line, it can be done with relative ease.

Just don't expect to be firing casts to bonefish with that setup, and be ready for the indicator to get pulled under.

To address your original question, though, I would go with an intermediate if you're planning to be casting into the shallows, and a sink if you're looking to troll or to park a dragonfly pattern on the bottom of the lake.

Whatever you decide to use, just do it with confidence and patience.

[troutbum]

I would agree with all responses so far, I too struggled to find the right combination of lines to fish,currently out of a Super cat most of the year until on or about the first weekend in November. Not sure the Airflo brand is the way to go,wish that manufacturers would allow serious fishers a chance to demo their gear(even if only for a short time) the same way one test drives vehicles,I know before I am linched by the mob,nott in the same price range.

Have used several different brands,cortland,airflo,scientific angler etc, but was suggested by Salar to give Snowbee's gear a try, started out with intermediate sink 6w,now have switched floating,and full sink to this brand,it very good in cold water,won't ball up when retrieving.
It did take some getting used to,but like the other responses have already mentioned intermediate zone is where you will spend the majority of your time fishing,depepending on the overall depth of the lake,and air temp at the time,so what ever brand you choose just get out there and practice....

Cheers
Troutbum

[Coastrider]

I 2nd that, snowbee floaters are excellent

[canoehead]

I use a floating line and a type VI sinking line. I almost never pull out my intermediate line or sink tips when lake fishing. When kicking around lakes that are new to me or when there isn't a hatch, I always start with my full-sink line. I have it matched to a fast-action Sage rod that I built myself and the two pair up very well--unlike some of my earlier set ups, this one casts very well for me from a float tube. I think that one of the keys to this combination is that it is a 5-wt line matched to a 5-wt rod. My earlier set up was a 5/6 rod with a 6/7 line. The rod was my first fly rod, and had resemblances to a telephone pole, so it did fling the line out but not with the same finesse that I have now. Also, I tend to use a quick retrieve, and that eliminates hang up on the bottom in shallower areas. For Any needs between the surface and the bottom, I tend to use a small bead-head fly.

I agree with many of the comments about intermediate lines, but I hate changing reels out on my float tube and feel that I maximize my opportunities better with a floating line and a sinking line set up (with the one I am not using folded in half and strapped down).

[featherslinger]

I tend to use my clear sink about 90 percent of the time when fishing still waters unless I am fishing chronnies. The clear intermediate is great for dragons, leaches, damsells, mayfly nymphs, scuds and even sub serface chronnies in the evening. It is great for working shoals and any water from 4 to 12 ft deep. Also is a great beach cutty line and great in the sloughs.