[greywolf]

Hi,

I am presently thinking this spring of replacing my standard dry line on my 6 Wt outfit. A friend who does quiet a bit of casting is encouraging me to go with the Sharkskin GPX as my replacement. Until I spoke with him, I was leaning towards the RIO Indicator or RIO Grand lines.

I mostly fish lakes and do a significant amount of my fishing under the surface. I already own a good wet line and my friend is suggesting that the indicator line may be of some benefit when fishing chironomids. This would lead me towards the RIO indicator line.

My concern is that I hear that the Sharkskin can be rough on your hand and sometimes even cut the skin. The plus side as I understand from him is the very significant increase in your shooting line ability with the Sharkskin.

Any and all opinions would be most welcome. Thanks.

Jim

 

[btree]

From my experiences, you are bang on with the Sharkskin. It really shoots! But I wouldnt make it a choice for use in salt water or if you are concerned about wear on your hands. I've never been cut, but I've noticed that it's quite abrasive. The noise is a bit offputting for some people as well. That being said, I found that it floated really high and gave me some gains in distance.

I think that the Rio lines are a bit more popular here though.

 

[zugger]

I recently bought the SA GPX in 6wt because i didnt like the noise of the sharkskin or the cuts when stripping in line. I love the SA GPX and it was recommended over the RIO lines. However that is just preference.

I also bought a 6wt sage indicator line which is apparentl very similar as the RIO Indicator, but i found it for 1/3 of the price online. RIO lines are made by sage, so logic may say that the sage lines are likely very similar to RIO lines. I've yet to try it out but at $25 bucks( i bought it on sale) i figured you cant go wrong. I also bought an 8wt full float along with it.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/Product.aspx?baseno=2150M&cdf=TopSeller -Indicator

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/se...ords=&exactPhrase=&allAnyWords=&searchWithin=
-All Sage lines offered.

The trick with ordering off this site is that if you have a friend or office in the US who you can send the package to, you save on duty and shipping.....if not it may not be cheaper.....but i find its worth the effort to price it out....you may also want to sign up for their deals flyer as they offer 20-30% off of their products at least once a week....Anyways food for thought since Sage and RIO lines are made in the same manufacturing facility and i would go far enough as to suggest that its quite possible that the technology is the same but sold at a different price point.

 

[johnk]

I just went and picked up my new Rio Outbound Hover line. I've been waiting years for someone to develop a line like this. It is basically an exaggerated sinktip line with a 36' head of verrrrrry slow sinking Intermediate with a sink rate of 1ips. Exactly what I want for fishing shallow shoals here in Alberta and the Interior.

 

[Maverick]

that sounds pretty sick johnk

ive been recomended the airflow 6th sense. as it doesnt tangle apparently as well it doesn't stretch as much. sounds good to me.

 

[btree]

Most of my dry lines are SA too. It's cheezy, but I like the head-start line. Really short head and a half weight up. Very easy to cast and shoot line even with bead heads on my 5 wt. I also have the nymph taper that has a couple feet of a different colour that's supposed to be like an indicator, but I dont notice the difference so much. I've never tried Rio.

I was thinking though, would if make sense if RIO lines are made by Sage, then Rio lines should be good with Sage rods? I've never tried a Sage mind you...

 

[greywolf]

I recently bought the SA GPX in 6wt because i didnt like the noise of the sharkskin or the cuts when stripping in line. I love the SA GPX and it was recommended over the RIO lines. However that is just preference. .

Hey zugger,

Thanks for the feedback on these lines. Funny thing is that I went to SA's site and it seems that the "GPX" is only available as a Sharkskin line. Odd?

I wonder if they have just juggled the names around since the introducing of the Sharkskin sereies?

Jim

 

[greywolf]

Most of my dry lines are SA too. It's cheezy, but I like the head-start line. .

A salesperson tried to convince me to try the head-start line, however some of the guys suggested it was an inferior line. After searching the net, the opinion seems to be that the Head-Start is a good quality Mastery Series line....just a way for SA to attract newcomers and others to their name brand.

Has anybody else tried a "Head-start" line?

Cheers

 

[zugger]

Greywolf

Thats funny because i just checked the box of my gpx and its a mastery series but not under that subheading on their site....they seem to only have the XPS....also in the store i bought it from he had plenty....so i would assume its either not available in USA or is under a different name? not too sure....u might want to call around if you decide that you want that line.

as for the headstart line....that was my first line....i just changed it after 3-4 seasons with it....i personally found it to be just fine and enjoyed the fact it was a little heavier than the regular lines....helped me load the rod better and let me know how it feels when the rod it loaded....i dont know about the inferior quality of it but i would assume that for a beginner/novice it would more than suffice and also if your budget is on the lower side....i wouldnt think twice about purchasing another one if that was what my budget could afford. Overall opinion is that its a Great line !

 

[24_7Fisherman]

Greywolf - If i was replacing an all around dry line i would probably go with the Rio GOLD line over any others. right now im running all SA lines but im going to be picking up an indicator line for my one rod because i only fish chironies with it so having a line to aid in turning over those little foam bobbers will greatly be appreciated, not that i have much problem now.....with leaders under 20 footers of course, longer ones are a bit of an issue some days.

 

[johnk]

Greywolf - If i was replacing an all around dry line i would probably go with the Rio GOLD line over any others. right now im running all SA lines but im going to be picking up an indicator line for my one rod because i only fish chironies with it so having a line to aid in turning over those little foam bobbers will greatly be appreciated, not that i have much problem now.....with leaders under 20 footers of course, longer ones are a bit of an issue some days.

Those in the know with chironomid fishing don't worry about turning over the leader. For dry fly fishing you need a good tapered leader for turning over the fly for proper presentation but for chronie fishing I use straight 8 lb. fluorocarbon tippet for the leader, a large indicator, splitshot, #12 black barrel swivel, usually a pattern with a tungsten bead and sometimes 6 lb. fluoro below the swivel depending on the size of fly I'm using. The lighter tippet does become an issue in May on Forest Lake when you're combining size 16's and 9-15 lb. rainbows. Straighten out lots of hooks and suffer lots of snap-offs!

 

[lcampbellcutthroat]

I've used the headstart line, and it's perfectly adequate and no better or worse than any other SA floater that I've owned, it's also cheaper, why is the sharkskin no good in saltwater?

 

[professori]

why is the sharkskin no good in saltwater?

Off the top of my head (and with no personal experience to draw on) I knowq a number of anglers have reported the abrasive quality of the line has resulted in multiple cut fingers. Add salt water, and I can see why you wouldn't want to be using it.

 

[johnk]

Off the top of my head (and with no personal experience to draw on) I knowq a number of anglers have reported the abrasive quality of the line has resulted in multiple cut fingers. Add salt water, and I can see why you wouldn't want to be using it.

Apparently they've refigured the texture coating but I still wouldn't use it and I agree on the Headstart, nothing wrong with it. Maybe if they put the price up to $69.95 more people would buy it! LOL

 

[SalaR]

I've used the headstart line, and it's perfectly adequate and no better or worse than any other SA floater that I've owned, it's also cheaper, why is the sharkskin no good in saltwater?

Line developement and design is big business ,considering we end up paying for it...the Headstart line is no better than the inexpensive Chinese lines now coming onto the market..understanding the coatings and Core is much more important...Lake fishers have a need different to River fishers and Beach Fishers ,Dry Fly Fishers and so on...if you want to perform long,continuous distance the last line you would want to have on your reel is the Headstart, this line is designed for medium use and will only last for a short time. The Question about Sharkskin is a very good ONE !! Why would a major line manufacturer build and market a fly line that should be fished with gloves;especially for salt water fishers,thats a question I did present to SA myself.Their answer was somewhat mysterious and had something to do with longevity,friction resistance and line care....similar to Air Flo's Ridge Line(Polyurethane coating)! Air Flo can not get a head of SA...heaven forbid! PVC lines are less expensive to manufacture and will only last so long before they crack,dis-colour and become stretched,as will all lines. But PVC lines need to have serious UV inhibitors and PVC Stabilizers in the coatings ...mysteriously called Agent X or some other galactic handle...
The concept of the Sharkskin line is a good one,it does cut the air well,floats high and requires less maintanence than most other lines and we pay for that...it is a good line but I won't use it....I fish the salt water too much and really do not think that all that ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZing belongs in a quiet sport...
The Sharkskin line is here to stay, at least for a while..
The best coatings IMO are PU,more expensive but better casting and fishing...it's about choice at the end of the day. For those of us that do catch large fish or continually have to stretch the line/coatings from snags and so on will see a significant reduction in our lines' life...fact...I can live with that....
I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of some new lines from Snowbee this year...these lines have a greater degree of bouyancy(no more sinking floating lines) and another series of EXTRA distance lines..short head and very quick..
Will have some for members to play with later this spring..
C

 

[11th Warrior]

As per usual C, you're thorough with your explanation. I'm still enjoying that Greys line you matched up for my Diamond. I'd also be a willing "test participant" for the new Snowbee's

I've got a Sharkskin I purchased off a fellow FFBC member and just lined it up last night. I've fished one of these before in freshwater and didn't mind the sounds it gave off. I also never had a problem with abrasions on my hands from the line, even when hand-playing pinks. I can imagine the saltwater would be a completely different matter and don't plan on testing that theory, lol.

Someone also mentioned a Rio Gold. In my opinion (which is worth less than a pack of gum), this is a great line!! I've got one and use it about 50% of the time when fishing local rivers where I'm confined on my casting area. The tip and head are quite short when compared to my Greys line (about 1/2 the length) so it loads the rod quicker and I can shoot longer distances with less backcast. This is my go to line on the Oyster and Quinsam. When I'm in the salt, I use the Greys because I have all kinds of room to cast.

 

[Maverick]

im glad to hear that your please with the line. i personally just wast into the zing, and i did cut my fingers though only using the line a few times. sorry im talking about the sharkskin. I have jsut rigged up with a polyurethane line called airflo 6th sense. it has a 6 percent stretch as compared to 20 with most lines. do to lack of stretch it will grow less memory through use. The shop i bought it from is from a reputable flyfishing guide in Castlegar and he claimed it to be the best dry line he has ever used. if the snow backs off i should be using it tomorow. ill let you know how it goes.

 

[SalaR]

As per usual C, you're thorough with your explanation. I'm still enjoying that Greys line you matched up for my Diamond. I'd also be a willing "test participant" for the new Snowbee's

I've got a Sharkskin I purchased off a fellow FFBC member and just lined it up last night. I've fished one of these before in freshwater and didn't mind the sounds it gave off. I also never had a problem with abrasions on my hands from the line, even when hand-playing pinks. I can imagine the saltwater would be a completely different matter and don't plan on testing that theory, lol.

Someone also mentioned a Rio Gold. In my opinion (which is worth less than a pack of gum), this is a great line!! I've got one and use it about 50% of the time when fishing local rivers where I'm confined on my casting area. The tip and head are quite short when compared to my Greys line (about 1/2 the length) so it loads the rod quicker and I can shoot longer distances with less backcast. This is my go to line on the Oyster and Quinsam. When I'm in the salt, I use the Greys because I have all kinds of room to cast.

These are all very nice lines and all fill the bill in some situations...although some can fill more bills...the Rio Gold is well thought of for sure as is the Sixth Sense...the book is still out on a line that makes noise and cut one's fingers unless the fingers are protected...even with a newer slightly less invasive coating.
You are on..I may have some lines withing the next 10 days...
if you river and stream fishers really want to have a blast try a Beulah Tonic or Elixir head on your 6 or 7 wt single handers..these heads are light enough to fish and just may change the way you fly fish moving water.
C

 

[11th Warrior]

Excellent. I'm looking forward to testing the lines. Shoot me a PM when they get in and I'll drop down to pick them up.

 

[Maverick]

k so i tried the Airflo 6th sense line today. honestly the best line ive ever used out of 7 or 8 models ive fished with. Its smooth, high energy transfer and rolls beautiful. now if only i could learn to snake roll then wed be set. id recomend it to anyone.