When the first sink tip lines came out years ago I bought a few and while they were quite useful for fishing in Alaska, my main focus for their use was fishing our wonderful trout lakes here in B.C. But I quickly fell out of love with them as they tended to be quite hinging which killed the pleasure of casting.

So I evolved into just using a floating line with a long 14′ leader and a weighted fly, and this works great. But the downside is that it takes lots of line speed to cast and by midday your arm starts to feel like it might fall off.

Discovering the Airflo Mini Tip Line

So I took a good tip from a fishing buddy and picked up a Mini Tip Line made by AirFlo this past spring. When I made my first cast with it, I thought I got the wrong line as it looked and cast just like a floating line. I pulled it in to read the micro lettering just behind the front loop. Yep, it was the right line. I dropped it off the side of my boat to watch the front 6′ sink and I felt like I just made a good friend.

Putting the Mini Tip Line to the Test

I fished Airflo’s Mini Tip (also known as the Superflo Sink Tip) lots this past spring on our lower elevation lakes which, with their longer ice-free seasons, produce the larger fish. I’m also looking forward to the glorious month of October when the big fish come into the shallows again and will eat just about anything. So far, I’m “Happy as Larry” as they say in N.Z., with this Mini Tip Line. I can now fish flies with much less weight in them and with shorter 7-8′ leaders, and easily fish them in that productive 6 to 15 foot depth. I also love the Olive Color as it looks just like the weed beds.

Another thing I’ve noticed with Airflo Line is that they have really put in the time to find the secret sauce in the line coatings. They will work well in different water temps and don’t retain much memory, which can cause line bunching when I’m shooting line off the floor on my boats.

Bonus Tips for Proper Line Care and Maintenance

While I talking about shooting line, here’s what I do to keep line in top shooting form. When I’ve fished out my last cast on a lake, I let the line dry on boat floor while I row back to the boat launch or have a beer. It will dry in a minute or two and then I reel it in with very minimal tension. It’s the same with fishing on a river—just strip the line out on the grass by your car or in your motel or living room.

The importance of proper line care and maintenance cannot be overstated, as it directly impacts the performance and longevity of your fishing line. By following the tips provided, anglers can ensure their lines remain in top condition, leading to more enjoyable and successful fishing experiences.

So many times I see people who reel in their wet lines and put the reels into a neoprene reel case and toss it into their gear bags and the lines might take a couple of days or longer to dry, especially if the reel was submerged. Then later they complain that their line doesn’t shoot well and ask me about line cleaners, which I never use.

The Airflo Mini Tip Line represents a significant advancement in fly fishing technology, offering anglers the best of both worlds: the easy castability of a floating line with the fish-catching ability of a sinking tip. This innovation has made it easier for anglers to target fish in various water depths without sacrificing casting comfort or efficiency.