Ask MidCurrent: What Lines and Leaders Should I Use with Big Streamers?
MidCurrent’s Kubie Brown with a gorgeous brown caught on an articulated streamer. Photo: Kubie Brown
Question: In hope of catching a giant fall brown, I bought an 8-weight rod and some huge, articulated streamers. What’s the best line-and-leader system for fishing these monster patterns?
—Bob G., Grand Rapids, MI (via the Ask MidCurrent form)
Answer: Using a 7- or 8-weight rod with large articulated streamers, you’ll need the right lines and leader setups to achieve depth, control, and lifelike presentation. Cold water slows trout metabolism slightly, so fish won’t always move far for a fly, which means that getting your big streamer down to the fish’s level is critical. Rivers may also be running at lower flows than spring, making fish more concentrated in deeper runs, or there may be periodic flow changes in tailwaters. To target trophy trout, you must be able to fine-tune depth control, speed of retrieve, and presentation.
Sinking fly lines are categorized by Type, which indicates how quickly the line sinks through the water column, and this is measured in inches per second (ips). The higher the Type number, the faster the line sinks. For example, a Type I line typically sinks at around 1–2 ips, making it suitable for shallow lakes or slow-moving water, while a Type III might sink at 3–4 ips, ideal for reaching fish holding deeper. Heavier lines, like Type V or Type VI, can sink 5–7 ips or more and are used to present flies deep in fast or cold water where fish often lie close to the bottom. By matching the sink rate to the water depth and current speed, anglers can control the depth and speed of their fly presentation with precision.
Sink-tip lines feature a section of sinking line at the front end, followed by floating or intermediate running line.
Sink-Tip Fly Lines
Sink-tip lines are a favorite of streamer anglers because they offer a balance between depth and castability. A sink-tip line has a sinking front section (typically 5 to 30 feet) attached to a floating or intermediate running line. A common design is a 10–15 foot fast-sinking tip integrated with a floating line behind it.
Benefits: Sink tips excel at getting a fly down quickly but not too deeply, making them perfect for many river situations. The floating (or slow-sinking) rear portion of the line allows you to mend and control the drift in moving water. You can throw upstream mends to delay the swing and give the fly more time to sink, or shake out slack to let the streamer ride deeper without immediate tension. Casting sink tips is also easier compared to full sinking-lines. The floating running line allows you to pick up and recast with fewer false casts. Wading anglers especially love sink tips because the floating running line is easier to manage at your feet (less tangling around rocks), and you don’t need a stripping basket as you might with a full-sinking line.
In situations where the depth is moderate and currents strong—such as a 5-foot deep pocket behind a rock in a freestone river—a 10-foot Type V (5 ips) 10’ sink tip will get the fly down fast, and you can then strip or jig it through the pocket effectively. Sink tips are also great for covering mid-column depths in runs without immediately snagging bottom.
Drawbacks: A sink-tip won’t get quite as deep as a full-sink line in most cases. Because part of the line floats, there can be a hinge effect: a slight bow between the fast-sinking tip and the floating belly that can cause the streamer to track upward on the retrieve. That said, you can get the tip deeper by mending appropriately. For rivers up to roughly 6–8 feet deep or with swift currents near structure, a fast sink-tip (e.g., 6–7 inches per second sink rate) of appropriate length is usually sufficient to reach depth.
Some full-sinking lines, such as the Orvis Pro Depth Charge, have sections of different sink rates for better control.
Full-Sinking Fly Lines
Full-sinking lines have no floating section at all, and the entire line sinks at a given rate, whether uniform or graduated. These lines are for reaching maximum depth and maintaining it during the retrieve. Some full-sinking lines have a level sink rate (same density throughout), while others are density-compensated or multi-density, meaning the tip might sink fastest and the rear of the line slower, to help keep a straighter connection to the fly.
Benefits: If you need to dredge the depths, a full sinking line is the go-to tool. A high-sink-rate line (Type VI or VII) will drop your streamer into the 8- to 12-foot foot zone quickly and keep it there longer than any sink-tip or floating-line system. These lines also provide a direct connection to the fly: since the whole line is under tension in a straighter line underwater, you feel strikes more immediately. The retrieve path is more level, preventing the fly from riding up toward the surface as it might with a sink tip. This makes full-sinking lines excellent in stillwaters or deep, slow pools where fish won’t chase upward very far. In big Western rivers, some anglers rely on a heavy full-sink to punch through strong mid-river currents and reach big trout lying deep.
Drawbacks: The trade-off for depth is difficult handling. Full-sinking lines are heavier and can be quite strenuous to cast, especially when you’re wading deep. You often have to retrieve most of the line before picking up for a new cast, because pulling a submerged line out of the water is challenging. Many anglers use a roll-cast pickup to break the line free before the backcast. If you are wading, the portion of line at your feet is also sinking, which can snag on rocks or simply be hard to locate, which si why some anglers use a stripping basket.
An intermediate line is great for when trout are not holding very deep.
Intermediate and “Hover” Lines
Intermediate lines are a special category of sinking line that sink very slowly (typically ~1–2 inches per second). They are often clear or translucent, and act as a midpoint between floating and sinking lines. Some manufacturers also offer “hover” lines, which sink extremely slowly (less than 1 ips). For late fall streamer fishing, intermediate lines have distinct advantages in specific conditions.
Benefits: Intermediate lines are easy to cast and don’t feel as heavy as sink-tips or full-sinking lines. They also don’t drag your fly down too aggressively, which means you can fish shallower presentations without hanging up. In clear water or spring creeks, an intermediate line lets you get just under the surface chop or surface film, avoiding the disturbance a floating line might cause or the slack it can introduce. You can retrieve an unweighted or lightly weighted streamer almost on the surface with an intermediate if you strip quickly, or let it count down a bit to fish a few feet deep. This versatility is great when trout might chase near the top in low light but hug bottom in midday – an intermediate line can handle both by simply altering your retrieve speed and countdown.
Drawbacks: The obvious downside is the limited depth. If fish are sitting 8 feet down in a fast chute, an intermediate line probably won’t get your fly in front of them.
Specialized leaders that attach to the front of a floating line make it possible to change fishing depth on the fly, without having to change spools.
Sinking Polyleaders and Versatile Systems
If you don’t want to carry multiple spools or reels, you can achieve flexibility with interchangeable sinking leaders or tips. Polyleaders (or sinking leaders) are essentially add-on sink tips that loop onto the end of a floating or intermediate line. They come in varying lengths (5 to 15 feet) and sink rates. Using a floating line and a polyleader can mimic a sink-tip line’s function.
Benefits: The obvious benefit is versatility and convenience. You can carry a wallet of polyleaders (from intermediate to fast sink) and swap them out to match conditions, rather than swapping out an entire spool. They are also relatively affordable compared to full fly lines. Polyleaders can convert your 7-weight floating line into a streamer setup in seconds – great for those days when you start nymphing and later decide to strip a streamer through a deep pool.
Drawbacks: Polyleaders can introduce a bit of a hinge in casting (especially if the base line isn’t designed for it). They also are not as seamlessly smooth to cast as an integrated sink-tip line. Over time, the connections can wear out or slip.
Rigging Streamers: Leaders, Tippet, and Knots
Having the right line is only half the battle. How you rig your leader and attach your flies can make a huge difference in how your streamers perform. Your streamer leader should be short, strong, and simple. The primary purpose of the leader in this context is to connect your sinking line to the fly without negating the line’s depth advantage. If your leader is too long or too thin, your fly will lag behind and not sink as quickly as your line.
Sink-Tip and Full Sinking Lines: A typical leader is 3 or 4 feet long, often just a straight piece of 0X or 1X fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon sinks slightly and is very abrasion-resistant, which is helpful if your fly is banging rocks or logs. A short, stout leader allows the fly to sink at nearly the same rate as the sinking tip, maintaining a straight connection. If water clarity is a concern, you could taper slightly (e.g., 2 feet of 20 lb to 2 feet of 12 lb), but in most cases tying a single piece of heavy mono/fluoro works fine and avoids extra knots. The heavy leader also turns over the bulky fly more reliably and withstands the shock of hard strikes in cold water.
Intermediate or Floating Lines: Here you have a bit more flexibility. For an intermediate line in clear water (like a spring creek), you may opt for a 7- to 9-foot leader, for a more stealthy separation between the line and fly. You can also scale down to 1X or 2X (10–12 lb) if the fish are finicky, since intermediate setups often coincide with situations requiring more finesse. Many anglers simply go with a 7.5 foot 0X tapered leader on intermediate or floating lines for streamers and call it good. For extra depth, add a small piece of tungsten putty or split shot 12 inches above the fly.
Putting It All Together
By choosing the right line for the water type, you can ensure your streamer is in the strike zone as long as possible. Coupling that with a well-designed leader (short and strong to drive that big fly, with a loop knot for maximum action) and perhaps even a tandem rig to cover your bases, you stack the odds in your favor.
So before your next late-season streamer outing, take a hard look at your setup. Do you have the selection of lines to cover shallow riffles and deep pools? Is your leader constructed to get that articulated fly swimming just right? Have you practiced that non-slip loop knot so it’s second nature? Fine-tuning these details can transform your streamer fishing from good to exceptional.
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