8 wt. Sinking Line Recommendation

[JAWallace]

All I have for Stripers subsurface is a Deep Water Express shooting head with Amnesia and I really hate the Amnesia. I want to get an integrated line for an 8 wt. What's the line to buy for the Delta?

[aaron]

Rio Outbound Short S6 is hard to beat http://speyshop.kiene.com/riooutboundshorttype6flyline.aspx

[Hatch]

I second that suggestion by Aaron. It is the nicest line that I have ever thrown. Fishes great. It needs to be 10 ft longer.
HATCH

[Adam Grace]

Hatch, most people have a hard time dealing with a 30' head, I shutter to think of how many problems a 40' head would cause most fly casters. People already have to pinch their barbs with 30'..... ;)

[ted1]

I'm thinking he is saying the complete line needs to be longer, because he throws it into the backing. However, I prefer shorter lines, because then I can say: "That fish was huge! he got into my backing!" Oh yeah, you could also use a coated running line, I use an Intermediate runner by Rio, .30 so it's easy to handle.

[GreggH]

What Sweet Hatch said.

[BillB]

"I concur!" Rio OBS T6, shoots like a rocket. I have a little, very little, trouble with tangles when it first comes off the reel. I guess good anglers stretch their line before casting. Me, guess I'm to antsy.

[Darian]

As integrated lines go, I'd say the Rio, Outbound Short line is the best casting for distance and handling line I've used. I cast a 9 weight OB short on a SAGE, 9 weight Xi2 without stretching before hand and never experience tangles.

I've used shooting heads in coastal and river Steelheading since the mid '60s. All of the heads we used then were attached to Amnesia or some other mono running line. The factory heads were almost always 30' in length. Mine were anything from 7 to 9 weight. Can't recall having any problems while casting those lengths. None of the other guys I fished said they had problems casting them, either.

[Dabalone]

I use Jim Teenys on 8 and 9 wt's, works just fine for me so never had a reason to try something else.

[JAWallace]

Looks like a consensus, thanks. I met Aaron yesterday and the Rio line should be in today or tomorrow.

I guess I'm not very smart. Years ago on a recommendation I bought a 30' 700 grain Deep Water Express. I practiced and practiced but could never cast it well on my 8 wt. rods. Now, a decade later I decided to read the SA website and the instructions. It says a 550 gr. line might be OK on a 14 wt. rod, but the 700 gr. line has to be cut for any rod, and the target for an 8 wt. rod is about 280 gr.. We talked about that yesterday in the shop and found no solution, as to get to 280 gr. the line would be about 12 ft. long.

I guess I'll keep it for an LC-13 surrogate for ling cod.

Looking forward to having a line that is actually matched to the rod. Thanks again.

John

[JAWallace]

Man! Andy spun the new line on the new reel for the new rod today and it didn't look that much different than my Deep Water Express.

I had to try it. By the third cast with a rod I've never touched I hit 60'. I think 75 is a good near term target and achievable. I can understand Maury's comment about wanting more length. The first 30' disappears quickly. Phenomenal line! Thanks for all the good recommendations.

John