Shooting head question

[Jcolin]

I use a 30’ type 6 sinking rio outbound short for pyramid lake and stripers. The lines gotten pretty gnarly and am worried a big fish will break it. Having trouble finding the same line online, but am also wondering if anyone can recommend a full sinking shooting head with a faster sink rate? Like 8-9 ips. Have looked into Teeny’s lines, but am looking more for a full sinking shooting head as i use a 2 handed rod for my striper fishing and at pyramid, and not sure how his lines cast on a 2 hander. Thanks for any suggestions.

[Jcolin]

I did just find the sane outbound short line i use, was looking at the wrong line, but to clarify, before i order it, curious if anyone knows of something similar (30’ full sinking head, around 300 grains) with a faster sink rate than 6-7 ips. The beaches at pyramid i like fishing, especially this time of year, have really steep dropoffs and would be nice to not have to count so long before stripping it back.
Thanks

[willies99]

It looks like you can get the Rio OBS Shooting Head in 7 & 8 wt Type 6 versions on the Rio site. Doesn't help on the faster sink question.

https://www.rioproducts.com/products/outbound-short-shooting-head

[Jcolin]

Thanks willies99, type 6 might be the fastest sinking i can get. It gets the job done but would be nice to not have to wait so long for my flies to sink on some beaches

[StevenB]

Take a look at the SA Deep Water Express Shooting Head.
looks like 400 GR probably has a sink rate around 7 IPS?
SA says 7 to 10 ?

[Jay Murakoshi]

Try making your own using T-14 or T-17. I use T-11 and t-14 for my striper fishing at San Luis and the Forbear. Also in the delta.
I use T-8 and T-11 for fishing for surf perch

[guido]

SA has a Titan S3/S5/S7 that will get you down. Casts great too...

[Carl Blackledge]

Jcolin,

No matter what your line looks like, your going to play hell trying to break it, it's probable on a 30 lb core at the minimum, save your money. Carl

[Jcolin]

Great responses thank you guys. Steven and guido, I will look into the SA hadnt heard of those.
Jay, I was considering that, just cutting 30’ of T14 or even 17 but wasnt sure how that would cast compared to a head? If i can still get it way out there that could be an affordable option.
Carl, I heard the same thing from a guide, but the tungsten coating is also missing in some places and not sinking as well as it was when new so probably time for a new one and save the old as backup.
Thanks again for the help!

[Carl Blackledge]

J colin,

The SA lines are the top end lines and they shoot and hold up great, they are what I use in Mexico...also have you considered calling Rio and having them warranty the line? When it come to the shooting heads, you don't cast them, all your doing is slinging them, no need for a taper, perhaps weight your old line and match it up with t-14-t-17 try and make it at least 28-30 foot long and it will cast OK. Let me know what your looking for I have a card board box full of shooting heads...carlblackiedge@aol.com
PS I have the SA deep water express "300 grains"

[Jcolin]

Thank you Carl, I ended up ordering the line before seeing your second post unfortunately. I will ask them about warranty, maybe it was from the salt from striper fishing, but seems like it should have lasted more than a couple seasons.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Try making your own using T-14 or T-17. I use T-11 and t-14 for my striper fishing at San Luis and the Forbear. Also in the delta.
I use T-8 and T-11 for fishing for surf perch

Yes Jay has a good idea, years ago we used 25' of level coated lead core line for our shooting heads up there before the T products existed.

With T8, T11, T14 and T17 you could make up your own heads at about 25'-28' for wading.

[Carl Blackledge]

Yes Jay has a good idea, years ago we used 25' of level coated lead core line for our shooting heads up there before the T products existed.

With T8, T11, T14 and T17 you could make up your own heads at about 25'-28' for wading.

Bill,

Back in the day all of us old school Steelheader's made our own shooting heads out of LC 13, we made them of all different lengths depending on how fast or high the water was. The biggest aspect of LC 13 was it was rated at 25 pounds , however in the real life it broke anywhere between 16 and 25 pound test, so when you hooked the bottom a lot of times your outfit came back without any head at all. The newer T products from Rio are pretty much junk also , and are very famous for delaminating due to the fact that the core didn't stretch and the plastic coating would then peel off. I found the easiest way to correct all those problems was to just buy the SA shooting heads in the first place, cut off the goofy factory loops install the good old mono loops and then you were golden and never had to worry . PS the LC 13 or the Rio lines would never break until the fish were rolling in front of you. my 2 cents

Carl Blackledge

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks Carl,

Carl fished the Pacific coastal tidewater from an anchored pram for many decades so he is a wealth of info here.


As I remember custom/home made lead core heads were used on the Smith river for King salmon from anchored prams.

They were also popular for wading at Pyramid lake in Nevada for big Cutthroat trout.

Another popular place for lead core heads was for Striped Bass.

Lead core heads were popular for the salt water too.


Most of those old timers from the Greatest Generation who fly fished the Pacific coast rivers are gone now.

I am very happy that the movie, "Rivers of a Lost Coast", saved most all that history.


For their salmon and steelhead fly fishing it was mostly a shooting head situation with monofilament running line.

The most popular fly rod was a 9' #9 tubular hollow fiberglass.


Many old timers made up or modified fly lines to make custom shooting heads in many sink rates and lengths.

It was a shooting head world back then............


In my fly shop in the 1970s we carried a huge selection of mostly Cortland and Scientific Angler shooting heads.

Most were in 30 foot lengths with a braided Dacron loop wrapped on the fat or heavy end.

On the tapered end there was nothing so many wiped on a Daron loop or tied on a mono butt section with a nail knot.

When we received a shipment of lines we would weigh all the shooting heads and put a small label on the box with the exact grain

weight. They came in different line body colors, braided Dacron loop colors and thread wrap colors to identify the weight and sink-rate.

I think they came in size 6 through size 12 with a fixed grain weight which was not accurate.

Cortland shooting heads varied a lot in weight which was good because we were able to get the right weight for each different rod.

Scientific Angler shooting heads did not vary much in weight so we did not have that much selection to choose from.


Shooting head veterans like Walt Bennett had a large selection of shooting heads in many different sizes/weights.

If Walt liked you he would let you try on his heads at a local pond or the river to see what exact weight was best for your new fly rod.


For Shad, Steelhead, salmon and Stripers it was almost all shooting head fly fishing "back in the day".

[tcorfey]

One other option to consider is to contact Steve Godshall (easily found on a google search) be sure to tell him what rod you have and what fishing techniques you plan on using it for. Steve is in Oregon and makes custom lines for many rods. His lines are awesome and the cost is in some cases less than a production line. I use several of his lines on my Spey rods.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Steve Godshall is an expert in the Spey / Two Handed World in developing fly lines as well as fly rods.

541-840-2594

stevegodshall@charter.net