Fly Lines : Fly Line Density

The Clark Fork in Montana

The density of a fly line refers to whether the fly line float or sinks. And, if the fly line sinks, how the fly line is designed to sink. There are five different types of fly line densities available. These are the floating fly line, the sink-tip fly line, the intermediate sinking fly line, the sinking fly line and the fast-sinking fly line. Each type of fly line is described below.

The floating fly line does just what the name suggests - the fly line floats for its entire length. Floating fly lines are both the easiest to cast as well as the most popular type of fly line. A floating fly line is what is used for all dry fly fishing as well as when fly fishing with many streamers, nymphs and wet flies. The reason floating fly line works well for many types of sub-surface fly fishing is because the weight of the nymphs/streamers, especially when weights are attached, will pull down the leader, allowing adequate sub-surface fly fishing in most conditions. In general, if you can only own one fly line, make sure it is a floating line.

The sink-tip fly line is another popular fly line. A sink-tip fly line is a fly line that sinks for the first 10-30 feet. The remainder of the fly line will continue to float. The sink-tip fly line is most frequently used for nymph and streamer fishing, as the sink-tip assists getting the flies down in the water while the large amount of floating line still allows for fairly easy pick ups of the fly line off the water. One thing to be noted, though, is that most sink-tip fly lines do tend to sink quickly. Thus, if you want your fly into the water only a little bit, you may be better off using another type of sinking line

An intermediate sinking fly line is a fly line that will sink entirely, but at a relatively slow rate. Intermediate sinking fly lines are ideal where you want to submerge your fly just a little bit, with the fly line very slowly settling down into the water. It is most popularly used when fishing lakes that have lots of weeds and you want to fly to hold just above the weeds and vegetation.

A sinking fly line is a fly line that will sink relatively quickly at a uniform rate. The actual sink rate of a sinking fly line will vary considerably and will be listed on the box. A sinking fly line can sink anywhere from 2 to 10 inches per second. Which sink rate is best really depends on how far down you need to take the fly and how fast you need to get it there. For fast moving water or real deep pools, a fast sink rate will be needed. Otherwise, a slow sink rate generally works well while making things easier to pick up and retrieve the fly line.

Finally, there is a fast-sinking fly line. Fast sinking fly line, as the name suggests, sinks like a stone. Once again, the sink rate will vary from fly line to fly line and will be mentioned on the box. This type of fly line is only really needed for saltwater fly fishing or when fly fishing down deep in lakes.

Summary of Fly Line Density

For the beginner angler who will be fly fishing rivers, a floating fly line is a mandatory first fly line. Once the angler becomes proficient in casting, the sink-tip fly line is an excellent second fly line to have. A sinking-tip fly line allows an angler fishing in rivers to get their nymphs and wet flies down quite quickly into holes and in fast water, while still providing control over the fly line. On the other hand, if the angler will be primarily fly fishing lakes, an intermediate sinking line is a good choice, since the line will take the fly down slowly and because the fly line is still easy to cast. Full sinking fly lines are really only needed in specialized fly fishing circumstances or when fishing down deep in lakes and in saltwater.

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