The
first time I had the chance to fish with my friend Jim Kelsos sink-tip
system, we were on a driftboat trip for king salmon. The Salmon River in upstate
New York can be a crowded place to fish during the run, and for a fly caster, its
almost impossible to find a spot for a proper backcast. Usually, fly anglers in
the area resort to long monofilament leaders and ample quantities of split shot
used on a running line. This system is called "Chuck and Duck", named
for the result if you cast it wrong.

The new system Jim and his friends who fish the Lake Ontario streams came up
with uses hybrid sink-tip lines that can be cast in relatively close quarters
and are easy to fish. During my first time fishing with this system, our guide
Lanny had anchored the driftboat on a good run and we drifted large Comet flies
with the modified sink tips. On my fifth drift through the run, a king salmon
slammed the fly and took off downstream like a rocket. These lines proved to be
the key to our success that day.

One striking difference between this and using monofilament and split shot,
is in the ability to feel the fish take the fly. There is no doubt that youre
into a fish, whereas its often difficult to differentiate between a split
shot ticking along the bottom and a fish taking the fly while using the other
approach.

Sink-tips and their use for salmon and steelhead is nothing new but Jims
system is closer to a shooting head rig. He uses a double taper, one-weight line
as a running line, then attaches various lengths of deep-sinking shooting head
lines to round out the rig. The reason the system works well under crowded
conditions is that it can be retrieved so that just a little of the running line
is extending out of the guides, then roll cast or cast with a single haul.

This makes it different from a more conventional sink-tip line in being able
to work well in tight quarters and without an extensive backcast. It also gets a
fly down to the bottom quickly in heavy current and does a good job of
presenting the fly. Most sink-tip lines do not have a heavy enough sinking
portion to accomplish this in big water.

To make the sink tips, start with a fast sinking shooting line. The Cortland
LC-13 and Kerboom Shooting Heads work well, or you can use the Scientific
Anglers Deepwater Express. Pick up shooting heads in 850, 700, and 500 grain
sizes. The first step is to cut each line into three sections by first cutting
them in half, then cut one of the half sections in half. This way there will be
a 15 foot section, a 7.5 foot tapered section, and a 7.5 foot level section. Do
this for each shooting head.

The next step is to make loops on the ends of each section. Jim gets pretty
elaborate and makes his loops by soaking the last inch of line in nail polish
remover and peeling the coating off the line core after it softens. He then
whips a loop with fly tying thread, and coats it with glue. I make the loops by
using 12 pound test leader material and tying two nail knots to the doubled over
line. The nail knots are then coated with a couple of layers of Pliobond or
similar glue.

Leader selection is pretty simple for this sink-tip system. We usually use
Cortland Camouflage spinning line. For salmon, a 12 pound tippet is good, and
for steelhead 4-8 pound test tippet seems the most productive. Typically, a six
foot leader is a good length. Unlike most fishing with sinking lines, a little
extra length in the leader produces more fish.

The best rod for fishing this type of line system is a 6-7 weight rod with a
moderate to soft action. Long rods of 10 feet or more allow better manipulation
of the running line.

When on the water, the first step is to look at the current and depth and
choose the right sink rate and size for the tip section. The fly is cast across
and slightly upstream, giving it enough time to sink and swing the fly through
the holding water. Takes can be easily felt when the line stops and you will
actually feel the tippet start to stretch. Although most takes are fairly soft,
sometimes they can be quite violent. I have often had kings and cohos slam the
fly very hard.

Fly selection can be important. The fly line imparts very little action to
the fly when it swings across the current so the best flies have materials like
marabou or bunny fur that undulate, making them appear more lifelike. Nymphs can
be fished with this method but it is better for swinging streamer patterns for
salmon and steelhead.

Another benefit to using this system is that once you select the correct
shooting head, the rig typically will not snag up as often as when using a
split-shot, and more time is spent fishing instead of tying on new flies.

The next time you arrive at a fairly crowded salmon or steelhead stream, dont
limit yourself by chucking split shot. This sink-tip system works well and it is
a heck of a lot more fun than tossing lead. Give it a try. I am sure you will be
pleased.