A weight forward floater is the ultimate sight fishing line but it is not always ideal. Perhaps the wind starts howling, the flats blow out and the only option is fishing deeper water among coral heads or dredging in a channel. I’ll choose sinking the fly over sitting in a hotel room planning dinner. Often overshadowed by the sheer number and types of floating lines available, RIO’s Tropical sink tips, intermediates and full sinking lines are essential additions to any gear bag.
Slow sinking or full intermediate lines cast with ease and allow the angler to cover water effectively. The General Purpose Saltwater WF-I/I is the perfect choice when fishing moderately deep flats where fish appear throughout the water column. The fly sinks at a uniform rate and may be stripped in a more fluid manner than a heavy fly on a long leader and floating line.
When dredging in deep water, the Tropical Series Leviathan and Outbound Custom lines will get the fly down and dirty. I prefer an integrated full sinking line when blind casting around coral heads or bommies. The smooth coating and absence of knots and loops ensure that the lines don’t tangle. They are offered in many sink rates to load any modern saltwater fly rod. Again, the lengths may be adjusted for personal casting preferences and/or fishing conditions.