11-05-2009, 03:19 AM
Its a nice idea, kinda like world peace, but there is no magic bullet for every situation. There are millions of fly fishermen who have thought the same thing, and probably millions before our time, and nobody has come up with a way to make an unweighted fly or line go to the bottom!
With a sink tip, the LINE goes down, but the fly is separated from the sinking tip by that thing we call a leader. Streamers follow the line, but most nymph presentations don't. I haven't ever seen a lead-core "leader" that will thread through a small fly or appear less-visible to a trout. Someday, someone might invent some synthetic, clear, line that sinks like lead. It doesn't exist today though.
There is one solution I resorted to after being tired of dealing with split shot and indicators. Do what I did about 15 years ago. Give away all your nymphs. Toss all your lead. Just fish without both of them. I don't own a nymph, a bobber of any kind, or split shot for fly fishing. I still catch plenty of trout, and enjoy each one WAY more than I ever did dredging them up. Yes, there are times I know I could just hammer fish with split-shot and nymphs, but I don't need to, and I don't enjoy it much any more.
Or, you could split the difference and just fish with weighted nymphs and streamers instead of putting weight on your line. Yes, it limits you to shallower waters, but there's always fish to be had other than at the bottom of deep pools, especially if you're patient. With longer casts and drifts, you can still get pretty deep in slower pools with a heavily weighted fly.
I wouldn't put too much worry in all of this. If you love to fly fish, you'll either buy the expensive weights, or use a little lead. Our rivers have FAR more threats from things other than some split shot on the bottoms of them.
There's just no magic bullet though.
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With a sink tip, the LINE goes down, but the fly is separated from the sinking tip by that thing we call a leader. Streamers follow the line, but most nymph presentations don't. I haven't ever seen a lead-core "leader" that will thread through a small fly or appear less-visible to a trout. Someday, someone might invent some synthetic, clear, line that sinks like lead. It doesn't exist today though.
There is one solution I resorted to after being tired of dealing with split shot and indicators. Do what I did about 15 years ago. Give away all your nymphs. Toss all your lead. Just fish without both of them. I don't own a nymph, a bobber of any kind, or split shot for fly fishing. I still catch plenty of trout, and enjoy each one WAY more than I ever did dredging them up. Yes, there are times I know I could just hammer fish with split-shot and nymphs, but I don't need to, and I don't enjoy it much any more.
Or, you could split the difference and just fish with weighted nymphs and streamers instead of putting weight on your line. Yes, it limits you to shallower waters, but there's always fish to be had other than at the bottom of deep pools, especially if you're patient. With longer casts and drifts, you can still get pretty deep in slower pools with a heavily weighted fly.
I wouldn't put too much worry in all of this. If you love to fly fish, you'll either buy the expensive weights, or use a little lead. Our rivers have FAR more threats from things other than some split shot on the bottoms of them.
There's just no magic bullet though.
[signature]