[BEK]

I have a redington redfly 12'6" 7/8 with a WC 8/9/10 tips line. I want to get a second line with a longer belly for when I don't want to strip and shoot line. If possible, I want to use the sink tips from the WC on the longer bellied line so that I can just cast and swing. Any suggestions on line types, line weights, and where to cut the line so that tips can be used? Is there a way to find out what just the sink tips weigh so that I can cut the right amounts of grain weight off the new line? I would like to use it in the 40'-80' cast range. Is there a line that would even fit this description? Maybe a SA Spey 8/9 or Delta Long 8/9 cut back? I don't want to get a new reel so I'm hoping I can find a line that will fit on a Cortland 140 Magnum and still hold a bit of backing. Thanks for any thoughts.

Brian

 

[sinktip]

Brian,

You are probably going to get a number of responses where people talk about what works for them. Most if not all will guide you where you want to go. In my experience, you can take just about any line out there and assuming you cut it back enough, make a serviceable tips line out of it.

The Rio Midspeys and GrandSpeys both cut back 15' fit the bill nicley. The Long Delta, also cut 15' is another good choice. The SA XLT you need to cut back further, up to 22-25' depending on the line weight. The Carron Jetstreams also are wonderful tips lines when cut back 12-13'. The new Snowbee lines I am guessing would fit the bill but as yet I haven't taken a knife to one. (Guessing on these you will need to go back in excess of 15').

Good luck!

sinktip

 

[Tayside]

Lines

Your original line the Windcutter 8/9/10i 585 grains
The lines you have mentioned
Mid Spey 8/9 640 grains
SA Spey 8/9 650 grains plus a back taper of 15 feet another 91 grains for a totlal belly length of 80 feet and weight of 741 grains
Airflo long delta 8/9 575 grains suggest you try the 9/10 at 640 grains.
I have tried these makes of lines on the Redfly 9/14 and found that for throwing tips two line sizes up from your cut 15 feet worked very well using 8/9/10 tips. I believe the tips for the Wincutter 8/9/10 are 150 grain but am not positive.


Ian

 

[BEK]

Ian,

I'm not sure if I understand what you are saying with the two lines sizes up thing? If the WC is 585 gr. then wouldn't I want a longer bellied line to still be around 585 gr. as to not overload the rod? If I cut the first 15' off and replace with a sink tip, it should still be in the neighborhood of 585 gr., right? Please fill me in if I am looking at this the wrong way. Thanks

 

[t_richerzhagen]

Tm

An older RIO data table gives the WC 8/9/10 tip weight as 130 grains.

 

[Tayside]

Lines

By two line sizes up I meant that I had tried those lines you mentioned but two sizes heavier on my 9 weight Redfly.
SA and Airflo both manufacture long and short belly lines whose weight is the same for both belly lengths. Rio on the other hand the 8/9/10 Windcutter is 585 grains and the Midspey 8/9 is 640 and the 7/8 is 560 grains. My suggestion to go up around 5o to 70 gains for the longer belly line is that I find it easier to turn over tips and weighted flies on mid length line if they are one line size up from the recommended. If you go to the RIO site and look up Simons line recommendations for the different rods for the Redfly I like the A line for floater and the B line for tips. Sorry for any confusion.

http://www.rioproducts.com/pages/speyrecs.asp
Ian

 

[SSPey]

I echo Tayside's remarks, and tend towards "A" lines for floaters and "B" lines for tips. Still, each rod is different.

 

[prairiespey]

Same Rod

I just picked up the same rod as a lightweight setup. I took a SA Tri-Tip line I had and used the head minus Tips -550 grains @ 56" and used the front ends off of some old 7 wt lines approx 85-90 grains each at 15 ft for 640 grains @ 71' to the back of the rear taper. Casts nice tight loops well and turns over with authority and shoots nicely without feeling lethargic

Hope that helps.

Will

 

[Speyfisher1]

Mid belly lines

Hi Brian:

I struggled with this in the early days as well. I like Rio lines the best, probably because they are readily available where I live and I seem to have gotton used to the way they cast, I like the Mid-spey the best. Your Windcutter 8/9/10 should have 9 or 10 weight tips, regardless of the tip, they all weigh the same, this is what's nice about the Rio tips.

I had a hard time getting my head around this a first but it is a density issue, look at your type 3 sink tip, it's far larger in diameter than your type 8, yet weigh the same.

I usually cut 15-16 feet off the floating line, unlike the factory tip lines, I do not feel a need to cut it back further unless I'm using super heavy tips. An example, I use a 10/11 on my 11 weight spey rod to cast T-14 or LC-13 up to 25-30ft, I cut it back 18 feet and found that it casts quite well. To shoot the same tips on the same rod using a Windcutter, I only left 25 feet of belly on the line, not including the back taper, I found this cast the big tips the best.

The 7/8 0r 8/9 Midspey should perform well on your rod, if you like to feel the rod load a lot choose the heavier line, I always use tips that are the same weight as the heaviest denomination of my line, e.g. 8 weight tips for a 7/8. I find that the heavier line is better in windy conditions.

Hope this answers some of your questions.

Cheers!

Mike

 

[Yelostn801]

Windcutter Upgrade

It seems to me the least expensive and more logical choice would be to try the Windcutter Upgrade first to see that fits your needs. The Upgrade replaces #2 tip, giving you an extra 15 feet, this basically turns the Windcutter into a Midspey.

Henry

 

[BEK]

With having the 8/9/10, would the upgrade cause the line to be too heavy and overload my rod, or is the 30' upgrade the same grain weight as the 15' middle section, thus keeping the grain weight the same as the original Windcutter? Thanks.

Brian

 

[t_richerzhagen]

Tm

Typically the upgrade works best for the WC that is light for your rod. If it is already heavy, the upgrade will probably be too much. It is an extra 15 feet of belly, or almost belly, so it will add addtitional weight.

 

[speyrd]

This is what some of us did before RIO lines were avaiable, used a Double taper two line weights up from the the weight of the tip we were throwing. One of my standard set up's was a 15' length of Type 6, 8wt that I used on a Double taper 10wt. which was cast with a 10150 Sage. To get more versitility I riged up an 11wt double taper with a loop so I could tips of varing lengths and weight.
Leroy............................

 

[Tayside]

Windcutter upgrade

Using the Windcutter upgrade for the 8/9/10 bumps the line weight to 750 grains from 585 making it 4 and a half feet onger and 25 grains heavier than the Midspey 9/10.



Ian