Full Floating Line

[Fruin]

A discussion on a another thread got me thinking about the use of a full floater and I realised that I never once used a full floating line last year. Even when I fished with a floating line I always used a polyleader. Some of these were only 2-3ft and made up of intermediate fly line.
However, most anglers that I meet, even in summer, also employ polyleaders. During the summer, I use them to cut the fly down below the surface in faster water.

How often do you use a full floating line with no polyleader attached?

[D-Loop]

Fruin,

Unless its in extremely low water then virtually never. I feel more confident fishing with the line below the water surface and a lighter, buoyant fly with more movement on the end. I suppose over the years I have adapted my casting style to suit this set-up.

This is why, for me, it would be great to see articles/reviews of intermediates/sinkers/multi-tips/polys/shooting heads etc, along with the rods/techniques employed to use them effectively.

My 'go-to' set-up is the 15' IG #11/12 6-piece with the Michael Evans fast sinker, a 3ft leader and a plastic tube pot-belly-pig w/single tube hook.

cheers,

Tom

[fishingd0]

During warmer conditions I often fish a full floater. However at the neck of pools where there is a fast flow I will opt for a small sink tip to save the fly scating on the top.

It is worth noting that as long as the fly is just under the water a salmon is often more than willing to come up for it (generally in the summer or in warmish water conditions).

I think full floating line fishing is some of the best to be had.

[jimthefish]

loads! Unless you have high water or v. cold conditions, the full floater works well on the Dee
from May onwards(probably earlier), the Spey in June & the Helmsdale in August from my own experience. Admittedly on the latter river you are obliged to fish the floater in summer by regulation(unless the water is over a certain height) but in any event the floater is what you want as a lot of the fishing is by dibbling which gives fantastic, visual sport.

Although in most of my Tay floating line work, I use a 5' slow sink polytip , there are places where the full floater works well despite what the ghillie may tell you. As an example, last year on 2nd July I was a guest on Ballathie(Upper Beat that day). With a full water running, the ghillie was adamant that a 10' fast sinking tip was required & that no fish had been caught in the season on the full floater to that date. I listened to him & put the tips in my pocket but I quietly rigged up my Carron Jetstream floater with the 85' head which I enjoy fishing so much & resolved to fish at least the first run down without a tip.
Yes, you've guessed it--by 9.30am at the Tail of the Bridge Stream I landed a clean 10lb cock fish well hooked in the scissors on a Katy D tied on a no9 Salar double. The ghillie was surprised but then probably noone else had tried the floater to that date. Its not to say that the same fish would not have taken the fly fished on a polytip but it shows that they will come up for it, even on the bigger rivers.
The other time that the full floater comes into its own is stripping a big Sunray Shadow at speed to create a wake--electrifying sport!

[elwyman]

I've caught fish on the Conwy in mid October on a floating line and size 10 and 12 Allys. Low water and warmish weather. Same on the Dee.

[Bogyoch]

On the Deveron, I tend to always use a 5' clear intermediate polyleader with a floating line in low water. The Deveron is a fairly smoothly flowing river, and the polyleader gets all knots and loops below the surface of the water so no wake is left that may disturb a quiet pool. Being a clear polyleader, the added advantage is that you have another five feet of "nothing" between the flyline and fly.

[wilbert]

I fish with a full floater when I can, as long as the fly isn't skating across the surface unintentionally then I think it fine to fish just below the surface. Fishing a bomber and a skated fly is also great fun and should be tried by everyone at least once.

I took a fish at the beginning of October on a full floater and a size 10 double with about 8" on the gauge.

Polly leaders have their place but aren't as nice to cast as a full floater.

[elwyman]

As Wilbert says, casting a full floater is far more pleasureable than using sinktips or polyleaders.

Why bother with a 5' intermediate polyleader? I would just lengthen my leader from 9' to 12' in lowish water, and flurocarbon would sink just as fast.

[kercock]

fruin ,I was surprised to read you used the tip all year, I totally agree with elwyman,but pre-fluoro I used a tip made up from hollow braided backing just to prevent the fly skating.

[Fruin]

Graham,

Perhaps this is why I have become more comfortable using one. I've grown up fishing mainly on the Loch Lomond system and spend more time fishing the river Leven, which from loch to estuary, is only eight miles maximum.

So, apart from the backend, I am almost always fishing for running fish.

[macd]

does vary. on the thurso for example it is fairly shallow, the addition of a dropper keeps it down a wee bit.

Some of the ghillies use a full floater in the spring with a waddington.

I use a poly most other places