Another continuing debate in the fly fishing community, the decision whether to use a "Sinking Tip" or "Full Sinking" line has more to do with what kind of water (i.e., moving water or Stillwater) you fish most frequently than anything else. While a Sinking Tip or a Full Sinking line will perform adequately in either moving water or Stillwater, one is far better than the other in each of the specific circumstances.

For the angler who fishes mostly moving water (i.e., rivers, streams, brooks and "cricks" as they say out west!), a Sinking Tip is a better choice than a Full Sinking line. The primary reason is that the floating section of a Sinking Tip line keeps the belly of the line on the surface preventing it from being dragged downstream by the stronger currents found below the surface. In addition, Sinking Tips allow the angler to "Mend" the line to gain better control and virtually eliminate unwanted drag.

Conversely, Sinking Tips typically have a 5'-15' tip which when stripped in Stillwater will be rendered almost horizontal (and as a result very near the surface which is not always the desired effect). Another negative in regard to Sinking Tip lines on Stillwater is that the floating portion of the line will stay on top of the waves making it difficult to set the hook (i.e., the angler must pick up all of the slack in the line before he/she feels fish!)

When fishing Stillwater, a Full Sinking line allows the angler to get below the chop to aid in hook setting while making it possible to reach any depth desired (refer to Tech Tips "Sink Rates" and "Uniform Sink"). As such, while not the best choice for moving water, these are the line of choice for those whom frequently fish Lakes, Ponds, Reservoirs, Flowages and Sloughs!

One exception is in regard to fishing large Sculpin patterns in moving water. In some circumstances (i.e., wading vs. fishing from a boat), Full Sinking lines can be effectively used to get your offering down deep where larger fish lurk and a downstream drag is not detrimental (i.e., Sculpins often flee downstream to escape from predators due to the shape of their body which prevents quick upstream movement).