Applicable to both "Sinking Tip" and "Full Sinking" lines, the issue of "Sink Rates" causes as much debate as which of the respective types of line is best for a given situation. My favorite (and most frequently challenged) debate is anglers whom state that "I have to get down deep and I have to get down fast". While the former may in fact be true (but not always), the latter often is not the case.

I also feel that what is applicable to Sinking Tip lines (refer to Tech Tip "Sinking Tip vs. Full Sinking") is not necessarily applicable to Full Sinking lines. While you may need to get your fly down quickly in moving water so that you reach your target before your line is swept downstream by the current, technically you have all the time in the world to let your line sink in Stillwater! As such, the "Sink Rates" I recommend for Sinking Tip lines is often different than that which I recommend for Full Sinking lines.

For Sinking Tip lines, while "faster" is usually better for the reason noted above, there are some factors that should influence your decision. First is the length of the "Tip" on the Sink Tip line (refer to Tech Tip "Sinking Tip vs. Full Sinking"). While a fast Sink Rate is usually desirable in longer tips, a moderate Sink Rate may be better for shorter tips. In addition, the depth and speed of the current of the water being fished should also influence that Sink rate chosen, i.e., the deeper or faster the water, the faster the Sink Rate.

For Full Sinking lines, while you may need to go deep, as stated above you don't need to go there fast! Conversely, there are times that you may need to fish shallow water (e.g., during the spring when fish are prowling the shoreline in search of food, etc.), or the top few feet of water over deep holes (e.g., submerged weed beds, etc.) While a slow sinking line will eventually get to any depth you desire, a fast sinking is often difficult to fish in shallow water. As such, my preference is a moderate to slow Sink Rate for Full Sinking lines.

Sink Rates are denoted using two standards, i.e., "Type" and "Grain" (gr). Sink Rates for freshwater lines are usually denoted by "Type" and adhere to the following standard (sink rates are denoted in "Inches Per Second" and vary somewhat between manufacturers and models):