Shooting heads

[Mangrove Cuckoo]

Hey folks...

Is there a good book or reference for all things shooting heads?

They are not commonly used around here but I am curious to try them out.

I can see two logical advantages: reaching out longer from shore and getting flies deeper. Are there others?

What are the down sides?

Thanks to Sexyloops, the internet, and DHL, I now have some Powerflex to play with for the running line and multiple old flylines to cut up for heads.

Any and all comments or suggestions appreciated!

Thanks.

[Tangled]

Here's a starter

https://globalflyfisher.com/fish-better/shooting-heads

[Lasse Karlsson]

Its a better wf line, unless you ask Paul, then its a brick on a string

Martins article is pretty good, but some of the downsides are caster dependant, and not fully true.

A shootinghead is your own personalised line, you can build them for a specific task, or you can make a great compromise for a specific kind of fishing or even a broad kind of fishing.
And since they generally are made a couple of classes over what you would normally use on a given rod, they tend to carry larger flies with ease.

Downsides, they are cheap (if you make them yourself, more expensieve if you buy them factory made ), and last a long time. Also, you have to get used to handling shootingline, that can be a problem. A line management devise (LMD) is a good thing if fishing from a boat or wading.

Getting longer casts than with a normal WF is not a dead given, it takes some practice, if you measure. If you don't measure, then its instant, just dont look at leader and half the heads outlay

They are great for ironing out some of the flaws in our cast that doesn't show up so much with a normal wf, so they are also a good teaching tool in various forms.

Cheers
Lasse

[Bendix]

Hi

I use shooting heads almost exclusively for Salmon fishing with both DH and single hand rods. And I really, really like the versatility you get with shooting heads combined with a mono shooting line.

I can bring just one favorite reel for my DH rods, mounted with a mono shooting line, and then simply tie on the shooting head that fits the rod I’m going to use. And then quickly change, if I decide to change my rod. Same goes for my single hand rods.

Another great advantage is the ability to quickly change from a floating shooting head, to a sinking one, and vice versa. I often change between different sink rates in my local river, depending on water level, or if I fish different stretches of the river, with different depth, during the same day.

For this to work with ease, I recommend that you simply tie the mono shooting line to the loop of the shooting head, using a clinch knot or similar. Then you can easily cut the knot off (be careful not to damage the loop) and tie on a new head.

It’s hard for me to mention any downsides to using a shooting head…

/Bendix

[Bendix]

…Well, if I should mention one drawback to mono shooting lines, then it’s the fact that they don’t work well on all makes of fly reels!

In order for the mono not to slip out between the cage and the spool, you need a reel with a tight fit! The best is a reel that has a full cage, which will effectively prevent this.
Off course, the thicker the mono line is, the less problems you will have with this…

/Bendix

[Mangrove Cuckoo]

Thanks guys!

Looks like I have a lot of experimenting to do.

Out of curiosity, is there an agreement on single hand rods... which is better: tip flex or slower? Shorter (8'3") or longer (9')?

My first experiment will be with a clear intermediate head that I will cut from a labeled 9wt, that really weighs like a 10.5. I have a few different 8wt rods that I expect might work... which one should I start with?

[Thomas]

They are great for ironing out some of the flaws in our cast that doesn't show up so much with a normal wf, so they are also a good teaching tool in various forms.

Hi Lasse! Could you please elaborate on this subject? What flaws are you talking about?

Cheers Thomas

[Lasse Karlsson]

Hi Thomas

Tracking for one, release point another, trajectory a third.

Tracking is punished harder when the shootingline has little mass and friction. One of the reasons people talk about flying spaghetti

Release, most release far too late. I've heard instructors talk about releasing when you see a loop. Good way of getting a tucked cast and flying spaghetti.

Trajectory, most aim too high, and with thin shootingline, you end up with pilecasts, unless theres a strong following wind.

Tracking straight, releasing early enough and aiming right height will give a nice straight presentation. And even a gentle one at that. Both things said you have to let go of if you want to fish a shootinghead

Cheers
Lasse

[Thomas]

Hi Lasse!

Thanks. Interesting!

Cheers Thomas

[Paul Arden]

I think the largest upside is that you can cast distance with reduced back space, because a) the heads are usually shorter and b) shooting line offers less friction than running line. But there are many upsides, heavier line/bigger flies, excellent for fishing deep holes, cheap if you are recycling old lines, cheap if you buy cheap lines that you might not otherwise (soft Chinese lines are highly regarded), easy to change lines instead of carrying many spools.

Downsides are that it’s harder to be accurate, presentation and clean turnover can suffer, mends while possible are “different”. It’s also difficult to apply pressure through the fingers when setting the hook/playing fish.

Also if I have to make a long cast into a strong headwind I’ll use a line long enough that I don’t have to shoot to get there, because sometimes you can’t.

I cast them sometimes. I rarely fish them. But if I lived and fished where Lasse, Lars and Bernd fish then I would fish them all the time. Same distance with less false casting. It’s also a hell of a lot easier to cast a long distance while deep wading with a head. Line management however needs a bucket.

I agree with Lasse particularly on the release point.

Cheers, Paul