Shooting Heads

It is remarkable how regimented and unvaried fishing tactics are in different locations. This is more apparent in varying countries where tried and tested methods become entrenched with anything out of the normal being greeted with incredulity.

The web combined with more itinerant fisherman and journals reporting such experiences, is to some degree, reducing this variability.

In salmon fishing it is still remarkable the extent this variation occurs. For example in the massive Canadian rivers it is rare to see double-handed rods despite the frequent adverse winds. Here fisherman can struggle with gusty winds and submit defeat to the elements. Admittedly floating flies are the usual and these may be more easily fished on a single handed rod. But why not carry both rods to increase the chances? In Scandinavia 90% of the fly-fishing is with shooting-heads, whereas perhaps in the UK the converse is so to Spey lines; the answer is surely to be armed with all weapons. A spinning outfit for the cold and flooded rivers where temperatures might dip below 4 C degree’s in northern rivers, a Spey line for open large rivers, a shooting head for overgrown banks and sinking lines and floating line and single handed rod for fishing the bomber.

Shooting heads are in the angling press at the moment and appear to be the rage. What they offer is the ease to cast a long line with little effort, in a confined space. There are so many variations that the experienced fishermen work out the best weight for each rod and then weigh this line precisely, so all future lines, with that rod, with be identical and load the same way.

The variation is vast from full floating lines to sink 7 ( 7 ins/sec ). The ideal combinations for the fast Scandanvian rivers is perhaps The Guideline F/S3, or even F/S5 in the early summer and perhaps F/S1 in the late season.

F/S1

F/S3 10/11 wt ( 3 m longer )

The disadvantage of shooting lines is twofold. Firstly they are hard to mend and therefore are best for sinking lines and secondly the line need to he retrieved and recast, so some purist consider there is less fly time in the water. The best solution is to take two rods set up with both spey lines and shooting head system.

	Another excellent line is the Rio series. These are superb lines they are light and easy to cast and it's perfectly possible to cover 40 yards.