TOO LONG! - More terms please

[Rudi Ferris]

Jim and Rusty,

Yes, Jim’s point is a good one; to help we’d have to know what line sizes these heads are….Then we could give some more directed but simple advice. As it is, I’ll give the simplest advice I know for anyone beginning with the Shooting Head.

A 20 foot head is just too short and most certainly for learning. And a 60 foot head has similar problems. While it could be cast very well, it is long enough that the casting is perhaps more like a WF. The advantage of a Head is that it can be quickly aerialized and cast. 60 feet makes it far less quickly aerialized after the retrieve.

My advice is to get or make a 30-36 foot shooting head rated at or one line size over your present rod’s rating. If you have a #7 rod, you’d get a #7 or #8 head.

The length and the density (sink rate) of the line is important. For a beginner, I suggest an Intermediate Line, one that just slowly sinks. But a floating one is fine too. Avoid the higher density and faster sinking lines for the moment.

A shooting head from 30-36 feet will be easiest for you to get the feel of. If you cut a WF or DT to make a head (the DT gives 2 shooting heads) at about 32-34 feet, that line will be a bit over your rod’s rating and will be good for learning. But perhaps the easiest and fool proof way to go is simply buy a 30 foot head for the rod.

As for the shooting line, everyone has their favorites. I like monofilament but others don’t. But for just practice (and like any other flycasting you have to practice a lot) mono is fine in that controlled environment. It will aslo give you an idea about the capability of that equipment, which beyond all things is fast. Controlling but using that speed is the key.

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So, with that gear, and if you are serious about learning to use it, lots of folk here will help you to get started on the right track.

Cheers, Rudi

[flycaster]

Good response as always from Rudi when it comes to shooting heads and I pretty much agree with all that he says.

I use SH's for most of my sunk line still water trout bank fishing because I find them so much more 'handy' than full lines. They are quick to aerialise and quick to get back out in the water where you might catch a fish, and the mono running line isn't so eager to sink to sink to the bottom.

I like a head of 33' - 36' rated 2 sizes above that recommended for the rod, although that might change with different rods. I find that longer heads are very cumbersome in fishing situations and lose you one big advantage of SH's, ie the need for very little back cast room.

I also like mono running line and find flattened mono the best although Amnesia and Gold Stren are also very good. Tangling doesn't seem as big an issue as you might think and using a good line tray/stripping basket almost eliminates it completely. Unfortunately the ones that can be bought are mostly next to useless being too small and lacking 'anti-tangle fingers'. The best line tray I have used is a plastic washing up bowl with 5 fingers made from large size cable ties. The trick with a line tray/stripping basket is to deposit the first 3 or 4 feet of retrieved line outside the receptacle so that when you lift your rod to recast, running line isn't pulled from underneath the pile in the basket causing a tangle.

[Rudi Ferris]

Heya Pete,

Longtime, good to see you here. There have been several good shooting head or related threads here.

[flycaster]

Good to see you're still posting Rudi.

Cheers, Pete.