Re: diy shooting heads

Posted by Dan Blanton on 2010-09-27 18:01:19 in reply to Re: diy shooting heads posted by John Loo on 2010-09-27 12:39:58

John, That's why most of us suggest starting off with a 30-foot length and cutting back a foot at a time until it feels right. It's easy to shorten a line but harder to lengthen one that is too short, although it can be done. You must also take into consideration casting skills and experience. I know most of the lead core and t-14 junkies up here use 27 to 28 feet on 8 and 9 rods with no issues. Remember to, that a longer length sails farther and will carry a larger fly without dumping. Most of us also "water load" vs. aerial false casting, which makes a difference to. I know you are an experienced, good caster so that's not an issue for you. You might try a little longer head and water loading just to see if you might like it better. I use 25 feet of T-14 on a 6-weight... I use 30-feet of T-11 on a 6 & 7 rod. Most modern rods will easily handle 3 and 4 weights up with level tungsten and lead core lines because of their extremely small diameter, which equates to less air-resistance, requiring less energy to get the line moving. Dan

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