Fishing Intermediate Lines for Trout and Bass: the most effective line for streamers and wet flies

[@thibod07]

Thanks Peter! I never used my intermediate sinker line! You convinced me to TRY it. I have the perfect set-up to verify if it does lead to catching bigger fishes. Thank you for sharing your experience with those sinker lines.

[@DonohoeDSc]

Peter, I actually find your presentation style just what the doctor ordered...no flashy music or marketed “noise” flooding (drowning) the message, your deep ‘applied’ personal knowledge (data+information+experience = knowledge) and this is rare content in today’s internet fluff...this content is GOLD. In fact, I equate this to a “Masters Series”. As a Professor teaching undergraduates, MBA students and Executives MBAs you are right at home with true ‘adult learners’...I would pay for this content...thanks. Oh yeah, I’m telling everyone I know that this is a great site and thanks again! Mike D.

[@florencewang8388]

Very helpful. Learning a lots from your straight forward teaching. Appreciated very much.

[@Beardedfurflinger]

Thanks Peter use a Cortland Cammo Intermediate line for most of my still water & slower rivers,love it for a suttle presentation & keeping a streamer above the weeds & structure

[@christiancherry1377]

Using Guideline 3D+ multidensity heads a lot more now than multi-tip Scandi with floating bodies. Much better depth control. Thanks for this great video on intermediates!

[@glennbuscher8003]

Thank you for sharing very good information.

[@harryhthenorwegian476]

Great vid, thanks😀

[@fabios35076]

Hi Peter You mentioned your leader being q2 - 15ft long. Is that with a sink tip or just your intermediaries?

[@hooked4lifeca]

Either way. Depends on a number of factors.

[@randallkadish5663]

What about swinging flies on a river with a sinking line? What length leader do you use? I often heard I should use a short 4-foot leader.

[@hooked4lifeca]

Typically 8' to 10' as my flies sink well.

[@jason-ian-Van-Sloten]

Great info! The reel to the far right has a very clean look.. orange backing blue line..can you tell me what brand and type it is? Thank you in advance

[@hooked4lifeca]

It's a Danielsson LW 8twelve, the original model of the LW series. They still make the reel in an updated version.

[@jason-ian-Van-Sloten]

​@@hooked4lifecathank you veru much ..i'll look into it for sure. Very good channel and im from the Netherlands and sinking and intermediate lines are very common over here. Like em very much in this month and in March fishing for Zander.

[@hooked4lifeca]

@@jason-ian-Van-Sloten Since you're in the Netherlands, you'll have no difficulty buying one as they're sold factory direct off of Danielsson's website in Sweden. The prices are actually quite good.

[@wvlongshooter3912]

Hello, I’m new to intermediate lines. I’m fishing Stillwater trout and the lakes or ponds are from an acre to several acres in size. I’m looking into a 7 wt rod and can’t decide on a 9’ or a 10’. I usually prefer longer fly rods when applicable. Any thoughts. ? Thank you !!!!! Any info will be appreciated!!!

[@hooked4lifeca]

A 10' will allow us to dig more sinking line out of the water than a 9' rod, plus the extra length helps us to clear the backcast over any bankside shrubbery. A 9' is OK on the river as the current helps us to lift line, but in stillwater, it's all on the rod.

[@wvlongshooter3912]

@@hooked4lifeca thanks, your reply makes sense to me. I really appreciate it!!! Thanks!! Going with a 10’.

[@gregkosinski2303]

Do you ever use intermediate with poppers do get them to swim under the surface? Obviously the applications would be limited to faster presentations, but it could be cool to try.

[@hooked4lifeca]

I have when fishing for striped bass. I'll have an intermediate on the reel, but toss a gurgler at the fish. If we keep the retrieve speed up, it'll make a wake on the surface.

[@johnbavido60]

Hi peter...I bought the Rio big nasty a couple of years ago. I bought it for musky....its an intermediate,, and it casts wonderfull with musky flies. But Rio don't produce this line any more. What are your thoughts as to why?

[@hooked4lifeca]

I have no affiliation with Rio so no specific information, but generally manufacturers drop lines from their product list when sales don't meet expectations.

[@SmallmouthAddict]

Hi Peter! I am very torn between a clear 26 foot head to floating vs a 15 clear head to floating for small river smallmouth wading situations. Do you have any opinions on why you would choose one over the other when talking about intermediate lines specifically? Thanks!

[@hooked4lifeca]

The 15 would be fine when swung, but the 25 would be better if we're stripping the fly back.

[@SmallmouthAddict]

@@hooked4lifeca Thank you so much sir! I am massively into actively retrieving flies for the big smallmouth that are in our mid Michigan rivers! I have decided to continue with a 25 foot head of T6 for my big flies, and the 25 foot intermediate for when the flows slow down and when fishing more passive food presentations. I am so excited to give intermediates a try!! You have been a massive resource to me over the last couple years. I don't think you could understand how much fly fishing has done for my young troubled mind. Fishing and Hunting has always saved me, but FLY fishing has changed my life. Thank you Peter. I could never pay you back!

[@hooked4lifeca]

@@SmallmouthAddict Thanks but no need, just pay it forward.

[@bigron8346]

If you need to get your fly deeper can you put a sinking poly leader on an intermediate line?

[@hooked4lifeca]

Normally I don't, but it'll work just fine provided we use one of the denser PolyLeaders. For example, there wouldn't be much point in putting the intermediate PolyLeader on an intermediate line.

[@bigron8346]

@@hooked4lifeca yes your right sometimes when I'm striper fishing i will put a sink 8 or 10 poly leader on and it seems to work pretty good but some of my buddies tell me you can't do it. Thank you so much now i feel better. Btw you have the best fly fishing videos out there!

[@springteen3743]

I don’t like much the texture of intermediate lines so if I want to integrate an intermediate head with floating running line how would you do it? In the beginning you mentioned that you had attached intermediate velocity head with floating running line.

[@hooked4lifeca]

This line welding video will help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYeQha2KbL6jd9U

[@stephencifka4629]

Great info. How might an intermediate head with mono running line behave differently than intermediate head with intermediate running line. In other words how does a full integrated intermediate line fish differently than intermediate head with mono running? Thanks for the care you put into all this teaching.

[@hooked4lifeca]

The difference between mono running line and an intermediate running line is more in the handling and the shoot, than the way it fishes. The mono will have a little less drag in the water so the back end of the head will be less restricted by it. The big advantage for mono is being able to use it while wading as it comes out of the water fairly easily and does not sink much when pushed by current. So unless we're standing in frog water, there's much less chance of the running line snagging things around our feet. I wouldn't use mono in a stripping basket and I'd be leery in a boat - too many things to knick it.

[@stephencifka4629]

@@hooked4lifeca Thanks! So the ability to keep a straight, moderate sinking angle with sinking head and mono is similar to integrated line, just mainly handling characteristics for mono better in a river. Yes? This entire series you are producing on sinking lines is really a treasure of information.

[@reggiehobbs1468]

So in a shallow pond, 15 foot depth, you would prefer a full sinking line rather than a floating/sinking line when fishing streamers or nymphs?

[@hooked4lifeca]

I would treat nymphs and streamers differently. With nymphs we want to move them slowly and keep them suspended not far from the bottom. A float/sink works well for that or a long leader under an indicator. However, if we strip retrieve a streamer with a float/sink line, the streamer will not stay down and it will rise up fairly close to the surface, depending on the speed of our retrieve. In a pond or lake, if we want to get a streamer down and keep it down, a full sinker is definitely the way to go.

[@KidVideo4000]

I'm used to small trout in High Sierra streams, but Im headed to Door County Wisconsin next week and I'd like to try and catch some small mouth maybe some pike. Any chance you could recommend the right fly line for my 8 weight?

[@hooked4lifeca]

Floater? Airflo Exceed. It's quite a good general purpose line.

[@randallkadish5663]

Thank you!!!!!!!

[@WhiteBuffalo032]

And great video by the way thank you

[@fabios35076]

Peter, You said not to use a full sink intermediate while wading. Does that rule apply if your fishing from shore? Say the Niagara River. Thanks Peter!

[@hooked4lifeca]

The sinking running line is the problem. It sucks energy out of the cast as it is extracted, plus it can snag on the bottom. We can use fly lines with sinking running lines in boats, with a stripping basket, from shore, and when standing in a strong current that will help hold the line up. That however, requires some line management skills.

[@coopbarsh]

Would anyone have any comments about airflo velocity intermediate fly line. I could not find very many quality reviews on the line.

[@hooked4lifeca]

I wasn't crazy about it for river use as the running line is an intermediate as well, so it sinks. From shore or a boat, not a problem, but a hassle when wading. I welded a floating running line onto mine and made it far more useful.

[@WhiteBuffalo032]

Funny story at the fly shop I asked for clear fly line with a sinking tip and they ended up giving me sinking line with a clear tip. Lol. It's application ended up being perfect for what I do big bass hunting

[@hooked4lifeca]

It could've been worse - a sinking line with a floating tip. ;)

[@WhiteBuffalo032]

Bahahaha

[@glideman]

These really are great educational videos, I just wish the presenter would be a bit more pleasant. I’m old and grumpy so maybe this isn’t relevant 🤔