I'm wondering what you flat water fishermen & women think is the best type 6 or 7 line. I have used Cortland steady sink and Rio in-touch deep 7. I don't have any experience with Airflow Sixth sense and Scientific Anglers doesn't make anything faster than a 5. I'm using the Rio now but I have gone through three of them in the last year. They have all been replaced at no charge but I got at least two years out of the Cortland line. Let me know what your experience has been and any recommendations you might have. Thanks!
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I have and USE the Deep VII. I had the Deep VII split about 30' into the line. There was coating and core . Like you they replaced it but I was without for a few weeks.
This year I had my Mainstream Type III do the same thing. I sent it back and they sent me a sink tip. I called and explained it was a full sink. She said keep it and they would send the right one. But, they then sent a floating. Again I called and gave her the on line # for the line. 4 days later I finally got the line.
Nothing like it unfortunately as they do seem to have a longevity problem. I am still using my Orvis sinking lines after 5 years and still good.
Another choice is Depth Charge. I use a 300 grain on my 6 wt although it is more for 8/9. It is 30 feet of sink into 70 feet of Intermediate. Plus two colors so nice when wanting to fish at a certain depth.
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I have used an orvis intermediate line for years and it has held up very well. Does the 300 grain line cast ok with your 6 weight? Is there much of a sag in the depth charge? The Rio folks told me that the six weight deep 7 was lightest weight that they made and because of that the coating was the thinnest of any of their lines . I thought about going up to a seven to see if I could get some more life out of it. The last deep seven I fished from August with about 140 hours on it and you could see the core in spots along with some cracking within 15' of the end. I use the fast sinking line probably more than any of the others but I should still be able to get a couple of years out of one. Thanks for the ideas.
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I agree on life of the line. I would think three years of heavy used line. It is very thin and no the Depth Charge is not that thin, but it cast fine. There is no belly in the line. I use the Depth Charge more than anything. Specially stripping streamers. Stillwater I will cast 50 to 60 feet and peel more line off while kicking then start stripping in. With all the weight in the 30' it seems to add a new movement to the fly. I use the Deep VII mostly for Chironomiding or Jigging more or less. If I am in 20 feet of water, I cast 20' of line. With depth charge I can cast out much more and get the same results.
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I just got the replacement deep 7 so I will use that this spring and if it fails again I might give the depth charge a try. I do have some problems with tangling with the deep 7 but most of that is my problem, not the line itself. I do most of my trolling, I call it, with at least 40' to 50' out and sometimes with almost the whole line depending on where I find the fish. Thanks again for the tips.
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What is the issue with Rio Deep 7? I have used Deep 7 for 2 years throwing streamers on rivers and no problems.
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There have been different problems with each one I've gone through (3 in one year). The first one had some rough spots about forty feet from the tip and after fishing for awhile the rough spots smoothed out and the core started to show through. The next one was much smoother but after fishing it for awhile small white spots (core) started to show up again around forty to fifty feet from the tip. The last one started to show the core in spots along with some cracking near the tip. The last one I recorded 140 hours of use before I sent it in. Like I say RIO has been very good to replace the lines but it is costing me down time along with shipping costs each time I send it back. All of my fishing is done from a fishcat so I haven't been walking on it. I asked if there was anything that you can clean the line with to extend the life and RIO just said to use mild soap and water.
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I forgot to ask you if your line is the RIO in-touch deep 7 or the predecessor to the in-touch series? The series was introduced in September of 2012. Thanks for your interest.
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Thanks for the excellent information. Mine is the predecessor.
I have stepped on it-- caught it in sticker bushes--nicks in the coating etc.- But like all manufactured products --- quality control will always be an issue. Thanks for heads up.
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Both my first Type VII and my Type III were older lines. In fact probably over 5 years but I started using both 2013. I was DC and Type II all the way till this summer and I experimented with these two and now a believer. So basically, two lines not bought at the same time, maybe not even the same year. Both split about 30' into line. PVC coating just split open and the core came out . Both still connected but spilt. About a foot. Hubby has same lines. He uses his in the past years. No problem.
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Never have had a problem with sinking lines coming apart, and I do fish them a lot especially this past three or four years. I still use a wet cell type II that I have for more then twenty years, still looks good, and works well. One line that I would never buy again is the Orvis Clear intermediate, terrible line in cold weather, not too bad in the warm summer months when it is somewhat pliable .
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I second the Clear Orvis, but this new Hydros stuff is different so can't comment on the new clear.
I have a couple of Wet Cells, the rest Density Compensated. Out of all these lines and years of use, just these two went bad. I even caught one of my Orvis Type II in the prop of our boat and it peeled a layer of PVC coating off but I still use it.
It is disturbing that both lines ARE Rio. The Orvis line is probably the tuffest I have. And this New Orvis line is suppose to be awesome. Just no one makes Type VII but Rio.
Sometimes this happens. I bought Sage Bass line which I used all summer and 100's of 30"+ carp, that line is cracked, split, peeling, in other words, Junk. It happens, but I had a great year.
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