SHOOTING HEAD SYSTEMS

SHOOTING HEAD SYSTEMS  There is one main reason to use a shooting head system and it is DISTANCE.  With a shooting head you can reach distances previously unavailable for a regular Weight Forward fly line. 

This is accomplished by using a shorter, heavier “head” and a thinner running line, simple as that.

You can cast as far as your regular fly line with less effort and false casts thus reducing arm fatigue and with the proper technique you can cast much, much farther with the same effort, EVEN INTO THE WIND. 

You can also cast larger flies and reach the bottom faster while using heavy sinking lines due to the low diameter of the running line and heavier head.  It also gives me the versatility of having to carry 4 lines in one little pocket to meet most conditions instead of carrying a whole set of spare spools.

All this comes at a price. 

WF lines land softer in the water and fly turnover is not very elegant with the shooting heads, but I think it is a small price to pay when we need to reach far and go down fast on medium to large rivers.

  The head There are plenty of shooting heads available out of the box from the major manufacturers or you can make your own.

I usually make my own out of DT fly lines (I can make two heads out of one line) but sometimes I buy regular shooting heads. 

Since I used a fast loading rod while using SH, I usually use one or two line weights heavier than the recommended for the rod.  I cut the first 12 – 15 meters (32’ to 38’) from the line tip, tie a loop at both ends and I am ready to go.   I may have to adjust the length a bit later on if I feel it is too long.  For beginners I recommend using shorter heads initially and use longer ones later on, if necessary.  To take advantage of the versatility of this system I carry the following heads (floating – Intermediate – Slow Sinking – Fast sinking and last and sometimes necessary a lead core super fast sinking)

 The running line There are several running lines available.  A level “running fly line” made of the same materials as regular fly lines, braided nylon and low memory monofilament.

The low memory monofilament, like Amnesia is the best for casting very far and going deep, but it is more difficult to manage.

The regular running line is very easy to manage but casts a little shorter (I recommend this line for beginners)

The braided line is a good compromise between both but tends to knot and kink more than the other lines. 

 Leaders Since Shooting heads land “louder” than normal lines and turn over is not as good, the use of long leaders is not an option.  For the sinking lines we will be using short leaders anyways (I usually loop a 4’ piece of fluorocarbon to the loop in the head).  For the floating head, a 7’ leader will improve turnover.

 The cast While casting a regular WF line, you will make a couple of back casts to feed line to load the rod to get distance, with the shooting head you need just one roll cast and a false cast. 

I usually strip the running line until I have 1 or 2 feet of the head in the rod tip, roll cast to stretch the line out, use the pull of the water to load the rod on the back cast, and using a double haul, shoot the line out.   Simple? – Yes!  Effective? You bet!!!!!

  If you are planning to catch anadromous species on large rivers, give this method a try.  You won’t be disappointed.