Versi Leaders

[Spey Man]

I just purchased an AFT shooting head and was told that I should also be using Rio Versi leader with the set up instead of conventional sink tips that I have traditionally used with my Skagit line. The dealer was not able to explain why except to say that it was Rio's recommendation. Can any of you shed some light?
Thanks,

[beau purvis]

I think you mean AFS head.I only use that head when fishing on or just under the surface.I do not use it for winter steelhead.I use Skagit for that.I believe that RIO recommends their versi with the AFS because it matches up with the taper in the AFS front portion. I am not dead certain on this but have heard this from knowledgeable fishing guides and such in the business.I know some guides who have cut off some of front portion on scandi style lines to use sinktips on them.

Beau

[Spey Man]

AFS is correct...my mistake and thanks for the info. Do you have a recommendation for shooting heads that would match well with sink tips?

[Sauk River]

I agree with what Beau said, they match the AFS shooting head. I used the floating tip all last wek on the GR and Snake, works GREAT. Poppy at the red shed has the complete set for $65.00 or seperatly at $12.00, thats what I remember anyway
Cheers

[Glenburn Drift]

"Tips" are used primarily on Skagit or Windcutter type lines. These tips can be various lengths of floating, intermediate or sinking lines and help create the 3-3.5 line to rod length ratio necessary for casting these lines. These tips are more or less part of the fly line which have the mass to turn over these tips. They are generally too freaking heavy to substitute for a polyleader on an AFS line!

"Polyleader or Versileader" are leaders for Scandinavian Shooting Head designs like the AFS lines. These polyleaders come in 10' to 15' lengths of floating, intermediate or sinking lines and help create the "line stick" necessary for casting these lines. Some people skip the polyleaders and use 20 ft of 15lb mono to produce the line stick needed to load the rod. These are generally too freakin light to substitute for a Skagit tip.

"Tippet" is added to both the tips and the polyleaders in much the same fashion.

The AFS floating heads are very sweet to cast when properly matched up with the right rod. You do need polyleaders for the floating and intermediate lines as these lines don't produce enough line stick without the poly leader. Generally use a 10 ft polyleader on rods 13' and shorter that are 7 weight rods or smaller and use 14' - 15' polyleaders for rods 13' and longer and/or 8 weight rods or larger for the AFS lines. (per Simon G.) (for example, I use 10 ft polyleaders for the AFS 7/8 F on my T&T 1307 and the Winston BIIx 7133 and use 15' polyleaders for the AFS 8/9 F on my Scott LS2 1408) I then add 4 - 6 feet of Maxima 10 - 12 lb ultragreen or ultra clear mono to the end of the polyleader to connect to the business end ie; the fly!

BTW: The Airflo Polyleaders and the Rio Versileaders are interchangeable in my view, I have both and both brands are too expensive. If you want to get your fly deep, use T-14 tips on a Skagit line, if you need to only get 12 inches or less under the surface, go with the AFS F and a sinking polyleader.

These off days are killing me.

DH

[SpeySpaz]

Hi SpeyMan,
The AFS heads are ready for a leader, either mono or poly, and they aren't really meant for sinktips. Scando heads in general don't accept sinktips well unless they're designed for them ( I know Guideline makes a "DC connect" sytem that's a scando head with interchangeable tips, and I think Rio does too, with a floating body.)
Rio's recommendation is a sound one IMHO; when I've tried 15' DC tips the AFS sort of falls flat, I think because the head comes to a fine taper and just doesn't transfer enough energy to turn over a sinktip.
The versileaders on the other hand seem to turn over well for me, as do the Airflow poly leaders...and of course, a long mono leader works fine too. I've even managed to get varying lengths of T-8 out with it, but it's a bit clunky.
15' DC sinktips seem to work best for me with Skagit setups, and poly leaders with scando heads like the AFS and Guideline heads I have (hover, S1/2, S2/3).

The temptation is to try and use the AFS like a Skagit head and add tips to it, but that's like trying to use an Arabian horse to pull a plow.
So if you want to use a head to get deeper, try getting an intermediate or slow sink head, cutting it back 12-15 Feet, and try your sinktips on that, or pick up one of the interchangeable tip systems.
There's some guys here in the pages who are a lot more knowledgeable than me about that stuff, maybe they'll chime in here.
regards
Bob

[MJC]

Do you have a recommendation for shooting heads that would match well with sink tips?

Skagit "heads" from Airflo, Rio, CND, or SA will work well with any sinktips you want to throw.

As Beau mentions use that AFS head for surface (near surface) work and a skagit head for the tips.