Shooting heads?

[MACMAN]

Quick intro- I live to fish. I love all types and methods. I usually fish the way I catch the most/biggest fish possible. Fly fishing on still water may be my favorite way to hook and land a fish and my most memorable fishing outings are on Henry’s lake getting schooled by the old boys out there. Okay, that said, one of the things I love about fly fishing is the game of figuring it out. I’ve been researching fishing on Pyramid lake and all the history and tradition that goes with it. I think I’ve got it all dialed in, except for the line. Kind of hit a wall there. It appears they use a “shooting head”. I can’t figure out exactly what this is. It seems like these are almost a make it work by putting a heavy 30’ chunk of line (even lead core line) off the end of some type of running main line. The idea being the head portion carrying 80’+ out with minimal false casts. There are really expensive changeable head lines via a welded loop to loop connection. That seems problematic hooked to a running 10lb fish ripping through your guides. If any one has experience with these or specifically the Pyramid lake style, I would be very grateful. These factory lines can push $200 and I really don’t want to experiment with the purchase or a busted trip out there with the wrong set up. Thanks in advance for any guidance you can give.
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[riverdog]

Shooting heads are for when distance is the priority over accuracy. Also will help with casting into wind. GmPyramid Lake is still on my bucket list but it would seem an appropriate line for getting the fly out to the drop off. I don’t get your concern for landing a big fish. Heavy is all relative here. It is something like 430 grains to an ounce. No important impact on landing any fish. They aren’t that uncommon of lines even if not sold much in Utah. Spending $200 on one is way overkill. Most run $40 to 80 range.
Good Luck if you make it to Pyramid Lake. Post some pictures to motivate me to plan a trip in the near future.
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[MACMAN]

Thanks for the reply. Oh, I got the bug too bad to not make it out there...it’ll happen- just might be next spring. Got the ladder/chair all set up and picked out a new 7w TFO BVK 9’6” rod to get.

My bad on the explanation. I could have been more clear. I’m not concerned about the weight of the line effecting landing a fish, it’s the loop to loop connection 40’ into your line. I have nightmares about a fish pulling that type of connection through the guides. Seems like a disaster waiting to happen.

The $200 Rio line I am looking at is an interchangeable multiple head line. It comes with a thin diameter floating running line with a welded loop. That connects to one of six different 30’ shooting heads in grains ranging from intermediate to rapid sink. I believe in the 7wt it’s like 150 grains to 380 or 2 in p/second to 10” per second. Not knowing the proper line sink rate for Pyramid, this seems like a versatile option, except for the price and the connection. The single shooting head line just seems like a wet tip or sink tip. There in lies my question. Is there a difference between a shooting head and sink tip?
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[riverdog]

I haven’t fished with a multi tip line with loop to loop connections for over 15 years and have never used a mult head line. If you have a fish under pressure the loops are going to be stretched out and quite taut. They are relatively small and slippery anyways so it’s not likely to be an issue. It wasn’t that I disliked or had a problem with the connections that I stopped using this set up. I just learned to control the nymphs and streamers better in the water column while fishing the few rivers it seemed to have some purpose. Even the short time to change lines tips out became unnecessary time away presenting a fly. I can’t imagine you really need all those options for Pyramid Lake. You’ll probably end up using just 1.
As far as sink vs shooting head I fish both rarely enough that I havent thought about it until you asked. Just last week I fished with a new 0 wt rod on my trip back to Utah. My wife and son stole all the good larger luggage for their snowboard and ski equipment. I ended up fitting into a carry on luggage 2 rods and 2 reel plus all the rest of my gear needed to fish. When I got on the water with the 0 wt rod I realized the reel had 2 wt sinking line and I had wanted 1 wt floating. Now that I think about my experience that may be partially why I was able to cast 40 feet when needed with a 6 foot 0 wt rod. My other similar ultralight rods in the 5.5 to 7 ft range I’m good for about 30 feet. Maybe 35 ft if the wind is at my back. I still had my expected 1-2 inch accuracy in presenting a fly. I think you’ll get some added distance with the sinking line but the grains are smaller and it will be less than a shooting head. Accuracy isn’t needed for Pyramid Lake so there really is no downside to using the shooting head when distance and fighting winds are the priority. You also aren’t going to need variable sink rates - just the quicker the better. Rio sells the outbound type 6 sinking line that would seem to be a good option. https://www.rioproducts.com/products/fly...short-i-s6
Orvis Hydros Bankshot would be another good option. Looking at a 7 wt line the Bankshot is 270 grains while the similar sinking line is 185 grains to compare the shooting to sinking head lines. I know there are a few on this site that have fished Pyramid Lake. Hopefully they’ll give some firsthand experience. Otherwise I’ll be waiting to hear your experience and show some pictures of massive LCT.
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[tubbyama]

So many cheap options: I use shooting heads for most of my Saltwater and Stilwater endevours. I often use a Type 3 30' shooting head tied to 100' of 45lb berkley big game mono for a running line. I can cast easy 100' with this cheap rig. Really sweet for musky fishing on our lakes.
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[MACMAN]

River dog- thanks for your well written explanation. I can tell you have a wealth of knowledge in fly fishing. I believe your right about only needing one type of sinking line and purchasing the $200 rio multipack is overkill- but I still don’t know which type would be the “one”. I’m guessing I may settle in on that one due to the versatility of it and being able to go from dredging deep water to fishing a shallow flat without needing a bunch of extra spools. It will also guarantee I’ll find that one that will work best for Pyramid.

Tub- I’ve seen people rigging up like that. It looks like a great inexpensive way to accomplish this. I’m sure if you can get the line flying out the head would carry it a mile. I don’t strip into a basket. Do you have problems with the mono sinking and when shooting line having the line sink and stick in the water while paying out line on the cast? The factory shooting lines seem to have a really small diameter running line that floats, which would make it pick up much easier than a sinking line. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to strapping a Tupperware bucket around my waist to strip into.

Thanks for your help guys, I appreciate it.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]When I lived in Sacramento, CA, I had a 7-8 weight 9' rod that I used for shooting heads. Regardless of the size fish you are after you need some power and backbone to handle the short heavy shooting heads. I used them for fishing the northern Cal rivers for steelhead and salmon...and shad in season. But during the winter I made a few trips over the hill to Pyramid too...with the same setup.
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[#0000FF]If you are up on a STEADY ladder, you will be able to handle the shooting head casting better than just wading. A couple of extra feet above the water makes a world of difference. But once you get the feel of throwing that rig you can get some great distance...just one pump back and then shoot. Not a lot of false casting after you strip the running line back into the shooting head.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]For what it's worth, I used a fast sink...especially needed for the river fishing. And in the lake it got down fast and allowed for a faster strip. I attached the shooting head to my running line with a "nail knot"...then put a few wraps of tying thread to help smooth it out and finished it with epoxy. Slipped through the guides with ease.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Depending on where you fish on Pyramid...and water levels...you don't always have to make distance championship casts. There will be times when the fish are very accessible with shorter and more controlled casts and retrieves. But the shooting heads are still more manageable than a full length of fast sink line.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]The shooting baskets do take some getting used to. Not everybody uses them. But they can help prevent tangles and make for cleaner distance casts.
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[tubbyama]

Coated Floating running lines don’t tangle near as easy as mono, they don’t cast as far but still cast further than a full sink flyline. I use braided mono loops to make all the connections. If using mono running line then I just tie it to the braided loop and cut knot if I need to switch heads. Mono will tangle as it wants to coil. Soaking your spool in water the night before can help, also make sure to stretch running line before you start. Also don shoot the whole rig on your first cast, you need to feed the line out all the way then strip it back into your bucket so the coils lay in the correct alignment to shoot out again. Have fun!
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[cje04]

Macman, I fish Pyramid a couple times a year. I’d be willing to share my thoughts if there is a good way to contact you.
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[MACMAN]

That would be great. I’ll PM my number to you. Thanks
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