Techy Thursday - Why YOU need an Airflo Streamer Max

Fly Fishing Tips with Chris Dore

A sinking line? But I only fish rivers? Read on...

For pulling fish on streamers from deep, backcountry summertime pools, high flows or just swinging your favourite winter runs, sometimes your floating line just won’t cut it. Sure you say, you can always add a stupid long leader and a crazy, heavy fly but we all know that heavy flies are a nightmare to cast. I’m personally a big fan of weighted lines and lighter flies and the control and ease of handling this combo affords my clients.

The Airflo Streamer Max is an integrated shooting head with a fast sink tip meaning you only need to switch out your spool to swing your way back through that Gucci run or get down across that drop off.

So here are four reasons why I love the Airflo Streamer Max and you will too...

1. Triple density lines are super cool, and allow a deep, very controlled, and slower swing than a full floater can offer. The floating running line allows secondary ‘fixer’ mends during the swing once the head has really dug in, and the intermediate head smooths out the transition between the running line and high density tip, removing the kick and hinging often associated with sink tip lines. Then comes the business end: a fast sinking, level T - tip bowls over big streamers and gets you down deep where you need your flies to be.
2. The Streamer Max allows you to use your everyday single hander to get just as deep, at similar distances as the typical two hand skagit angler, without the need for multiple heads. With a short, 26’ head it’s a case of simply picking up into the backcast, launch it and shoot. The sink tip holds your fly at depth and with sink rates from 7ips for the 5wt to 10ips for the 10wt, (essentially the equivalent of t7 - t14 material) you’ll cut through the water column, and stay there quick.
3. #nophuckingplastic. Solvent free Polyurethane coatings simply last longer, perform better for longer, and we all need less plastic in our lives right?
4. The Airflo Streamer Max is not just a river line. Tidal estuaries and stillwaters aren’t always straight forward. On estuaries you often need to get down deep at the business end yet avoid sunken junk at your feet. Likewise on our larger Southern Lakes, jagged rocky drop offs and associated shallows can wreak havoc on full sinking running lines as they’re stripped across the lip and so a floating running line keeps you above the sharp stuff.

I have been running Airflo Streamer Max lines for a number of years and they are my go to winter swinging lines for those who don’t want to delve into spey casting territory. They do however make great single hand spey lines for when you want to get super deep. If you want versatile sunken line to keep in your pack during summer or as a winter go to there is still a lot of winter action to come. Head along to your local Manic Retailer and give one a go.