# Fly line for Beach Tarpon



## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

I am lined up with a floater. I use all fluorocarbon leader to get the fly down. Having a spare spool with a sink tip may not hurt.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

I have two 12 and two 10s rigged. One each floater and intermediate sink tip. If I was to have only one it would be a 12wt sink tip.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

All my heavier rods (10wt on up) are geared with straight intermediate lines. If we were working shallow water tarpon the way it's usually done in the Keys we'd change to floaters. The intermediate lets you work any depth but won't allow you to pick up and re-cast without stripping most of the way in first. On the plus side intermediates generally cast easier and farther in most conditions than floaters do and once you learn to count them down as they sink you can be very specific about the depth that fly is working.... You won't want to use them with popping bugs though.

Note, I also keep floating lines aboard (some in spools ready to swap out on whatever rod needs a floater...).


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

When I lived in S. Fl and fished the Keys and Fl bay for tarpon I used floating lines almost exclusively. The exception was for dredging deeper areas/channels and ENP rivers where we used "slime" lines, which is just a name coined for a SA mono core intermediate line. 

Now that my primary tarpon grounds are west central Fl +/- 50 miles in either direction, I've switched to a sink tip as my primary line. I have and use a full intermediate too, but I find the sink tip gives me enough of the depth I need, but also the ability to pick up and re-cast a little farther from the boat than the full intermediate. I should say there isn't a huge difference in the pick up range, but there is a difference and sometimes saving that extra few seconds to recast can make or break a day on the water. 

I almost always have a floating line on board too. However, the tarpon around here are generally in the same places where the sink tip/intermediate is really a better choice, IMO anyway. There are guys around here that like the floating lines too, but I don't think they've tried or used a sink tip or full intermediate enough to realize they're using the wrong line.  ;D


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## breakin70 (Jan 11, 2011)

Thanks fellas. This forum is full of knowledge!


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## Lappy_16 (Nov 5, 2007)

I have two 12's, one has a floater and the other a sink tip, i think the floater is fine for sand bars off the beach, and the sink tip may be better when it gets a little choppy out or if your fishn a deeper sand bar edge in a pass or somthing.


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