Scientific Anglers Sonar Stillwater Fly Lines Videos November 5, 2021 – Posted in: Ambassadors, Instruction – Tags: , , , , , , ,

SA Ambassador, Brian Chan, is one of the top stillwater trout anglers around.  To paraphrase Chan, “As steelhead and salmon stocks decline, I see so many western Canada and US fly fishers turning to stillwaters.  A proficient stillwater trout angler needs a variety of specialized sinking lines to properly cover the levels at which trout (and char) feed.  The secret is matching the various sinking-line densities to the lifecycles of the food sources being imitated.  The Sonar Stillwater series does that.”  In this series of videos, Chan teams up with SA Pro, Jordan Olerich, to cover the Sonar Stillwater series lines and their applications.  In addition, we see SA floating lines that also come into use as well as the leader and tippet combinations they favor. 

Starting from the bottom and moving to the top, the Stillwater Seamless Density lines are covered first.  These blended, dual-density lines are built on a braided multifilament core in the popular MPX taper.  They are made for cold to moderate conditions and overweighted by two line weights (use the designated line weight for your rod) in order to handle multi-fly rigs and long leaders.  They also have hang markers at 10’ and 20’ to help judge depth and distance.  There is a smooth transition between densities- no hinging, for a straight-line connection to the fly and superior bite detection.  The three density combinations- I/3, 3/5, 5/7 allow the angler to effectively fish to depths of approximately 6’, 12’, and 18’ respectively, depending on the type of flies used.  These lines provide a quick, easy way to adjust to feeding levels depending on conditions and time of year.

The Sonar Booby Tip is a 5’ floating tip section that can be added to sinking lines to keep leaders and flies off the bottom.   It is looped on both ends for easy on-and-off the line as well as attaching a leader.  With a weight of 25 grains, there is negligible effect on rod loading and casting.  

The Stillwater Parabolic Sink line is on the MPX taper, has 10’ and 20’ hang markers, and is also two line weights heavy.  With Seamless Density technology, it is designed to sink in a U-shape, the running line is Sink 3, the head is Sink 5, and the tip is Sink 3.  This profile allows the fly (flies) to dive deeper through much of the retrieve and then quickly head to the surface.   It works well with waterboatman, backswimmers, and blobs, along with a variety of floating patterns.  It is a great line to effectively cover the mid-depth area of the water column.

Like the other lines in the Sonar Stillwater series, the Clear Camo line is made on the MPX taper.  This line comes in one line weight heavy and has a mottled, monofilament core with a stealthy, super-supple clear coating.   It excels at fooling fish under clear, calm conditions when they are in the shallows or upper part of the water column.  It is ideal for presenting scuds, shrimp, and leeches when trout are concentrated in the shallows.   

The Stillwater Emerger Tip line covers various fishing strategies.  Built one line weight heavy on the MPX taper, the running line and belly float and it has a 5’ intermediate tip.   It can be used to fish various emergers including mayflies, caddis, damselflies, and chironomids.  It will also work for waterboatman, backswimmers and leeches.  By adjusting the length of the leader and weight of the fly, it will fish from the surface film to several feet down in the water column.  

The Stillwater Hover line is the slowest sinking line out of the series.  It is designed to fish emerger-style patterns- mayflies, caddis, and chironomids, just below the surface film.  It can also be used whenever fish are cruising 1’-3’ depths in search of food.  This line is also one line weight heavy on the MPX taper.  This allows the rod to load quickly when casting and gives a bit of extra weight to help stabilize the line in wind.

There are several floating lines also used in stillwater applications.  The Andro taper is a good all-around line for presenting floating flies under a variety of conditions, especially when there is a bit of wind ruffling the surface.  The Infinity taper is used under calm, clear conditions.   These two lines allow the angler present floating flies effectively under any conditions.  Both are available in either the Amplitude and Amplitude Smooth series.

The Absolute Stillwater Indicator leader matches up perfectly with any of the floating lines.  It is 12’ in length with hot orange butt section to help strike detection.  There is a quick taper to an 8’ long, level tippet section that sinks nymphs and other weighted patterns quickly.  The level tippet also allows an indicator to be pegged and give a true 90 degree drop to the fly, It comes in 4x, 3x, and 2x tippet diameters of 7.4 lb, 9.0 lb., and 11.2 lb. breaking strength, allowing a wide range of fly sizes to be used. 

Depending on the application, leader and tippet type and breaking strength can vary.  Absolute Trout Stealth nylon leaders and tippet have a light olive tint to help reduce line flash and fool wary fish.  Absolute Trout nylon is up to 40% stronger with 29% stronger wet knot strength than competitors.  Absolute Trout Fluorocarbon tippet is both supple and abrasion resistant with outstanding strength per diameter.  Absolute Fluorocarbon leaders come in assorted lengths and breaking strengths to cover nearly any angling situation.

The entire line of Stillwater series products are designed to give lake anglers the tools to fish effectively, top to bottom, through the entire water column.  Brian Chan and Jordan Oelrich have decades of on-water experience fishing trout in stillwaters.  They are recognized stillwater experts and have shared their knowledge in experience in helping Scientific Anglers develop the most extensive selection of products available for stillwater anglers.