Floating or intermediate line for sea trout fishing

Primarily three lines are often used for sea trout for a variety of reasons, so here goes:-

Floating line - Mainly used in areas where water is shallower or slow shelving (e.g. most of denmark from the shore), for floating flies, or at night when presenting a fly in the very upper layers of the water give a better silhouette and a better chance of a fish seeing the fly. Though a floating line has large control issues in windy weather and has poorer wind cutting properties due to it's diameter in comparison to weight.

Slow Intermediate (0.5ips) - A good line for allround fishing in shallower water and eliminates the wind effecting the line and thus having direct contact with the fly.

Fast Intermediate (1.25-1.75ips) - A good allround fly line for deeper water and fast shelving beaches (e.g. most of Norway). This is the line I use 95% of the time, plus it's clear thus be less visable, though this can be discussed. Due it's faster sink rate, you can present you fly at various deaths by just waiting a bit though may be too fast for shallower areas. A good caster due to it being relatively thin in comparison to it's weight.

Now I've no idea as to where you fish yourself, but your line sounds fine for most situations and even better if it's a ghost tip i.e. the tip is clear.

If you have any more specific question, fire away!

Hi, I've been trying out a Snowbee XS WF6ND (sink fate 1.14-1.86 ips) in stead of my regular WF6F on the Danish coast. To be honest I can't really feel much difference, the Neutral Density line basically floats in the salt, although Danish coastal waters are not that salty (around 10 ‰, I think).
Cheers,
/atli

I read an article my Mike Connor (?) on the UKSWFF with regards to flyfishing in Funnen and his reasoning which does make sense to me was that intermediates are better when fished in saltwater due to the density of the water. Floating lines are typically designed for freshwater which has a different density to salt water. Typically a floater will sit much higher up in saltwater & you'll run into the problems that Wiggy pointed out to.

[quote:6a966037cc]I read an article my Mike Connor (?) on the UKSWFF with regards to flyfishing in Funnen and his reasoning which does make sense to me was that intermediates are better when fished in saltwater due to the density of the water. Floating lines are typically designed for freshwater which has a different density to salt water. Typically a floater will sit much higher up in saltwater & you'll run into the problems that Wiggy pointed out to. [/quote:6a966037cc]

If you want to get technical...

The Baltic Sea's salinity is much lower than that of ocean water (which averages 3.5%, or 35 parts per thousand), as a result of abundant freshwater runoff from the surrounding land; indeed, runoff contributes roughly one-fortieth its total volume per year, as the volume of the basin is about 21,000 km³ and yearly runoff is about 500 km³. The open surface waters of the central basin have salinity of 6 to 8 ‰.
Below 40 to 70 m, the salinity is between 10 and 15 ‰ in the open Baltic Sea, and a fraction more than this near Danish Straits.

And...

The Baltic receives the drainage from a large part of northern Europe,
including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, northern Germany, and nearly all of Sweden.
As a result of this drainage and of the restricted channel to the North Sea,
the surface water of the Baltic contains relatively little salt-only a third as much salt
as the Atlantic Ocean-and the salinity shows a tendency to decrease toward the west and north.

And then...

The Baltic Sea is so nearly landlocked (and its outlet so shallow) that its waters are remarkably fresh. Its longest rivers, the Vistula and the Oder, drain regions that have a temperate continental climate; they have low evaporation rates and become swollen by spring snowmelt, thus further reducing the salinity of the Baltic. The highest salinity is recorded in the western Baltic, where it is about 10 parts per thousand at the surface and about 15 parts per thousand near the bottom; the lowest is at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia, where it is less than a third of this amount.
The Baltic, sheltered from the strong North Sea tides, is remarkable for the general absence of tidal currents.

There's also this article. Although no comments on salinity, you can "gestimate" the low salinity if the predominant direction of the current is north.
http://globalflyfisher.com/global/denmark/tide.htm

A standard WF/Floating line will do fine.

Regards
Ripley

Ripley I am not worthy :D

Hi Pike,

Good luck.

The main Sea Trout Open Competition starts on Friday to Sunday.

I'm not sure if your entering..?

But...
The main spots on Fyn will be shoulder to shoulder with eager anglers wanting a taste of the fine silver. I have seen it all to often. Hoards of the "Europico Anglericus" hugging the well worn stones of the shore.

My advice...
Avoid the usual and well known places. Try something new. The sea trout this time of year, tend to roam far and wide.

Just my opinion and experience.

Regards
Ripley