Sinking Stillwater Rigs

Stillwater fishing is a constantly changing ecosystem. Fish can be at a wide variety of depths and are usually keyed in on a specific food source. The first step is finding what depth they're hanging out at. A fish finder is helpful, but having a handful of sinking lines on spools is a requirement for any serious lake angler.

Fathom lines are designed specifically for the lake angler. Each line has a short, quick-loading head for minimizing the number of false casts. At 105ft this line is maximized for distance. The color contrast between the head and the running line shows the line's loading point. Each line is built with a Hang Marker showing anglers when to stop stripping and fish the hang.

Powerflex Trout leaders feature a powerful butt section that provides unsurpassed turnover for effective wind penetration—a must-have for stillwater. Finish with Fluoroflex Strong for increased invisibility in ultra-clear lakes.

Lake fish feed on a variety of insects, crustaceans, and baitfish. They don't just key in on one pattern. What's equally important is movement. You should have a wide selection of imitative flies, simulate a particular movement, and in various sizes. Vary your stripping method, combination of bugs, and you'll find the fish.

Lakes can look daunting to someone not familiar with them. Fish seem like they can be anywhere. It adds an extra level of depth (literally) than fishing in a river. One of the best tools for the job combines erratic motion while moving between depths that can induce an eat while giving you a range of depths to start to hone in on. Find fish, find your depth, and improve your stillwater game.

Fathom CleanSweep sinking lines are built with a clear intermediate front end, connected to a faster sinking body section and a slower sinking line. This blend of sink rates results in a deadly fly path through the water, covering a multitude of depths with each cast. Each line has a short, quick-loading head for minimizing the number of false casts and a Hang Marker that shows anglers when to stop stripping.

Powerflex Trout leaders feature a powerful butt section that provides unsurpassed turnover for effective wind penetration—a must-have for stillwater. Add a touch of stretch, so you don't blow the hook set by pulling the fly out too soon. Finish with Fluoroflex for increased invisibility for fish in ultra-clear lakes.

Fishing flies in a lake can sometimes be about movement or just plain attraction. When added to a sweep-type line, movement becomes erratic and can entice a take purely on aggression. Having a variety of strange attractors vs. imitative flies can turn your rig into an underwater vacuum.