Fly Fishing Tackle: Sinkers 1

Another useful item in your fly fishing tackle is sinkers. They are most commonly made of lead and used to get your hook down into the water. They work well they are soft and dense, though new environmental concerns have forced us to adopt new materials like brass and cadmium. Unfortunately these materials are expensive and don't work as well as lead because they are not as dense. The can also be hard and cannot be used for Split Shot because they will cut the line if you force them closed on it. So, if you are allowed to do so in the area in which you fish, stick with lead sinkers.

Several styles are available for different fishing methods and you can buy them in weights of from tenths of an ounce to pounds. They attach to your line in different ways and they have many different shapes.

Most sinker sizes are  based on weight but Split Shot, one of the most popular, is sized differently. Bullet Weight sinkers for bass range from 1/16th oz to one ounce. Egg sinkers for fishing rivers start at a quarter ounce and go up to several ounces in weight. Saltwater ones for halibut fishing in strong currents may weigh as much as a pound each.

Split Shot and other small sinkers range in size from BB to 10 or higher, the bigger numbers representing heavier sinkers. Always have on hand a variety of sizes and adding in different sizes to fine-tune the weight on your line in small increments. A good feature of Split Shot is that it can  be opened and removed to use another time.

Use the smallest sinker you can get away with to send the bait where you need it to go. For strong currents a heavy sinker is better as it will get bait deeper and help you make long casts. But never use more weight than you really need: sinkers make the bait look unnatural and can discourage bites. Have a look through our wide range of fly fishing tackle, and you will find lots of information, too about the best applications for the kit we have on sale.