Mono Alternative

Product Review: Rio Shooting line

Having used mono shooting line behind my Skagit head for about 6 months now, I can say I love the stuff. I did however run into some coils and twisting recently on a cold morning and it kinda scared me for this winter so I bought some Rio powerflex mono core shooting line. I remember Scott O'Donnell using the stuff back when the Skagiteers were here. I asked him why he doesn't use mono and his reply was: because I want to feel like I'm fly fishing. I got quite a chuckle out of that one. So I figured I'd give it a shot. Well, it's great! It has a 25lb mono core with a thin coating of something that feels like a fly line, with a cold water supple coating to help limit tangles. Overall thickness is that of 40lb mono, REALLY thin-exactly what I want. It is 100 ft long and comes with a nice big loop at the business end.

Having used it on some below freezing mornings I have notices that it does want to coil coming off the spool, but can be fished this way with no issues. However, a quick pull to stretch it out as you pull it off the reel solves this problem pronto. It then becomes a super thin, non tangling shooting line with the advantages of mono but feels like "flyline". I have the thinnest they make in the cold water coating, .024. I will still use my mono shooting line without a doubt, but this stuff gives a nice alternative to those who "want to feel like they're fly fishing".