Airflo Streamer Max Review and Test – Ben Rogers: Every season, new fly fishing gear and tackle floods fly shops and the online world hoping to grasp the attention of anglers and customers. As a fly shop, we recognize it’s hard to differentiate between the plethora of angling gear choices. So, we put the gear in the hands of those that demand the most and the best, our WCA Fly Fishing Guides. We picked our top new products in the WCA Fly Shop for the 2016 Fishing Season. We placed those items in the hands of our guides to wear, use, cast, fish, abuse and enjoy! Simply put, it’s gear that is WCA Guide Tested.
Starting his third season at WorldCast Anglers, Ben Rogers is an avid fly tier and dedicated streamer angler. Throughout the greater Jackson Hole region, Will has his Airflo Streamer Max spooled up and ready to go!
“It’s fall… the water has cooled off, the summer river traffic is nowhere to be found, and big fish are looking for some meat. Streamer fishing can be a fun change of pace and a great way to target those large trout that are on the prowl. That being said targeting these trout requires an angler to change their tactics as well as their gear. In addition to a solid rod and a selection of streamers, it is imperative to have an effective line. Airflo’s Streamer Max line is an excellent way to deliver your fly to trout in a wide variety of streamer fishing applications.
I have used the streamer max line for several years now and can honestly say it is my favorite streamer line fishing for trout anywhere. The streamer max line comes in line weights from WF5-WF10 with sinking heads that range from 22’-27.’ The level sink tip transitions into an intermediate belly followed by a floating running line, that allows an angler opportunity to mend. One of the best features of the streamer max line is the ability to customize the length of the sinking head. It is vital to have a sinking head that cuts through the water and puts your fly in front of big fish. However, casting a big long sinking tip can be difficult and frustrating, especially when poorly matched to a specific rod. To combat this, the head on the streamer max line is designed to be cut back as needed until it perfectly matches your rod and or streamer fishing style.
Personally, I fish the WF7 line in 240 grains paired with my Orvis Recon 7wt rod. After cutting roughly 12’ off the 24’ head, my streamer max line allows to me to deliver a fly with a high degree of accuracy and “castability”, while still retaining enough weight to get and keep my fly in the zone. When tossing big flies to the banks of the South Fork, swinging through the runs of the Henry’s Fork, or looking for that brown of a lifetime in Patagonia, I am always confident that the streamer max line will allow me to accurately and easily put my fly in front of the fish.
