A Practical Guide to Sink Tips for Spey, Trout Spey, and Single-Hand Skagit Setups
Struggling to get your fly down where the fish are? Learning how to choose and use sink tips can make a major difference in your swing game. From dialing in depth to controlling fly speed, sink tips help you fish the right part of the water column with more confidence.
This guide breaks down the basics of sink tips, how to match them with different heads, and how to think through tip length, grain weight, fly size, and water conditions.
Disclaimer: When it comes to choosing a sink tip, the right one is the one that gets the job done. That means the tip turns your fly over, fishes the depth you need, and matches the conditions in front of you. Sometimes that may mean using a tip that does not perfectly match a manufacturer’s chart or the examples listed below. Be willing to experiment, adapt, and think outside the box. The information below is not gospel, but it is a useful general guideline and starting point.
Why Sink Tips Can Feel Confusing
We were talking in the shop the other day, and the conversation centered on all the different floating and sinking tips available today. Whether you are Spey fishing, Trout Spey fishing, or using a single-hand rod with a Skagit-style head, there are more tip options than ever.
A lot has been written about the what, where, and when of sink tips. There is no shortage of information out there. In fact, there may be so much information that it becomes confusing.
Each manufacturer has its own version of tips designed to pair with its Skagit and Scandi lines. That can take some of the guesswork out of the process. Buying tips from the same manufacturer as the head you are using makes sense. They were designed to work together.
But one common question comes up often:
Can I use a RIO MOW tip on an OPST Commando head? Can I use an OPST sink tip on an Airflo Skagit Scout head?
The quick answer is: Yes.
Mass Moves Mass
You have probably heard the term “mass moves mass.” That idea matters when choosing a sink tip.
Most anglers think about sink tips only in terms of how deep they want the fly to fish. Depth matters, but fly size is just as important. The tip also has to help turn over the fly you are casting.
For example, if you are casting a 600-grain Skagit head with a large weighted intruder, you probably do not want to pair it with a light 10-foot T-8 tip. In that setup, you have a heavy head and a heavy fly with too little mass in the middle. The result can be poor turnover and an awkward cast.
The sink tip is part of the casting system. It is not just a depth tool.
Manufacturer Charts Are Guidelines
Manufacturers publish charts with general suggestions for matching sink tips to Skagit and Scandi heads. These charts are helpful, but they should be treated as guidelines rather than hard rules.
RIO, for example, has published general recommendations for matching sinking and floating tips to head grain weights. The idea behind those charts can be applied across other brands as well. The goal is to match the grain weight, length, and purpose of the tip to the head, fly, and fishing situation.
In practical terms, if you are casting an OPST Commando 350-grain head and OPST recommends a 10-foot 80-grain or 12-foot 96-grain tip, you can often substitute a comparable RIO MOW Light T-8 tip or another similar tip from a different manufacturer.
The same works in reverse. If you are using a RIO Skagit head and do not have the exact RIO tip suggested, a comparable OPST, Airflo, or other tip can often get the job done.
Floating tips work in a similar way. If OPST recommends a floating salmon or steelhead tip for your head, a comparable floating tip from RIO or another manufacturer may work just fine, even if the grain weight is slightly different.
As OPST notes on its recommendation charts, these are recommendations only, and gray areas do exist.
Once you understand the basic fundamentals, mixing and matching tips becomes much easier. You can adapt with what you already own, what is available, or what fits the water in front of you.
Do Not Overcomplicate It
It is easy to geek out over sink tip length, grain weight, sink rate, and brand-specific charts. There is nothing wrong with that. We have all benefited from the people who studied these details and helped create the modern sink tips we use today.
But you do not need to make it overly complicated. A basic understanding of tips will take you a long way. The goal is simple: choose a tip that casts well, turns over the fly, and fishes the depth and speed you need.
Understanding Skagit Sink Tips
Tungsten sink tips are measured in grains. A grain is a unit of weight, and sink tips are often described by how many grains they weigh per foot.
For example, T-8 means the tip weighs about 8 grains per foot. A 10-foot T-8 tip weighs about 80 grains. A 12.5-foot T-8 tip weighs about 100 grains.
The same idea applies to T-7, T-10, T-11, T-14, T-17, T-18, T-20, and other similar tips.
One important point: a longer tip of the same T-rating does not sink faster. A 12.5-foot T-14 tip does not sink faster than a 10-foot T-14 tip. The sink rate is essentially the same because both are T-14. The longer tip may fish deeper because it has more length, but not because it sinks at a faster rate.
Understanding Sink Rates
Sink rates vary slightly between brands and tip designs, but the following examples provide a helpful reference point.
Airflo Custom Cut Sink Tips
- T-7: sinks at approximately 7 inches per second
- T-10: sinks at approximately 8 inches per second
- T-14: sinks at approximately 9 inches per second
- T-18: sinks at approximately 10 inches per second
RIO MOW Tips
- T-8: sinks at approximately 6 to 7 inches per second
- T-11: sinks at approximately 7 to 8 inches per second
- T-14: sinks at approximately 8 to 9 inches per second
- T-17: sinks at approximately 9 to 10 inches per second
- T-20: sinks at approximately 10+ inches per second
Understanding OPST Sink Tips
OPST sink tips come in a variety of grain weights and lengths, with options often designated as Riffle, Run, or Bucket within each grain family.
The names are useful. A Riffle tip is intended for shallower riffle water, a Run tip for the main run, and a Bucket tip for the deeper part of the pool.
This is where it can get confusing. Some anglers assume that within a given grain weight, the Riffle, Run, and Bucket tips are simply different T-ratings. That is not quite how it works.
In a given grain weight, the Bucket version is generally the closest to the traditional T-rating classification. The Riffle and Run tips may have the same grain-per-foot label, but they are built differently and sink at slower rates because they create more resistance in the water.
OPST once explained it with a parachute example. If you jump out of a plane with a large parachute, you fall slower because there is more resistance. If you jump with a smaller parachute, you fall faster because there is less resistance. Your weight is the same, but the surface area and resistance change the fall rate.
Think of OPST tips the same way:
- Riffle: more resistance, slower sink
- Run: moderate resistance, moderate sink
- Bucket: less resistance, faster sink
Example: OPST Commando Sink Tip 10' 80 Grain
- Riffle: sinks at approximately 2 inches per second
- Run: sinks at approximately 4 inches per second
- Bucket: sinks at approximately 6 inches per second
Basic Sink Tip Guidelines by Line Setup
Use the following as a general starting point. Do not be afraid to adjust based on rod, head, fly size, depth, current speed, and casting style.
Skagit Heads
Skagit heads are designed to cast sink tips and larger or heavier flies. Match the length and grain weight of the tip to the head and the fly you are casting.
- RIO MOW Tips
- RIO iMOW Tips
- RIO 3D MOW Tips
- Airflo Custom Cut Sink Tips
- Airflo FLO Tips
- OPST Commando Sink Tips
Scandi Heads
Scandi heads are usually paired with lighter tips, polyleaders, versileaders, or tapered mono leaders. They are generally not intended for heavy sink tips and large weighted flies the same way Skagit heads are.
- Airflo Polyleaders
- RIO Versileaders
- RIO Replacement Tips
- Mono tapered leaders
Anglers using tapered mono leaders often prefer them slightly longer because mono slides on the surface more easily than a polyleader or versileader. A longer mono leader can help prevent blowing your anchor.
Single-Hand Rods
For single-hand rods, lighter tips and leaders are usually the best fit. The goal is to add controlled depth without overpowering the rod.
- Airflo Polyleaders
- RIO Versileaders
- RIO Replacement Tips
Three Sink Tips That Cover Most Situations
Of all the sink tips available, I tend to use three styles the majority of the time because they cover most of the situations and conditions I run into. These examples happen to be RIO MOW tips, but similar tips from other manufacturers can also work.
- RIO MOW Light 12.5' T-8
- RIO MOW Medium 10' T-11
- RIO MOW Medium 2.5' Float / 7.5' T-11
If I need to fish a little deeper, I may use a heavier fly, a longer leader, or cast more upstream with an extra mend or two. That gives the tip and fly more time to sink before coming under tension.
If I feel like I am getting too deep, I can adjust by casting more downstream and bringing the fly into tension sooner. That helps keep the tip and fly from hanging up or fishing below the zone.
These small adjustments are often just as important as changing tips.
High Water and Softer Edges
One thing worth mentioning: when water conditions are high, I often use a lighter or slower-sinking tip.
In higher water, fish are not always out in the middle of the river fighting heavy current. They are often in softer inside edges and sometimes right against the bank. In those situations, I want a tip that will fish into the soft water without hanging up before it gets there.
A go-to setup in this situation might be a RIO MOW Light 2.5' Float / 7.5' T-8, a 5' Float / 5' T-8, or an OPST Riffle or Run version of a 10' 80-grain tip.
Pair that with an unweighted fly with a larger profile, such as a Hoh Bo Spey, and you have a setup that can swing into the bank and stay in the game.
Final Thought
Understanding how sink tips work helps you make better choices on the water. Recommendations, charts, and grain windows are helpful, but they are not hard rules.
Generally speaking, longer rods can handle longer tips, but there are always exceptions. Fly size, current speed, casting style, water depth, and the fish’s location all matter.
The best sink tip is the one that casts well, turns over your fly, and fishes the zone you need. Start with the guidelines, then adjust until the fly is moving where the fish are.
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