The Versa-Line: Change your line length without changing lines

Ever had this scenario play out: you are fishing a certain stream and you're using your favorite rod/line/fly. As you work the water you come to a stretch of river where the water slows and the river widens. The water is clear and the sun is bright. You work the water close to you but no takers. Then you see the fish holding out of casting range tight against the far bank. What to do? Do you wade in and hope that your waves don't send the trout scattering (even when I wade really slowly I frequently scatter the fish). Do you extend your zoom rod and see if you can reach them (that is, if you happen to be fishing a zoom rod)? Do you slink downstream, cross to the other side, and then work your way back up to the fish -- oh wait, there are too many trees on the other side for that to be effective. Well, what do you do?

Fish rising just out of reach and too deep to wade....

...or too muddy to wade; you'll get stuck up to your knees fast.

Or, you need extra line length for stealth.

Coming up to a beaver pond. Beyond the dam you may not be able to reach very far, and it can be very hard to wade.

I frequently fish with fixed length rods. I like my zoom rods, but I like the action and balance of my fixed rods more. Therefore, I tend to use them more. But every so often I get presented with the above senario and I find that I am in a bit of a bind. Personally, if the water is smooth and clear I try not to enter it, or if I do then I stay close to the edge so as to reduce my chance of scattering any trout in the vicinity. Because I'm frequently not using a zoom rod (sometimes the fish are even out of reach with a zoom rod) I will need a longer line to reach the targeted trout. I hate having to collapse my rod, spool in the line, change to a longer line, extend the rod and re-tie on the fly.  I know that this is pretty quick in tenkara, but I have found a faster way that is just as effective. I call it my Versa-Line system, and I have been using it for some time now. Versa is for versatile, ie, "capable of or adapted for turning easily from one to another of various tasks" or "having or capable of many uses." (ref)  

Why miss a beauty like this just because you can't reach him.

The Versa-Line system consists one set-length primary level line and three or four short "extension" lines. Most of my mountain waters fish well with a 360 to 390 cm rod and a 10-12 foot (304-365 cm) length level line. But every once in a while I'll come around the bend and there is a beaver pond or slow, wide run or pool that makes my rod/line combo a bit too short for "line off the water" fishing and still cover the water. Instead of wading out and scaring the fish, wading into deep water over my waders, or wading out and getting stuck in the muck on the bottom I collapse my rod, loosen the slip knot of the primary level line, attach the appropriate "extension" line to the lilian, attach my level line to the "extension", extend the rod and get back casting. It's that simple and even faster!

The line is too short to reach the fish and keep the line off the water.



By adding an extension you can reach the fish and keep the line off the water.

The extensions consist the same or slightly heavier fluorocarbon level line as my primary line. Each extension has a slip knot on the "lilian-end" and a large (3.5-4 mm) tippet ring on the "line-end". This large tippet ring is what is used to attach the extension to the primary line. This is how it works. After you've attached the extension to the lilian, slide the primary line's slip knot over the tippet ring. Carefully close the slip knot so that it closes just above the tippet ring and tightens onto the tippet ring's knot. Do not close it onto the extension line itself, but rather on to the knot that fixes the extension to the tippet ring. Get it? Now you have an instantly longer, versatile level line without having to change lines or re-tie flies.  Also, what is great about this system is that after you've caught all the trout in the wide run/pool or beaver pond and you head upstream where the water is "normal" width all you have to do is remove the extension, reattach your primary line to the lilian, and get back fishing! It works pretty slick!! The idea was born after seeing a diagram on the Tenkara USA website on how to attach your tippet to your level line. Although I've never used this Ishagaki knot for tippet, it works well for this extension system. The tippet ring makes it easier to undo when you want to remove the extension.

Tippet ring end of the "extension" line.

Primary line slip knot loop (pink) just above the tippet ring -- then tighten.

Primary line slip knot tightened onto tippet ring knot. To undo, just pull the tippet ring and slip knot tag!

I don't know if this idea has been done before, but I suspect it has. Like most "new" things in fishing, "new" ideas tend to get recycled and resurface every few years or so. I just can't find where this system has been described before when used as a line extension system, not a way to attach tippet.

I carry with me two spools that have extensions. On one spool I have a 2 foot and 4 foot extension. On another spool I have a 6 foot and 8 foot extension (I don't use these very often, I mostly use the 2 or 4 foot extensions). The extensions on the same spool are wound onto the spool in opposite directions so they don't get tangled with each other. In my stream bag I now only carry my fixed line (usually 12 ft without tippet), and my two extension spools. Any combination of primary level line and extension lets me cover most all water I come across on an average stream. With this system I can instantly make a line up to 20 feet in length (not counting tippet) -- that allows me to cast a long ways without ever "changing" my primary line. But please note that I rarely ever cast over 25 feet with a level line, and a line that long is very hard to keep off the water unless you have the right rod, line weight, and wind situation.

My 2 foot and 4 foot extension spool

2 foot extension on the right side of the spool, and 4 foot on the left -- wound on in counter directions. 

I freely admit that at least 85-90% percent of the time I am fine with my primary line. When I can wade closer to the fish, I do. But, every once in a while conditions present themselves where I can't wade closer and I need more length -- even if it is just for a few minutes -- and I don't want to have to change the whole line out and re-tie my fly/flies on. That's when this system comes in handy. Sure, you'll have a little pull tag hanging off your line where the extension and primary line meet, but it doesn't appear to affect casting in the least.

So, if you use a level line with a slip knot, and would like to have more line versatility, then try the Versa-Line system and see how it works for you. Let me know. I like it; maybe you will too!