RIO Elite Leviathan
In Stock • Bozeman, MT
- Short, heavy head to load powerful saltwater rods
- Short, aggressive front taper to cast large flies with ease
- Low stretch DirectCore for hard, solid strip sets
- Built with RIO's exceptionally slick, durable SlickCast coating
- Density Compensation for complete depth control
Description
Designed to target the largest of tropical species with low stretch, and ultra slick performance.
RIO's Leviathan lines have been specifically designed for the largest of tropical species. Each line features a powerful front taper to cast the biggest of flies, a short, heavy head to load bluewater rods, and a hard, tropical coating to prevent the line from wilting in the heat. The line has a 26ft, fast-sinking head seamlessly integrated into an intermediate running line. In addition, a tough, ultra-strong core ensures the line will easily battle large fish being cut on coral and rock structures.
Features
• Short, Heavy Head — Loads powerful bluewater rods fast with big flies.
• Density Compensation — Adds sink rate and mass across grain classes without changing head length.
• Short, Aggressive Front Taper — Turns over big flies with minimal false casting.
• Fast-Sinking Design — 1.5/5.5 to 1.5/10.0 ips depending on grain class.
• DirectCore — RIO's low-stretch core for hard strip-sets and abrasion resistance.
• SlickCast Coating — Low-friction, durable finish built for hot, tropical conditions.
• Seven Grain Classes — 250 to 750 grain, matched to 7/8wt through 15wt+ rods.
• Welded Loops, Front and Rear — Fast, secure connections to backing and leader.
Rod Pairing
| Rod Action | Pairing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Action | Ideal | Bluewater blanks built to load a short, heavy head and turn over big flies at every grain class. |
| Medium-Fast Action | Works Well | Loads fine within its matched grain range. |
| Slow / Full-Flex Action | Not Recommended | The short, heavy head overloads a soft blank almost immediately. |
Size Guide
| Grain Weight | Rod Weight | Sink Rate (ips) | Head Length | Species / Technique |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300gr | 8/9wt | 1.5 / 6.7 | 26' / 7.9M | Tarpon, snapper, jacks, golden dorado (Argentina/Uruguay) |
| 350gr | 9/10wt | 1.5 / 7.2 | 26' / 7.9M | Tarpon, snapper, jacks |
| 400gr | 10/11wt | 1.5 / 7.7 | 26' / 7.9M | Tarpon, nearshore and off shore, reef fish |
| 500gr | 12/13wt | 1.5 / 8.5 | 26' / 7.9M | Jungle tarpon, reef fish, sailfish & offshore |
FAQ
What are the parts of this line and what does each section do?
This line is built differently from a standard tapered fly line -- it's a density-compensated shooting head system. Intermediate Running Line: The level backing-side section, seamlessly integrated with the head so the whole system shoots as one unit. Sinking Head: A short, 26-foot head built in different grain weights, all sharing the same length but increasing in density and sink rate as the grain weight goes up. Front Taper: A short, aggressive taper built to turn over big, air-resistant flies with minimal false casting. Tip: The final section where the leader connects, finished with a welded loop for fast fly changes between fish.
What is DirectCore and how does it affect hook-ups on big fish?
DirectCore is RIO's low-stretch core, built to transmit energy directly from the rod to the fly and resist stretching under the extreme loads of a big bluewater fish. On a line built to battle tarpon, GT, and other large species -- often fished around coral and rock structure -- that low-stretch build converts a hard strip-set into direct pressure on the fish rather than losing it to a stretchy core, which matters when the first few seconds of a hookset often decide the fight.
What is SlickCast and why does it matter in hot, tropical water?
SlickCast is RIO's proprietary coating technology, built to reduce friction and resist the heat that causes many tropical coatings to soften and get sticky. On a line shooting a heavy, density-compensated head through the guides on every cast, that reduced friction and heat resistance keeps the head shooting cleanly trip after trip in water from 75-100°F.
What is Density Compensation and how does it let one head length cover seven grain weights?
Density Compensation is what lets RIO build all seven Leviathan grain classes to the same 26-foot head length while still hitting seven different sink rates, from 1.5/5.5 ips on the 250gr to 1.5/10.0 ips on the 750gr. Rather than making the head longer or shorter to add weight, RIO increases the density of the coating itself as the grain weight goes up, so the head stays a consistent, castable length at every size while sinking faster and carrying more mass as the rod class increases. That's what keeps the lightest class as easy to turn over as the heaviest.
