Hi Peter -
I am placing an order for AIRFLO lines so will be able to comment more after testing. So far I have tested the 44' shooting head in high-density sinking (12wt rated no idea what the grains are) and it's a rocket. Sinks second only to the LC-13, amazing how fast it gets down. With a braided running line or any of the monofilament shooting lines, it's going 150ft. With a "real" shooting line you will get 125-135 ft with practice.
Dennis Worley of Kaufmanns' Streamborn (as seen in postcard) was using the Airflo floating shooting head in a 12wt , which led him to ask the question re: trevally poppers... "how many pops can you get in a 150ft cast?" (answer: a LOT) I would recommend that for a floating application.
Of course you need a PhD in line mgmt to handle all that running line, even with a stripping basket. Sticking to 120ft casts or shorter makes more sense while fishing IMHO. A fly's swim time at 120ft is still a LOT as well.
Conclusion: Airflo's 12wt rating works on the Atlantis 1111, shooting heads in sinking and floating field tested.
I
really like the Wulff
Saltwater Triangle Taper for this type of casting (beach casting) because it behaves so well even when going long. The head is only 30', overall line 105' plus a 12' leader and the backing that will fly out into the stripping guides makes for a comfortable 120ft. The loop form stays clean as it flies through the air and then the drag chirps when the backing gets pulled thru the strip guide. I like that.
For beach fishing short heads are the rule: after strip-teasing the fish to the shore you can flip it right out again for it's big brother. It helps you get over the rejection.
The T/T intermediate tarpon line has been so good for me it's stalled my experimentation with other lines.
BTW - folks should be careful to avoid confusing this rod's 11/12wt AFTMA style rating with a spey 11wt line. In fact AFTMA 11wt lines are only as heavy as many 7wt or even 6wt spey lines!
Atlantis covers it's rating well for 11wt and 12wt
AFTMA lines common in tarpon and other saltwater applications... but please don't try an 11wt SPEY line on this rod. Tells ya just how "unique" the spey line rating system is! Yet a 7/8 spey line does in fact "feel" like a 7/8 to me, perhaps it's conditioning or maybe the distribution of those grains over a longer length... but I digress.
Anyway the Atlantis 1111 is NOT a spey rod. It's designed to throw shorter denser lines overhand. I have not tried my spey lines on it, but plan to run through my spey lines with it - but again
it's not a spey rod. Curiosity's got me though and it would be funny if it worked as a spey rod with some lines!
If so it would be pure coincidence, the rod has no intent to be a spey rod in it's concept, design nor manufacture. It's just a flyrod for the beach angler that will take him/her to the next level.
I will end with this question... if a spey 7wt line is a single-handed 12-13wt line in grains, then what would a 9wt AFTMA line be in spey? Probably about a 3-4wt spey!
YET 9wt rods are the most commonly used on the coast. That would be a 3-4wt spey rod or so I would guess. You can see why coastal flyfishers need a tool that takes them to the next level out there, and the fish can be gnarly and large.
Therein lies the need that drove Atlantis.
If it has application elsewhere, GREAT!