shooting heads

I have a 700 grain SA deepwater express. I figure to use it on fast waters for steelhead. If it comes in a 30 ft. length and I use it on an eight weight 'GLoomis IMX' 9ft. rod, what different lengths should I cut it to? It has been suggested three heads: a 5ft., a 10ft, and a 15ft. I have also heard of a 16ft., a 9ft. and a 5ft. spread.
Any suggestions?

[GBSkunk]

Orr, you might check with the folks at The Scarlet Ibis Fly Shop in Corvallis. Their number is 541-754-1544. They are big proponents of that style of flyfishing. (throwing short heavy heads on thin running line) Personally, I think that type of flyfishing is a lot of work. Too much stripping. But thats just me. That kind of flyfishing does catch fish. It's very popular on the N. Fk. Alsea. Good luck!
BTW, don't be surprised if they tell you that you need multiple short heads like a 4', a 5' and a 6'.

[garyk]

I'm really dredging my memory here but here goes...

We used to use 850g. DWE, 30' for chum/steelhead fishing. It is manufactured with an asymmetrical taper on either end – totaling 9' in all. We'd cut that taper section off both ends leaving us with 21' of level belly.

The 21' would be cut into 10', 6', and a 5' sections. The 6' and 5' proved most useful.
(The cut-off tapers can be kept and used to make heads that are lighter still)

At the butt end, six to ten feet of 20# or 25# Amnesia flourescent mono would be joined to the head. The Amnesia knifes through the water, reducing drag, allowing the head to scour bottom. It's length is kept short enough so that it's beyond your rod tip and you're not handling it. Then the floating running line.

The whole rig then, starting at the sharp end is: 2' to 3' of leader, the shooting head, Amnesia mono, floating running line.

As GBS above posted, the Scarlet Ibis folks popularized this rig in the '80's. My schematic might be old school and since improved upon.