Fly Line, Backing & Reels

         

Fly reels are made to hold a finite amount of "line."  This consists of the fly line, backing and leader together.  The amount of line a given reel may hold is referred to as its "spool capacity."   All reels will have such a "rating."  This rating is a direct relationship between the diameter of the reel's spool and its width.  Given the wide variation in these measurements in reels, there is a wide range of choices available in how much line a reel will hold.

A very small reel, with a spool diameter of, say, less than 3", and the narrowest of spool widths, may hold only a  fly line, of say 70', with no backing.  ToTypical backing spool the other extreme, a "big game reel", made for big fish in saltwater, may hold as much as 650' of line (a fly line of 80' & backing of 570'.)

Consult the tables   . . .

Most "reel tables" list reel/spool capacities based on the use of a weight forward (WF) fly line of a specific line weight and 20# dacron or micron backing.  If a different type of line is used (such as a double taper/DT), or different backing is used (e.g., 30# vs. 20#), the specifications for how much backing will fit the spool will change.  Or, as happens more often than not, if you use a different line weight than that utilized to determine the capacity rating, you need to estimate what amount of backing would be needed.  To do that, use the following "rule of thumb":

  • if you go down a line weight (for instance, from #7 to #6) add 50 yards of backing . . .

  • if you go up a line weight, subtract 50 yards

How do I determine exactly how much backing to use?
this practice is only needed when you use fly lines or backing
that is different than the manufacturer's specifications
Stated ratings for a reel's line capacity need to be adjusted for the wide variances in fly lines, their diameters & tapers.  To determine exactly how much backing is needed with any given fly line, you must temporarily fill the reel spool "backwards"; i.e., (a) wind the fly line on the reel first (b) temporarily tie the backing to the fly line (c) wind both up to within 3/8" of the line guard/cross braces (d) cut the backing to length. . . then remove the whole works & re-wind on the reel with the backing first (using an "arbor knot" for backing to spool) and then permanently tie the backing to the fly line (with a "nail-less knot" or "albright knot") and again fill to within 3/8" of the top.

In order to make an informed decision on buying a fly line, you should be armed with the knowledge of the spool capacity of the reel you will use it with.

wharrowlt.gif (2583 bytes) Previous topic / Armed with this knowledge, review the steps in Selecting a fly line