How to Load a Fly Line and Backing onto a Fly Reel 

Yes, that does work, but I haven't recommended it as the vast majority of beginners don't have a reliable means of winding line. Before I got a line winder, I've had the miserable experience of a fly line and 200 yards of 30 lb. Dacron spread all of the floor in a tangled mess. It literally took hours of sitting on the floor unpicking the mess.

@@hooked4lifeca I took a pair of empty spools and added a carriage Bolt and nut. I chuck the spool/bolt combination and use a battery powered drill to unwind then transfer to my line winder. A complicated problem made simple. This is the procedure I passed to Orvis and Mad River for possible publication in their RU-vid instructions. 1. First wind on all the fly line, temporarily attached to reel arbor. Make sure the butt end (marked to be attached to the backing) of the fly line is against the arbor. 2. Then wind on the backing until the line level (backing plus fly line) is where you want it in the final/fishing configuration. 3. Next, cut the backing and then wind the backing back onto the line spool (either the original spool or another empty spool). Sometimes I use a empty spool with a bolt and nut, tightened, in the hole so I can use a drill to speed up the process. 4. Remove the fly line next. The leader section of the fly line should come off first and the butt end will be last. 5. Now, wind on the backing that you measured and cut, attached with an arbor knot or Uni knot to the reel arbor. 6. Attach the butt end of the fly line to the backing on the reel with an appropriate knot or loop-to-loop (handshake) knot. 7. Reel in the fly line, attach leader, and finish.

I collect old tackle and have an old trolling reel (looks like a fly reel on mega steroids) use it to store backing between operations. The floor is okay for the fly line if you are reasonably careful. I always buy a spare spool or two. Guess I should get rid of some old lines from the 70s.😢

I use two salmon trolling reels to do this. There’s enough room to do it right on top of the salmon line.

The backing goes on the same way as the line.

These reels are Danielssons and made in Sweden. I've been using them for at least 15 years with no problems. Cheers from Canada.

Wind the line on by letting it unspool. The easiest way is to use a screwdriver through the centre hole in the spool. Don't unspool the line sideways off of the spool as that will put twists in it.

My wife bought it for me as a gift about 30 years ago. It was made by some local guy and sold through the local flyshop.

I appreciate your prompt response. Will keep researching :)

Loop connections only effect casting if we tried to shoot line with the loops inside the guides. Other than that, the loops have no impact on casting. In fact, by giving us the ability to use different running lines (e.g. mono) we can actually increase our casting distance relative to the same line in a full configuration. I will be producing a video on full lines soon.

I've used both. The 4 strand is a bit tougher on the fingers though.

It's a Danielsson LW 8twelve, an older model. The reels are made in Sweden and sold directly from the factory. Even with shipping and duty, the prices are quite reasonable. The drags are well sealed so the reels can be used either in saltwater or in freezing conditions without worry. One of my Danielssons is almost 20 years old and still going strong.

Thank you!

Added a sub for you. Here's a vid of mine that might interest you - combining spinning gear with fly technique for pressured or lazy bass: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cscfGwn7oAE.html

@@hooked4lifeca awesome I appreciate you so much! Hit my notification bell if you get time 👊