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How much backing to put on?

Spey 
3K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  Derek Day 
#1 ·
So I'm about to spool up my first reel for spey fishing, but I'm not sure how much backing I want to have put on. How does one calculate that out if the manufacturer only has standard line specs? I will be putting 30# backing on. Here is what I have:

Abel Super Series 11/12N (11wt. - 300 yds) or (12wt. - 250 yds)
Airflo Ridge Line Shooting Line 30#
Airflo Skagit Compact 600 grain

Suggestions? Thoughts? I'm very new to the spey game, so any feedback greatly appreciated, thanks!!
 
#2 ·
I've always believed that you should put on as much backing on as possible such that when the running line and the head are added nothing is rubbing the frame. Any competent fly shop should be able to spool you up and they usually do it for free if you're buying the running line and head.

As far as I know, there is no downside to "more" backing.
 
#3 ·
Just remember, it won't be organized when landing the big one. Leave a little for sloppy stacking. It would be pure luck if you get more then 100yds of backing plus your fly line out and somehow manage to land the fish.
 
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#5 ·
Just remember, it won't be organized when landing the big one. Leave a little for sloppy stacking. It would be pure luck f you get more then 100yds of backing plus your fly line out and somehow manage to land the fish.
WHAT?! But, but I have heard you need at least two to three hundred yards of backing if fishing for steelhead.:eek:

What Robert said works very well.
 
#16 ·
Absolutely the foolproof method. If you don't have a line winder, you can always use a variable speed drill with a dowel or another reel to take it off and reversing the procedure. A bit more more work but well worth it. You'll be sorry if you cut your backing and find out you should have used more. Yes you can splice it, but the fewer knots/splices the better imo. Just remember not to fill the reel completely because when everything is wet for one thing, it will take up more space.

I even had a fly shop put backing and line on a reel for me and they guessed the amount of backing, spliced it to the fly line(quite an elaborate splice by the way) spooled the fly line and didn't have enough room.They missed the fact that the line was 110 feet instead of 90..........had to redo the whole thing.

Good luck.
 
#7 ·
WHAT?! But, but I have heard you need at least two to three hundred yards of backing if fishing for steelhead.:eek:

What Robert said works very well.
With all due respect some of this is just negative hyperbole...if not borderline silly.

If any kind of judgement is used when a person buys and loads a fly reel, it will be nearly impossible to get 1000 yards (or even 300 yards) of backing on a reel along with r-line and head. A more reasonable guess would be 150, maybe 200 yards.

But if I had the choice of 100 yards versus 150 yards and could store it all without overloading the reel I'd go with the higher amount and the higher test rating. If for no other reason than it will allow the reel to take up line faster...adding to the diameter of the arbor; but also because I have, while fishing for steelhead, had occasion to hook up with the odd chinook.

Some might not have any desire or expectation of landing such a fish but, depending on the time of year, I'm not one of them. When a hook-up of this kind occurs, my only hope is that I can turn the fish before tidewater.

 
#15 ·
My general 'rule of the thumb (with spey lines of any kind) is take the single hander designations (and subtract 2 for a spey line. Or to put that another way if the reel guy says this will hold an 8wt line and 200 yards of 30# backing you're probably looking at a 6wt 2hander line and 150 yards of 30#. Couple of straight forward reasons for this. First 1hander lines are normally 90' long whereas the typical 2hander will be 120 (give or take a tad depending upon the type of head system). Secondly a spey line is going to be 'fatter' than one hander line. The numbering system of one to the other have no cross reference.
 
#19 ·
As Englehart explained: the way to get a perfect fit is to first load the line and then the backing onto the reel, in reverse order. You won't know exactly much backing you have, but so what? To do this, you should have a few empty spools, on a large, cheap reel.

And how much backing is enough? The majority of steelhead and salmon I've caught took out no backing. But occasionally, in the course of your angling career, you'll meet a strong, antsy fish that will completely change the run length average.
 
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