when you come to fill a empty spool with new line your first task is to assertain what type of spool you have shallow spools are for lighter lines and deep spools are used for heavier bulkier lines , if you find your empty spool is a deep one but the line you intend to use is a light or low dia line then you'll need to top up the spool with some backing to turn it into a low profile spool.the materials you choose should be water tight and not absorb water and swell up when wet,there are verious ways of back filling your spool up too the level required .
some people like to use a bulk spool of new line and completely fill the empty reels spool , but i think this is uneconomical and wastes good line.
another method is use two spare spools first you wind on your new line then join this to some backing with a double blood knot
then keep on winding until you have filled the spool then tie the loose end to the other empty spool using a special spool knot ( arbor knot )
and then simply transfer the line back over to the new empty spool and it should be filled correctly.but this method is prone too line bedding in on the backing and causing casting problems.
the method i faviour is where you tie on your backing then fill your spool up to a point that should leave enougth room for your new line to fill the spool right then cover the backing material either with a piece of cut down bycicle inner tube stretched over the rim of the reels spool and covering the backing completly to create a narrow spool and avoid any bedding in of the line or alternatively you could use plumbers p.t.f.e tape which isn't adhesive backed and would avoid any of the mess that can arise from using sellotape or any sticky backed tape where the adhesive can come through and get onto the line and cause problems.then you tie on your new line (using the above knot)and fill your spool then if you have to replace the line you simply strip of the used line down to the new level on top of your backing and replace with new line.
How To Fill A Spool With New Line
First Put the reel on the rod and attach the line to the reel spool after passing it through just the butt ring open the bail arm and tie on your new line then close the bail arm
The largest problem that the angler faces is when it comes to loading the reel. When you purchase your line it will come on a spool. The problem with loading line onto your Reel is that incorrect loading will result in reversing the way the line was put on the spool at the factory, the line will very soon become tangled as it tries to revert to the original way. The trick is to put the line on the Reel the same way as it was put on the spool at the factory. the biggest problem with putting line on a new spool is avoiding or minimising line twist.Its generally best to wind line onto the reel in the opposite direction its coiled on the manufacturers spool. Then as it comes back off the reel the line is less likely to twist and tangle.The mechanics of loading line on to a fixed spool is that every thurn of the bail arm imparts half a turn of twist. That's why it's not ideal to load from a revolving spool of line but to load your line of a stationary spool .There's a right side and a wrong side and it makes an difference Give the handle a couple of turns and look at the rotor on the reel. It either turns clockwise or anti-clockwise. Most turn anti-clockwise (looking from the front...), so the line comes of the right way to catch it under your finger for casting All you have to do is make sure it comes off the spool you're winding line off the same way. In actual fact this means it will come off the spool clockwise, but it'll look the same way looking down the rod.Doing it this way minimises line twist.Try it the wrong way for a few turns,Now stop and open the bale arm and pull some of the line back off the reel,to check for line twist? If you dont know how to do this take hold of a good foot of line about ten feet up the line, hold it between thumb and finger on either side and bring your hands together. Twisted line will plait itself up, untwisted line should just form a big loop.if it twists together turn the spool the other way up and then continue to wind it all on , still under tension.till your reels spool is full
fig 5
DIFFERENT METHODS TO TRY
different people have different methods to load line onto a new spool
LAYING ON METHOD
one method is to attach the reel to the rod, thread the line through the tip ring of the rod pass it down the other rings until you reach the reel then tie the line to the reel spool, then lay the spool of line on the floor on its side . [fig 5] Turn the reel handle. Note the direction (clockwise, anti-clockwise) the bail arm turns. Now ensure that the line is peeling off the line spool in the same direction, and stick the line spool to the floor with BluTack that way up. Now, each turn off the line spool imparts half a twist, and the bail arm reverses the twist.put the line in a wet cloth and start reeling in the line stop stop to check for line twist to do this take hold of a good foot of line about ten feet up the line, hold it between thumb and finger on either side and bring your hands together. Twisted line will plait itself up, untwisted line should just form a big loop.if it twists together turn the spool the other way up and then continue to wind it all on , still under mildish tension.till your reels spool is full.and the line is about the thickness of a 1p coin from the lip of the spool.
FREE-REELING METHOD
another method is to attach the reel to the rod, thread the line through the tip ring of the rod pass it down the other rings until you reach the reel then tie the line to the reel spool , and then get a volunteer to hold the new lines spool on a pencil[fig 6] so it can rotate and the volunteer can apply some mild pressure on the spool to inpart tention to the line put the line in a wet cloth and start reeling in the line under mildish tension.till your reels spool is full.and the line is about the thickness of a 1p coin from the lip of the spool.
fig 6
Soak And Swirl Method
This method can be a bit more involved and will require a bit more accessories and you have to be a bit safty conscious as it involves using hot water and we don't want to get scolded now do we.the hot water warms up the line on the spool making it more supple and helps remove line wound memory and when wound onto the reel spool under tention will fit tightly onto the spool when it cools down also if the line is to be used for waggler fishing you can add a ample amount of washing up liquid to degrease the line and help make it sink.
first take the new spool of line if its end isn't fixed by a tab of tape then attach a piece of somee sellotape to the end of the line then put it to one side and boil a kettle of water and pour it into a bucket then drop the spool of line into the bucket and securing the end to the side of the bucket via the tab of tape and leave it to soak for 20 - 30 min and while its soaking set up a rod and reel and wet a cloth (or get a old yellow pages)get yourself a space to do the reeling on in fetch the bucket of water and place it under the end of the rod,take the end of the line from the side of the bucket and remove the tab of tape and thread the line through the tip ring of the rod pass it down the other rings until you reach the reel then open the bail arm and tie the line onto the reel spool and close the bail arm the spool will find its own position in the water to let line out, and the water offers a nice amount of even tension to the line.then grip the line with a wet cloth inbetween the last ring and the fishing reel or alternatively pass the line through the centre of a old yellow pages or other thick heavy book between bucket and rod tip then wind on some line and check for line twist and if your getting twist then flip the spool in the water and then start reeling in the line under mildish tension.till your reels spool is full.and the line is about the same thickness of a 1p coin from the lip of the spool.
