Putting line on a fishing reel involves several steps to ensure it's done correctly and prevents issues like line twist and poor casting. Here's a breakdown of the process:
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Gather Your Materials: You'll need your fishing reel, the spool of fishing line you intend to use, a tool to hold the line spool (optional but recommended), and scissors or clippers.
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Determine Reel Spooling Direction: Most reels have an arrow on the spool indicating the direction the line should be wound. If not, check the reel manufacturer's instructions. The direction is important to minimize line twist. The basic idea is to have the line coming off the line spool and onto your reel spool in the same direction.
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Secure the Line Spool: Ideally, you want to hold the line spool steady while you wind the line onto your reel. There are tools designed specifically for this, often with a hole to insert a pencil or screwdriver, as mentioned in the reference video. If you don't have a tool, you can have someone hold the spool or place it on the ground, ensuring it can spin freely. Wetting the line spool can also keep it nicely in place.
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Tie the Line to the Spool: Thread the line through the guides on your fishing rod, then through the bail arm (if present) and onto the spool of the reel. Use an arbor knot to secure the line to the spool. An arbor knot is a simple knot designed to prevent the line from slipping on the spool. You can find diagrams of arbor knots easily online.
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Start Spooling the Line: Begin winding the line onto the reel by turning the handle. Maintain slight tension on the line as you reel it in. This helps pack the line tightly onto the spool, preventing it from digging in on itself later.
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Maintain Even Spooling: Ensure the line is being spooled evenly across the spool. If the line is bunching up at one end, adjust your reeling speed or move your finger back and forth across the line as it goes onto the reel to distribute it more evenly. Some reels have built-in line guides to help with this.
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Fill the Spool Properly: Don't overfill or underfill the spool. Generally, you want to fill the spool to within about 1/8 inch (3mm) of the edge. Overfilling can cause line to spill off in tangles, while underfilling can reduce casting distance.
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Check for Twist: While reeling, pay attention to whether the line is twisting. If it is, try flipping the line spool over and spooling in the opposite direction. If the twisting persists, the line itself may be the problem, and you might need to use a different line.
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Trim the Excess Line: Once the spool is filled, trim any excess line beyond the knot on the spool.
