fly line backing alternative

[eastern fly 0]

Does anyone use something not listed as backing? Ideas please

 

Kevin

[mikechell 0]

I've got 40# or 65# braid on all of mine. Doesn't give you those bright, trendy colors some backings do, but you can put a hundred yards of the stuff on in the same space as 30 or 40 of the backing material.

My only complaint to braid ... I hand-line in the fish. If I ever get spooled into the backing, I'll need to reel that back in before hand-lining the fly line again. There is NO WAY you'd be able to hand-line braid.

[FIN-ITE 34 0]

Can't imagine why you would be looking for anything other than Dacron or gel spun?...............

[SilverCreek 0]

Whatever you use, make sure it does not stretch.

[Rocco 0]

Maybe 90% of us never see the backing while fighting a trophy fish BUT... When the monster crashes the party you may need all the backing and the best non-stretch backing you can afford.

 

Diameter is the key. I want at least 100 yards of backing for insurance sake --even on trout rods/n/reels. Heavy breaking strength, thick backing will cramp the space available on smaller reels. 20# dacron works best for me in these apps.

 

For big reels used on heavy, long running fish of potentially major size -- salmon, tarpon etc -- higher breaking strength must he just stronger than the weakest part of the leader system used but still thin enough to allow for maximum backing space.

 

Shop around for large capacity spools of the sizes of dacron you most use. Do not let the 'expert' guys at the fly shop spool up backing on your reel with whatever they have on hand.

 

Rocco

[Bryon Anderson 0]

I've used nylon "catfish line" before--it came on little hockey-puck-sized spools at Wal-Mart for $2-3 a spool back when I used it, but that was quite a few years ago. I suspect it would go for not much less than a spool of backing now. It only came in black and the black dye would bleed onto the part of the fly line that was up against it on the reel spool, but I didn't care about that.

 

 

I've also used running line (the super-thin fly ine that is meant to be attached to a shooting head) as backing in a pinch.

 

Of course, for the fishing that I do 99.9% of the time, the only reason I need backing at all is to take up space on the reel spool to keep the fly line from developing as much memory as it would if it were coiled directly around the reel arbor. If, however, I ever get the chance to go after fish that might conceivably take me into the backing, I would for sure use the real dacron or gel-spun stuff.

[JSzymczyk 0]

I usually put a hundred yards of backing on my spools, because that's how it comes and only to fill the spool- Show me a North American fresh water scenario where a fly fisherman has a reasonable chance of recovering a fish which has run off an entire fly line and almost a hundred YARDS of backing... maybe one in a billion fish. I've caught 8-10 pound steelhead in Lake Erie, open lake not a tributary stream, and they have not run more than MAYBE 50 yards. Maybe a king salmon at the mouth of a river in Alaska.. Muskies don't make runs like that, nor do big landlocked stripers. I agree with Rocco but would put the number closer to 98%.

[Rocco 0]

I had one hot steelhead just off the big lake spool me once on the Pere Marquette.That fish was crazed. One Olympic level jump and off to Luddington and parts west. Never took a breather. Left me gasping and a lot of "pals" LTAO. That fish is still running in my mind at least.

 

Rocco

[islander727 0]

Power Pro.

[heavynets 0]

A shoe lace, it's all you need.

[phg 0]

Dacron is the best choice, because it doesn't stretch, and it's very strong for the diameter. The stuff you see in fly shops is overpriced, but convenient. The high cost isn't the material itself, but the packaging and marketing.

 

On the other hand, dacron kite line is a lot cheaper, and often stronger....

[Philly 0]

I have a large spool of 20# and 30 # Gudebrod Dacron trolling line from when I did more off shore fishing. I used the 20# on my 5 wgt and 6 wgt reels and the 30# on my 8 wgt reel. The spools came with a neat little tool that made it easy to create a seamless loop in the end being attached to the fly line.

[Chris_NH 0]

I've used leftover 14 or 20 pound mono when I was in a pinch. I almost never have a fish get me to backing, but it's come in handy a few times when I've gotten the fly line wrapped around a branch or get hung up while fishing quick water in a canoe. Sometimes it takes a while to get turned around and paddle back upstream and the backing probably saved the rod.

[Rocco 0]

Not sure what pinch would require my use of mono as backing.

 

Mono is a poor backing. I tried it decades ago.

 

It takes a lot of it to properly space a fly line on a reel.

 

In trophy fishing situations which often see the backing come into play, it respools unevenly w/o a level wind device and results in uneven, chattering, releases of line and sometimes snarls the next time it is needed.

 

Mono stretches under strain and then relaxes/recovers abruptly to its original shape when the strain is eased. Then the mono becomes overly tight-packed between the sides of the spool. Some spools deform under the pressure exerted by this sudden relaxation.

 

The stretch alone is excessive with many yards past the rod tip and thus diminishes feel and control over a big fish headed away with the current.

 

Rocco

[cphubert 0]

I have braid on my large arbor saltwater reels I purchased by diameter vs lb test and settled with 65#, easier on the fingers and rod guides than thinner braid. No fancy colors, after 2 seasons no noticeable guide wear yet and more economical than backing.