How to Rig a Fly Fishing Line
- 1). Secure the backing to the fly reel. Backing is necessary to add volume to the fly reel so the fly line can unspool quickly and prevent a fish from running out the entire line, which is only 90 feet long. Attach the tag end of the backing to the spool hub with an arbor knot. To do so, wind two turns of the backing around the spool and pull out the tag end. Tie a simple overhand knot at the line end and tighten. Use the tag end to tie another overhand knot around the standing line. The first knot will prevent the second one from slipping. Pull on the standing line to snug the knots against the spool.
- 2). Wind the backing tightly onto the reel. Take a pencil and insert it through the center of the backing spool. Have someone hold the pencil by both ends as you evenly wind about 200 yards of backing onto the reel. Use one hand to rotate the spool; use the thumb and index finger of your other hand to keep the line taut as you wind.
- 3). Connect the fly line to the backing. Take the end of the wound backing and attach it to the end of the fly line with an albright knot. Begin by forming a loop with the end of the fly line. Take the tag end of the backing and pass it through the loop, then wind it loosely around itself and both sides of the loop about 10 times. Pass the tag end of the backing back up through the loop. Moisten the knot, pull it tight and clip the ends.
- 4). Wind the fly line onto the reel in the same way you wound the backing in Step 2.
- 5). Attach a 6- to 12-foot tapered leader to the end of the fly line with a nail knot, also called a tube knot. Place a small tube or half a drinking straw parallel to the ends of the fly line and leader, which you have lined up from opposite directions. Wrap the leader end around the tube and fly line end. Wind the leader end six times and pass it through the tube. Tighten the knot and pull the tube away in the direction the leader end is pointing to. Moisten the knot, pull it tight and clip the ends. This knot will allow the fly line and leader junction to pass smoothly through the rod guides.
- 6). Join the tippet to the leader with a blood knot. Lay the tippet and leader ends together, lining them up from opposite directions. Loosely wind the end of one line around the other line six times. Take the end of the wound line back to the beginning of the wraps and pull it between both lines, snugging the wraps. Take the end of the second line and loosely wind it around the first line six times. Take the end of the second line back to the beginning of the wraps and pull it between both lines, snugging the wraps. The second line end will face the first line end. Pull the lines tight and trim the ends.
- 7). Learn to tie the improved clinch knot. You'll use this knot a lot to tie your flies to the tippet. Pass the end of the tippet through the hook eye and wind it loosely around the standing line at least four times. Take the tag end back up toward the hook and run it through the line loop at the hook eye. Bring the end back and pass it through the loop you just created when you ran the line up to the hook eye. Pull the knot tight and trim the end.
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