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A buddy and I were just in a conversation.....anyway, he remembers reading an article recently by Chico Fernandez in which he (Fernandez) stated he always cuts back 20 or so feet of his fly line; accomodates more backing on smaller reels and you don't need it all to begin with.
Do any of you do it and do you have better explanations and/or reasons for doing so?
Jim
I did it on my 6 weight salt set up. You cut the last 20 feet off the back end of the flyline. Most people aren't casting a full 110' of fly line. It provides far more backing capcity that way.
Why not just save your fly line for wear and tear on the ends and step up to gel spun? You'll get another 100 yds depending on the line weight. What about those days when you really are chucking it out 110'?
racine;
Just read this article and I see more disadvantages than advantages; especially when I have plenty of 20lb. dacron on hand.....
http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/gear ... lspun.aspx
Jim
I wouldn't... But thats just me.
I've cut off up to a 18" on my TT trying to customize it to the rod I was fishing with at the time. I cut a couple inches off at a time until I felt like the rod and line were mated. Haven't had the cojones to try it since on any other lines though in the past couple years.
Big long running game fish Reds,Bills, salmon and alike I could see it but I don't know that I have ever been into the backing on a trout, bass, pike and such. I have been close a couple of times but got on my high horse and chased down the offenders. :lol:
Some line makers (Royal Wulff for instance) suggest the possibility of cutting back a few inches of the 'level front tip' of their lines. Some fly fishers like to match their leaders to it. If your reel needs the room, cutting feet from the butt end of your fly line can give you room for more backing.
I cut about twenty feet off of the front end of a double taper six weight line by stepping on it on a sharp rock :( . I turned it over and have been fishing with it since then with no problems. I haven't noticed any advantages that would make me do it deliberately though.
Holy Cow! Another good reason for buying a DT line! 8)
I've cut back the butt end of a couple of lines. It allows you to use heavier lines without having the expense of a new larger capacity reel.
The problem with this is the higher the line weight, the more likely it is that you'll be able to throw more line.
Cut back 20' and you may be limiting yourself. Cut back only 10' and you may not be getting all the extra space you wanted
I've also cut back the tip end to make a saltwater taper out of a freshwater line. Something you might not want to do to a $60 line, but it worked great on a 9wt peach line I had traded for.
I've also made shooting tapers out of inexpensive full length lines
Jim,
I agree with Racine, switch to gel spun and you will greatly increase the capacity of your reel?s backing and you keep the full line as it was manufactured and intended for us to use.
One thing to think about, how old is your Dacron backing? Maybe it is time for a change anyways, so buy some get spun and replace it.
Larry :D
I've been using gel-spun for many years now as backing, and may have a few tricks up my sleeve that may be helpful. One, to keep the gel-spun from slipping on the spool, spool up about 20 or so yards of Dacron under it, very tightly. Next, use a line that keeps a round cross-section, such as SpiderWire Fusion. The Fusion is not as small-diameter as some, but is still quite a bit smaller than any similar standard line. Some of the more modern braids are being advertised as being round and not flat, but I haven't tried them yat. The gel-spun hasn't proven any harder on guides than anything else, and is probably easier on them, being slicker. Just my 2 cents worth.
I have never even been close to being spooled by a fish. I don't do a lot of salt fishing, but I fish salmon and steelhead. Never had a moment when I though "Man I wish I have another 50 feet of backing." I rarely even get into my backing. If a fish runs downstream and I can't keep up or can't continue because of current or bank conditions, it usually breaks the tippet on a rock or blowdown before I get more than half way into the backing. If it doesn't break off after the initial run I let off some pressure and the fish usually swims back upsteam to where I can fight it more successfully.
So for me, I wouldn't cut my line for the sole purpose to put more backing on. I'd rather be able to reach a fish if I have too than worry about not having enough backing for a fish I may not even catch. I have, however, cut the front taper to customize a line for a specific purpose. I will agree that if you are really worried about having more backing, a smaller diameter backing would be the way to go.
Lot of good replies....think I'll just go with the 50yds of backing and see what happens. If needed, I'll cut back 20' on an older line and check that out; then, I'll consider a larger reel.
You can see the dilemma folks, I have 5 reels of different pursuasions with spare spools and 2 more closeouts coming, with spare spools. None are the big waterwheels they suggest for salt!
Thanks, Jim
The only time that I've cut back a line was to remove the rear 15' of a full sink line. Used that to make some sink tips. There are some guys that I know that cut back some of the front taper to "help turn over larger flies", but I think that they're using leaders that are too stiff.
Kevin
I hack up fly lines all the time but not to put more backing on a reel. My work with lines is building custom spey lines. If I had a situation where I needed more backing I would buy a bigger reel before I cut a line. Although I could see cutting some off the back end of a WF line to gain some capacity; I still think I would buy a bigger reel.
I like small diameter reels so I have cut the back of of some WF lines to help them fit.
I still can not cast the "whole line".