Curious. I used to fish from an inflatable. Only been into backing one time and that was from a boat on the San Juan. Didn’t get too far into backing and I put a stop to that. Adjusted drag three clicks…stopped the run…and believe it or not I landed that big fellow.
Anyway my curiosity is this. I doubt where I fish, and how I fish, that I will ever have a fish take me into backing…let alone clear to the end of my backing.
But I now fish from a little 8’ boat. I could decide to go to another part of the lake…my line could snag…and me not notice it…and maybe all of a sudden my rod goes flying out of my boat! Maybe even busted. Maybe lost reel and broken rod…
(When crossing a lake I like to let all my line out to backing just to let it get some exercise)
Anything wrong with just blue painters tape…a small strip to attach backing to arbor?
I’m not sure if your being serious but I can’t imagine it would be any quicker or easier trying to tape the backing to the spool arbor than it would to tie a simple backing to arbor knot.
I assume you are referring to maybe the tape would allow you to only lose the fly line as you motor across a lake if your line hung on something and was stripped off the reel. If that is what you are referring to, then the answer is yes to using tape, but, it your line was leaving your reel due to a fish, you would lose the line and the fish…I guess I would use a knot and just be more careful as you allow line to come off your reel when motoring across a lake. Fly line is getting too expensive to just allow it to come off a reel and possibly be lost plus your fishing for that day would be over if you could not retrieve your fly line and backing. I could understand allowing the line to drag behind your boat to get the twists out if you were using a spinning rod or casting rod, but, I see no advantage to dragging fly line behind the boat. Just my thoughts and nothing more…
Your backing should be of a greateer pound test than your tippet in all cases. Then a good knot holding the backing to the arbor will keep you from losing your flyline instead of just breaking off a tippet. To play it safe when the the backing has been pulled off close to the knot point your rod directly at the fish to remove pressure from the blank and stop the spool with your hand or by tightening the drag.
I use a spot of masking tape on my spinning and casting reels. Shouldnt be a problem on a fly reel either.
The way I look at it, if a fish gets me down to the point that I’m depending on that connection, its either way to much fish for my setup, or I’ve done something horribly wrong. In either event, tape or a knot wont make much difference.
Get a better rod holder and tie the knot from the backing to the reel. I have had fish tow me in my inflatable around and in a canoe and landed the fish on 6 pound test. That was a long time ago, but between my backing and fly line there is over $50 there even buying the line on the cheap. Break the tippet, save the rod and move forward, I would just be screaming bloody murder about loosing my fly line and backing so the people on the other end of the lake would think that someone was dying. No thank you, I’ll tie a knot.
I too have rarely had a fish take me into the backing, but it has happened a few times and while the line ran off the spool was confident that there was a good strong knot at the end of that backing line.
The other two or three times I have been into the backing is when I dropped a reel or rod over board. Fortunatly I was able to grab the line before it disappeared into the deep, I ended up unspooling the whole reel before I could bring it back to the surface but I got my rig back each time.
I see no advatage to using tape for the off chance you might snag and want the line to come off the spool. There is just as much a possibility that you will find yourself holding the line and hoping to retrieve the rod or spool that fell in. Instead why don’t you use a good strong knot and keep a boat knife handy if you ever snag and wish to cut the line. (Most of my river rafter friends have one permanatly attached to their life vest, just in case they get tangled on something, not a bad idea.)
It’s going to be a lot easier to cut the line then add a missing knot if you guessed wrong!
I know the spin gear folks do it, but they have about $6 worth of line on the reel while fly lines are upwards of $50. I would rather loose a nice fish when the tippet broke then loose both the fish and a $50 line!
Sounds like a self induced problem, would you consider putting put a $50 dollar bill on the end of your line when you cross a lake and let it get some ‘exercise’ too? What exactly is the plus side of leaving 100 ft. of expensive fly line trailing behind you? It puts your equiptment at risk (as you have pointed out!) and creates a hazard for other boaters and wildlife. The guy that gets it tangled around his trolling motor when he crosses your wake you isn’t going to care if you used a knot or tape anyway.
if you never get that far down in the backing, tape may not be even needed. but then theres that odd chance of hitting a snag like ken says and then its all gone.
You are much more likely to drop a rod overboard and have to pull it in by the line than you are to ever need the ‘backing’ on a fish.
If you let out all your line and it ‘snags’, you need to have the rod secured so that the tippet breaks rather than pull your rod overboard (use a real rod holder, don’t just lay the rod in the bottom of the boat with the tip outboard?). Flies are cheaper than lines, rods, or reels.
The arbor knot is easy to tie, probably easier to tie than it is to use the tape anyway.
Tie the knot, it’s safer in the long run.
Buddy
P.s; By the way, the whole ‘tape the line to the arbor’ for spinning/casting rods became more common because the ‘superlines’ were slick and would not grab onto the spool arbor the way mono does. The tape gave the line purchase and prevents it from sliding around on the spool (nothing like trying to retrieve a fish and seeing the whole of your line revolving around the arbor).
I knew guys who used the tape for mono on their spinning rods, and I tried it, but found that on my shallow depth spinning spools, I’d end up casting off the last of my line at just the wrong moment…ruins a trip if you ‘run out of line’ too far from resupply to keep fishing…BS
Anything wrong? Only that when you get a fish of a lifetime it won’t hold…Then again, if you get down that far even a knot might not do you any good. I’ve been down to a few turns of backing on an Atlantic salmon and was glad to have the knot…even gladder to have aguide who got the anchor up and we were able to follow.
Everyone who posted is correct. Warren got it dead on. I was just thinking I never get to the END of my backing and never will unless I snag somewhere. In that case I would rather lose the line and save the rod and reel. So the idea was not to get out of tying an arbor knot. It was to just let 'er go if things got that bad.
Forgot about the tippet and leader breaking first. That is the savior. I’m therefore not going to lose or break a rod due to a snag…the tippet…as Buddy has told me many times, is the weakest link.
BTW I was not aware of spinning rod fishing using tape. That is not where the curiosity came from as I never spin fish. It was just my own idea in my own dumb head.
I know I am never going to see the END of my backing with a fish on. If so…I have failed as a fly fisherman.
Thanks for all the answers. Makes sense to me.
Also BTW I don’t fish in waters where someone is so close they might get tangled in my line. I would not do that in the first place. Actually where I fish everyone is in an inflatable. I am the only one in a boat boat. But the tangled line in my wake is of no concern. Not gonna happen. A good point…but that is not the type of waters I fish in. No danger of that.
While fishing from a pontoon boat with a rod that has a down locking sliding band reel seat one day this year, for some reason the reel fell off the rod into the lake. I laid the rod down in my lap and started pulling in line as fast as I could. The lake isn’t too deep, so I knew that if the reel made it all the way to the bottom, I could still get it back because my backing was tied onto the arbor. If the lake was a deep lake and I had only taped the backing to the arbor, it would have been a very stressful, if not panicked, retrieval. I now periodically check how well the reel is seated.
One other suggestion I’ve seen that might be worth consideration as pat of this thread … Use two different colors of backing – say white for most it and bright yellow for the last 20 yards. This gives you a highly visual indication that your backing is getting low and it’s time to apply the brakes harder.
IMHO. It is better to have and not need than to need and not have…just saying. If you sink the reel in the water won’t that damage the tape? besides you don’t know if the adhesive from the tape could damage your line. You can still use backing just don’t tie it to the fly line,I wouldn’t do it tho.
Damage the tape? Who cares?
Damage the line? One inch of backing taped to the arbor…I am going to worry about damage to one inch of backing?
I was more worried about losing a rod and reel…as Warren so aptly put it.
If you’re worried about all the backing getting stripped off and the rod yanked out of your hand, how about a foot of light tippet (2 or 3 pound test?) between the arbor and the backing? Shock arbor knot perhaps?
On the other hand I always carry a folding utility knife (with the replaceable razor blades) within easy reach. If the line goes screaming out of my reel faster than a fish can run, I’ll have the knife out ready to sacrifice the line and backing if necessary.
Mr. Blur
What is the meaning or purpose of your post? Are you implying that it is a stupid question?..or indicating I am stupid?
Where in this thread did you come up with the idea that the “subject” was about “how” to tie an arbor knot? How did you ever read my original post…the question…and come up with the thought that the question was about how to tie an arbor knot? I have re-read it twice and I don’t see how such an educated person as yourself can get that impression from my question.
Since you are an educator of our current generation…where in you infinite wisdom of interpreting the written word did you see me ask about how difficult it is to tie an arbor knot? I must have missed something in there somewhere. I thought I was asking whether I even wanted a knot at the arbor. Not which knot…or how difficult it is. Are you implying that I do not know how to tie an arbor knot?
The question Mike was if it would be wise to forego a knot there and tape the backing on. Of which everyone else responded to with words intended to assist me in my thoughts about it. Too bad I have to explain the question to you. Either I misunderstand your post…or it is a worthless post of which no one gained any knowledge from. Apparently you do not think it es a very interesting topic. Where is the value to anyone on this thread from your post?
And as many great suggestions and ideas have been posted; I appreciate them. Joe, Bass Bugg…neat idea, Kengore, Buddy, etc… I forgot about the weakest linik. Thanks for all the info. Good information.
I got’er now man. I am not going to jerk a rod out of my boat…IF I use it correctly. NOT laying in boat as I do. I need to get a rod holder, which I don’t have. Perhaps not drag my entire line around the lake, (which I do because some which havent been used in awhile have coil memory in them and I just like to stretch them out all the way to the backing)
And of course the weakest link will go first and the line and rod and reel should all be safe.
Perhaps I just ask too many questions. But I sure learn a lot.
From all I've read and also drawing on far too much experience, my advice for years, as well as practicing it myself, is to begin by tying the backing onto the arbor with a very secure and strong knot. (not the usual arbor knot) Perhaps use a long loop formed by a bimini twist to loop the reel arbor to backing. this will give you 100% of your backing strength. Before that I ensure that my backing (with connecting knot to fly line) tests greater than the fly line core I have on. Note: fly lines use diffferent cores depending on fly line wt and manufacturer. From there I tie on a tapered leader with near 100% knots down to the tippet, which is the deliberate and only weak link as it should be. If anything breaks I want it to be the just the tippet, and certainly not the knots, the fly line, the backing or any part of the rest of the leader!