Spey reel spooling

[dryflyklesse]

Alright guys I'm going to try something new with a spey setup. I got the shooting head section of line I think it was 25' I can't remember off the top of my head. What line goes on the rest of the spool? Backing? Regular fly line? Thanks

 

[afishinado]

dryflyklesse wrote:
Alright guys I'm going to try something new with a spey setup. I got the shooting head section of line I think it was 25' I can't remember off the top of my head. What line goes on the rest of the spool? Backing? Regular fly line? Thanks

The backing goes on first. Most reels have a chart to tell you how many yards to spool on. Backing is usually 20lb for lighter rods and 30lb for heavier SW class rods.

Also my experience is a shooting head usually takes up a little more room on a spool, so you may have to put less backing on so you don't over fill the spool.

After the backing some sort of shooting line is attached. Shooting line is typically a small diameter untapered fly line. Some guys use mono. BTW, most shooting line that you buy comes in 100' spool.

The head is attached next and nearly always loop-to-loop, so it can be removed easily.

Good luck. HTH

 

[dryflyklesse]

Thanks, that's one thing that I was questioning because I thought I saw people using mono as the shooting line but that also seems like it might become a tangled mess as well. Thanks for the info because I couldn't really find exacts as to what the shooting line was. I left my 8wt line on the spool and was practicing in my pond and it was working fine but I knew it wasn't the right way to do it

 

[Chaz]

Then leader and then tippet.

 

[ebroesicke]

shooting line can be many things. you can cut the head off of a regular line and use that, you can buy "shooting line", you can use mono. All have strengths and weaknesses.
Using the running line from a "normal" is nice because it is generally thicker and easier handle than shooting line. It wont usually cast as far though and takes up more room on spool. Shooting line is thinner and casts further, but the thinness can be problematic. Mono is cheaper and can be good but is prone to tangling etc. FWIW I have never spey cast but use shooting head systems for salt, which is why I didn't comment on the effects on casting styles etc.

 

[sandfly]

I use braided mono from Cortland for shooting line, no tangles and shoots a country mile. I also use rio slickshooter, and amnesia shooting line depending on species. I don't use fly line running line except where I only cast a floating or intermediate head (bass, pike, musky) With a good head setup you should be able to cast 100 feet or better..