Stringing Up Your New Fly Line

As fly fishing continuous to increase in popularity, it is ever more important to protect the pristine waters the fish we chase call home.  We have seen photos of rivers in the east littered with trash and have experienced those in the Midwest with beer cans sunk throughout and garbage lining the banks.  Fortunately, the rivers of Montana that we call home do not have, to the extent of more densely populated areas, as severe of a problem.... yet.  In an effort to minimize our individual footprint on the water ways, we elected to try and package all of our products in as minimal as a fashion as possible.  This started with fly lines.  We did not want the plastic spool, inside of a cardboard box, wrapped in plastic.  All of our fly lines are packaged with 2 twist ties and placed in to a quality fly box that can then subsequently be used to house your flies.

If you have not yet, be sure to have your backing spooled up on your reel first. 

As this concept is relatively new, the vast majority of fly fishermen have not experienced lining their reel with a line that does not come on a spool.  Here is the simple, easy process to get your line spooled up without creating any tangles:

1. Find a place in your home, back yard, garage, driveway etc. that is relatively clutter free.

2. Remove the fly line from the fly box and hold the fly line in one hand.

3. Remove the twist ties from your fly line - be careful not to twist the line.

4. Find the end tagged with "this end to reel" - keep this tag on so you can find the start of your line easy.

• Blue/Gray Line - Gray portion to your backing, Blue WF to the fly
• Green/Yellow Line - Yellow portion to your backing, Green WF to the fly
• Sink Tip Line - Green portion to your backing, Black sink tip to the fly

5. With the hand not holding the line, begin unraveling your line with the end tagged first.

6. Lay your line out across your living room, backyard, or what ever area you choose until the entire line is laid out.

7. Find the end labeled "this end to reel" and connect this end to your backing - we prefer a loop to loop connection so you can change out your fly line in the future easier.

8. Hold the reel in your none retrieval hand (if a Left Hand Retrieve, hold the reel in your right hand). For Retrieval descriptions see the post here.

9.  Place the running line between the thumb and index finger of the hand holding the reel to place a little bit of pressure on the line.  The more pressure, the tighter the line is going to pack but don't give yourself a burn from the line by holding it too tight!

10. Begin retrieving all the line in- try to even the line out across the reel as you go!

Then, connect your leader, and hit the river!  See more info on the basics of a fly rod set up here.