[Snakes]

I need to strip some reels down to the backing, and possibly taking off the backing as well. I've always just stopped by the local fly shop but I kinda want to do it at home.

I don't own one of those line spooler machines and wouldn't ever buy one.

How do you guys do this at home? Power drill?

Thanks!

 

[borano20]

Hello.. Find yourself a large, indoor floor. Coil your backing on the floor, starting in one corner. If it´s a large reel, you may even spread two layers. Keep out wimmen, cats and dogs. In that order...Good luck.. Yours borano20

 

[Hardyreels]

I have one of these;



Sold by Berkley; to speed things up when stripping a reel I use a drill chuck when I'm taking backing off. For the fly lines I just turn the spool by hand. In order for these to work slick you need to hold on to those plastic cases that come with the lines. They fit right onto the spool rack and allow you to put the line right back on them.

Ard

 

[fyshhead]

Oakie style! I have always used a spare line spool on a oversized drill bit stuck through the spool hole and then plug the bit in a cordless drill. Just make sure when you back the line off on the spool go in the same direction so you don't get line twist.

 

[fyshhead]

I have one of these;



Sold by Berkley; to speed things up when stripping a reel I use a drill chuck when I'm taking backing off. For the fly lines I just turn the spool by hand. In order for these to work slick you need to hold on to those plastic cases that come with the lines. They fit right onto the spool rack and allow you to put the line right back on them.

Ard

Ard, do you get line twist with that? Seams each spool is 90 degrees off from each other.

 

[domantas]

Thats why having one line to do it all is a big benefit...

I've been using Reel'e'good spools to store my lines. Spooling lines by hand on these spools is a breeze but they sell the base as well. Im a minimalist so I dont need the base.

 

[Strawberry]

Same as Ard,

to load backing and running line. To empty a reel I simply reel it onto another reel the same size or larger.

 

[Stumpy]

I drilled a hole in the base of an old coffee can. Affixed carriage bolt through the hole. Then put the bolt-end in the drill. Lines wind on in a hurry. I also use those old line spools for storage. The same bolt setup works on those.

 

[NVswitch]

I purchased a Reel-Good Line Winder many years back and have used if all the time. It is a great investment.
Cabelas sells them for $65.00.
I keep the spools that fly lines come on to use as spare spool to load and unload lines and backing. One can even use an electric drill to speed up the process.
Mike

 

[fish0n4evr]

I drilled a hole in the base of an old coffee can. Affixed carriage bolt through the hole. Then put the bolt-end in the drill. Lines wind on in a hurry. I also use those old line spools for storage. The same bolt setup works on those.

this is how I do it and with a portable drill.

 

[LeakingWaders]

Wow. I wish i had of read this yesterday before i had 25 laps of backing around the house.

 

[Speyco]

Hello I used a homemade drill rig for many years and mine worked quite well
I took a cheap second hand plug in style hand drill from a pawn shop 7$ . A broken fiberglass rod butt from the 80's that I got for a few dollars about 30 years ago. I think this was maybe only a $1?
I purchased some long thin bolts and few nuts and made a pile of host spools so I had a round part to chuck onto the drill $2 O ya and a few U bolts to hold the stuff together.
The backing holding spools where free recycled plastic spinning line hubs A friend said he found at local tackle shop and where in the recycle bin. $0
For returning the backing onto the fly reel spools drill a hole to a board and add the nut with a small chunk of rubber on either end for a bearing and a spring to adjust the drag with a wing nut to stop the backlash , then add the fly reel spool to the drill with a bolt "IF YOU CAN" maybe some will not fit like this? not sure I really only have one style spool to worry about.

Bolt all this junk together in a line ,, and on a free board from trash day and

Now I upgraded the pre made system. A good friends mother gave me an old plastic one like the above, 10 bucks at a garbage sale, and it has a fun foot controller.......

Just yesterday a found a big old powerpro spool just tossed on the river bank by some joker that used my river for his trash can. I picked this up and used it for a long belly spey line holder.

 

[Justadd Water]

Run 5" long bolt through an empty spool use a couple flat washers with rubber bushing between the washers and spool. Add a nut and chuck it into a variable speed drill or power screwdriver. Works great. Just use some caution not to wind too tightly.

 

[forthetug]

Cordless reversable drill, bolt/washer/nut is my method. Only tip I can add is to glue/tape any two-piece spool together. If you spool backing on it comes apart, you've either got a long date with your patience ahead or it's going in the trash.

 

[shotgunner]

Lines are pretty simple.. fly line spools are best, specifically older RIO as they easily separate and lock together. If you've ever got most of a full line onto a spool and had it some apart you know the advantage. I use two smooth bodied ink pens inserted through the holes as crank handles. This also works out great for storage and re-install as the line is not tightly bound to the center. No trouble to remove full line from zip-loc, slip over large diameter side of fly line spool, lock halves together, then spin line on whichever reel you like.

Backing; if your saving it, is more problematic. Drill method mentioned on suitable spool has been good. If re-installing right away I generally crank it on another reel. Nice to dial smooth even tension for cranking it back on reel of choice.

 

[Total Skeptic]

Yarn winder...$30.00

I have a handful of old style line winders from the UK...wooden handle with two sliding rings for the reel foot, two pairs of rectangular metal hoops opposed at 90 degrees for the line and backing, one turn is two feet. Capacity is about a 12 wt line and 500 yards of 30 lb backing. I have one in the mail from the big auction site, £10.00. For big jobs I bought a table-top mounted wooden wool spooler (called a yarn swift by knitters) from a knitting shop . One turn is nearly four feet and the winder collapses to leave a coiled line in huge loops compared to an original plastic spool.

 

[salmo_g]

I used to just use old fly line plastic spools. Then one day I found a line winder on sale for $15. That was a really good investment; I use it all the time.

Sg

 

[Nooksack Mac]

I have a few large, old fly reels with burnt-out drags; one has a spool latch that doesn't. they're quite handy for switching lines, although a line winder spool system probably works at least as well.

 

[troutless]

For big jobs I bought a table-top mounted wooden wool spooler (called a yarn swift by knitters) from a knitting shop . One turn is nearly four feet and the winder collapses to leave a coiled line in huge loops compared to an original plastic spool.

Great tip, way to think out of the box!

Do these things spin well in reverse, i.e. can I take the coiled line off, store, mount back on, then spool direct back onto my reel?

 

[_WW_]

I purchased a Reel-Good Line Winder many years back and have used if all the time. It is a great investment.
Cabelas sells them for $65.00.
I keep the spools that fly lines come on to use as spare spool to load and unload lines and backing. One can even use an electric drill to speed up the process.
Mike

I used a drill on mine and the friction melted it.
So now I have one like the one pictured in post #5. I haven't used it yet but I like the fact that it can used regular spools.