Line Loader

Hi

Can anyone tell me where I can buy the piece of kit that helps you put line on a reel (You put the reel one end and line the other and then wind the line onto the reel)?

Sorry I don't know the proper name

Harris sell something like this but why do you need it..?

If you stick line on your average fixed-spool reel, you surely just let it peel off the spool with a wet towel or something to keep the tension right while it goes on...

chuck the spool in a bucket of water, then do as chris says.

No, no, no. For fixed spool reels you lay the spool of line on the floor making sure that the line is coming of in an anti-clockwise fashion. This will ensure the least line twist, but pinch the line between your right thumb and forefinger whilst you hold the rod with the other fingers of that hand.

For centrepins you need to push a pencil through the centre of the spool and get someone to hold it, braking it gently with any free fingers as you wind onto your pin. Only if they let go, stick their head in a bucket of water and squeeze neck until dead.

tried them all cheeky, none work!

The problem with all fixed spool reels is they tend to twist the line whatever you do.

There's a good reason why it's called the "Spinning Reel", it spins your line.


Simple test: take a length of silky ribbon, trap one end and wrap the rest around two of your fingers so it's nice and straight and flat (untwisted). Now take the free end and get someone to take it off like you have cast a weight out (don't forget to keep a hold onto the other end).

Look at the twist - one twist for every loop on the fingers. Now when you rewind it back onto your fingers try not to take out too much twist because your reel certainly won't. Do it again where some one takes the loose end and stretches it like you've cast. Even more twists and it's just gets worse and worse the more you cast.

Right, that's me sticking to my Rapidex - these threadline things will never catch on!

Being reluctant to spend several quid on a bit o' plastic that ought to be free with the comics, I unship my cheapo fly vice from its clamp, push the stem of the vice through the centre of the spool, replace the vice in the clamp and wind away.Tension can be provided by impaling bits of foam each side of the spool, but being lazy and disorganised,I usually just wind gently and tension the string with my fingers. As most manufacurers seem to spool their line by turning the spool like a centre-pin, this means that your line lies on your reel with one turn of twist per coil round the spool, but when you cast, the line untwists as it peels off the spool and lies on the water "straight". IF you wind it back on using the same number of turns of the flyer, only possible if the line doesnt change length when you wind it back on,and if the clutch doesn't slip, this is repeatable indefinitely. If the line changes length when wound in - monofil under tension - or the slipping clutch is deployed, twist is built up.
If the manufacturer spools line up using a bale-arm and flyer like a fixed spool, you've got to figure out which way he's spooled it, which way you want to spool it, how to get from one state to the other,and how to get rid of the wretched stuff safely when you fail. This goes in Spades for southpaws like me who collect reels whose flyers turn left-to-right at the top. I've only been caught out once by this, but it was like trying to fish with a haunted spring.
If you load up "over the edge"and your spool size is identical to the spool the line came on, then the line will lie "straght" on your spool, but lie on the water in coils.When you reel in, the coils will tend to be pushed along the line by the rod rings; if this twist can't escape because your teminal tackle won't spin it will stay in the line until you slacken off, when it will do its evil best to turn into kinks.
Switch to braid, start saving for a centre-pin, beware of your slipping clutch, and good luck!

An old screwdriver is good, too, if you don't have a fly-tying vice- spear a "brake block" -a bit of foam (styrofoam, scouring pad,whatever)or folded cardboard; the spool of line; another brake, then stick it into the earth!

Sorry if my last entry came across as a Luddite rant - I seem to have lit my own blue touch paper there!

Apparently the main cause of line twist on modern reels is caused by the bail arm roller. The solution is to superglue the roller so it doesn't roll. This is not my idea but anglers with more knowledge than me say it improves the situation but doesn't fully eradicate line twist.

The ultimate solution is to get the missus to walk the end of the line 110yds, loose it, then wind it on under slight tension

Just been down the Tackle shop they had these anti twist weights. You cast them out and due to there shape take the twist out on the retrieve.

Anybody know if they work.

yes they do. better on heavy lines though obviously you can wang em further.

Maybe a line STRIPPER would be more useful.Berkley do one.

I have seen a lot of recommendations and solutions, modifications to the reels etc, but basically every time you cast you put spin (a twist) into the line. I doesn't matter about reeling back, setting the drag hard, playing a fish by backwinding etc.

Fact is they twist the line, try spinning with most braids. Why do you think most pikers prefer multipliers? Some monofilament lines work better with twist in them than others.

One tip I heard to remove twist is to cast a weight as far as you can across a meadow. Have your mate walk over and cut off the weight (don't walk yourself) the retrieve the line through the grass keeping the tip ring hard to the floor and tension on the line with your thumb and forefinger.