Spare spools...

Does anyone actually take spare spools to the bank with them, and if so how often do you change spools during fishing?

I seem to 'spool up' spare spools when I buy a new reel with new line (in a BS that "may come in handy"), but they never seem to get used.

I regularly change spools over on my pair of Daiwa 3500's between 6, 8 & 10 lb and then 12lb & 15lb on my 5000's (rotor issues with 5000 spool on 3500 reel) but this is always done at home when prepping for a session.

I have taken spares with me in the past but never used them on the bank so I stopped bothering.

Very rarely I might take one or two nowadays but that would be anticipating certain variables that I couldn't dictate and prepare for beforehand.

I don't take spare spools, but spare reels.

I take at least 2 rods, float or ledger with reels to match.

Whether I carry a spare spool or not depends on the likelihood of it being used. If I go to a river, I may carry a spare to enable me to switch between a floating or sinking line, top/bottom float and waggler or float and leger. On a stillwater, it's likely to be to facilitate a change of rod when a change of target species takes my fancy.

Yes. Hardly ever. More chaff that needs winnowing out in search of simplicity.

If I am going to do a little trotting on my centrepin I will take a spare spool loaded with some lighter line incase I decide to go for roach dace or chub instead of the usual barbel and carp, especially during the colder months.

If I am targeting Barbel directly on the bottom using a fixed spool reel I usually carry spools loaded with 6lb and 8lb line, or if I'm fishing in floodwaters or if I am fishing a more snaggy water then I will also take a spool of 10lb line.

If I am waggler fishing I usually take spools containing lines of around 3lbs, 4lbs and 5lbs with me and decide at the start which one I will be using.

My Carp fishing bag usually contains spools loaded with 6lb, 10lb and 12lb line.

Keith.

I don't carry spare spools but change the spool to suit the bs line I want to fish

I store my spare spools in the same puch as the reel so, yes. they all go to the bankside with me.

I like to know I have the options of switching line strengths if my target species are not playing while others might be.

I cannot see the point of enduring a potential blank in the knowledge that lighter/heavier lines are available but back at home . . .

My loaded spare spools are kept in zip up pencil cases (one case per reel or pair of reels) which doesn't take up much room in my tackle bag and also keeps them clean.

Old camera lens cases make good spare spool cases and give excellent protection against crushing.

I'm more inclined to take a full spare outfit (rod&reel).... so for example, for a day's fishing on the wye, I'd take two avon rods, one quiver tipped and one hollow top tip, both rigged and ready with a reel holding 12lb line. Then a float rod with a centrepin, 5lb line.

On the thames, it would more likely be a standard feeder rod (8lb), the hollow top avon (12lb) and a float rod with a fixed spool (6lb). This would also likely be the same combination I'd take to a lake.

With these combinations, I could fish two rods if I really wanted to. Most likely i'll only fish one at a time, however for some reason re-tackling a rod with a different reel seems like way too much effort mid session (even if in reality that's only going to take 10 minutes!)

I have to say that using either rod ready sleeves or a quiver type holdall (I take both!) makes all this a lot easier. Typically I will have half an hour in the garage the night before I'm going to just to check that I've got everything rigged as I want it. Some of that stems from my own impatience, but as I'm also increasing taking my 9 year old son out with me, the quicker we actually get a bait in the water the better...

I have only used a spare spool when respooling to get my backing line the right length.