Pre-spooled Cassette spools isssue - how to splice

[Ontarioflyguy]

I recently purchased a cassette reel that had been pre-spooled by the seller. It was spooled with Airflo Floating, Intermediate, and Sinking lines. They did not tell me what line of Airflo they used and still trying to figure that out.

My issue is that they really skimped on the backing. Looks like all spools could take at least another 100 yards of backing. I was thinking of splicing on more backing with a nail not and smoothing edges and not with UV head cement so if needed it would go through guide easier. Has anyone used UV Head cement in this manner with success or is it necessary?

 

[osseous]

Sure!- Not a big deal. I use UV resin for a lot of different things. It is probably worth picking up some Loon UV Knot Sense in this case, however- since this joint will be buried beneath your flyline and against your backing. This means a combination of different factors- It could bury between the turns of backing or stick to the flyline if it's not the right consistency. I would also final cure it with sunlight to be sure you get full spectrum. You can use dacron backing to make the nail knots to secure the splice. It works well for this- just tighten slowly, and progressively from either end, and only until you witness a slight compression of the flyline coating. All you need it to do is initiate the "Chinese finger torture" effect. Tighter is not better- as you will cut through the flyline entirely, which is not what you want.

As to the amount of resin- think of it as a thorough soaking, rather than a lump.

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[Ontarioflyguy]

Thanks! Was also just thinking of using the crazy Alberto knot for splicing the backing as it may end up as a smaller knot. I just don't want the knot to catch the guides at all as I have had a couple large fish run me into backing in a hurry.

 

[Ard]

I use a simple blood knot to add more backing onto a spool. No glues no nail knots just the blood knot neatly trimmed.

Very seldom do I see backing go out through my guides and I am fishing for kings and silver salmon more than other species. If I do get involved with a 50 plus pound fish as occurred 3 seasons ago you just be mindful of not allowing the situation to get out of control. The last time a fish took the hole line and made me run was 2006 and I had a 35 pound saltwater fresh fish hooked up on a 10 foot 7 weight with a 90 foot fly line. That was the instance that led to 13 foot or longer rods with 550 to 600 grain lines that are 140 feet long.

Even at 90 feet that's 30 years plus the length of a rod, you shouldn't be into the backing very often. Blood knots.

 

[Ontarioflyguy]

I use a simple blood knot to add more backing onto a spool. No glues no nail knots just the blood knot neatly trimmed.

Very seldom do I see backing go out through my guides and I am fishing for kings and silver salmon more than other species. If I do get involved with a 50 plus pound fish as occurred 3 seasons ago you just be mindful of not allowing the situation to get out of control. The last time a fish took the hole line and made me run was 2006 and I had a 35 pound saltwater fresh fish hooked up on a 10 foot 7 weight with a 90 foot fly line. That was the instance that led to 13 foot or longer rods with 550 to 600 grain lines that are 140 feet long.

Even at 90 feet that's 30 years plus the length of a rod, you shouldn't be into the backing very often. Blood knots.

THANKS...and great advice
I've had a couple of salmon in a narrow river take off on me that ran me into backing largest about 25lbs but when they took off they took a lot in a hurry as I gently tightened the drag I am learning however ...

 

[osseous]

Try it!- But I've seen that knot used for braid over flouro... and in that combo you have something working in your favor that you won't have here: flouro is very hard and slick. Knots resist digging into it. A LOT. For that reason you need to use jam style knots like that one. The same is not true with fly line. You might try lubing it up before you seat it- chapstick, or even some dry fly floatant- but with the doubled fly line, I think you will find it's not gonna give you what you're after, even if you are able to get it to fully seat with backing and flyline.

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[osseous]

If you want the ultimate in a compact, smooth transition- get some 16 strand spectra for backing and learn to make blind splices and blind splice loops. It's not hard. Set the blind splice loop over the end of your fly line with 20lb dacron nail knots (2 of them- spaced a few inches apart. One covering the termination of the spectra), then put a second blind splice loop in the end of your backing for a loop to loop, interchangeable connection.


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[Ard]

THANKS...and great advice
I've had a couple of salmon in a narrow river take off on me that ran me into backing largest about 25lbs but when they took off they took a lot in a hurry as I gently tightened the drag I am learning however ...

The first king I ever hooked got away and I was lucky to still have the 9 weight WF line to reel back in. The same thing happened over and over, it seemed that for a couple returns back late 80's early 90's they had a lot more inclination to run hard downriver. I was new to the big fish game too back then and it took time and failures to get to a technique.

I went through a stage I called make it or break it. That was to use 25 pound test leader and either turn the fish early or break it off trying. That phase saw 2 broken rods. Eventually I figured it out or as close as a fella can get in 30 years of salmon fishing. Try not to provoke the fish, not to spook it and 9 times out of ten they don't do long hard runs. That alone removes some worry over backing whether spliced or not

What kind of reels are we talking about anyway?

 

[Ard]

I should add that if you click my posts and choose Profile & then Blog I've written a whole bunch about streamer fishing and fighting & landing big fish on the blog. You'll need to page backward to find the articles because there are over 100 different entries on the pages. There are some posted as sticky threads in the Spey fishing sub forums also. I'm not telling you that I'm any sort of expert just that I did take time to write a lot of stuff up in case it could do anyone any good

 

[Ontarioflyguy]

What kind of reels are we talking about anyway?

I have a Hardy CLS 5000 which is small for an 8 weight but has done me well. I just got a deal on a new Greys GTS 500 in the 8 weight size that I will be using this spring for my 8 weights

 

[Ontarioflyguy]

I should add that if you click my posts and choose Profile & then Blog I've written a whole bunch about streamer fishing and fighting & landing big fish on the blog. You'll need to page backward to find the articles because there are over 100 different entries on the pages. There are some posted as sticky threads in the Spey fishing sub forums also. I'm not telling you that I'm any sort of expert just that I did take time to write a lot of stuff up in case it could do anyone any good

Well reading and learning new things I love to do. Thanks !!!

 

[Ontarioflyguy]

Try it!- But I've seen that knot used for braid over flouro... and in that combo you have something working in your favor that you won't have here: flouro is very hard and slick. Knots resist digging into it. A LOT. For that reason you need to use jam style knots like that one. The same is not true with fly line. You might try lubing it up before you seat it- chapstick, or even some dry fly floatant- but with the doubled fly line, I think you will find it's not gonna give you what you're after, even if you are able to get it to fully seat with backing and flyline.

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The Alberto knot I was thinking of using to splice backing to backing only....because it easier than a blood not lol

 

[flav]

When I've attached backing to backing I have either done a blood knot or a loop to loop connection with double surgeon's loops. Both connections are small and shoot through the guides with no isues. If you really want a small connection, though, blind splice two loops and do a loop to loop, it's almost invisible.
I wouldn't worry too much about a knot a hundred yards into your backing, though, the likelihood of ever seeing it in freshwater are pretty slim.

 

[Ontarioflyguy]

Tried the Alberto knot but ended up going back to the blood knot. May never buy pre-spooled reels or cassettes again however. In this case I purchased a Cassette style reel with 3 cassette spools.
The add stated that it would be spooled with Airflo floating, intermediate, and a sinking line. I cannot not tell which line of Airflo it is lol. The floating and, I believe it is a sink tip, did not have welded loops. The marked intermediate does have a welded loop at the leader end....I stripped line back and added some backing and a nail knot to attach backing to line as the knot used was unfamiliar
and weak looking.

Very Happy with the reel...just will never buy blindly on pre spooled lines again...I like to know the exact line that is on my reel...no guessing. JMHO

 

[deceiverbob]

Looks like I'm too late, But I would have done a loop to loop with two Bimini twist. Or if using 20 or 30 lb dacron it is cheap enough to remove the old backing and refill with new.

 

[original cormorant]

I am a pedant. I think what you actually meant was how to JOIN backing.

If you really meant SPLICE then provided it is hollow backing you have two optiions - either loop to looping with blind spliced loops or joining directly with a blind splice. I suspect that to join directly with a bllind splice it's better if both are the same material. Plenty of stuff on internet to show how to do this e.g. Tying the Blind Spliced Loop | MidCurrent If it's not hollow then you can't splice it.


But there are lots of KNOTS you could use rather than splicing.

My own choice would be bimini's loop to looped. Another bit of pedantry - some people wouldn't class bimini's as knots!!!

In your position I guess I would be joining up the backing from 3 spools onto one spool and then installing new backing on the other two spools.

 

[osseous]

If not a knot, what would a bimini twist be, then? Pedantically speaking...

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[original cormorant]

If not a knot, what would a bimini twist be, then? Pedantically speaking...

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A wrap. It depends on your definition of knot & I'm not going there. I do recall reading somewhere that a bimini was 100% strength because it was a wrap rather than a knot.