# Tarpon fly reel backing



## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

Regular braid will cut like a razor! Use hollow core 50 or 65 lbs and learn how to splice loops using daho needles. There are some great threads on the topic here. I used Momoi


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

I just fished GTs and Queenfish on 12wt and 10wt using Sufix 832 80# and 65# respectively. Saw my backing plenty of times, plenty fast, and never cut any fingers. 

I think the whole fingers being cut really badly, or to the bone from braid backing is over blown. Maybe an issue for people really new, but just keep your fingers off the backing once you clear your line and it's not an issue.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Not saying braid won't cut you, just saying 99% of the time it's not likely to happen unless you're asking for it.

I'm not trying to jungle grip the rod if he's still got me into backing.... I'm trying to put the wood to the fish.

I'm not a guide, and I haven't been fly fishing for 30yrs, so take my opinion as just an opinion.


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## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

I have been using Seaguar Threadlock which is a 16-strand Hollowcore for quite a while now. It lays flat, smooth as silk and you can splice the fly line in or do a butt splice with no knots. Yes it is pricy but it is far superior than anything else and gives extra capacity. I run 50lb Threadlock on my Everglades and can get almost 300yds and have room for a 9wt line. Also can run 200yds on a Signature 5-6 and fit an 8wt line. If you dont want to stack the reel full of threadlock you can start with dacron or micron and go into a couple hundred yards of threadlock.


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## Sabalo (Sep 6, 2019)

Like the idea of the blind splice loop on hollow core, but I have never tried to do it personally. I have a couple reels with hollow ace that had a blind splice loop and it works great. 

I have hatch 68 on several reels and have had great luck with it. You can get a lot of backing on the reel and it will not cut you, at least I haven’t been cut yet. Maybe I have just been lucky. Either material you will get much more backing on the reel than Dacron.


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## Dpreston (Oct 16, 2015)

Jerry Brown Line One hollow core 60


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Many of us worried about super braid backing actually cutting grooves in snake guides years ago - but as experience has shown -it's not a problem at all. I'm pretty sure that many are using super braid these days and really liking it...

Me, I'm still using the standard 30lb Micron as backing on all my big reels. I've learned through experience that your best bet with a big fish on the line is to stay relatively close by.... Yeah, out on the big flats you can have a fish 300 or 400 yards away from you - but in the 'Glades where we are - that's a recipe for trouble... So you get hooked up and watch your line disappear while your partner is poling like a demon (or using a trolling motor) or simply firing up the outboard - and it's off to the races...

I won't talk about drag settings except to say that where we are a nice light drag setting will cost you a big tarpon if you're up inside a river... Heck, I've got one spot where we've lost three brand new fly lines before we ever got to the backing... 

Just nothing like the 'glades... even if you see your fly line screaming out to a single spot in a river or along the coast and you've got that sinking feeling since the fish has run you around a submerged tree and you know the fight won't have a great ending...


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

I have switched every fly reel I own over to braid. Yes even my 4 wt trout reel. I use mostly Jerry Brown 65# solid. One thing that gets overlooked is another big advantage to thin diameter is retrieve rate. For a given reel there is much less spool diameter drop off when using braid compared to dacron. Result is a faster retrieve rate.


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## mxbeebop (Mar 22, 2013)

ifsteve said:


> I have switched every fly reel I own over to braid. Yes even my 4 wt trout reel. I use mostly Jerry Brown 65# solid. One thing that gets overlooked is another big advantage to thin diameter is retrieve rate. For a given reel there is much less spool diameter drop off when using braid compared to dacron. Result is a faster retrieve rate.


The Dacron is easy to see when chasing a fish. Whats the visibility like with the 65# braid?


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## Mike Geer (Nov 22, 2018)

I have found that Dacron works over 95% of the time.
I use braid when targeting tuna because they can take 300-500 yards of backing, and the drag from that much line can put a lot of pressure on the tippet. Every other scenario, 150 yards of Dacron is plenty. This is true for even tarpon. My captain usually chase a tarpon if it takes more than 50-75 yards of backing. I think you only need 200 yards of backing for tarpon. If you want to use smaller reels for bigger fish (eg. 7/8 reel for tarpon and an 11wts) then the hollow braids are great.

mike


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

This is a little old school except for the braid, but I use the hatch braid which is probably power pro marked up but my buddy at my local fly shop help me out, then I use an improved albright after tying a Bimini for the flyline to backing knot. This setup has never has failed me, hung up in the guides, nor have I ever been cut by the braid. On a Tibor Gulfstream you can put on 425 yards (overkill for tarpon but had to fill up the reel) of 65lb braid backing with a 12wt line.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

mxbeebop said:


> The Dacron is easy to see when chasing a fish. Whats the visibility like with the 65# braid?


Ive never had any issue using white but that's a bit subjective. Jerry Brown comes in white, green, hi vis yellow, and blue if so inclined.


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## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

I agree that once a fish, any fish, gets out a certain distance, he is gone and catch rate drastically decreases. Too much can happen, break off, gets eaten...etc. Plus, 500yds of Hollow core or gel-spun is expensive. For big reels, use dacron or micron to a Bimini. Butt splice your Hollow Core or Bimini the gel-spun and catspaw them together. It not only cuts down on cost but gives you a marker. For example, at 200yds you go from Hollow Core to Dacron so you know what you have out. 

Also, I see no advantage of using a smaller reel apposed to a larger reel. Yes it might weigh a little more but increased stopping power and maximize your retrieve rate is more important. Unless you are the delusional type that believes catching a redfish on a 4wt makes you a superior angler, I would match the proper gear to the species.


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## Pikebreath (Nov 29, 2018)

One thing I started doing a few years ago was doing a two part backing system on my saltwater reels. the first (top shot) attached to the flyline is 100 yards on my bonefish reels of 20 lb dacron,,, and the first 150 yards on my tarpon reels is 30 lb dacron. I then fill rest of the spool (bottom shot) with either 65 or 80 lb gelspun braid in a different color.

One thing about this two part / color backing is knowing how much backing is really out,,, I used to get a lot of 150 - 200 yard runs when I used a single color backing,,, but for some reason now,,,, it is rare to see the second color of backing!!!! hmmmm…. (lol)

At any rate, most fish will be fought off the dacron backing (less chance for line cuts or the backing digging into itself if you stay with the dacron portion) but there is still reserve capacity of an extra couple hundred yards of GSP braid if really needed.


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## kjnengr (Jan 16, 2018)

lemaymiami said:


> Many of us worried about super braid backing actually cutting grooves in snake guides years ago - but as experience has shown -it's not a problem at all. I'm pretty sure that many are using super braid these days and really liking it...
> 
> Me, I'm still using the standard 30lb Micron as backing on all my big reels. I've learned through experience that your best bet with a big fish on the line is to stay relatively close by.... Yeah, out on the big flats you can have a fish 300 or 400 yards away from you - but in the 'Glades where we are - that's a recipe for trouble... So you get hooked up and watch your line disappear while your partner is poling like a demon (or using a trolling motor) or simply firing up the outboard - and it's off to the races...
> 
> ...



I don't think most people have their drag tightened enough regardless of the fish they are targeting. 

Which is a greater factor of a braided line's ability to cut fingers - the diameter or the texture? It seems that some braids are smoother than others.


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## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

@kjnengr Probably anything can cut but a number of braids are 4 carrier and much more abrasive and round. The reason I had mentioned a hollow core as it is a 16 carrier and not only is it smooth like silk it lays flat because it is hollow and does not dig into itself or your fingers like a round 4 carrier does.


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## Hank (Jan 14, 2019)

Here is some reading for you:

https://www.microskiff.com/threads/...ial-when-you-first-install.62778/#post-555410

https://www.microskiff.com/threads/braided-loops-for-fly-lines-or.61496/

https://www.microskiff.com/threads/hollow-braid-splicing-question.51028/#post-416834


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