I recently purchased some fly line backing, Snowbee Trout 22lb, and was seriously disappointed at just how thick it was. So much so, that I was unable to fit more than about 50m + line on my reels (Okuma Airframe 7/9 + WF8) before they were full. I've been a bit unconfortable that if I hit a substantial fish I may well have a bit of problem.
So, I'd be grateful if anyone can recommend "low" diameter backing, might save me losing my fly line one day!

I generally use gel spun backing from orvis, 35lb or 50 lb

I use Airlo Micro Poly Backing in 20 or 30lb. Very strong and thin IMO

Hope this helps

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Jonathan

I'm not crazy about gel spun backings... they have limited knot strenghth, and a shock can break it. If you are doing a lot of salt water fishing, and casting into the backing regilarly, and tend to fisht large fish into the backing, I wouldnt use gel spun. For trout and for the purposses of simply increasing the arbour of the reel, it's fine, but make sure you attach it well. Knots in gel spun have a nasty tendancy to slip.

I have this loop speedrunner reel that has sba capacity and was hoping to stretch it out with gel spun - I generally use an albright not for backing to line - Should I use a loop?

For normal trout fishing conditions, 50m is more than enough, even if a fish goes on a run.

The Pirate.

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Ok thanks. I wasnt exactly 100% clear in my post, as in Sept & Oct I've been Salmon fishing.

I'd agree with Pirate, 50 Mt's is perfectly adequate. It would take SOME fish to peal off a full fly line and that much backing

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Sean


>>>>>>>MEMBER OF THE S.S.F.D.<<<<<<<<<

Fly Fishing: Rigging With Gel Spun - MidCurrent

Here is quite a good site to read up about the advantages and dis advantages of different backing materials. Probably good to make up your own mind, as the times that you are ever going to run a fish into the backing, are few, but when it does happen, you don't want to lose the fish of a lifetime.

Your major problem is that like so many you've been conned into buying a reel with totally inadequate spool capacity posing as a 'large arbour reel !'

What is wrong with a normal flyreel ?

On the plus side I reckon to have caught just in excess of 15,000 stillwater trout etc - three times I got taken into the backing more than a yard or two . None of the three were desperately significant - just maddened . None took more than 15 yards .

And once - just to see what would happen I sat on the bank of the Brooks River one afternoon experimenting most cruelly by deliberately hooking decent Sockeyes and then seeing how far I could let them go and sitll get them back - at 80 yards out in a decent flow I started losing fish after fish - at 70 got most ! .

Best run a 120 est Tarpon - that was like being connected to a 5 litre loose V8 engine - around 300 on the first pass. So we chased him and I got him to the boat and released him -but there was 500 yards of backing on the Mark 4 Seamaster !

Take enough gun

Best wishes

Steve P