Last night I worked on spooling my new reel with backing and the new fly line I bought for it. This is a 3-4 G-Loomis Eastfork Reel and I was extremely pleased and surprised by the difference in almost every aspect of this reel compared to the one I currently own. It is smoother, quieter, lighter and just looks much better than the one I’ve used to this point. I have a 4wt. rod currently and needed to set this reel up for that specific rod. The backing rating for this reel is 50yds of 20lbs backing, I mistakenly purchased 30lbs and so I spooled a few yards less than fifty which I just estimated as I went.

I managed to get the backing on with the arbor knot in less than fifteen minutes with alittle help from Liz as she provided tension while I reeled the backing on smoothly. Next was the line itself which I was slightly concerned that it wouldn’t fit for a moment and I would be forced to start over and cut some of the backing out but that did not happen. I tied the albright knot well enough the first time not to feel I needed to do it again and after clipping the ends short so it wouldn’t catch the guides if someday I get one on that would take me to my backing. Spooling the fly line took alittle longer as it was awkward at first. The difference between line is also very noticeable. The old line looks like a slinky the memory is so bad, especially in the cold. This new S.A. line had little memory off the spool. All in all I am very pleased and it took maybe 45 minutes from beginning to end to get everything spooled and pictures taken.

Note: I got all the knot information from Youtube.com. This is a great resource for the beginner. I watched several videos on how to do each knot prior to setting the reel up and I feel this saved time and frustration. Use youtube.com for good rather than evil.

I will be trying some new fly fishing gear this season thanks to some very special people who both love me and want to assist me in my adventure. I tried to make practical and yet long lasting choices based on reading reviews and looking at as much information as I could get. So to upgrade myself from the Cabela’s Prestige One 4wt with the matching reel and line I figured I should concentrate on the line knowing that I’m keeping the rod for a bit yet. My ideal set up is a Sage TXL 7’10″ 3wt with an Orvis CFO but due to two main factors I’ve decided to wait on pursuing that set up for now, 1 Cost, 2 lack of experience. I feel like I should log more time with the beginner stuff before I save a bank roll. So with that I will be giving a few items a run for their money and here they are:

William Joseph Current Mag-Chest Pack

This product is very new so it has little information, I chose to request this one due to research on others, size, and cost. This is the more expensive but the mag-zipper technology sounded very intriguing. I’ve sized it for my fit with my winter gear and it fits great, the pockets snap shut and seal well. They are lined with an anti-water material so as long as the magnets meet properly it will seal water tight. I have found one of the pockets wants to get alittle hung up but I think its going to be fine. I’ve also noticed that it will probably not want to seal well if fully loaded. I filled it with three spools of tippet, leaders, knife, forceps, fly box, thermometer, three kinds of floatant, and still had plenty of room for a few more things. We shall see how it performs on the water. Note: It has warnings about pacemakers and the magnets being an issue. 

G-Loomis Eastfork Reel

These reels got great ratings and looked nice. I think they will do well to help upgrade the rod/reel situation which leads me to the next item which I felt needed the most improvement.

Scientific Anglers Mastery Trout Taper Fly Line

New line for me was absolutely necessary. I hope this brand serves me well. It got great reviews and I’m sure will be a big improvement over the Cabela’s line that came on the reel. 

Keen Laguna Trailhead/Water Shoe

These shoes have it all. They are anti-microbial, water proof and water ready. The closed toes keeps your feet safe and they fit excellent. I plan on altering my approach to warmer weather fishing this spring/summer, that includes minimizing the waders and enjoying the water a bit more.

Thank You again to those who helped me get these items to help with my fishing journey. I hope everyone had a great holiday.