Fly Fishing is gaining in popularity among anglers all over the world. It’s a great way to relax, explore nature and have fun.
However, before you can have any success with fly fishing, it’s important to understand the basics and build your skills with practice. One of the most important things you need to know is whether or not you need backing for fly fishing.
Backing is a thin, braided line that goes on the reel before your main line. The purpose of backing is to give you extra length of line should your fish run far away from you.
This length gives you more time to react and keep up with the fish as it runs away from you. It also helps prevent break-offs due to the increased tension on the line when trying to land a large fish.
In general, backing isn’t necessary for fly fishing unless you plan on catching large fish or are fishing in deep water. In these situations, having extra line can be helpful in case a large fish takes off with your line and runs away. If this happens, having extra line on your reel could give you enough time to react and run after it.
That being said, many anglers choose not to use backing because it adds an extra step when spooling up their reels and increases the overall weight of their tackle. It can also be more difficult to cast with too much line on a reel so if you do choose to use backing, be sure not to overfill your reel.
Conclusion:
Do You Need Backing for Fly Fishing? Whether or not you need backing depends largely on how large of fish you plan on catching and where you plan on fishing.
If going after big fish or fishing in deep water then yes, having some extra length of backing could be helpful should your fish take off with your line and runs away from you. Otherwise, many anglers choose not to use backing because it adds weight and complexity when spooling up their reels.
