Fly Rod Set Up: How to Rig a Fly Rod from Reel to Fly

Short answer: reel first, rod second

People assume you put the rod together first. In practice the reel comes first, because the backing and line have to be wound on before you thread anything. Here is the full order for a trout setup, then a section on each step.

1. Tie backing to the spool and wind it on.
2. Connect the fly line to the backing and wind that on.
3. Join the rod sections.
4. Attach the reel to the rod.
5. Thread the fly line through the guides.
6. Attach the leader to the fly line.
7. Attach tippet to the leader.
8. Tie on the fly.

Our fly rod combos page lists kits that bundle several of these parts. If you are buying piece by piece, the fly reels and fly lines pages carry the rest.

Step 1: put backing on the reel

Take the spool off the reel frame. Tie the backing to the arbor with an arbor knot, which Fly Fisher Pro calls one of the most common choices, or with a Duncan loop, as Fly Fisherman describes. Put the spool back and make sure the backing is not pinched between the spool and the frame.

Wind it on under tension. Fly Fisher Pro suggests running the backing through a book. Fly Fisherman suggests running it through a folded towel and standing on it, and moving it from side to side so it lays evenly. The backing must go on tightly and evenly. Fly Fisherman warns against loose coils low on the arbor with tight layers wound over the top, because the tight coils can bury themselves in the loose ones and jam the reel.

How much backing? The sources disagree, so here are three. Fly Fisher Pro suggests about 60 yards for trout reels, within a 50 to 100 yard range. Fly Fisherman suggests 100 to 150 yards of 20- or 30-pound Dacron for most trout reels. MidCurrent puts a 4- or 5-weight trout reel at around 100 to 125 yards, leaving room for the fly line. They differ because reels differ, and the fly line you plan to use takes up part of the space. Our guide on how much backing on a fly reel goes through this in detail, and the fly line backing page lists what is on sale.

Step 2: connect the fly line to the backing

Look at the end of the fly line. Many have a welded loop at the end marked for backing. If yours does, Fly Fisher Pro says to tie a clinch knot around the loop with the backing, pull it tight and trim the excess. If the line has no loop, use a nail knot. Fly Fisherman describes a loop-to-loop version: tie a double or triple overhand loop in the backing large enough for the line spool to pass through, connect the loops and seat them so they lock like a reef knot. A poorly seated connection is bulky and may not run through the guides. Lines without welded loops need a tube nail knot, which Fly Fisherman suggests coating with Flexament or Softex to keep it smooth.

Then wind the fly line on with the same tension. That keeps the coils stacked evenly and the line from tangling later. If you want to see the knots drawn out, our fly line backing knot guide covers them, and how to spool a fly reel goes deeper on the winding itself.

Step 3: join the rod sections

Most modern rods have four sections. Slide each ferrule together straight, without twisting, and line up the guides. Fly Fisher Pro says to align the dots on the ferrules if the rod has them, or sight down the guides to line them up. Our parts of a fly rod guide names each part if you want a map.

Step 4: attach the reel

Screw the reel onto the bottom of the rod. Fly Fisherman says to attach it in the position you will crank from: if you cast with your right hand, you reel with your left, so the handle faces left. Our parts of a fly reel page helps if you are unsure which part is which.

Step 5: thread the guides

Run the end of the fly line through each guide, working from the reel to the tip. Hold the line as you go so it does not slip back. Check that you have not skipped one. A missed guide shows itself the moment you cast.

Step 6: attach the leader

The leader is a tapered length of monofilament that connects the heavy fly line to the near-invisible tippet. Fly Fisherman recommends a 7 to 12 foot knotless tapered leader joined loop-to-loop, and says 9-foot leaders suit most trout fishing, with shorter, stouter leaders (7 feet or less) for heavy or weighted flies. Fly Fisher Pro warns against fluorocarbon leaders for dry flies, since fluorocarbon sinks.

Loop-to-loop means the leader's butt loop meets the line's loop, with the loops seated so they form a square knot. If the line has no loop, use a nail knot, which Fly Fisherman says must be retied each time you change leaders.

Step 7: add tippet

Tippet is level monofilament that you tie to the end of the leader. Fly Fisherman advises about 2-foot sections, with a tippet diameter that is the same as or thinner than the leader's tip. Replacing tippet protects the leader from getting shorter with each fly change. Join mono with a blood knot or double surgeon's knot, and match the tippet to the fly: smaller flies need thinner tippet, larger flies thicker. Smaller flies, flat water and spooky fish call for longer, thinner leaders, often 4X or 5X, and very selective spring-creek trout may need 7X or 8X. Nylon is limper and easier to knot, while fluorocarbon is stiffer, more abrasion-resistant and less visible in clear water.

Fly Fisher Pro suggests carrying a spool of 5X to restore the fine end of the leader after you have retied several flies. Mark the tippet spool with a pen when you buy it. (Unlabelled tippet spools are the most common resident of the Hook Drawer, and the least useful.)

Step 8: tie on the fly

Use a knot you trust, wet it before you cinch it, and check the line weight is correct for the rod. The Fly Fisher Pro article is blunt about it: a 5-weight rod needs a 5-weight line, with very few exceptions. Our fly rod weight chart guide explains how the numbers match.

Common mistakes

• Loose or poorly tied knots, which Fly Fisher Pro says lose big fish.
• Pinching the backing when the spool goes back on the reel.
• Winding the backing loose and finishing tight.
• Using the wrong line weight for the rod.
• Using fluorocarbon leader for dry flies.

What a complete kit already includes

A starter kit usually saves most of this shopping, though contents differ between listings. In our combo tables the In the box column lists what each listing says is included, and a dash means we could not confirm it. Check it before assuming the kit has a leader, backing or a rod tube. The best fly fishing starter kits page picks kits by a stated rule, and the fly fishing gear for beginners guide covers what else you need.