Walter & Group......................
A good "springboard" question on tackle from Steve Hollinsed. A little quiz follows:-
Good Morning Gordy,
Thank you for your thoughtful replies regarding roll casting and rod
rotation. I know responses like that take time but their impact on my
development as an instructor is immeasureable.
One more quick question if I may.
Have you ever had Gel Spun backing damage rod guides or know of a case
where that has happened? Do you use it?
I have seen this debated in some circles. Rigging up some reels for some
new premium rods that I have bought, and so I thought I would ask an
experienced big fish, salt water angler. My thought is that it is too
slick for that.
Thanks again,
Steve
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Steve...
Good question !
Years ago, when Jack Samson gave me some Kevlar (Du Pont's Aramid) backing material to field test, we labored under some fears, as follows:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# The stuff might well groove the guides and tip-tops.
We found that it did not, except when used with cheap tip-tops....but they grooved with other types of backing as well after long use in big game fly fishing. Fishing silted glacial rivers in Washington and Alaska, we found that the laval grit would stick to other types of backing which then grooved the tip tops when the gel spun material didn't.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# It could be dangerous to use because it can so easily cut a finger if caught during a long powerful run.
Theoretically that remains a concern. In the more than 10 years I've been using the material, however, it has not actually happened to me or any of the other big game anglers I've known.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# Gel-spun backing is thin and can bury itself deep into the rest of the backing on the reel causing it to jam during a run.
This did occur when we used 20 lb. Kevlar which had a spherical cross section, especially if the backing had not been wound onto the arbor tightly and evenly. Most of the new gel-spun materials of 30 lb. test and over have a very slightly oval cross section which protects against this. Using Spectra of this design, I have never had it happen even when I've hooked fish after reeling in one before hand with no attention to tension and level winding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# Knot strength is poor when tied with gel-spun materials.
Many knots do NOT work well with this slippery material. For backing, I use a 30X Bimini Twist on each end. I attach the backing to the reel with both strands from that knot to the arbor with a standard arbor knot except I pass it 4X around the arbor. (In the rare instance of getting, "spooled", that knot never gives way, anyway.....the tippet pops.) I use the Bimini loop on the other end as a loop-to-loop connection to a short segment of nylon monofilament which, in turn, is loop-to-looped to the back of the fly line.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# The gel spun material may cut right through the fly line if you use a loop-to-loop connection directly.
This can happen. It is the reason for the use of a segment of nylon monofilament between the two. This segment can be as short as 2' or much longer depending upon what you are trying to accomplish.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# If a loop of this gel spun backing flips over with slack and becomes tangled, it is very difficult to get it untangled.
If the tangle is not complex, it's actually easy to undo because of the "slipperiness" of its surface. (Tends not to jam). However, the stuff is thin and can get complex tangles which will tax one's patience and sanity. Trick is to avoid slack in the first place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# The material is skinny and hard to see as the fish runs great distances. A guide's complaint.
We now use thicker material than we did in past years. My preference is to use a Hi-Viz Spectra (I love the, "blaze green") for visibility. If you use a nylon mono segment interposed, you can get great visibility and less liklihood of entanglement by using either black or red AMNESIA mono.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# Gel-spun backing material is very expensive.
True...but less of a concern than it was a few years ago. Many, "store brands" such as Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops are just fine and don't cost a fortune.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# Gel-spun material doesn't degrade, so in the event that anglers discard it into the environment, it can have lasting damaging effects.
True.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are the, "disadvantages", old and present. Advantages can be listed as:-
1.) Great strength/diameter ratio which allows you to get a tremendous amount of it on your reel for long runs.
2.) It's hydrophobic. This means it sheds water and doesn't wind up carrying a lot of damaging salt water onto your reel spool.
3.) It won't rot or degrade in this century. (May even outlast you and your reel !)
4.) Tropical sun won't damage it.
5.) If a fish (like a tarpon or a dolphin or billfish) runs way out under a thick ocean weed line, the stuff is not damaged by the weeds and may even saw through some of them. (Unlike Dacron which would abraid with the loss of the fish, leader, line, and rest of the backing.)
6.) When working a big game quarry back for release, we like to get the job done quickly so we don't over tire the fish making the release a capricious event. The fact that the gel-spun stuff does not stretch makes it easier to apply necessary pressure to get this done efficiently...especially when used on direct drive reels.
I now use gel-spun backing on all my salt water reels.
Steve.... Let's take this example and ask our members to come up with advantages and disadvantages of other backing materials, as follows:
A. Nylon multifilament
B. Dacron multifilament
C. Monofilament Nylon
D. Silk
E. Cuttyhunk (woven flax / linen)
F. Braided nylon monofilament
Gordy