When your reel erupts into an explosion of fishing line, don’t panic. No matter how bad a backlash looks, with a little picking and a lot of patience, the damage can be undone.Ric Burnley
The Reel Runneth Over
1) Pluck It: With the reel out of gear, first loosen the tangle by pinching the line between your fingers and working it away from the spool. Once the mess is loose, gently pull line from the reel while working the backlash out. The key is not to let the tangle tighten up around the reel spool.Ric Burnley
The Reel Runneth Over
2) Pick It: When you come to the section where the line is looped over itself, pick at the loop until it is loose, then pull line from the loop until the snag straightens itself and the line comes free. If the loop is hopelessly embedded in the spool, pinch and pull the line until it comes loose.Ric Burnley
The Reel Runneth Over
3) Cast It: Once the backlash is cleared””be sure to remove all the loops””pinch the line between your fingers and carefully crank it back onto the reel while keeping the line tight. If you feel any kinks or nicks, cut the line at the weak spot and add a fresh top shot if necessary. When you get back to the dock be sure to refill the reel and, next time, don’t be a fool, keep thumb tension on the spool when casting.Ric Burnley
