Line organisation/labelling,identity

[alanj]

Hi, sorry for yet another numpty question ...

So I've managed to acquire a collection of rods/reels and lines.
How do people organise their lines so they can identify what line is what?
I've been using the neoprene spool tidy wraps - but they are all black with a tiny white space for writing in, and the writing smudges and rubs off very easily. Be nice if someone made a white version.

Naturally I kept the line boxes but somehow seem to have more lines than boxes. So putting the box label in the reel bag isn't an option now. The other problem is how to identify a line. Both make, name and of course weight. Must I buy some drug dealer scales and would they actually help identification?

So any tips?

Thanks
Alan

[Bendix]

Hi Alan

The way I keep track of my lines, may be too late for you, if you say you have more lines than boxes…

But I have more lines than I have reels. And the way I organize them, is to never keep my lines on my reels. Instead, I keep my WF lines on the spools they were delivered on, which has the relevant information (usually at least). And when I’m going fishing, I will choose which reels and lines I want to fish during the day, and then simply spool the reels up before I leave home. And when I get home, and the reels and lines have dried up (usually during the night) I will remove the lines from my reels, and put them back on the spool that belongs to the lines.
And in the rare cases where the line spool doesn’t have the relevant information, I will make some labels with my Dymo label maker, and stick it to the spool. And that’s how I personally keep track of my WF lines.

Regarding my many shooting heads, I keep them rolled up in small zip lock bags, on which I have some labels made with my Dymo, with the relevant information. And when I fish with my shooting heads, I simply bring along a selection of the ones I need in my bag pack, and once again I put them on my reels when I am at the water, where I can decide which one I need for the day. And once I’m home, and the line is dry, I put it back in the zip lock bag it belongs to.
The advantage of this is also, that in case the situation changes by the water during the day, I can easily change between different shooting heads that fit the different circumstances I face during my fishing trip.

Regarding your question about identifying your lines, I have no idea how to do that, as I have never myself been in a situation where I had to identify an unknown line… Hopefully someone else can offer you advice on this.

Anyway, this is how I organize my lines, and have done so for the past 20 years or so… Hope it can help you out.

Cheers, Bendix

[Paul Arden]

When the spools were plastic it was easy. I would just spin on the spool and write some illegible code in permanent black marker pen. Now the spools are cardboard (SA) I do the same (and keep the boxes!). Lars has a line winder and uses large ziplock bags. I know he does this because he sent me some lines for the Orang Asli /Sungai Tiang. He is very well organised. In fact he may be the most organised person I know. But even he sent a mystery line that he had no idea what it was. That one was marked “?”

Cheers, Paul

[alanj]

Many thanks.
Bendix - You seem extremely disciplined and organized! Possibly my polar opposite. I can't imagine respooling my lines every time I wanted to go fishing and I don't dry anything afterwards ( well unless its been raining ). I keep all my lines on spare spools or cassettes. No idea what a shooting head is ( must look it up now ) so not used.
Paul - yep Snowbee, Cortland and Bario still have plastic spools SA has cardboard and an unknown line had just a plastic bubble thing over a loose line.

So after a bit more research I have found 2 solutions that hopefully will work for me.

• Whychwood have just released a new Spool tender strap that includes a plastic pocket so you can write your own labels to stick in. Saves rubbing off the marker pen, which I seem to do without even trying.

• I'll also get some reel bags. I can make up some laminated labels to go in each slot. So as long as I remember to put them away properly all should be good.

As for the lines with missing boxes. One was a Whychwood supplied with my first reel, so never had a box. The other came in a plastic blister type pack and no box. Sadly I still can't recall what it is. It will remain a mystery.

Thanks again for the tips.

[Tangled]

I still chuck the straps into my bag and mix everything up. Some people put codes on their lines with shapies. 5 black bands means #5 floating. #5 white bands mean #5 sinking etc

[alanj]

Ha brilliant and perfect! Thanks.

[rusty]

Why is there little common ground when labeling the flyline almost as if a UFO?

[DryFly]

I do own a lot of lines, on reels, spare spools and on plastic spools.
I´m also interessted in knowing, what line I do have in real. ( You know, there are for example "WF 7s" and "WF 7s" , that are veeery different lines)

So I messeared and weighted most of my lines.
I take the weight for the first 30´ = true line weight, weight of the belly, diameter of the belly ( are there any changes throughout the belly or is it all the same), diameter of the RL.
Than I mark the lines with permanent markers in 4 different colours at the tip.
The marks are different long rings: short rings stands for "1", middle long for "5" and longer ones for "10".
In black I mark the true line class ( that I found by weighting, this can be 2-3 classes different from the labbeling).
In green I mark the lenght of the belly incl. the rear taper.
In red I mark the weight of the belly incl. the rear taper.
When it is saltwater/tropical line, it gets a further blue ring.

So a Rio Gold 6 eg. gets one middle and one short black ring for the line weight, ( its a bit over the class, so sometimes I add one small red ring to show, that it is between two classes.)
Than comes in green one long ring = 10 meters and 4 short rings for 4 meters - belly lenght.
Than in red follows the weight. I dont have it in my head for the Gold 6, so it could be a long for 10 gramm, one middle for 5 gramm and one short for 1 gramm.

The same information I also write on the plastic spools - eg. all my saltwater lines are on spools and come only for the fishing trip on a reel.

Cheers
Reinhard

[Paul Arden]

Hi Reinhard,

When you measure up your lines do you find much difference to the stated weights and lengths on the manufacturer’s site? Mostly I’ve found this to be fairly accurate and I’m sure this is their target weights. Even when they are 2-3 line weights too heavy.

Of course some manufacturers don’t give this information. And sometimes there are manufacturing mistakes.

I like your system! I don’t fish/cast many lines although I do test many. If I did I would do this too - thanks!!

Cheers, Paul

[DryFly]

So far, the weights given by the companies were more or less correct.
DTs are usely very correct, but I have a DT 6 and a DT 7 of the old SA Standart ( light green) that have nearly the same weight.
The #7 is a bit under the correct number and the #6 is at least a # 6,5.

But you can find differences to the given parameter.
This might be belly lenght or belly taper.

The Rio Gold e.g. has a much more differentiated belly profil as it is shown in the companies picture. There it there a parallel belly for 22,6´.
But after the front taper the belly has a diameter of 1,4 mm for about 4 meters.
Than follows a few meters of 1,35 mm. And still in the green part of the belly the much longer reartaper starts getting down to around 0,98mm for the RL. I didn´t weight the sections, but a change from 1,4mm to 1,35 mm is usely more than 1/2 line class.

And a RL of about 0,98 mm gives a good weight for a #6 line to hold some meters of it in the air while false casting.
( I have e.g. a WF 8 floating line with only 0,85mm for the RL, so much less weight for a longer carry).

Cheers
Reinhard