midger wrote:Gabe,
I have to respectfully disagree about getting rid of the backing. It isn't there because you think you will get spooled. It's there to properly fill the reel to where the flyline comes to within about 1/8 inch of the reel pillars when loaded onto the spool, and it also allows for larger turns of the line on the spool thus increasing the line recovery rate. These larger diameter turns also result in less line twist/memory/coiling. I never load a small reel without backing. If the reel is very small, I'd use a Double Taper line, cut in half, with half set aside for reuse after wearing out the first half. I'd then add 100 yards of backing or whatever would make the remaining flyline load properly.
Just my take.
Yeah gabe, what this guy said.