If you would like to change a left handed reel to a right-handed reel, you need to turn over the bearing and wind the reel on it. The bearing will determine whether the reel will move in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction. Ensure you turn over the bearing but you should be careful not to damage it.

Thankfully, it’s simple. Ensure your drag isn’t too tight, and while keeping your rod tip high and putting pressure on the trout, slowly reel in your line. If the fish is down on the bottom of the river, reel in as much as you can, dip the rod, and reel as you lift it again.

Balancing fly line, rod, and reel. For instance, you would match an Ultra 4 5-weight fly line with a 5-weight fly rod, and you’d spool it on a 4/5/6 fly reel. Lower numbers – weights 2-6 – denote smaller gear best suited to trout and panfish.

How much backing should I put on my reel?

1. Smaller Trout and Panfish – 25 to 50 yards of 12-lb backing.
2. Normal Trout – 50 to 100 yards of 20-lb backing.
3. Big Trout and Steelhead – 150 yards plus of 20-lb backing.
4. Bonefish and Large Carp – 250 yards of 30-lb backing.
5. Salmon – 250 yards of 30-lb Dacron backing.

Baitcast reels can handle heavier line and actually allow for longer casts than spinning gear in the same size range. Bass anglers regularly use line in the 14- to 17-pound-test range. Muskie and catfish anglers use even heavier line. Small baitcast reels can handle these lines and provide greater casting distance.

“Baitcasters evolved from the old level winds of yesteryear,” Kuhn says. “Level winds paid out line with the flip of a lever. These early reels were designed with the handle on the right side because cranking was the most important feature of a reel that didn’t cast.

You can tie monofilament or fluorocarbon directly to the spool and start filling the reel, but braided line slips too much when tied directly to the spool so you will need some type of backing to prevent this slippage.