Back to the Basics, Part One (Backing-to-Flyline Connections)
by Hans van Klinken


During our last meeting of the Grayling Society Holland, I presented a great lecture about a few of my own connection techniques for fly line, leader, tippet, bait indicator and backing. This lecture was received far above all my expectations. The feedback from our members was fabulous, especially when I demonstrated to the audience how to make my own braided leaders at the end of my speech. I actually got the inspiration to lecture on these subjects after I recently observed how two fly fishermen prepared themselves for fishing while using the most exclusive and expensive fly fishing equipment that I have ever seen. Their rods and reels were top of the line, worth a real fortune! Of course, it's nice to have great materials and equipment, but the fact that some people may not be familiar with the use of such simple materials as a leader and backing set me to thinking. When I saw how poorly and weakly those two guys had connected their backing, fly line and leader, I got the idea to compose a few "short" articles on the subject, which I entitled "Back to the Basics". In this first narrative, I will explain how a backing, fly line and leader can be connected in perfect harmony. I'm not guaranteeing that my method will be the best technique in your hands, but it's extremely durable, safe and smooth, and it has worked extremely well for me for more then 15 years. In this first article, I will also give you a very nice tip for performing an emergency repair to your fly line, should it ever become necessary. (It's actually the same technique.) For me personally, connecting techniques are second nature, but for many, they still seem to present a big problem. This simple trick can be a big help to a fisherman's success, as has been proven many times during both the practical lessons in my workshops, and especially on the river. I am a practical fly fisherman who just loves durability. When I use certain tricks or techniques, they must be quick and simple to utilize, but most importantly, they must be as long lasting as possible.



In the eighties, I devoted many extra hours to the army. I also had plenty of free time as compensation. These years were surely my most creative. I not only designed flies, I also developed a good number of effective techniques, which, to this day, I have been unable to improve upon. For many people, a quality rod and reel are a requirement to be a good fly fisherman; for others, casting ability is essential. I see it a lot differently. I like a very nice rod myself, as I like accurate casting, but I am not a fly caster at all. I see myself more as a fly fisherman, and in my opinion, there are many differences between a good fly caster and a good fly fisherman. I have seen several great fly casters that are excellent fishermen, but I also have seen wonderful casters who couldn't handle a strong side wind at a tiny little brook, with loads of overhanging trees. I have my own individual techniques, of course, and most of them were developed while fishing the difficult rivers of Scandinavia. If you look around at any fair or show, and closely observe all the people who are trying rods, you will be amazed! You can easily conclude that most of them are interested in distance only! Many people are buying a certain rod only because they believe that it will enable them to cast a few meters farther! I believe that for fishing to be enjoyable, you really have to first get accustomed to your rod, and that will take some time. My priorities are much different, and maybe this is why most of the time, I prefer a rod with a good parabolic action. Instead of spending hundreds of hours with indoor casting, I have put most of my efforts, techniques, creativity and designs into flies, fly lines, leaders, tippets, and fishing and presentation techniques at waterside. For me, those results are more valuable than casting a fly into a circle on the floor of the sports hall. You also are more able to handle the weather conditions.

It was in Norway during the early eighties that I designed my leader-flyline connection. At the same time, I discovered a really awesome backing connection. It was there that I developed my special leader and tippet connection, and developed a superb bait indicator as well. Of course, all my ideas didn't come together at once! It took me some years of experimenting, and a lot of fishing before my final leader was created. Its no secret that all my leader and tippet designs were a direct result of the casting experience I gained when I fished my first huge Klinkhåmers and other large parachutes.

Let me first start with some of my backing theories. There is a lot of backing material available nowadays, but I only use Greenspot or Blackspot; the green and black spots in the material give it its name. It's rather popular too. Greenspot is the registered trademark of the Cortland Line Company, and was actually first designed as braided trolling line. I am not sure who the creative person was who first started to use it as backing, but he surely deserves a big pat on the back! Greenspot is coreless precision braid, which allows it to retain 100% of its strength when spliced. It has minimum stretch, for the best control and feel when you are playing a good fish. Greenspot is especially designed to lay flat on your reel, even under tension. It will not cut between layers and form a tangle of line on your reel, and therefore, it's the most perfect backing material that I know of. It's extremely strong and very durable. Cortland Greenspot is waterproofed in the manufacturing process. This helps prevent deterioration, and gives the line a much longer life. Many other backing materials are not waterproofed, and will, therefore rot much quicker and easier. Put all those facts together, and you have the most important reasons why I prefer Cortland Greenspot above all the other backing materials.

When I have my workshops, and people show me the backing material on their reels, it never ceases to amaze me how creative people really can be! I have seen people attempt to use the strangest materials! When I look closely at the backing-to-fly line connections, it even surprises me more! I can also assure you that I have seen the most incredible knots over the years! Many fishermen never check their backing, and a lot people don't know what happens to the backing when it stays on a reel for a very long time. I have seen backing that became so disintegrated and weak that you could break it between two fingers with hardly any pressure! I have seen backing that has almost been completely decomposed over time. I saw monofilament backing in which the reel memory became so strong that it prevented the backing from running through the line guards! I also saw how brightly colored backing lines changed the original color of the fly line, because it had been dyed in non-permanent dye. Those are just a few examples, not to mention what happens to all the reels that have been dunked in the water over and over again! When I checked connections for strength, I broke many, but the most incredible I saw was a reel on which the backing was spooled so tightly that it had changed the shape of the spool, which prevented the line from running smoothly on the reel! I am sure that a lot of people do not realize what happens to their backing, since most of the time it is covered by the fly line. Because I have used Greenspot almost my entire life, I have no personal experience with all the different things that can go wrong. I have learned, however, what has happened to other people. I also have developed my own technique from practical experience on how to handle and treat a rod, reel and fly line. This is a hold over from the times when I only had a little money to spend for fly fishing equipment. I have always treated my fly lines well. Even now, when I have many fly lines, I handle them with the same care as I did when I was much younger. I take them off in wintertime. I clean them well during and after fishing, to avoid cracks and damage to the braided core inside.

I evaluated some backing problems, and here are the most common mistakes people make:
The backing is much too short
The backing is wound on the spool too tightly
The backing and fly line are not connected properly
The backing has never been checked or replaced
The backing material can't handle moisture or water
The backing is too thick or too thin
The backing material has too much reel memory

Before a fly fisher puts backing on his reel, he has to understand the reasoning behind what he is about to do. I think I can give you a few good tips. Tips that have been well received during my classes and workshops. Tips that have served me well during all my years of fly fishing, and which prevented many nasty situations while fishing. Let me give you some good arguments, by discussing the points listed above, as to why a good backing material is so extremely important for every fly fisher.

The backing is much too short
During my last workshop, six out of ten people had only a few meters of backing material on their reels. Of course, a good quality reel is important, especially for larger fish, but a good reel with almost no backing is useless at times when you need some extra line and have none. There are also several other highly under-appreciated reasons as to why you should properly fill your spools. Always fill your spools as much as possible, because it will prevent or greatly reduce reel memory in the fly line. The reel is also much easier to handle while fishing and reeling in the line. The more your spool is filled, the quicker your line will be back on your spool again. With a well-filled spool, you make less turns of the reel, and the fly line runs out much easier and more smoothly. I have several reels, and most have a very high line capacity. They can handle a lot of fly line and backing, so when I did my first experiments with backing, I quickly discovered that if I want to fill up the reel properly, more backing was better. Maybe my fishing reels are larger then necessary, but personally, I never could find any good reason why I should use a #4 reel on a #5 rod. Some people say it's lighter and easier to fish with, but tell me honestly, did you ever really discover many differences in handling when using a slightly lighter reel? When I put on my first fly line, it only filled the reel just above halfway. I didn't like it from the start, so I took off the backing and started again and again until the spool was properly filled. When you have spare spools, it's even easier, because you work the other way around, and prevent a miscalculation for the length of the backing. You spool up the fly line first, then include the backing until it fits perfectly on the spool. Then you transfer everything to the spool you will use. Conclusion: for me the backing is essential material to fill up my spools. Even when I don't need the backing for playing a fish, I use it to allow the fly line to perfectly fill the spool.

The backing is wound on the spool too tightly.
This is not really a big problem when using Greenspot, but I don't like it when the backing is put on the spool too tightly. Nowadays, everybody seems to like the lightest materials, and spools and reels are much more fragile then in the past. Some spools are so fragile that when you use a lot of backing, and wind it very tightly, the spool can loose its fine balance and will no longer run smoothly. These problems can be multiplied when the backing expands due to a poor quality backing material. This may be the result of moisture, or when the material begins to decompose. Conclusion: always check to see if, or how much your material expands. With Greenspot, you know that you don't need this test.

The backing and fly line are not connected properly
I have seen at least a dozen knots that people have used for a backing-to-flyline connections. There are three risks with a simple knot: firstly, the coating can come off from the core during the fight, secondly the knot can have problems getting through the rod guides, and finally the knot can break. I still remember my worries when I hooked my first ever salmon. I was really worried that the knot couldn't stand the force! I can assure you that it is much different when it happens to you in real life and when you see the backing following the fly line at an unbelievable speed. The first time it happens to you, you really are worried. I don't like knots at all, not in my backing-to-flyline connection, nor in my leader and tippet, simply because I lost several fish my early days due to knot failure. My first big Atlantic salmon was lost because the knot was too big, and I had really serious problems reeling in the backing smoothly. It broke when the knot failed to pass through the rod guides. This is why I changed my connection technique. Since that day, I have NEVER used knots.
The nail knot, or improved nail knot, are excellent connection techniques, and they both make rather smooth connections. To tell you the truth, however, even those "perfect" knots are not smooth enough for me. I want an extremely smooth connection; I want it as smooth as possible. This is why I started to use Greenspot in first place. The idea I got as soon I found an excellent way of using hollow materials for connection!

The backing has never been checked or replaced
This is the most important item. When I use a reel frequently, or a reel has gotten soaking wet, I use that backing one season only! When I don't use the reel much, and know for sure that the reel didn't get wet, then I usually use the same backing for two seasons. I know that many people just replace a fly line year after year, but many fishers don't worry too much about the backing. They can spend hundreds of dollars for a reel, but simply refuse to spend a few pennies for a good and reliable backing material. I don't know why, and can't understand it. This is why so many people lost their first real whopper, or trophy fish. I have seen it many times while in Canada, or fishing for Atlantic salmon in Norway. In wintertime I take my fly line and backing off my reels, and shortly before the season starts, I put on a completely new backing to be 100% sure that it will work perfectly when it is really needed. Conclusion: Thousands of people spend a lot of money for reels and rods, but from what I have seen, they don't pay much attention to their backing.

The backing material can't handle moisture or water
This subject is highly unappreciated as well. When you fish frequently, and use the same reel all the time, your backing material will definitely have been wet several times. You reel (and therefore the backing) also gets wet easily when it's raining. Some people place their rod in the water when unhooking their fish. I have seen others using their rods as a little wading stick, or checking the water depth with it! There are many reasons for wet backing. Several materials used as backing cannot stand those tough conditions, and the material starts to decompose. This makes the backing extremely fragile, and it can easily break. Sometimes it is only a small area that is damaged, but more often, my experience shows that it involves several meters. It may be possible that bacteria are getting into the backing and producing the weak spots. Conclusion: Cortland Greenspot is waterproofed in the manufacturing process. This helps prevent rot, and gives the backing a much longer life.

The backing material has too much reel memory
This actually is usually a problem for the beginning fly fisherman who chooses the wrong material for backing. Reel memory is a huge problem, and therefore, I suggest never using monofilament as backing material. I always advise starters to join a fly fishing club, and participate in their instructional events! A good tackle shop is surely willing to supply any newcomer with some good tips and tools. Conclusion: Never use nylon/monofil as backing.

The backing is too thick or to thin
People are clever, and some think that they have a great idea in using an extremely thick backing material to fill up the spool. This idea surely will create some of the other problems, which I have already discussed above. Backing which is too thin is useless. You will not only need a lot, but it can break much more easily. Conclusion: Use 30 lb to 20 lb backing materials depending on what kind of reel you are using, or what type of fishing you have in mind. For salmon and other big fish 30lb works perfectly. For trout and grayling, 20 lb suits well.

Other backing materials and substitutes
Cortland markets Micron as their premium backing line. The method of braiding, waterproofing and quality control makes Micron the finest backing on the market. Many people are crazy about it. I am maybe a bit strange, and maybe too loyal to something that works so well for me, but I can't give up Greenspot, at least not yet! Micron is basically the same as Greenspot, except Greenspot has one thread of green material braided into the line. Blackspot is an entirely different product. Cortland Blackspot is made of polyethylene (super fiber or "superbraid"). It has one thread of black Dacron in it to give it the "black spot". They use Dacron polyester fiber for the "spot" because it dyes easily, and does not bleed the black color out of the fiber. (Super fiber polyethylene is hard to dye). Blackspot is therefore almost exactly like Cortland Spectron (a "super braid"), except that Spectron is 100% polyethylene, and does not have a thread of polyester (Dacron). Cortland also markets Micronite, which is 100% polyethylene super braid, but is a natural white color, and is not dyed. Many of these products are similar to other products, but offer some unique characteristics that appeal to the fisherman.


How to connect Greenspot to you fly line



Because Greenspot is hollow, you can put the fly line inside the braided backing with just a little effort. I usually put the fly line inside about 6-7 cm (2.5"), and then I cut the edges (waist) to bring it back to approximately 5 cm (2"). I only need a bobbin holder with some tying thread, and with bunch of windings, I secure the Greenspot to my fly line and tie it off. I finish by adding a drop of waterproof super glue straight on the windings. This will not only secure the knot, but prevent many problems. Worries of losing fish will be gone forever. This connection is extremely strong and very durable. I also can assure you that it will be the smoothest connection you have ever seen. Conclusion: This technique has been well proven by many of my close friends, and during the last 15 years, I have never had any breakage, or lost a fish because of a bad connection between fly line and backing.


Leader to fly line connection



The leader itself, I will discuss in part two, but let's say a few words about the fly line- leader connections. Like the backing-to-flyline connection, I also have seen a great number of knotting techniques that people have used to secure their leader system to the fly line. Some are awesome; others really poor! There are many people who make their own leaders, and I think the best leader is the one you feel most comfortable with. I don't like knots, and so my favorite leader system is a braided leader. I fish a lot with extremely large parachute flies, and so I need this braided leader to prevent wind knots as much as possible. I need only say a few words about how I connect my leader, because I tie it on with exactly the same technique that I use for the backing-to-flyline. I pull the braid about 5 cm over the fly line, and tie off the end of the braid with tying thread. I wrap some extra thread over the braid and fly line, and the braid is now well secured. To make it more durable, I add a drop of waterproof superglue, and I have a very smooth and knotless connection. This, in my opinion, is much better then a sleeve connection. When you do this carefully, the connection can easily last an entire season. The only extra work you must do is check it from time to time. I usually check the connection after fishing, when I clean my fly line and leader. If there is damage, it will happen close to where the windings of thread end at the fly line. If you don't use waterproof superglue, the windings will start to unwind as well.


Emergency repairs to a fly line
A few years ago, I was fishing in Denmark, and met somebody who had cut his fly line by accident. He had only one rod, reel and fly line, and he had already quit fishing. He was walking back to his car, and it made me sad to see how this guy had needed to stop fishing. There are some tricks to repair a fly line, but not many people are familiar with them. Because I connect my leader with tying thread, I always have a small bobbin with thread in my leader wallet. I also have a small tube of waterproof super glue and some Greenspot. Just a small piece of Greenspot, tying thread and super glue can save your day. You are able to do an emergency repair when the fly line is damaged or snagged, and it's a simple procedure. Cut both sides of the fly line at a 45 degree angle, so that they fit nicely together. Then put each tip inside the ends of a small length of Greenspot braid. Connect the tips closely together, and add a tiny drop of super glue to be sure the connection stays put. Then you just cover it with tying thread. You then secure the wrappings with glue, you are able to fish again! A stronger and more durable way is too remove the coating on both sides of the broken fly line. Then put a piece of Greenspot completely over one end of the fly line. Connect the core with a blood or double grinner knot, and slide the Greenspot over the knot. Tie it off with tying thread, and add a drop of super glue to secure the windings.