After you have decided to take up fishing as a new hobby, it may be daunting when you look down at the assortment of equipment you have just bought from the fishing store.
Why doesn’t the fishing pole have a fishing line in it, and how do you put it on yourself? After all, you can’t fish without a line on your pole.
You might’ve not taken into consideration the little bits of knowledge you should know before you begin.
This includes how to line a fishing pole which is also known as stringing, luckily it is relatively straight forward and even beginners will learn how to do it in no time.
Equipment Guide
Before we get into the guide as to how to line a fishing pole, we will give a quick rundown on the pieces of the rod and equipment that will be mentioned later so that you can go in knowing exactly what we are referring to.
It’s good practice to know these things anyway, especially if you are planning to fish regularly!
Fishing Rod
This one is straight forward but fishing rods can come in different designs which you can choose between depending on what kind of fish you are wanting to catch.
They are long, thin, and usually made of carbon fiber because it is durable and flexible, but if you are looking to catch bigger fish then you should choose a rod that is specifically designed for it.
Fishing rods can come in parts that you must assemble yourself which is much easier than it sounds whereas other fishing rods are simply extendable ones like a telescope that you can quickly shrink down when you are finished with it.
There are six fishing rods that you can get including the fly rod which is a very simple rod and the first one ever made.
They are usually used for fly fishing which is where you do not use lures and instead move the line like a whip to reach further.
The fishing rod that you are likely using if you are a beginner is the spinning rod which is very popular and easy to use as it is hard to tangle.
The reel of the spinning rod also has a basic mechanism that makes it easy to use, a great choice of fishing rod for beginners.
Fishing Line
The fishing line is what you use to dangle into the body of water to catch fish. At the bottom of the line, there will usually be a hook with bait on it such as a worm or a lure that mimics a smaller fish.
The fish then bites down on the bait which makes the hook go into their mouth or gill which makes the line jerk, signalling to you that it is time to reel the fish in.
There are different things you should think about when picking a fishing line such as weight, durability, and material.
The fishing line must be able to survive being thrown into difficult environments such as rocks and seaweed as well as put up with a lot of strain without snapping.
You can know the strength of a fishing line as they are measured using a pound test which refers to the amount of weight that the line can lift.
If you are fishing in freshwater, a line that can hold between four to 12 pounds is standard but in saltwater, this extends to 12 to 15 pounds.
Fishing Reel
The fishing reel can come attached to the rod but others can be taken on and off if you want to change it for a different model.
The reel is what you use to pull the line in after it has been cast out into the water but can also be used for angling and winding.
Fishing reels have a mechanism which is known as a bail that can spin in both directions but not at the same time.
It is the wire that gets moved between the two positions and when it is in the open position, it will let you cast the fishing line.
Like rods and lines, it depends where and what you are fishing that will dictate what fishing reel you should get for best results.
As well as fishing rods, reels can be mounted onto the side of boats so that you do not have to keep a hold of it when the line has been cast, allowing you to get on with other things.
Lures
Lures can come in a massive range of shapes and sizes that are designed to look like little fish or shellfish that the fish you are trying to catch will want to eat when given the chance.
They are made to move in a lifelike way when you gently move the line which makes them very appealing to fish.
Lures can also be live bait which should be chosen carefully because if you get the bait wrong then you will be standing there for hours without a single bite.
If the lure itself does not have enough weight to it, then there will also be a weight attached to the bottom of the line that helps it sink down to the appropriate depths.
How To Line A Fishing Pole?
Now that we have learned a bit more about the equipment that we will be using, it is time to get into how to line a fishing pole.
1.If the fishing reel is not already attached to the rod, then you need to attach it yourself so that it is facing the tip of the rod. There are different locking mechanisms that can be used for reels to be attached but they are all straightforward and should not take long to figure out.
2.Once the reel has been secured onto the rod, take the loose end of the fishing line from its spool, and feed it through the small rings or guides on the fishing rod.
Start this step at the tip of the rod and make your way down to the reel. Flip the bail so that is it in the open position,
most popular reels will let you do this but some have a closed face that you will need to access by pressing a button or unscrewing it.
3.Attach the fishing line to the spinning part of the reel by tying an arbor knot or any other type of knot that you know will hold. A guide to tying an arbor knot will be put below.
4.After you have tied the line to the reel, you need to check that it is going in the right direction, it should be coming off in a counter-clockwise direction but if it is not then you should flip over the spool.
5.Slowly start to turn the handle on the reel until you have enough line on the reel. It is a general rule that you will need to turn the handle 30 times until you have enough line but be sure not to fill the reel.
If your reel runs out of capacity then it will make the line come off so to avoid this, keep an eighth of an inch of space on the reel lips.
Once you have the right amount of line, cut it at the point beyond the fishing pole’s tip so that it leaves an extra three feet of line dangling from it.
6.Now you can attach the hook to the end of the line which can be done by using a clinch knot. If there are any extra bits of fishing line dangling from the hook, you can cut these off as it may deter fish from biting.
You are now ready to fish!
It only takes six steps to line a fishing rod and you will now know how to do it every time, but if you find yourself getting confused you can always come back to this guide.
If you are not sure how to tie an arbor knot or a clinch knot, then there will also be a quick step-by-step guide below so that you will be extra prepared for lining your fishing rod.
Tying An Arbor Knot
Wrap the line around the spool of the reel then loop the loose end of the line around itself to make an overhand knot. Make sure to leave plenty of line left at the end as you will need it later – this is known as the tag end.
Cinch the knot down but not all the way down to the spool.
Use the tag end of the line from earlier and make another overhand knot.
Finally, cinch the knot down around the spool so that it’s tight, the other overhand knot will act as a stop.
Tying A Clinch Knot
The first step to tying a clinch knot is to thread four inches of line through the eye of the hook, then pinch the end.
Then wrap the tag line five times around the mainline with each wrap going in the same direction, creating a loop above the hook eye.
Put the end of the line through the loop that is above the eye of the hook then hold both ends of the line and pull them tight in opposite directions.
Let go of the tag end and use water or spit to wet the knot and make the knot coil by pulling the mainline tightly.
The last step is to cut the excess line on the tag end, and your clinch knot is complete.
