Ye Gads! I't taken 'Mr B' and I months and I to 'disagree ' on a subject: "You should have 150 to 200 yards of backing (30 lbs.) on 4 to 4.5 inches reel. "

Agree ont he 30# test, tut 150-200 yards of backinging is silly. think (agin just my .02cients here) is most spey lines are a minimum of 120 foot long, severalveral/line wighet dependent are 140 foot) ... so you have a hooke up ..

Mr. Fish has all of your fly line out of your reel (at least 120 feet of line) and then takes just 50 yards of backing. Do the math: guy is now just short of 300 foot away from you .. unless you have a hell of a long beach/or a boat .. you're toast.

All that said: what did I say? 125 yards is the minimum, beyond that .. who cares in real life fishing conditions.

Only time I got to the "end of the sting' a motor guide boat watched the 'thing' and came ove and asked if I'd like a ride. 30 some minutes later he netted a spring king that bottomed out his scale at 35# and the fish wasn't even out of the water.

Had him cut the leader and release the fish. Why? What the Heck could two people, an a fat cat doo with all that meat? Wanted this guy in the gene pool!