Aps wrote:

Hi, I just watched the long distance casting video (part 1) with the legend that is Mark Hutchinson, and I am slightly confused!  In the video under reels he is using a shimano ultegra 5500 xtb and he mentions;

“Add a washer for better line lay !”

Can you please explain, how and why he does that?

Hi Aps – good question! It is easy to see how Hutch’s advice could be a little confusing.

When you buy most new reels you will find a bag of extra metal washers inside the box. If you take off the spool from the reel you will see that the washers will go onto the metal spindle the spool sits on and you can slide the washer down so sits at the bottom. Then the spool goes back on in the same way it came off. 

Adding a washer (or two) before you load the spool with line has the effect of pushing the spool up or away from the body of the reel. Then when you load line onto the reel it will form more of a cone shape, with the fatter end of line at the bottom of the spool and the thinner end of the cone at the top of the spool near the lip.

Having line on the spool in this conical shape means that when you cast there will be less friction as the line comes off the reel and this will add further distance to your cast.

At the end fo the day this is about adding extra percentages to the distance you can cast – and this will make a difference. But learning how to cast properly in the first place would be a better place to start.

Hope that helps.

Elie G

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