Tip for the Vision Impaired

[Bud Kennedy]

Unfortunately I have very limited vision in my left eye and as a result my right eye has taken on most of the load.  Micro guides tend to challenge my patience when threading new line from the reel through the guides.  To remedy that situation I have acquired a large blunt needle most likely used for working with tapestry thread.  I simply place the line through the eye of the needle and use the needle to go up through all of the eyes on the rod.  Sure makes it a lot easier than trying to poke the line through each guide all the way up the rod.  With my single good eye the close up depth perception is not good and this helps the process.  I wonder if this is where the phrase " poke a noodle up a wild cat's a$$ comes from.

[SteveTX]

Hey not a bad idea. Just yesterday I was threading up CaptSteve new rod that has micro guides and I missed the hole in the tip and went through the brace on it's side.  Anyway my eyes aren't that good either so I might try your method.

[Lipripper]

I would have to use a big needle just so I could get the line through the eye.

[bigjim5589]

Great tip Bud! 

Lip, yep it would need to be a big needle. 

Many older folks have a hard time with threading line thru guides for various reasons. It's mentioned often on some of the fly fishing sites I frequent particularly since fly rods are usually longer than other types of rods used for bass fishing. My eye sight is not as good as it used to be, but fortunately I can still see up close fairly well. I still miss guides sometimes however. 

Also, fly lines are used with leaders, and since the leader is light while the fly line has weight to it, if a guide is missed & the leader happens to slip from a persons grasp, the whole thing usually pulls back thru the guides & you have to start over. 

A lot of folks try to thread line thru the guides by holding the tip of the line. On a fly outfit, that leader tip is called the "tippet". I read a tip one time about threading fly tackle, which was to fold the fly line, not the leader or tippet, & thread the fly line thru the guides. The leader will follow as the fly line is threaded. Fly lines are also fatter than lines used on spinning or baitcasters, so it tends to hang in the guide should you lose your grip, and is also easier to see. It's easier to grip too being a larger diameter.

I do this now when threading mono or braids on my spinning or baitcaster gear, and as long as I fold a couple of feet of line, it's easier to grip, and stays in the guides if I lose my grip. Otherwise, the line falls back thru the guides & I have to start over.

I really like your tip, and already have a large needle, so may try it, but when you don't have a needle available, try folding a section of the line & threading it. 

[Captsteve]

real good idea

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Bassinkorea]

Heck of a good tip Bud, but you posted it in the wrong board   

I'll move it over to the Tips Board if you agree (must be a tips contest coming soon) 

[Bud Kennedy]

BK that would be fine.  I looked for the tips board but must have overlooked it.

[LgMouthGambler]

BK that would be fine.  I looked for the tips board but must have overlooked it.

Cant find the eye of the rod, cant find the tips board. Someone needs some new binoculars.

[Captsteve]

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[Bud Kennedy]

Just wanted to say that I use the Singer Large-eye needles.  Got them a wal mart for about a buck or so for a dozen needles.  They are fairly blunt and not sharp and works great.  It now takes me less than a minute to get my line through the micro guides. 

[Oldfart9999]

Good tip Bud!! I use the blue plastic deals made for pulling floss through permanent bridges for those of us without all of our teeth. They work great for pulling line through a line guide on a reel when you put it in use, they're flexible.
Rodney

[Rangerman]

Great Tip I'll got get me a few tomorrow. The hard part is remembering where they are once I get em

[coldfront]

Also, fly lines are used with leaders, and since the leader is light while the fly line has weight to it, if a guide is missed & the leader happens to slip from a persons grasp, the whole thing usually pulls back thru the guides & you have to start over. 

boy I hate that.

[Donald Garner]

Bud, tks for sharing this with us.  I'm not there quiet yet but some days it is a challenge.

[Bud Kennedy]

Don, I think most of the issues are caused by only having one useful eye.  Just throws off my close up depth perception.  If I am in bright sunshine not so bad but still a problem and unfortunately for me it will not be getting better.