** Note ** This article is a full re-write of a previous article titled, The Backing Barrel. Now, many years later, new ideas and new materials deserve a fresh look.
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A simple piece of Dacron, tied in a barrel, is a visible and sensitive addition to your tight line and euro nymphing rig. The versatile Backing Barrel serves as a stand-alone sighter, especially when tied with a one-inch tag. Better yet, it draws your eyes to the colored monofilament of any sighter and enhances visibility threefold. The Backing Barrel adds a third dimension of strike detection, with the Dacron flag just stiff enough to stand away from the line but just soft enough to twitch upon even the most subtle takes.
READ: Troutbitten | See Beyond the Sighter
Better Than Tag Ends and Bunny Ears?
For many years, it’s been common practice to leave the tag ends of colored monofilament unclipped on the sighter, or more accurately, clipped at about one-inch in length. Some anglers even add more knots to the sighter in the ongoing effort to improve that elusive visibility of the colored lines in our rig that we try so hard to see.
These tags, sometimes called bunny ears, are a modest improvement. But they come with a cost. The stiff tags tend to catch the tippet while casting. And the more tags you have, the more tangles come your way. Instead, a single Backing Barrel with a one inch tag, tied somewhere in the middle of the sighter, catches the tippet far less, simply because it is softer.
The Dacron is thicker and brighter, and it’s much more visible than a piece of monofilament. When added to the straight sighter, it’s a wonderful tool.
So why doesn’t everyone recommend something like the Backing Barrel?
Because it’s not competition legal. And almost everything written and taught about tight line nymphing is center-focused on euro nymphing styles that follow FIPS competition rules, where nothing may be attached to the leader but the flies themselves.
READ: Troutbitten | What You’re Missing By Following FIPS Competition Rules — Part One
READ: Troutbitten | What You’re Missing By Following FIPS Competition Rules — Part Two: Leader Restrictions
These kinds of restrictions are an unnecessary handicap for every angler. And only a small fraction of fly anglers — those who compete — need follow such rules.
What About that Wax?
Seeing a straight sighter is a common problem. So the always-resourceful-and-creative angling public has come up with solutions for many years. The latest trend is Skafars Wax. It’s a neon paste or wax that can be applied to any tippet, where it sticks until it’s wiped off. This idea sprouted from the competition scene because, again, anything attached like the Backing Barrel is not permitted.
I’ve used Skafars Wax. It certainly makes monofilament more visible. But it’s nothing like the Backing Barrel, which is not only more visible but adds the third dimension of strike detection. The wax that I used was also not temperature stable, so it was too warm and pasty in the summer and too hard in the winter.
In short, the Backing Barrel is a better solution for me.
Origins and the How-To
I took the idea for the Backing Barrel from the gear fishing world, where carp and bass fishermen sometimes use pieces of string to mark their lines for depth.
I use 20#, orange Dacron backing attached with a sliding stopper knot. It’s really nothing more than a Uni Knot.
The Backing Barrel
Illustrations by Dick Jones
Sometimes I clip the tags close, leaving just the barrel. But most times I leave the up tag hanging like a flag, for even more feedback about the drift. That short tag changes everything. It draws my eyes to the straight sighter and shows up in almost any light conditions. And as I drift the flies through a seam, the small tag twitches, jiggles and rotates, providing unique feedback about the flies below.
** Note ** You must tie the barrel TIGHT. Don’t be a sissy. Grab one end with your forceps and the other end with your teeth, then pull until very tight.
Not Just Any Backing
I’d like to tell you that any backing will do. And, in truth, the fact that most fly line backing is not up to the job is what has kept the Backing Barrel an underground industry solution.
I use 20#, orange Dacron backing for my barrels. Gudebrod is my favorite, because it is crazy bright and because the weave is very tight. Importantly, then, it does not fray. Almost every other backing frays over just a few hours of fishing. So you no longer have a tag, but a fluffy piece of shredded Dacron instead. However . . . Alex Argyros pointed out that you can make any Dacron backing work if you singe the end with a lighter. That’s a neat trick — it works.
And now the sad thing: Gudebrod went out of business, and their backing is very hard to find.
But . . . my friend, Jeff, found that Orvis Dacron is nearly the same as the Gudebrod. The backing does not fray, because the weave is tight — just like the Gudebrod. I have a spool of the Orvis backing now. But I feel compelled to mention that I also have an older spool of Orvis backing, and it is not the same. It frays like the rest.
Does It Add Weight / Cause Sag?
Tight liners are often obsessed with the weights and measures of their rigs and anything attached to it.
READ: Troutbitten | Know Your Weights and Measures
So it’s fair to be skeptical of the added weight of a piece of 20# Dacron. I’ve had a few anglers tell me that the Backing Barrel causes line sag. But I disagree. Let’s quickly look at the facts.
20# Gudebrod is just under twice the weight of 1X Rio Bi Color Sighter material.
Almost twice as heavy? That sounds bad. But hold on. We’re talking about a 1.25 inch piece of Dacron here. When the barrel is tied and the flag is trimmed, that’s a very short length of Dacron that we’ve added to the line. And it’s equal in weight to 2.5 inches of 1X mono. So, in truth, the Backing Barrel adds the equivalent sag of casting 2.5 inches further away without the barrel. Seriously, that’s it. What about water weight? Well, I didn’t take the time to calculate that, and I’m not sure how I could. But, sure, the Backing Barrel can gather a tiny amount of water and add to its weight. I’d guess that it might not even register a difference on my gram scale. But if any of that bothers you, then don’t use a Backing Barrel.
I use a Backing Barrel with Troutbitten Thin and Micro Thin leaders all the time, and there is no noticeable sag.
The Bonus Feature — A Slidable Stopper
I also use the Backing Barrel as a knot that I can slide and move. When tied tight, the barrel holds snug on nylon or fluorocarbon material and only moves if I purposely slide it. I often mount a backing barrel on a portion of my tippet while dry-dropper fishing. Then I add a dropper loop of mono around the standing line, above the barrel. When I want to adjust the rig for depth, I simply slide the barrel and tag up or down, creating a slidable dry-dropper system.
The backing barrel is also a key element of the slidable Thingamabobber rig that I use often. Someday, I’ll dedicated a post for that excellent hack.
Backing Barrel with no tags. Put this anywhere, for visibility or for a slidable stopper.
A Sighter for Your Sighter
I fished a tight line nymphing system for many years without a sighter. Instead, I relied on the end of the fly line to indicate strikes. Sometimes, I added small orange sleeves along the leader to serve as a visual cue for where my leader was, and I suppose that was my first sighter.
But when the popularity of euro nymphing hit, the biggest game changer for me was the addition of a colored piece of line before the tippet section in the leader. Why weren’t we all doing this before? I wondered. Because a visible sighter shows everything: depth, angle, speed, strike detection and more.
Then I quickly realized what everyone does — that seeing the sighter was too challenging, too often.
The Backing Barrel changes all of that. And with a short piece of Dacron tied in a series of barrels, the visibility and strike detection is unmatched.
Fish hard, friends.
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Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com
Great write up Dom. And perfect timing as well. Here is my issue. At times, based on light and sun positioning, I’m having a terrible time seeing my sighter material and my barrel tag when casting directly up stream. Meaning at 0 degrees, straight up stream. It’s not an issue once I start casting up and out. I am a former fan of New Zealand wool indicators. Could I add some wool in the area of my tag sighter? I’m not wanting to let the wool ride on the water, just on the sighter material or even on the leader further up. Do you ever experience this ‘straight up stream’ issue and the inability to find the sighter? Any thoughts are appreciated. John
Hello John,
Thanks for the question. I seem to talk about this with my guests almost every day. Most people seem to accept what angle they are looking into. But I recommend choosing angles that allow you to see better. If you can’t see even the Backing Barrel with your sighter, then I’m certain you can’t see past the highlights on the water to see what lies below either. That’s a very big disadvantage. But by looking carefully, you’ll notice that by changing your angle even fifteen degrees, you will find a sight angle that works well. It’s always there. It might be only left, up and across — or the opposite. But whatever it is, move your body so you can look into the water. You’ll see your sighter too.
Here’s an article that covers this:
https://troutbitten.com/2017/12/10/fifty-fly-fishing-tips-20-angles-angles-angles/
Lastly, I don’t recommend adding wool or even the yarn that I use for the Dorsey. (It’s lighter). Any yarn catches the breeze too much and affects the drift. Yes, it’s extremely light, but it’s still adding resistance to the sighter. I think if you try it, you’ll sense what I mean. And again, it’s really not necessary, if you choose your sight angle as described in that article.
Make sense?
Dom
Thanks for your response and insight…….JJ
Dom, thanks for sharing. Another option I like to use for preventing fraying is tying an overhand knot on the tag and clipping at the end. Maybe it’s just me, but that extra touch of weight at the end makes strikes a little easier to detect too.
Without a doubt the best sighter I’ve come across. Sometimes it slumps over but Ive learned to compensate. I might try a touch of expoxy or uv resin at the base of the single ear
Hi Jack. Thanks for the comment. If you haven’t yet, try the Orvis backing, if it’s the same as the Gudebrod, then it is stuff enough not to slump over. Also, you could try 30# instead of 20#.
Cheers.
Dom
Cheers.
I learned about a backing barrel sighter from you and it has added a lot to my fishing. Thank you. An additional benefit of the backing barrel is that is really good at conveying useful information when drop shotting. The nervous twitches of the sighter tell you you’re on the bottom, and, in addition, suggest what kind of bottom it is. You can frequently feel the bottom when drop shotting, but seeing and feeling is better than either one alone.
Good points, Alex. That jiggle and twitch is very different when you have what I call the third dimension of the sighter. Gotta love it. Thanks again for the idea to singe the end too.
Dom
Great update! Thanks. I’ve been using your backing barrel concept for a couple of years now with great success. BTW, we met last last month on that crazy day when the whole region flooded. We were trying to put a name to this: Hareline’s Cautery Tool, which can certainly singe the ends of the backing barrel (or trim loose pieces of thread on flies or perhaps errant nose hairs…).
Hi there, Marc. Thanks for the name of that.
Dom
The only point I couldn’t find was where on the sighter you tie the backing barrel…at the top, middle, bottom, it depends?
Hello Gene,
There is no rule there. Put it wherever you see it best. Or put it where it works best for you. Remember too, that the barrel is slidable. Tie it tight — very snug. But then slide it up or down to try different positions.
I keep mine mostly in the middle.
But also understand that I use the barrel as a sliding stopper knot, sometimes down on my tippet. I also use the barrel with a flag on a streamer rig, sometimes just three feet up from my fly, to give me a very visible reference and some idea about where the streamer is below and what it’s doing.
The decisions are yours.
Dom
The sublime backing barrel, simple yet functional and versatile what could be better.
When fishing in variable dappled on stream lighting conditions I sometimes use two one fluorescent orange the other bright green. They add little weight but enhance visibility almost to perfection.
Way to go. Thank you for the article Dom.
I’ve come to relying on a backing barrel sighter so much that I can’t really imagine not using one (for underwater flies of course). I’m a big fan of low-tech, simple, easy, and low-cost tips & tricks, and this is pretty much the epitome of such things, especially for the high-impact effect.
d.
Way cool. When I first started using your backing barrel while figuring out how to euro nymph, I got tired with sighter construction in general. I thought, There has to be a simpler way. Then I read about your backing barrel about a year ago, and I thought why not just tie two of those above the tippet right on either end of the two-tone sighter. In time, I just left the sighter off entirely, kept the tippet rings, and added two more backing barrels to give me four total spread out 18 inches. Works great. But I leave the tags off cuz they tend to catch the tippet.
Now here’s my question for you: Where do I find white backing material that is bright? I want to experiment with a two tone barrel backing, half orange and half white. Maybe standard white backing is the answer, but it looks opaque. And I want to avoid wax, but I should start experimenting with that.
Hi Dom,
I can’t thank you enough for everything you have taught me (us) on TroutBitten. Is there anything not to love about fishing the mono rig?
Out of curiosity, what percentage of your time spent fishing do you utilize the backing barrel sighter?
Hi there.
Thank you. That’s very nice.
I do love everything about the Mono Rig. But as you know, I build mine for versatility. I use other formulas, but they often leave me wanting and needing more. However, I’m the kind of angler that wants everything — right now. I don’t want to spend much time changing things. I’ve found my system withe what I call the standard Mono Rig.
To answer your question: I always have a Backing Barrel or two on my Mono Rig. Always.
Dom
Dom,
This is a question that is somewhat off-topic. Having never seen you fish, I was wondering if the way you nymph with the Mono Rig resembles the way Joe Humphreys fishes his nymphs. It seems to me that there are many similarities (a preference for upstream casts, the tuck cast, etc.), but I’m not sure if you use your sighter the way Joe uses his fly line to indicate takes. BTW, I’m not talking about using beadhead flies or not, using split shot, etc. I’m just talking about the way you cast and monitor your drift while nymphing.
Alex
Hi Alex,
So I’ve never spent time fishing with Joe Humphreys, and I can’t tell you exactly how he fishes. But I can surely say that my approach the the river comes from his teachings. Upstream (and over ten to twelve feet) to stay behind the fish and keep everything in one lane. Tuck cast to control the entry of not just the fly, but the tippet as well. I do feel like I point that out so often on Troutbitten, because, in truth, there’s no better way to nymph. And I’ve tried all the other ways. This is the way to keep nymphs in one seam from the beginning. Casting across crosses seams = no true dead drift. And the tuck cast is sorely misunderstood and underutilized, I think because it’s difficult to master. But to me, it’s critical.
I’ve pointed this out in articles before, but the tuck cast and this approach is precisely why I prefer the standard Mono Rig leader. The trend to go thinner and thinner takes a LOT of power away from the tuck. So the fly enters with contact much more often. I daresay going thinner is a quicker route to success than getting a handle on a good tuck. But, in my opinion, the tuck cast provides a better delivery and far more versatility.
Make sense?
Dom
That makes a lot of sense.
One of the things I was getting at concerns where the sighter is during the drift. Watching videos of Joe Humphreys, I notice that he uses his fly line like we use a sighter, except that he keeps his fly line fairly high off the water. I have always fished like that: cast upstream with a tuck, and keep my sighter considerably above the water. Most of my Euro friends fish quite differently. They cast across (you’ve already discussed that), and they keep their sighter essentially right above the water surface.
I like keeping my sighter high because I can make adjustments, but, more importantly for me, because I can see it tighten when the flies are in the strike zone, and I can see it twitch to indicate a strike better than when it’s at the water’s surface.
I was wondering what your thoughts are about where the sighter should be after an upstream tuck cast.
Thanks so much for the great article. I retired from police work after 30+ years and now get to enjoy the good life. I started euro nymphing but have a hard time seeing my sighter line and believe the backing barrel may be the answer. I’m having trouble finding a reasonable (small) amount of the orange Gudebrod Dacron backing. If you have any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. I have fished my entire life but fly fishing and euro nymphing are new to me. So much to learn, so articles like yours certainly help. Thanks again, Kyle
Hi Kyle.
Good stuff. So you can find a link to the Orvis Dacron backing in the article above. What I have here is seemingly the same as Gudebrod.
I will also mention, when people can’t see the sighter, it’s often because they are laying the sighter down at the beginning of the cast. Don’t do that. Instead, stick the landing on the sighter, keep it off the water, and use the tight line advantage.
https://troutbitten.com/2021/07/12/3-sticking-the-landing-nine-essential-skills-for-tight-line-and-euro-nymphing/
Make sense?
Dom
Dom,
Thank you so much for all your advice. Much appreciated. I have a question that I can’t seem to find an answer to. I mainly fish small, shallow streams that occasionally have deeper pockets. I would say on average they are 1-2 feet deep. What I struggle with is the leader. I feel like I only need 3 or so feet under the surface and to stay visually in touch I then need a piece of hi viz sighter . That seems to be really short compared to most of what I am seeing online. If I make it any longer, the sighter is way out of the water and seems less effective? What would you suggest for fishing shallow water.
Thanks again
Hi there.
Thanks for the question.
Of course, you can use whatever length of tippet that you like. But 3 feet is limiting. I would only feel effective in about 1.5 feet of water with that length. Most of us set things up with longer tippet so that we can approach different pieces of water without adjusting tippet length. Instead, we simply the adjust the depth and angle with the rod tip. But take note of that last part — adjust the ANGLE of the rod tip. I suspect that you are keeping the sighter more vertical than most. I prefer sighter angles than lean more toward horizontal in shallow water. If 45 degrees is a standard sighter angle, then for deeper water I ride more vertical and for shallower water I ride more horizontal.
If you get out on the water with that in mind, I think that should make sense.
Yes?
DOM
Great article. Another option is use of friction knots similar to Prussik and Klemheist. The advantage of such knots is the ability to very rapidly attach or remove the additional sighter tag on the fly based on stream conditions. There was a comment above regarding wool. Note there is special wool product made specifically for this application. The best I have found is intended for keiryu fishing and related tight-line micro-rig bait fishing applications for trout and other species. These wool pieces are easier to work with, less wind resistant, and more water resistant compared to, say, wool used for New Zealand indicators. There is also a special knot for attachment used in places like Italy, Norway, and Japan that provides another quick on-and-off option. If you’d rather not buy one more thing and want to stick to backing material, the biggest issue I ran into in the past was water logging and freezing stiff in the winter. You can improve on these issues by pre-treating a segment of Dacron backing with carpet stain blocker intended for artificial (not natural) fibers. Sorry if I repeated anything shared by others!
Thanks for the input, Rob. Good stuff.
“. . . to very rapidly attach or remove the additional sighter tag on the fly based on stream conditions.”
I can’t think of a reason that I would ever need to remove the tag.
I also have used the Keiru and wool solutions that you mention. Literally, none of them are as good as simple, 20 pound Dacron. Frankly, any other solution just complicates the matters, and that’s not necessary. My Backing Barrel also does not seem to freeze in the winter. I fish in single digit Fahrenheit. Maybe it gets a little stiff at times, but I guess . . . who cares? It makes a great indicator that way. Does the freezing of that 1″ piece of Dacron matter? Nope! Kinda makes it even more sensitive, if you think about it.
Dom
I’m joining the discussion very late, but I’ve been so impressed I wanted to chime in. The backing barrels with tags work so well I wonder if the colored mono sighter is worth the trouble (I realize this was suggested previously—I’m seconding the notion). I’m inclined to simplify leader construction by ditching the colored mono, and just augment it with one to three backing barrels that can be adjusted at will. Having more than one makes some subtle angle changes more detectable.
Hi Matt.
I’m very glad that you find the Backing Barrel so valuable. Me too.
I like to keep the standard sighter in there because it shows me the ANGLE to the flies. That’s a big deal.
Cheers.
Dom
I’m with you; that’s what I meant by my comment about using two or three backing barrels. Two or three points define the angle relative to the water’s surface. But I hasten to acknowledge it’s just a minor variation that someone could try if they don’t have the (expensive!) two-tone sighter on hand, or they just want to try a minor twist on your excellent idea. Thanks again for sharing it.
Nice. I understand that. I add a second barrel without a tag sometimes, or even a third on a streamer rig. But it still doesn’t quite show the angle and the contact that a straight piece of visible mono does.
Cheers.
Dom
This might be a dumb question. But is there a reasonable way to remove a backing barrel? I recently added one using the Orvis Dacron. Love what it did for me. But after just a few hours fishing the tag has lost most of its color. If I need to put a new one on every trip then I need a way to remove the old. Any thoughts?
Oh my, you have the wrong backing! It should not fray or fade. I keep my barrels on for a whole SEASON sometimes.
Hmmm… Brand new Orvis dacron backing direct from Orvis. It faded big time just from a few hours of fishing. And frayed a bit too. Wonder if the product has changed again?
Sounds like there is no good way to remove the barrel? Just need to rebuild the sighter section I guess.
Hi Shawn. I agree with you that cutting off backing barrels is difficult. There are two solutions that work OK? (1) Use your snippers to nip along the length of the barrel. You need to bend the barrel nearly in half to do this and then snip away delecticatly. You don’t need to snip the entire knot, just a piece of it to loosen the threads. Also, do this at the end of the sighter in case you accidently cut the sighter so that you can save most of it. The operation works better if you have magnifiers with you. (2) Use a needle to pick away at the knot until it is frayed enough to remove. Tip: tie your barrel knots with three knots instead of five to facilitate removal, and maybe cut the lower end of the sighter to something like 1/64 inch to facilitate removal. Cheers, Toney
Hi Shawn. My 20# Orvis Dacron Backing also faded to white after a day’s fishing. Hmmm. And it isn’t nearly as bright orange as the backing barrel that Dom uses on his sighter. So this must be a product change. Maybe I’ll contact Orvis to see if they have any thoughts. Toney
You sure you don’t have the Micron stuff? Here’s what I have:
https://www.orvis.com/dacron-backing/2ZMA.html
Again, it’s not quite as good as the Gudebrod was, but almost.
Understand the concept and yes the secondary marker on a sighter is more functional for depth presentations but only if needed or first try without and the market barrel and tie one on after to compare the extra marker.. it certainly is a worthy optional feature.. something to keep in mind to identify both bottom or takers .. I like the barrel marker concept too!
Respectfully, I don’t think it’s more functional for gauging depth. I can see the bottom of my standard sighter, and that’s mostly where I judge the depth. Also, I keep the Backing Barrel on all the time. Why only attach it if needed? There is no downside to the Backing Barrel with a tag. And that tag adds a third dimension that shows things that are unreadable on just straight mono. I would do the opposite as you suggest. I’d put it on first and take it off if you don’t like it.
Cheers.
Dom
1st Dom ,thanks for all the great tips ,so I am not a dedicated euro guy but when I do commit the day to it my set up is as follows I have 10ft 3 wt redington strike with the Rio shorty euro section attached ,then 4ft Maxima 12 lb test ,then 2-3ft of 10 lb ,and 18-20″ section of Cortland 9lb test tri color sighter and a tippet ring all connected with blood knots. right where I connect the 10lb to the sighter I have a 1/2″ 20lb backing barrel( orange ) just above the knot ,between the two types of sighter it works great for me.
As far as when I am just out fishing on a stream not particularly set up for euro .I have my hand tied Maxima 9ft or 7ft down to 4X ..above the tippet within that 18-20″ section I tie in a backing sighter ,and it never comes off( i used to cut it off after nymphing when I went back to other stuff ,and thought why ??) I will fish streamers ,dries ,swing wets and soft hackles and it has no real effect on what I am trying to do
,when I get to a spot that i say ” boy this would be a great run for Euro nymphing , Bang ! do a little tippet set up for whatever I want to do according to the conditions and start tight lining, by using that 18-20 section above the tippet pc for the the Barrel it really adds the flexibility on depth management.. can just slide it up and down that section.
Again Dom thanks for all your great tips
Cheers
Done, adding a half-hitch to stiffen it up a bit.
Thanks Dom!
Used the backing barrel with tag for the last 2 months, on 2-3 foot sighters & 10# leader. Really assists in getting a fix on the sighter in a lot of different reflection scenarios. It seems to help form a slight bow in the leader that helps me with bite detection.
I read this article yesterday, and this time, I thought you were mistaken. I had been fly fishing for grayling for three consecutive days, using a 0.18 mm bi-color sighter and a reasonably long 6x tippet. I also applied some Skafar wax to it whenever I needed to adjust the depth. Everything was going smoothly; I could easily spot my sighter, and the idea of adding backing barrels to my line seemed ridiculous.
Today, I went out fishing again and noticed that the weather had changed. It was no longer sunny like it had been for the past three days; instead, it was somewhat cloudy, and the light was exceptionally flat. It immediately became apparent to me that I could no longer see my sighter, and I was essentially fishing blindly. I attempted to change my angles and added more wax, but nothing seemed to work.
Now that I’m back home, I’ve just placed an order for Orvis Dacron from my local store, and I must admit, you were not mistaken this time either. Thanks for writing informative articles; they are truly valuable!