First we’ll have a look at how to spool a spinning (eggbeater style) reel.

• First attach your reel to a fishing rod
• Open the bail arm (see diagram). That’s the little wire arm on the reel that flips up and down. Up is open, down is closed.
• Feed your new line from its spool through the guide closest to the reel
• You next need to tie one end of your new line onto the reel’s spool (see diagram) of your fishing reel. Use an arbor knot for this. See  below to help you tie an arbor knot.

• For a spinning reel, you need to put the line on the same way it comes off when casting/fishing. This is in loops off the spool. So you need to place the new spool of line flat on the ground before winding it on.

• You can now start to wind the line onto your reel. You must keep some pressure on the line coming in, the best way to do this is to grab a towel with your free hand and hold the line that’s being reeled in.
• You should fill your spool so that it reaches the bottom of the curved lip on your reel. This will help in casting distance.
• You’re done! Just tuck the tag end into the clip on your reel and you’re away.

The only difference when spooling an overhead reel is that instead of having the new spool of line coming onto the reel in loops, you want it coming off vertically. See below for how it should look.