A fascinating read: Rick Gardner explains how line twist gets there, and how to get rid of it...
Line Twist | Angling Masterclass
Line Twist
It is a fact of life that when you load a fixed spool reel via a bail arm you create a twist in the line every time the bail arm rotates a full circle...
One subject we deal with frequently over the phone is line twist and how to load a fixed spool reel correctly.
It is a fact of life that when you load a fixed spool reel via a bail arm you create a twist in the line every time the bail arm rotates a full circle. Try winding a garden hose onto a spool fixed to a wall and you will see the twists created as your arm acts like a bail arm.
When you cast out (bail open) these twists unravel and the line lies out more or less straight. As you wind back, the bail twists the line back onto the spool. You could go on forever doing this twisting and untwisting without creating any additional twists. The additional twists are caused by using the clutch/drag/bait runner, which allows a fish to take line off a revolving spool. The line now runs out straight without untwisting, so when you wind the line back onto the spool it becomes more twisted. Most Carp anglers fish off the bait runner with the bail closed, so every take you get puts more twists in your line; add this to the twists created when the carp takes line off the clutch during the fight and you can see how those tangles develop.
Anglers using big fixed spools for long running fish like Tarpon and Sailfish can easily twist their line into an unmanageable mess during one long fight. This is of course why Multiplier reels (which do not twist line) are preferred for this purpose.
I have seen claims that braided lines do not suffer from line twist. With respect, this is not true. The mechanics are the same as with mono lines, but because braids are much softer the twists are absorbed by the line without the angler noticing. You can actually fish for longer with the braids before the twists become loops (the same as with very soft mono's) but you have to be careful because eventually you end up with Wind Knots caused by twisting; it just takes a little longer. Where braids really score is with sensitivity and line capacity, but to get the best from them you need to learn a new knot and use a loop to loop shock leader system. With the correct gear and braids of 60lbs plus, sea anglers around the world are catching some spectacular fish in excess of 250lbs on fixed spool reels. Braid can give you an edge, but are not for the inexperienced angler. I use them on about twelve of the thirty reels I use most.
So called 'anti-line twist' rollers in bail arms are another mystery. I have conducted tests on reels with and without these rollers and the results are exactly the same; if you use the clutch you get line twist. Period!
What is the solution? Well for years anglers with boats have untwisted their lines by cutting off all terminal tackle and letting out the line to untwist over the back of the boat as it is moving along. You can do much the same thing by dragging the line across a field before rewinding it onto the spool. Easier still is to use one of our Spin doctors (saves buying a boat) which is basically a slow spinning lead which you cast out and retrieve, two or three casts usually results in straight line and only takes a few minutes. They come in 4 different sizes with full instructions for about the price of a sandwich!
PS. The latest flat type leads can sometimes cause line twist problems if they get damaged on gravel bars. A small dent can cause the lead to spin, if you have any doubts, try changing the lead.
PPS. The only swivels that work as they are supposed to are the ball bearing type but they have to be completely free to rotate. It's a waste of time locking them into lead clips or tubing but they help when used on running rigs with a bead or two between the swivels.
PPS. As Ali G would say De Maffs
Since you get one twist in the line every time the bail arm rotates, a big pit reel with a 2 inch diameter spool will give you a twist for approximately 8 inches of line. If a carp takes 30 feet of line when it bolts with your rig and then perhaps another 50 feet in short runs during the fight, you have a total of 80 feet of line taken off the bait runner/clutch. With our 8 inches of line per bail arm rotation this translates to 120 twists. After a few more fish, especially if they fight hard or if you are slow to the rods (or fast asleep), you end up with perhaps one thousand twists. Remember these twists are developing on the line you have between reel and rig, so if you are fishing at 100 yards, you now have 10 twists per yard and at 50 yards you would have 20 twists per yard. This is more than enough to make the mono twist up into loops.
If you use a small reel for floater work you may have noticed it twisting line more than usual. This is because the small spool of perhaps 1 inch diameter creates a twist every 5 inches of line and pretty well doubles the twists compared with the big pit reel, which twists every 8 inches.
The best way to load fresh new line onto a fixed spool reel?
Place the bulk spool on the ground (in a bucket of warm water if preferred) and make sure that when you pull the line off the end of the spool, it unravels in an anti clockwise direction, just like your reel spool does. If it unravels clockwise, simply turn the spool over. Now place a saucer or small plate over the end of the spool to help smooth out the line flow (this can be weighted if needed). Thread the line through the rod and tie onto the spool, get a friend with a damp rag to apply tension by the rod tip and wind the line onto the spool under reasonable tension. You will still have a few twists because the bulk spool and the reel spool are usually of different diameters but you will have far fewer than if you loaded the line off a revolving spool with a pencil stuck through it.
Rick Gardner
The easy answer to changing the direction the line leaves the spool.
Spooling up - the right way!
How to avoid line catching on the lip of the bulk spool
