Reel Setup
Attach the reel to your rod
Open the locking rings on your reel seat. Most fly rods have a down-locking design (locking rings sit below the reel foot and tighten upward). Slide the reel foot into the fixed hood first (the metal cup at the top of the seat). Push it fully seated. Then slide the locking rings over the other end of the foot and hand-tighten them.
The reel should sit flush against the rod with no play when you wiggle it. Check that the reel hangs below the rod in casting position and the spool rotates freely.
Spool backing and fly line
Pull the spool off the reel body before spooling. Start with the empty spool in one hand and your backing on a separate spool.
Tie the backing to the arbor using an arbor knot. Wind the backing onto the spool under moderate tension, keeping the wraps level across the full width. Load approximately 75 yards of 20-pound backing for the Vernly Series 3/4 and 100 yards of 20-pound for the 5/6.
Connect the backing to your fly line. Modern fly lines typically have a welded loop at the rear end. Form a loop in your backing (a double surgeon's loop works well) and use a loop-to-loop connection. For fly lines without a welded loop, a nail knot joins backing to fly line directly.
Wind the fly line onto the spool under light tension. A well-loaded reel has fly line sitting about 1/8 inch below the spool rim at full capacity. If the line crowds the rim, strip some backing off and reload. If the line sits too far below the rim, add more backing.
Finish by attaching your leader to the front of the fly line with another loop-to-loop connection.
Getting the fill exact
The yardages above are approximations. Fly line and backing diameters vary by brand, which means the precise amount to fill a given spool can drift 10-15 yards in either direction.
Spooling in reverse removes the guesswork. Wind your fly line onto the reel first, tied directly to the arbor. Connect the backing to the rear of the fly line. Wind backing on until the spool reaches 1/8 inch below the rim, then cut it from the source spool. Now strip everything off the reel onto a second spool or a line winder. That flip reverses the order. Tie the loose backing end to the arbor, wind everything back on, and the fill comes out right.
Any good fly shop will do this for you with a line winder in ten minutes.
Set the drag
Hold the reel with the handle pointing down. The drag adjustment knob sits on the back plate. Turn it clockwise to increase drag tension, counterclockwise to decrease.
Start with the drag backed fully off, then add tension incrementally. Pull line off the spool at a steady rate with your free hand. You want firm, consistent resistance without the line jerking or stuttering.
A reliable rule is to set drag at roughly one-quarter of your tippet breaking strength. For trout fishing with 5X tippet (about 5-pound test), that means 1 to 1.25 pounds of drag.
Set drag so the fish pulls line before the tippet breaks. Drag tightened too far breaks fish off on the hookset or the first hard run.
Measuring your drag at home
A full 500ml water bottle weighs about 1.1 pounds. A 1-liter bottle weighs about 2.2 pounds. A gallon jug weighs 8.3 pounds. These make reliable reference weights for setting drag.
Tie the end of your fly line to the bottle. Hold the rod at roughly 45° above the bottle. Lift smoothly. If the drag slips before the bottle lifts off the ground, drag is lighter than the bottle's weight. If the bottle lifts off the ground before the drag slips, drag is heavier. Adjust the knob and repeat until the drag slips right as the bottle leaves the ground.
For 5X tippet, calibrate against one 500ml bottle. For 3X or 2X trout and light saltwater work, use a 1-liter bottle. For heavier saltwater tippets, stack two 1-liter bottles or use a gallon jug.
Once you've set drag against a known weight a few times, you'll develop a feel for what that tension feels like when you pull line directly off the reel by hand. That's how you'll check and adjust drag on the water.
Set drag so the fish pulls line before the tippet breaks. Drag tightened too far breaks fish off on the hookset or the first hard run.
Switch the retrieve direction
The Vernly Series Reels ship in left retrieve. Switching direction takes about five minutes and should be done before you spool line.
Work at a table over a sheet of white paper. A small spring inside the clutch assembly can pop free during disassembly. The paper makes it easy to spot and recover if it does.
What you'll need
A small pick, dental tool, or fine-pointed scissors for removing the rubber plug. You'll also need a slotted (flathead) screwdriver that fits the retaining screw.
The steps
Remove the spool from the reel. Set it aside.
Locate the small black rubber plug on the back plate of the spool. Work the tip of your pick under the edge and lift it free. Set the plug on your paper.
Under the plug sits a retaining screw. Back it out fully. Set it on the paper with the plug.
Lift the one-way clutch bearing out of its housing. Note the orientation before you move it (which face was up, which face was down). Keep an eye on the small spring that sits alongside the bearing. If it comes loose, the paper will catch it.
Flip the bearing 180° and drop it back into the housing. The face that was up is now down. Seat it fully. If the spring came out, set it back into its channel before the bearing goes back in.
Thread the retaining screw back in and tighten it snug. Press the rubber plug back into place with your thumb until it sits flush.
Confirm the change
Reattach the spool to the reel. Turn the handle and pull line from the spool. Line should pay out smoothly when the handle turns one direction and wind onto the spool when it turns the other. If the handle spins freely in both directions, the bearing was reinstalled incorrectly and needs to come back out.