Surfcasting Fishing Tackle

Spinning Reels
Run the line through the rod guides down to the reel. Flip the wire bail open and tie the line onto the reel spool. Snug the knot down, then clip excess line end with nail clipper.
Lay the filler line spool on the floor so the line coils in the same direction the spool turns when you crank the handle. If the reel turns counter clockwise, make sure the line is coiling off the filler spool counter clockwise. Otherwise the line will wind on to the reel and twist, and this will cause casting problems. Fill the reel to within 1/8 inch of the full spool capacity or to the level indicated in the reel manual.

Bait-casting Reels
Start at the tip of the rod and run the line through all the guides down the rod to the reel. Next feed the line to the reel spool, through the reel line guide. Next loop the line around the reel spool, and tie it on. Snug the knot down, then clip excess line end with nail clipper. Now have a friend hold a line spool directly in front of the rod tip with a pencil through the middle of the line spool. Then reel the line off the line spool keeping slight tension on the line. Fill a bait-cast reel to within 1/4 inch of capacity or the level instructed in the reel manual.
Another tip - is to place the line through a book if you don't have an extra set of hands available. Make sure you keep the rod tip pointed directly to the book.