In 5 years now since I started, I've yet to see my backing even one time! Granted, I don't put as many hours on the water as a lot of you, and my biggest Bow River fish is still only 22". My biggest fish to date was a 29" bully that made my arm sore, but she didn't put me into my backing either. Granted, I did run downstream a ways with that one.. That was with my Sage Fli 696-4.