A one-piece hanger element includes a central section which rotatably supports a spool of fishing line and has a shoulder that engages a fishing rod to releasably support the spool of fishing line on the rod while fishing line is fed from the spool to the reel to load that reel. Arms on the hanger element prevent the spool from falling off the central section, and one of the arms is spreadable to adjust the tension on the fishing line as it is fed from the spool to the reel. The hanger element can be sold with the spool as a unit.