Loading line onto a reel

Question
Dan,
I hope this makes sense to you.  
I need to put line on an empty reel.  Its the kinf with the spool covered with a housing?  The string extends out a hole at the end and feeds through the eyelit of the pole.  With me so far?  And stop laughing!!!  My kids think I know what I'm doing, ya gotta help me out.

So anyway, when I turn the handle, I expected the line to feed into the housing and "wrap" intself in whatever way it does that magical thing.  But alas, it doesn't  pull the line inside the housing.  Obviously I am missing something.  There is a little "nub" on the part that moves back and forth, and I thought I should loop the end of the line around it.  Guess I was wrong.  Is there a site with 8X10 glossy pictures for those of us who have NEVER done this before?
Thanks in advance.
Lee

Answer
Lee,
Hopefully I can help you out.

First, the type of reel to which you refer is called a spincasting reel.  It is used for many types of fish, and is excellent for the beginning angler.

Evidently the reel you got was not pre-spooled with line as most are, or you are respooling.  At any case, I'll try walking you through the procedure.
1. remove the housing (front cone).
2. slip the line through the hole in the housing
3. tie a slip knot
4. place the loop you made over the spool and pull tight so that the line is now coming up from the middle of the empty spool.
5. replace the housing
6. place the spool of new line on the ground or have someone hold it so it is facing you, and coming off the spool in the same direction which the line is turning as you rotate the handles.
(the little pin which you mentioned is called a "pick up pin", and at this point should be pulling the line in and wrapping it on the spool.)
The spool is located behind the front area - usually shinny - that has the pick up pin.  Some reels have two, which is better.
Once the line starts filling take it up to about 1/8 of an inch from the top edge of the spool, not the spools housing, or rotating pin holder.
You may wonder why the line should go on in the same direction as it comes off the fill spool.  This is to reduce line twist, which is the major cause of "bird's nests" - line tangles.
As for a website, I'm not sure unless you try Pure Fishing.  They own several companies, including Berkley and Stren, which, of course, are the two major line manufaturers in the world.

I hope this has helped, and if you have any further questions on this, or any other fishing subject, please get in touch.

Best of fishing,
Dan