Fishing reel

A spinning reel

A fishing reel is a device used for the recreational and sport of angling for the deployment and retrieval of fishing line using a spool mounted on an axle. They are most often used in conjunction with a fishing rod, though some specialized reels are mounted directly to boat gunwales or transoms. The earliest known illustration of what is clearly a fishing reel is from Chinese paintings and records beginning about 1195 A.D. Fishing reels first appeared in England around 1650 A.D., and multiplying or geared-retrieve reels were being advertised by London tackle shops by the 1760s. Paris, Kentucky native George Snyder is generally given credit for inventing the first fishing reel in America around 1820.

Types of Fishing Reels

• Fly casting reels have traditionally been rather simple in terms of mechanical construction, though this has been changing with the development of better reels and drags for fighting larger fish. A fly reel is normally operated by stripping line off the reel with one hand, while casting the rod with the other hand. Early fly reels often had no drag at all: the angler simply applied hand pressure to the rim of the revolving spool to slow the fish (known as 'palming the rim'). Later, simple click-pawl mechanical drags were adopted, which although adequate for smaller fish, did not possess a wide adjustment range or the power to slow larger fish. Newer fly reels frequently have more sophisticated disc-type drag systems made of composite materials that feature increased adjustment range and are more resistant to heat fade. Most newer fly reels also feature large-arbor designs to increase the speed of retrieve and keep a tight line in the event a hooked fish makes a sudden run towards the angler.

• Bait casting reels are reels in which line is stored on a revolving spool. When cast, the line is pulled off the reel by the weight of the lure, during a forward cast. Because the momentum of the forward cast must rotate the spool as well as propel the lure, baitcasting designs normally require heavier lures for proper operation than with other types of reels. Most baitcasting reels include a level-wind mechanism to ensure that the line being retrieved is laid evenly in closely spaced rows across the rotating cylinder that forms the core of the reel. Spool tension on most newer baitcasting reels can also be adjusted to reduce spool overrun during a cast and resultant line snare, known as backlash. Most baitcasting reels can easily be palmed or thumbed to increase drag or to accurately halt the lure at a given point in the cast.

• Spinning reels were originally developed to overcome the problem of throwing lures too light for baitcasting reels, while incidentally overcoming the problem of backlash. The earliest versions of this kind of reel turned the take-up cylinder 90 degrees in the body of the reel. Line was then drawn off the end of the cylinder, and the cylinder did not need to move. Later spinning reel designs oriented the face of the fixed spool forward. Because the line did not have to pull against a rotating spool, much lighter lures could be cast than with a baitcasting reel. Conversely, stopping the lure at the correct position of the cast requires considerably more practice in learning to feather the line with the forefinger as it unwinds from the spool. On retrieve, a large manual or trigger-operated rotating wire cage or bail serves as a line pickup, restoring the line to its original position on the spool.

• Spincast reels were developed by the Johnson Reel Company in the early 1950s. The spincast reel is an attempt to solve the problem of backlash found in baitcast designs, while reducing line twist and snare complaints sometimes encountered with traditional spinning reel designs. Just as with the spinning reel, the line is thrown from a fixed spool and can therefore be used to throw relatively light lures and bait. However, the spincast reel eliminates the large wire bail of the spinning reel in favor of one or two simple pickup pins. Traditionally mounted above the rod, the spincast reel is also fitted with a nose cone that encloses and protects the fixed spool. Pressing a button on the rear of the reel disengages the line pickup, and the button is released during the forward cast to allow the line to fly off the spool, then pressed again to stop the lure at the position desired. Upon cranking the handle, the pickup pin automatically engages the line and re-spools it on the reel. Like spinning reels, spincast reels are frequently fitted with anti-reverse crank handles and a drag.

• Underspin or Triggerspin reels are spincast reels in which the reel is mounted underneath a standard spinning rod. A lever or trigger is grasped (usually by the forefinger) and holds the line. During the forward cast, this lever is released, and the line flies off the fixed spool. The lever can be pressed again to gently stop the lure at a given point when needed, an advantage over traditional spinning reels. With the reel's weight suspended beneath the rod, underspin reels are generally easier to hold for long periods, and the ability to use all standard spinning rods greatly increases its versatility compared to traditional spincast reels.

• Multiplier reels have a free-rotating spool which creates less friction and allows for greater length and accuracy when casting. The spool can also be manually slowed and then stopped when the weight hits the water.

• Direct-Drive reels are generally of the spincast or baitcast design. The reel normally has no drag or anti-reverse, instead, the reel handle is directly linked to the spool. With this design, the angler must backreel when the fish pulls line from the reel. Direct drive reels are usually used with heavy lines to 'horse' a fish with main strength where the prime objective is to prevent the fish from running and hanging the line on underwater obstructions.

See also

• Abu Garcia