Fishing reel

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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 conjuction with a fishing rod, though some specialised reels are mounted directly on to boats. Paris, Kentucky native George Snyder is generally given credit for inventing the first fishing reel, called the "Kentucky Reel", which is very similar to today's baitcasting reel.

There are several kinds of reel, including;

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. Fly fishermen pull line off the reel with one hand and control the line with the other hand. Most newer fly reels have drags for tiring the fish, and large-arbor designs to increase the speed of retrieve after long runs.

Bait casting reels are mechanically complicated because line is drawn off the reel by the weight of the lure as it is impelled forward by the casting motion of the rod. All but the least expensive 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 or prevent overspeeding of the spool during a cast and consequent line tangles, 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 unwraps 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 casting and backlash problems of baitcast reels, while simplifying casting and line pickup over that of spinning reels. 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. The spincast reel eliminates the large 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 pin, 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.

Fishing reel

See also