Fishing Reels

A fishing reel is an attachment near the handle of a fishing rod that the angler uses for casting out the line and reeling in the fish. The following is a description of the various types of fishing reels available.

Centrepin Reels

These are mainly used with fly fishing rods and are very simple in design. To use this type of reel, an angler holds the line in one hand and uses the trigger on the reel with the other hand to cast it out. The disc-type drag allows anglers to adjust the range, consistency and resistance to high temperatures. They also hold large spools of line so that the angler can retrieve the line quickly when a fish decides to start swimming in the opposite direction. Manual fly reels allow anglers to manually turn the handle of the reel to wind in the line. Saltwater reels are specially designed for saltwater fishing and are less susceptible to rust. They are usually larger in diameter than the reels used for freshwater fishing because of the need for large line and backing capabilities.

Bait Casting Reels

In these reels, the line is stored in on a revolving spool, which has bearings and is located above the rod. Another name for this type of reel is the overheads reel. Although the right-handed reel is the most common type, there are left-handed reels available. Aluminum, stainless steel and composite materials are commonly used in the construction. Most reels have a level-wind mechanism that keeps the line from becoming entangled when rewinding. Many of the modern reels also have anti-reverse handles and drags for handling big game fish. Heavy lures have to be used with these reels and each time a lure of different weight or size is added, the tension on the reel needs to be adjusted.

Spinning Reel

Also called a fixed reel, these reels are usually mounted below the rod. They are best used when fishing for smaller fish, such as trout, and use lighter lures. When an angler first starts using this kind of reel it will take practice to effectively use the method of casting and retrieving that it requires. To cast out using one of these reels, he/she has to open the bail, grasp the line with the forefinger and use a backward snap of the rod while releasing the line at the same time. Sometimes, the line can get tangled in itself when being retrieved or it can come loose in large loops.

There is also a variation of this reel called the spin cast reel. This type of reel has a button that the angler can release when casting out the line and pushing the button again will stop the line at the desired location.

Underspin Reel

These reels are mounted below a standard spinning reel. They operate by rotating or pressing a trigger to suspend the line in place. The angler can press the button to stop the line when he/she thinks it is close to the desired location and it will drop into the water.