Reels

Reels in their basic form is simply a storage facility for fishing line. By providing the angler with this line, typically 100-150m, it allows for fishing at distance and a cushion for letting really big fish run.

There are typically two types, from which variations have formed to deal with the range of fishing situations one may meet.

The first is a fixed spool reel - this as the name suggests is where the spool which holds the line does not rotate. The line is retrieved and fed back on to the spool by means of a rotating bail arm. The only time the spool may rotate is when under pressure from a fighting fish it rotates against a slipping clutch normally positioned at the rear - this clutch can be adjusted to the breaking strain of the line in use such that just before there is a chance of the line snapping the clutch allows the line to run off.

In addition to this, there is normally an anti-reverse lever on the reel which stops the handle from spinning backwards. The combination of these two features make the fixed spool reel very versitile and capable of playing fish in most situations.

Fixed spool reels come in averiety of sizes relative to the size of your quarry. If, for instance, you wish to catch small roach from the far bank of a canal or dace on a river one would choose a smaller version since the line diameter in use would be small, therefore the spool capacity need not be large.

By contrary argument if you were fishing for big carp at distance then the line diameter or breaking strain would be greater and the distance element lends itself to a larger spool size and therefore an alltogether larger overall real size.

fishing reel The only situation where a fixed spool will just not do is for Fly Fishing, this is were the centre pin or a variation on this theme take to the stage.

The line is now held on a rotating spool which collects the line while the handle turns. This was the only reel avaiable up to the 1940's and although predominately used for fly fishing some stick float anglers still swear by them.

Similarly to the fixed spool, the centre pins are available in a range of sizes to cope with small trout up to the biggest salmon. When making a choice smply work out the type and size of fish you will be fishing for and this will dictate the line carrying capacity you will need, and therfore the size of reel.

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