Fly reel

The fly reel or fly casting reel has traditionally been rather simple in terms of mechanical construction, little changed from the design patented by Charles F. Orvis in 1874.[1] However, in recent years this has been changing with the development of better fishing 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, merely a click/pawl mechanism intended to keep the reel from overrunning when line was pulled from the spool. To slow a fish, the angler simply applied hand pressure to the rim of the revolving spool (known as 'palming the rim' or 'rimming'). Later, these click-pawl mechanisms were modified to provide a limited adjustable drag; although adequate for smaller fish, these 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, consistency, and increased resistance to high temperatures caused by drag friction. Most newer fly fishing reels also feature large-arbor spools designed to reduce line memory and maintain a consistent drag, as well as to assist the retrieval of slack line in the event a hooked fish makes a sudden run towards the angler.

At one time, multiplier fly reels were widely available; these fishing reels had a geared line retrieve of 2:1 or 3:1 which allowed faster take up of the fly line. However, their added weight, complexity, and expense did not justify the advantage of speedier line retrieval in the eyes of many anglers, and today they are rarely seen. There are also automatic fly reels which utilize a coiled spring mechanism which pulls the line into the fishing reel at the flick of a lever. Automatic fishing reels tend to be heavy for their size, with limited line capacity. They were once very popular in the southern United States, where they allowed the use of a free hand for sculling a paddle when fishing from a small boat for largemouth bass. Automatic fly fishing reels peaked in popularity during the 1960s, and since that time they have been outsold many times over by manual fly reels.

Saltwater fly reels are designed specifically for use in the ocean environment. Saltwater fly reels are normally much larger in diameter than most freshwater fly fishing reels, with a large line and backing capacity designed for the long runs of powerful ocean game fish. In order to prevent corrosion, saltwater fly reels often use aerospace aluminum frames and spools, electroplated and/or stainless steel components, together with sealed, waterproof bearing and drive mechanisms.

Fly Reel Operation

Fly fishing reels are normally manual, 'single-action' designs; rotating a handle on the side of the fishing reel rotates the spool which retrieves the line, usually at a 1:1 ratio (i.e., one complete revolution of the handle equals one revolution of the spool).

Bait casting reel

Bait casting fishing reels are reels in which line is stored on a revolving spool. The bait casting reel is mounted above the rod, hence its other name, the overhead reel. The bait casting reel dates from at least the mid-1600s, but came into wide use by amateur anglers during the 1870s. Early bait casting reels were often constructed with brass or iron gears, with casings and spools made of brass, German silver, or hard rubber. Early reels were often operated by inverting the reel in order to retrieve line by back-winding, and the reel crank handle was positioned on the right side of the reel for this reason. As a result, the right-hand crank position for bait casting reels has become customary over the years, though models with left-hand retrieve are now gaining in popularity. Many of today's bait casting reels are constructed using aluminum, stainless steel, and/or synthetic composite materials, and include a level-wind mechanism to prevent the line from being trapped under itself on the spool during rewind, thus interfering with subsequent casts. Many are also fitted with anti-reverse handles and drags designed to slow runs by large and powerful game fish. Because the momentum of the forward cast must rotate the spool as well as propel the lure, bait casting designs normally require heavier lures for proper operation than with other types of reels. Spool tension on most newer bait casting reels can be adjusted by means of adjustable spool tension, a centrifugal brake, or a magnetic 'cast control' to reduce spool overrun during a cast and resultant line snare, known as backlash. Each time a lure of a different weight is attached, the cast control must be adjusted. The bait casting reel design will operate acceptably with a wide variety of fishing lines, ranging from braided multi filament and heat-fused 'super lines' to copolymer, fluorocarbon, and nylon mono filaments (see Fishing line). Most bait casting reels can also easily be palmed or thumbed to increase the drag, set the hook, or to accurately halt the lure at a given point in the cast.

A variation of the bait casting reel is the big game reel. These are very large and robust fishing reels, designed and built for heavy saltwater species such as tuna, marlin, sailfish, and sharks. Big game reels are not designed for casting, but used for trolling or fishing set baits and lures on the open ocean.

Bait casting reels are sometimes referred to as conventional reels in the U.S. They are known as multiplier reels in Europe, on account of their geared line retrieve, one turn of the handle resulting in multiple turns of the spool.

Bait Casting Reel Operation

A bait casting reel and rod is cast by moving the rod backward, then snapping it forward. During the forward cast, the line is pulled off the bait casting reel by the weight of the lure. The thumb is used to halt the lure in its travel at the desired location and to prevent spool overrun.Parts of a spinning reel: 1: Pick up or bail 2: Reel seat 3: Reel foot 4: Handle 5: Support arm 6: Anti-reverse lever 7: Skirted spool 8: Fishing line 9: Drag adjustment knobParts of a spinning reel: 1: Pick up or bail 2: Reel seat 3: Reel foot 4: Handle 5: Support arm 6: Anti-reverse lever 7: Skirted spool 8: Fishing line 9: Drag adjustment knob.

Spinning reel

Reels utilizing a fixed spool were in use in North America as early as the 1870s. They were originally developed to allow the use of artificial flies or other lures for trout or salmon that were too light in weight to be easily cast by bait casting reels. Fixed-spool fishing reels also solved the problem of backlash, as they did not have a rotating spool to over speed and foul the line. The earliest fixed-spool reels turned the take-up cylinder 90 degrees in the body of the reel for retrieval, then reversed into casting position. In casting position, line was drawn off in coils from the end of the fixed, non-rotating spool. Fixed spool fishing reels are normally mounted below the rod.In 1948, the Mitchell Reel Company of clauses, France introduced the first modern commercially successful spinning reel, with a design that oriented the face of the fixed spool forward in a permanently fixed position below the fishing rod. A mechanical line pickup was used to retrieve the cast line (eventually developed into a wire bail design), and an anti-reverse lever prevented the crank handle from rotating while a fish was pulling line from the spool. Because the line did not have to pull against a rotating spool, much lighter lures could be cast than with a bait casting reel. Conversely, halting the cast and stopping the lure at the desired position requires more practice in learning to feather the line with the forefinger as it uncoils from the spool. Most spinning fishing reels operate best with fairly limp, flexible fishing lines.

Though spinning reels do not suffer from backlash(which is very nice), line can be trapped underneath itself on the spool or even detach from the reel in loose loops of line, called 'birds nests'. Various level-wind and oscillating spool mechanisms have been introduced over the years in an effort to solve this problem. Spinning reels also tend to have more issues with twisting of the fishing line. Line twist in spinning reels can occur from the spin of an attached lure, the action of the wire bail against the line when automatically engaged by the crank handle, or even retrieval of line while the line is under a load (spinning reel users normally pump the rod up and down, then retrieve the slack line to avoid line twist and stress on internal components). Most spin fishermen also manually reposition the bail after each cast in order to minimize line twist.

Spinning Reel Operation

Spinning reels are cast by opening the bail, grasping the line with the forefinger, then using a backward snap of the rod followed by a forward cast, releasing the line with the forefinger at the same time. On the retrieve, the large rotating wire cage or bail (either manually or trigger-operated) serves as the line pickup, restoring the line to its original position on the spool.

Spin cast reel

The first commercial spin cast reels were introduced by the Johnson Reel Company and the Zero Hour Bomb Company (ZEBCO) in 1949. The spin cast reel is an attempt to solve the problem of backlash found in bait cast 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 spin cast reel eliminates the large wire bail and line roller of the spinning reel in favor of one or two simple pickup pins and a metal cup to wind the line on the spool. Traditionally mounted above the rod, the spin cast reel is also fitted with an external nose cone that encloses and protects the fixed spool.

With their fixed spool, spin cast fishing reels can cast lighter lures than bait cast reels, though friction of the nose cone against the unspooling line slightly reduces casting distance compared to spinning reels. Spin cast reels also generally have narrow spools with less line capacity than either bait cast or spinning fishing reels of equivalent size, though this also tends to reduce line snare issues. Like other types of fishing reels, spin cast reels are frequently fitted with both anti-reverse crank levers and friction drags, and some also have level-wind (oscillating spool) mechanisms. Most spin cast reels operate best with limp mono filament lines, though at least one spin cast reel manufacturer installs a thermally fused 'super line' in one of its models as standard equipment.

Spin Cast Reel Operation

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 immediately re-engages the line and re-spools it on the fishing reel.

Under spin reel

Under spin or Trigger spin fishing reels are spin cast reels in which the reel is mounted underneath a standard spinning rod. Like spin casting reels, under spin fishing reels have no wire bail to hold the line, but rather one or two pickup pins. These may be instantly engaged by turning the crank handle. With the reel's weight suspended beneath the rod, under spin reels are generally more comfortable to cast and hold for long periods, and the ability to use all standard spinning rods greatly increases its versatility compared to traditional spin cast reels.

Under spin fishing Reel Operation

A lever or trigger is grasped or rotated (usually by the forefinger) and this action suspends the line in place. During the forward cast, the lever/trigger is released, and the line flies off the fixed spool. When necessary, the lever can be activated once again to stop the lure at a given point in the cast.

Direct-drive reel

Direct-drive fishing reels have the spool and handle directly coupled. When the handle moves forwards, the spool moves forwards, and vice-versa. With a fast-running fish, this may have consequences for the angler's knuckles. Traditional fly reels are direct-drive.

Anti-reverse fishing reel

Spin casting rods are rods designed to hold a spin casting reel, which are normally mounted above the handle . Spin casting rods also have small eyes and a forefinger grip trigger. They are very similar to bait casting rods, to the point where either type of reel may be used on a particular rod.

Spinning Rods

Spinning rods are made from graphite or fiberglass with a cork or PVC foam handle, and tend to be between 5 and 8.5 feet  in length. Typically, spinning rods have anywhere from 5-8 large-diameter guides arranged along the underside of the rod to help control the line. The eyes decrease in size from the handle to the tip, with the one nearest the handle usually much larger than the rest to allow less friction as the coiled line comes off the reel. Unlike bait casting and spin casting reels, the spinning reel hangs beneath the rod rather than sitting on top, and is held in place with a sliding or locking reel seat. Spinning rods and reels are widely used in fishing for popular North American sport fish including bass, trout, pike and walleye. Longer spinning rods with elongated grip handles for two-handing casting are frequently employed for saltwater or steelhead and salmon fishing. Spinning rods are also widely used for trolling and still fishing with live bait.

Ultra-light Rods

These rods are used to fish for smaller species, they provide more sport with larger fish, or to enable fishing with lighter line and smaller lures. Though the term is commonly used to refer to spinning or spin-cast rods and tackle, fly rods in smaller line weights (size #0 - #3) have also long been utilized for ultra-light fishing, as well as to protect the thin-diameter, lightweight end section of leader, or tippet, used in this type of angling.

Ultra-light spinning and casting rods are generally shorter (4 - 5.5 feet is common) lighter, and more limber than normal rods. Tip actions vary from slow to fast, depending upon intended use. These rods usually carry 1 to 6 pound (4.5 to 27 N) test fishing line. Some ultra-light rods are capable of casting lures as light as 1/64th of an ounce - typically small spinners, wet flies, crappie jigs, tubes, or bait such as trout worms. Originally produced to bring more excitement to the sport, ultra-light spin fishing is now widely used for crappie, trout, bass, bluegill and other types of pan fish.

Fishing Rod "Action"

Fishing rods are rated in "Action" meaning behaviour of the rod under flex, and "Power" meaning strength of the rod.

A SLOW ACTION rod is best described as a weak rod, which can flex more toward the butt section. These rods are excellent for detecting light bites from small fish and when using light line. With this type of rod the stress from a fish is absorbed in the rod more than on the line because the rod does flex almost completely (parabolic action).

A FAST ACTION rod, if bent, is faster to return to its original neutral position. Better suitable for accurate casts and for animate artificial lures with jerking movements to simulate life of a baitfish. A fast Action rods does flex most in the tip section. Nowadays materials such as high-modulus graphite achieve exceptional strength, sensivity and fighting power.

Leaning how to choose the right fishing rod and reel is the first step in discovering a fun and relaxing new hobby. Fishing tackle is the term used to describe the equipment fishermen use to catch fish. The pole is the simplest piece of fishing tackle and may be made of inexpensive materials like cane and bamboo, or more expensive materials like fiberglass.