Fishing Reels

The first sign of a fishing reel was seen in China around 1195 A.D. This in itself is amazing, considering that the first bait-casting reel—meant for sport or commercial use—appeared in London in or near 1650, 455 years later. It’s hard to discern whether the fishing reel, then, was invented by some obscure medieval Chinese man or George Snyder, a 19th-century Kentuckian. In any case, the 17th-century London-based bait-cast reel took off and influenced the dynamics of fishing that anglers and fishermen still observe today, along with the still-popular spinning reel which found life in the late 19th century.

As a matter of fact, there are approximately six different reels on the market and used today: the Bait-caster, which is top-mounted, with a right-hand crank, level-wind mechanism to stop the occurrence of twisted or knotted lines, anti-reverse capability, and a slow-run drag; the spinning reel, with a fixed spool for light casting of artificial flies and retrieval of equally light fish, non-rotation and anti-line twisting; the spin-cast (known in Zebco fishing reels), which has no backlash characteristic of the bait-caster, and can cast high, light lures with some friction that restricts distance; the underspin, also under-mounted, but with a capacity to cast and maintain a long hold; the direct-drive, common with fly reels, having direct interplay between reel and spool, but, as a consequence, doesn’t work well on the fast-run; and the ant-reverse reel, featuring the generous line payout with a stationary handle, as needed for saltwater fly rods.

The variety of modern reels available fall anywhere within the range stretching between bait-casting, spinning, spin-cast, underspin, direct-drive and anti-reverse, depending on the particular fishing reel parts that are indigenous to each manufacturer or each model. The Shimano fishing reels, for example, are known for their 2-speed shifting mechanism characteristic of its flowing line dynamic, whereas Quantum fishing reels are balanced through centrifugal breaking. The wide assortment of series and models boasted by Penn fishing reels is similarly shared with Daima reels—like the Daima 700c fishing reel, Daima GS10 fishing reel, and the Power Assist (which proudly features a stats computer/calculator)—but the latter has a distinctly versatile line—Daima makes reels in all six types. Okuma fishing reels are reminiscent of old Asian innovations but with sleek designs having curiously exposed spiked rotaries. Fishing reel repair seems to be limited to the manufacturer, but any fishing reel review should clarify whether or not any of the parts are interchangeable between makes or are easy to replace.

Antique fishing reels are known for their simple, primitive design compared to modern reels, not to mention that the old fishing reels were typically bigger. Interestingly, many are available through auctions on Ebay fishing. Old reel models still hold a mesmerizing appeal to collectors, and these fishing reels are indeed valuable.

The type of reel one gets depends on the type of fish targeted. Nothing is perfect, but knowing the dynamics will help buyers get just the right reel for their needs.