The ABCs of Fishing Reels
You love to fish. You enjoy being outside in the sun, standing on the shore of a sparkling lake or stream and hauling in that special fish. There’s no other feeling like it. You’ve got the fish on the run, and you’re going to land it any second. Then your reel breaks. Suddenly, the perfect adventure crashes to frustration.
To ensure a positive fishing adventure, you need to buy the proper equipment. An important part of that proper equipment is the fishing reel. With the use of a spool and axle, the reel holds the fishing line and allows the angler to cast and retrieve the line. It’s usually mounted onto the fishing rod, but there are some models designed to mount on boats. There are three main types of reels: fly-casting, spin casting and bait casting.
Fly Fishing Reels
Fly fishing is one of the three most popular types of fishing, requires a specific skill set and a special reel. The drag on a fly fishing reel needs to be highly responsive. It must also be capable of handling the strain and load of a large fish. These reels can be expensive, so make sure you buy one that’s good quality, and that means an all-metal reel. Do not buy a reel with plastic parts. You want to catch the fish, not have another “I almost had it” experience.
Spin Casting Reels
Spin casting is another popular type of fishing and comes with two types of fishing rod reels: closed face and open faced. Beginners will do better with the closed face reel, as will children. This reel encloses the line and comes with a special push button casting release. It’s mounted on top of the reel and is almost always the type of reel in prepackaged rods and reels.
Fishermen with a little more experience can graduate to an open faced spinning fishing rod reel. It comes in different sizes for different scenarios. Lightweight is fine for pan-sized fish, but you’ll need larger and heavier for game fishing. This reel is able to hold more line for salmon and trout, and has a smooth drag, perfect for game fish that like to run.
Before you go after the “big one”, make sure your reel can handle the line you want to use. Usually, a lighter weight line needs a lighter reel. In addition, specify left-handed or right-handed. Left-handed reels turn counter clockwise; right-handed turn clockwise. Speed is also a consideration. If you’re buying one reel, choose a medium speed. If you can afford two reels, buy a high speed and a low speed.
Bait Casting Reels
Bait casting reels are complicated. The lure pulls the line off the rod and is then thrown forward when casting, putting tremendous strain on the reel. Usually bait casting reels have a device to lay the line evenly over the reel’s core. With this reel, if you don’t cast smoothly, you can wind up with a tangled mess. Who wants to spend their time untangling line? Bait casting reels are not a good choice for novices or children.
