F l y F i s h i n g T r i c k s . c o m

Fly Fishing Reels

USE OF THE REEL

Compared with the bait-casting reel the winch for fly fishing plays a minor part. It is used mainly as a storage place for surplus line, to wind in excess slack and occasionally, depending on one's style of fishing, to play a fish.

Many generations of fly fishermen have favored the single action or click reel and it seems to meet all requirements, being free from complications and of sufficient speed and power for all practical purposes.

The single action reel is a simple winch without gearing, making one turn of the spool to each revolution of the handle. The click consists of a toothed wheel (rachet) working against a wedge-shaped piece of metal (pawl) supported by a spring to permit movement in either direction, the idea being to retard the action of the reel enough to prevent over-running. The contact of the pawl against the revolving rachet produces a rapid clicking sound known as "the song of the reel," very pleasing to the ears of all true anglers and of great inspirational value to the poetically inclined. The click mechanism is generally placed in the rear end of the reel and is either permanent or actuated by a sliding button on the tail plate.

FORM AND MATERIALS

Click reels vary as to form and dimensions but the majority of modern fly fishermen prefer the contracted type, made very narrow to avoid the necessity of guiding the line on the spool; with plates of large diameter and a large drum or spindle to prevent kinking the line and to speed up retrieving.

The working parts of a reel should be of the best material - finely tempered steel and bronze as softer metals soon wear. The materials most often used in making the frames and spools of click reels are aluminum, aluminum alloy, gun metal, German silver, nickel plated brass or one of these metals in combination with hard rubber or "ebonite."

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