Anglers have become so accustomed to these benefits that they take them for granted nowadays, much as they do their wife’s washing machine. Yet anyone who grew up with nothing more than a wooden centrepin reel can recall the constant practice needed to learn to cast direct from the reel, and the inevitable tangles and bird’s nests’, which resulted all too often.

Despite this, we still occasionally hear ’the reel’s critics bemoaning the fact that it has taken the skill out of casting. Even if this were wholly true, it would be no more a cause for regret than the fact that the washing machine has taken the drudgery out of washing day.

Alfred Illingworth patented the first fixed-spool reel in 1905. It incorporated all the basic principles of the modern reel, which still hold well today. The line spool was fixed with its axis at right angles to the direction of casting. When line was released, as long as the tackle provided the necessary inertia to pull it off, it simply spilled over the edge of the spool, with practically no unnecessary friction, and without requiring the spool to revolve. Hence the modern name - fixed-spool.

Line was retrieved simply by hooking it onto a primitive bale-arm, which revolved around the fixed-spool, laying line back when the reel handle was turned.

Slipping clutches and crosswind reels
To provide the faster retrieval desired for spinning. Illingworth geared the reel handle to the bale-arm to provide a retrieval ratio of approximately 3:1. The fixed-spool reel has come a long way since those days, and, not long after Illingworth’s first reel, slipping clutches and crosswind reels were developed, although these only entered the market in the early Thirties, not really coming into common usage until after the war.

Now it is possible to buy such reels with a wide variety of retrieval ratios suitable for every possible kind of fishing. All have adjustable clutch mechanisms, a reciprocat-ing reel movement, which provides even laying of line, and a crosswind action to prevent the reel jamming.

To be effective, such a reel must be properly used. Most manufacturers’ in-structions today refer to the loading capacity of the various spools, which varies with the b.s. of the line required. Many manufac-turers provide a spare spool, and since most spools are quickly detachable the angler can change spool and line in a moment to suit his needs.

Loading the spool
When loading the spool it must be borne in mind that the rotary action of the bale-arm around the spool imparts twist to the line, and that over a hundred yards of line this becomes considerable, especially when medium weight lines, which are fairly springy, are employed.

This twist in the line is largely responsible for the manner in which the monofilament lines often tend to spring off the spool. To prevent twist it is recommended that the line be pulled off the manufacturer’s spool not by letting it turn on a pencil as you wind, but over the flange of the manufacturer’s spool in much the same way as the line spills over the edge of the fixed-spool itself. Since pulling line off and laying it on both impart twist to the line, the tactic is to impart opposite twist as the bale-arm lays the line on the spool.

Pumping a Fish
When the slipping clutch is set, this must be done so that if a dangerous strain is put on your line, the clutch will slip before the line breaks. This also implies that you must select a line b.s. suitable for the rod you intend to use. If. for example, your line is of 2Olb b.s. and you set the clutch at, say, 18lb, you have a margin of safety of roughly 2lb. However, if you are using a rod of a 1/2lb test curve there is considerable danger that you will already have strained or damaged, or even broken your rod before the clutch will start to slip. To allow this to happen is clearly absurd, and so lines must be selected to suit the rod. If you must use heavy lines on a light rod you would be better to set the clutch to give when the rod is entering the test curve position, or somewhat before.
 

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When you judge that the fish has tired a little you can exert pressure by extending your index finger so that it rests against the revolving spool, so making the fish fight harder for line, and eventually halting it. To retrieve line, retain the finger control and raise the rod tip gently, then lower it as you turn the handle to retrieve line until the rod is more or less horizontal.

This pumping process can be repeated to bring the fish under control. If necessary, let the fish have its head when it surges in between pumps. You will find that by applying side strain and finger pressure, with a bit of pumping in between, you can subdue most fish after some practice. The fixed-spool reel leads you to replace the skills of casting with the greater skills involved in playing your fish with finesse and judgement, and until these are acquired your reel will not assist you in landing many big fish.

Long trotting
Long trotting is a fishing method for which many anglers prefer an ordinary centrepin reel, but this does not mean that they cannot practice it perfectly well with a fixed-spool reel. The technique is to take up slack after casting, and then open the bale-arm so that as the float drifts down through the swim it pulls line off the spool freely. If line is running out too freely, the extended finger comes into play, not on the spool, but close by it so that line is slipping off brushes against the finger, the friction slowing the rate of flow. When the float disappears, the finger is clamped hard on the reel spool, stopping the line flow at the same time as the rod is raised swiftly to strike.

One of the minor problems of the fixed-spool reel is that line occasionally springs off the spool without warning. Sometimes this is due to the wind, sometimes to twisted line, and sometimes to overloading. Whatever the cause, this has been the subject of criticism by anglers fishing with fine tackle over long distances. Others complain that for long trotting it does not give the instant control, which is required.

Closed-face reel
The closed-face reel was designed to overcome these problems and to provide easier reel control.

This kind of reel is closely related to the fixed-spool and works on the same principle in that the drum itself is stationary. The same problems of casting light weights are involved, and as the line spirals off the drum and out through the vent of the reel face the friction is slightly greater. Do not use braided line. It tends to bunch and pile up inside the reel facing, wasting line and fishing time.

Closed-face casting
The casting action is very similar to that of the fixed-spool reel. However, instead of having to hold the line across a crooked finger and manually releasing it, the thumb button or front-plate catch is pressed at the appropriate moment to free line.

Like the fixed-spool reel, the closed-face model has an adjustable clutch mechanism, although in most cases this operates on the winding handle rather than the spool itself. The result is much the same. It also has an anti-reverse, like the fixed-spool reel.

So, fixed-spool or closed face, this style of ~ reel has certainly solved many of the purely mechanical casting problems once faced by anglers. It will not cure clumsy casting, and it will not help catch fish if the angler casts to the wrong places. Nevertheless, used prop-erly and in conjunction with watercraft and other basic angling skills, investment in one of the reels, or both types, is certainly worthwhile. Careful handling of the reel will be repaid by years of use.