Editing Fishing reel (section)

==Mechanisms==
===Reel mechanisms===
;Direct-drive reel
Direct-drive reels have the spool and handle directly coupled. When the angler is reeling in a fish, there's user operation, but when the line is going out, and the fish is taking the bait and the reel handles are visible moving likewise to the line unwinding. With a fast-running fish, this may have consequences for the angler's knuckles. Traditional fly reels are direct-drive.

;Anti-reverse reel
In anti-reverse reels, a mechanism allows line to pay out while the handle remains stationary. Depending on the drag setting, line may also pay out, as with a running fish, while the angler reels in. Baitcasting reels and many modern saltwater fly reels are examples of this design.
The mechanism works either with a 'dog' or 'pawl' design that engages into a cog wheel attached to the handle shaft. The latest design is Instant Anti-Reverse, or IAR. This system incorporates a one-way clutch bearing or centrifugal force fly wheel on the handle shaft to restrict handle movement to forward motion only.

===Drag mechanisms===
Drag systems are a mechanical means of applying variable pressure to the line spool or drive mechanism to act as a [[friction]] [[brake]] against outgoing spool rotation. Under normal load, the friction holds the spool and the gears in synchrony, allowing the user to reel in the line; if the tension along the fishing line exceeds the drag setting, the braking friction is overcome and the spool will reverse-rotate with resistance until the line tension drops back below the drag setting. Some designs also have an internal [[spring (device)|spring]] [[clicker]] that generates warning noises to remind the user whenever the line tension exceeds the drag setting. Such mechanism serves to cap off the maximum line tension and prevents it from overloading and breaking when landing a strong or vigorously fighting fish. In combination with rod flexing and adequate angling techniques, the angler can catch fish much larger than the on-paper breaking strength of the line by "walking" and gradually tiring out the fish.

The mechanics of drag systems usually consist of a number of frictional discs (drag [[washer (hardware)|washer]]s) arranged in a coaxial stack on the spool shaft, or in some cases, on the drive shaft. There is generally a screw or lever mechanism that presses perpendicularly against the washers, which creates friction especially when each washer [[sliding (motion)|slide]]s against adjacent ones – the higher the pressure, the greater the resistance. Drag washers are commonly made of materials such as [[felt]], [[Teflon]], [[carbon fiber]] or other [[reinforced plastics]], and usually have metallic (usually steel) washers stacked intermittently to help distribute [[shear stress]] more evenly. Since large fish can generate a lot of pulling power, reels with higher available drag forces for higher-test lines will generate greater heat, and therefore use stronger and more heat-resistant materials, often with coated with specialty [[lubricant|oil]] or [[grease (lubricant)|grease]] to prevent burning and unwanted locking between adjacent washers. A good drag system one that is durable and generates precise, consistent and smooth (with no jerkiness) resistance.

==== Spinning reels ====
Spinning reels have two types of drag design: front or rear. All spinning reels come with front drag, but rear drag, also called "bait runner" or "baitfeeder", is an additional feature.

Front drags are basically a screw knob mounted to the front end of the spool, which exerts direct graduated axial pressure on the drag washers on the main [[pinion]]. To adjust these, the user needs to reach around the front to turn and tighten/loosen the spool. Front drags are mechanically simpler and usually more consistent in performance and capable of higher drag forces.

Rear drags, on the other hand, have an adjustment screw on the back of the reel along with a separate lever to activate its use. It automatically flips off whenever the fisherman touches the spool-crank and the front drag then steps in at that moment and incorporates its setting into the fight. Manufacturers seldom issue over ten pounds of drag from the rear but are said to be more complicated mechanically and usually not as precise or smooth as front drags since the drag itself is often part of the drive shaft and not the spool. They are for the first moments of the encounter when the fish has the bait in its mouth and is running with it without the hook set yet. The rear drag stops when the fisherman turns his spool-crank to engage the culprit on the run, and sets the hook.


==== Casting reels ====
Conventional overhead, trolling or baitcasting type reels usually use one of two types of drags: star or lever. The most common and simplest mechanically is the so-called 'star drag' because the adjustor wheel looks like a star with rounded points. Star drags work by screw action to increase or decrease the pressure on the washer stack which is usually located on the main driving gear. Reels with star drags generally have a separate lever which allows the reel to go into "freespool" by disengaging the spool from the drive train completely and allowing it to spin freely with little resistance. The freespool position is used for casting, letting line out and/or allowing live bait to move freely.

Lever drags work through cam action to increase or decrease pressure on the drag washers located on the spool itself. Most lever drags offer preset drag positions for strike (reduced drag to avoid tearing the hook out of the fish), full (used once the hook is set) and freespool (see above). Lever drags are simpler and faster to adjust during the fight. And, since they use the spool for the washer stack rather than the drive gear, the washers can be larger, offering more resistance and smoother action. The disadvantage is that in freespool, there can be residual and unwanted resistance since the drag mechanism may not be completely out of the picture without resorting to more complex mechanics.

====Setting the drag====
Proper drag setting depends on fishing conditions, line test (break strength) and the size and type of fish being targeted. Often it is a matter of "feel" and knowing the setup to get the drag right.

With spinning reels, closed-face reels and conventional reels with star drags, a good starting point is to set the drag to about one-third to one-half the breaking strength of the line. For example, if the line is rated at {{convert|20|lbf|adj=on}} test, a drag setting that requires {{convert|7|–|10|lbf}} of force on the line to move the spool would be appropriate. This is only a rule of thumb. For lever drag reels with a strike position, most anglers start by setting the drag at the strike position to one-third the break strength of the line. This usually allows the full position to still be safely under the line rating while providing flexibility during the fight. Depending on the conditions, some anglers may leave their reels in freespool then setting the anti-reverse or engaging the drag on hookup.

=== Braking mechanisms ===
When casting, the terminal tackles flying through the air will decelerate due to [[air resistance]], causing the line release out of the reel (which is mainly driven by the forward [[momentum]] of the terminal tackles) to slow down exponentially. This is particularly apparent when casting lightweight and/or poorly aerodynamic baits/lures, or when casting against the wind. If the angler is using a multiplier reel, its rotary spool often still has sufficient [[angular momentum|rotational momentum]] to keep itself spinning with a far more gradual deceleration. This deceleration mismatch between the line release and the spool rotation causes the lagging line to [[inertia]]lly "float" off the spool in loose loops before it can exit the reel. Some of these floating loops eventually get large enough to be pulled into the narrow spaces between the spool and the reel chassis – a phenomenon known as a ''spool overrun'' or a ''backlash'', which often snares the loops into a very messy tangle (colloquially called a "bird's nest" or "birdie") that is notoriously difficult to untangle. Such backlashing is unique to multiplier reels, particularly baitcasters, and is not present with fixed-spool reels such as a spinning reel.

To deal with backlashing, most modern baitcasting reels have a so-called "cast control" that serves to reduce the incidence of spool overrun at the cost of sacrificing casting distances. Each time a different lure weight is attached, the cast control must be adjusted to calibrate for the difference in lure momentum and deceleration. The users are also required to learn the skill of "feathering the spool" with their thumb to apply direct tactile friction on the spool surface to slow down or even stop it from spinning.

==== Spool tension ====
Spool tension is an adjustable screw knob that is coaxial to the reel spool. When tightened, the knob exerts axial pressure on the spool gear and generates a consistent frictional resistance when the spool is free-spinning.

==== Centrifugal braking ====
Centrifugal braking uses a series of spring-loaded "blocks" on the spool, which can move radially outwards under [[centrifugal force]] when the spool is spinning rapidly. These blocks each have a rubber piece that can rub against the reel chassis, creating additional friction that slows down the spool until the blocks retract back under spring tension. Some reels, such as the Shimano SVS Infinity, have designs that allow each centrifugal blocks to be locked and temporarily disabled.

==== Magnetic braking ====
Magnetic braking incorporates the principles of [[Lenz's law]] to create a contactless resistance to the spool spinning. The reel chassis (usually on the side opposite to the crank handle) has a circularly arranged array of [[magnet]]s creating a [[magnetic field]]. When the spool rotates, the metallic frame cuts through the [[field line]]s and experiences an electromagnetic resistance, which changes with the spool speed but persists as long as the spool is still moving.

==== Electronic braking ====
Electronic braking uses an [[electronic circuit]] to monitor the speed of spool rotation and apply pre-calculated resistance via an internal [[actuator]]. The most famous is the [[Shimano]] Curado DC ("Digital Control") series, first introduced in 2003 and having remained the only electronically braked fishing reel in the world for two decades until early 2023, when two similar products, the [[Globeride|Daiwa]] IMZ Limitbreaker and the KastKing iReel IFC ("Intelligent Frequency Control"), were announced respectively.

=== Line guide mechanisms ===
Line guides are unique to multiplier reels, as more evenly wound lines on the spool would allow the reel to function more smoothly and prevent unwanted "overspill" of line at either end of the spool. The vast majority of line guides are a simple ring or short cylinder with a {{cvt|2|-|3|mm|2}} internal diameter, which slides horizontally along a spiral-groove [[shaft (mechanical engineering)|shaft]]. The side-to-side motion of the line guide continuously pushes and realigns the line onto different section of the spool, thus allowing a more even distribution of winding.

While line guides are crucial to reel operation during retrieval, during casting it becomes more of a hindrance because the line will have to go through its narrow internal channel to leave the reel. This creates additional [[drag (force)|drag]] from [[friction]] (especially when the line kinks against the back rim of the guide) or when loose line loops whips against the line guide. This exacerbates backlashing as the narrow line guide channel often limits how fast the line can leave the reel, and is particularly a problem when the line guide stops near the side of the reel when the reel gears are disengaged during casting. There are design modifications on line guides aimed to minimize resistance against line release, most of which involve having a [[conical]] or [[funnel]]-shaped line guide that reduce the kinking angle between the line and the guide frame, which only partially resolves the drag issue. Another less-successful modification involves having an open-and-shut "gate" as a line guide, which unfortunately can catch and trap the line between the gaps of the shutter.

In 2011, the famous Japanese fishing tackle brand [[Globeride|Daiwa]] introduced its famous TWS (T-Wing System) design, which have a T-shaped/inverted trianguloid line guide that has a broad top section that presents a much wider channel for line exit, while during retrieval the top bar tilts back and down to push the line into the much narrower bottom section. The TWS has become a celebrated success for Daiwa, and remained a patented trademark that was largely unchallenged for years.

Another notable 21st century line guide design, patented by the [[Shenzhen]]/New York City-based Chinese-American brand KastKing in 2023, is named the "Axis Eye" or "[[weeping willow|willowleaf]] guide". It has a [[silicon nitride]]-coated, [[rounded rectangle]] frame with a slightly [[serpentine shape]]d top profile, which can horizontally rotate 90° to alternate between a wide and a narrow [[cross section (geometry)|cross-section]]al width. During casting, the line guide is rotated to a transverse orientation, which presents a {{cvt|17.6|mm|1}}-wide line channel, allowing the line to exit with minimal drag; during retrieval, the line guide is rotated to a longitudinal orientation, which narrows the line channel down to less than 3&nbsp;mm.