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Posted by: Peter_AZ on 2010-07-29, 16:22:11
The Wikipedia entry is a good place to start: en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Fishing_reel However, it doesn't really explain much about the insides of the reels, which is what you seem to want, so I'll give it a try. Spinning reels and (as in your picture) have fixed spools set perpendicular to the rod. To retrieve line, the handle is turned "forwards " (towards the rod tip on top, then back towards the fisherman as it comes around underneath). This is linked to the "rotor " (the parts around the spool) and the bail (the wire-like part) by a couple of angled gears, the bigger one (the "drive gear ") attached to the handle and the smaller ( "pinion gear ") to the rotor. The relative number of "teeth " on these gears determines the reel's "gear ratio ". If (for example) the drive gear has 50 teeth, while the pinion gear has 10 teeth, the spool will turn 5 times for every rotation of the handle, giving the reel a 5 to 1 gear ratio. That means the rotor will rotate 5 times for every one turn of the handle. The line feeds in under the roller at one end of the bail, and as the bail turns it wraps the line onto the spool. There's also a little oscillating mechanism which moves the spool up and down on its axis so the line is spread evenly on the spool. A spring-loaded ratchet (the "anti-reverse ") keeps the rotor from spinning backwards when the reel is in gear. However, there is also an adjustable system of washers (called the drag) set up which allows the spool to turn backwards under sufficient tension, so a strong fish will pull out line rather than breaking it. To cast, the angler holds the line with his finger, then "opens " the bail (it's on hinges) and swings the rod overhead, releasing the line before reaching the vertical. Turning the handle will flip the bail back into position so the line can be retrieved. Anyway, it's easiest to understand how something like this works if you have one in your hand, or better yet, if you can open one up and look at it. Here's a link to a schematic diagram of a similar reel (same model, bigger size), it might help you visualize it: fish.shimano-eu.com/ media/ fishing/ techdocs/ en/ TP10000SWA_v1_m56577569830685352.pdf |
