THE CASTING REEL 67 



FREAK WINCHES 



I have already referred to what I may term 

 "freak reels," a great many of which were still-born 

 or lived a short life though there is still any number 

 upon the market. After all, the angling fraternity 

 is somewhat conservative ; it will not stand for a too 

 radical innovation. A change must come gradually 

 if it is to be adopted. There may be good points 

 about a freak reel, but because it is a freak it will 

 stand little show of even a fair try-out. I, Philistine 

 though I am, do not care for a reel too different. 

 Naturally in writing of these odd reels from my col- 

 lection I will refrain from commenting upon their 

 merits and demerits to any great extent, leaving the 

 reader to determine in his own mind their respective 

 value. 



The "Gyratory Reel" was brought to my home by 

 a traveling representative of a certain hardware 

 house, a "special" he was then pushing. We tried 

 it out on the street to the great amusement of a 

 crowd that soon gathered and they were not all 

 fishermen either. The name "Gyratory" gives a 

 very good idea of the winch, referring to the eccen- 

 tric action of the spool, wobbling from left to right 

 like a lodge goat, with each revolution, laying the 

 line from end to end of the spool. A lever frees the 

 spool from the crank-shaft so that it is a "free- 

 spool." It will be noticed that it is built in the 

 handle of the rod, is a part of the rod. The crank 



