THE REEL 65 



SPECIAL FEATURE REELS 

 FREE SPOOL REELS 



The free spool reel is one whose handle remains mo- 

 tionless while the cast is being made or when the line 

 is running out. Years ago the gears were disengaged 

 by turning a little lever or button and it surely was 

 amusing to watch some absent-minded fisherman, who 

 had forgotten to press the lever, vigorously turning 

 the handle while a hooked fish was just as vigorously 

 running away with the line. Later on these reels 

 were made so that the gears would re-engage by press- 

 ing in on the handle. Now it is all done automatically 

 you simply turn the handle. 



There is no doubt that free spool reels are very free 

 running as there is little inertia and no air resistance 

 of the handle to overcome. In fact most casters find 

 that the free spool reel starts too suddenly until they 

 become accustomed to using one. The free spool 

 mechanism is contained in the head box of the reel 

 and the caster owning a reel of this kind, if it can be 

 taken apart easily, should carry an extra mechanism 

 for emergencies although they are quite dependable. 



SELF-THUMBING REELS. 



The self-thumbing reels are those that have a check 

 by mechanical means which prevents the reel over-run- 

 ning and thus eliminates backlashing. The old hand 

 naturally can see no virtue in a self-thumbing reel. 



