Fly Fishing Reel

thingiverse

This is a simple fly fishing reel I created several years ago at my request. I've used various versions of it to catch everything from bass to panfish, and even landed my first trout (on a fly) with one of these reels. The reel utilizes some non-printed hardware components. Hardware Required: (1) 10-32 x 1" Socket Head Screw and Nut (1) 4-40 x 1/2" Flat Head Screw (3) 1/4" X 1" Fender Washers (Lowes - Item # 136616 Model # 880342) (1) Spring & Ball (optional) See exploded diagrams for assembly. I don't have the time to write a detailed guide, but here are some additional details. The spool halves are glued together using super glue. The fender washers act as bearings, allowing the reel to spin more smoothly. I tried using a thrust bearing, but it wasn't worth it. This is a Click and Pawl design reel - The spring and ball for the clicker can be replaced with a pen spring and a BB, but they will rust over time. I used a .186" chrome ball (Honda Motorcycle Part# 96211-06000) and a cut-down stainless steel spring that I found locally. Use an Allen wrench to press the spring and ball into the hole while pressing down on the spool. It's a bit tricky, but doable. You can use the printed clicker (not shown in the pictures), which clips right into the bottom cut out of the spool post on the reel frame. I included multiple STL versions with different-sized nubs for testing purposes. The hole for the spool bolt was left small and tapped with a 10-32 tap, but you can probably just force the screw in. The nut for the spool is embedded into the thumb knob during printing and requires a thin nut (I used an 18-8 Stainless Steel Thin Nylon-Insert Locknut from Mcmaster Item# 90101A225). You could use a standard nut and washer, but it might be hard to adjust in the field without a tool. Updated 7-29-17 with a thumb knob that works with a full-sized nut. Fly Reel Thumb Knob Final.STL uses a Thin Nylon-Insert Locknut with these specs. Fly Reel Thumb Knob Full Size Nut.STL uses a full-sized Nylon-Insert Locknut with these specs. For drag after hook-up, you can use your hand on the out-spool edge to control it if needed. I haven't caught anything big enough yet to worry about it. See http://imgur.com/a/da9rE for additional pictures taken during the design process. That's all for now - if you try printing this and have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them.