Most modern fishing equipment involves the use of a rod and reel pair. The ease of control of all the gear, and therefore the success of the fishing itself, depends on how stably and reliably these elements are connected.
Most often on different types of fishing rods you can see screw reel seats. Their design is simple and quite reliable, just like the current real estate database of one real estate company I know. But at the same time, they differ in the location of the running nut, which presses the profile ring, which holds the reel foot on one side. Its “lower” location is recognized as classic, when the nut is located on the reel seat tube closer to the butt of the rod. This is exactly the design of the reel seat that most rods from American and European manufacturers have, which are designed for fishing with spinning rods, feeder and match gear with a spinning reel. Japanese rod manufacturers often prefer original, bright designs and install on the same rods more ergonomic reel seats that take into account the anatomy of the human hand. 
In these designs, the running nut is located at the front. The principle of attaching the reel in both designs is the same, but when using the rod in conjunction with a reel, the “classic” is somewhat inferior in convenience to “ergonomics”. This is especially true for rods that are constantly held in the hand during the fishing process: spinning rods, partly match rods and, somewhat less frequently, feeder rods, which are much more often placed on stands, just like carp rods. When gripping the rod correctly with your hand, the stance spinning reel passes between the index and middle fingers (sometimes in front of the index). Accordingly, almost the entire “classic” lies in the palm of your hand. 
reel seat, and its ribbed nut either rests against the edge of the palm or is covered by the little finger. This does not cause any particular inconvenience - millions of fishermen quickly get used to this grip. But with all manipulations with the rod - casting, hooking and especially when retrieving the bait and landing fish - the running nut inevitably loosens a little and the reel begins to “walk” in its seat. This “sin” in itself is small, but constant tightening of the running nut is annoying, distracting from the fishing process, and in some cases can lead to failure of the reel seat. Designs with a front nut, which is often set in 
noble cork or practical neoprene are less susceptible to arbitrary turning away, since when working with the rod the palm and fingers of the hand holding it do not touch this part. But even in them, with significant play in the threads of plastic (usually) parts, the coil fastening sometimes occurs. Excessively tightening the nut in both reel seat designs not only does not help matters, but threatens:
Breakage of threads on parts;
jamming of the fastening ring on the reel foot;
cracking of the nut frame made of natural cork. The consequence of this is the cessation of fishing and the subsequent difficult repair of the WHOLE rod.
All this can be prevented or losses can be minimized if you use the little tricks suggested below.
1. Running nut With a “classic” layout, it is useful to wrap the coil with a medical adhesive tape 18 mm wide after installing the coil. By grabbing the nut with part of the thread on the reel seat tube with a plaster, you will immediately get rid of both its self-loosening and abrasions on the palm. It is especially convenient to make such a winding if the reel remains on the rod for a long time, for example, while fishing on vacation. Unlike PVC electrical tape, the adhesive from the patch can be easily removed with ordinary vodka.
2. Often the cause self-loosening, there is too much play between the running nut and the reel seat tube. This can be eliminated by wrapping one layer of narrow, thin tape directly onto the threads of the tube. The winding must be laid with force so that the threads remain in relief, and only in the place where the nut will be located after installing the coil in place.
3. Main reasons and arbitrarily unscrewing the nut of a screw reel seat of any type means the absence of an elastic element in the system. This can be easily compensated for by putting suitable pieces of PVC cambric or (which is better) heat-shrinkable tubing onto the ends of the reel legs. The easiest way to squeeze it into the shape of a paw is to lower it into boiling water. After this procedure, the reel stays very tightly in place, and its proprietary paint coating will not be scratched even by all-metal clamping rings.
4. Sometimes fly fishing During the fishing process, the reel begins to dangle in the reel seat, especially if its foot is not adjacent to a rigid tube, but to a fragile insert made of natural cork. This is fraught with abrasions on the cork and pressing through its surface, which greatly weakens the fastening of the reel and spoils the expensive fishing rod. And here an adhesive tape will help out. Stick it directly on the cork under the reel foot - the fastening will be much more reliable, and the cork insert will retain its original appearance longer. The same help can be provided to light-class spinning rods, which usually have the same cork insert in the reel seat.
5. If the reel is jammed between the fastening rings, and the nut does not come off, you should not use excessive force, especially not grab fragile plastic with various kinds of handy “grabs” - pliers, pliers, etc. Just drop a little clean into the threads and onto the reel foot kerosene (in field conditions - vodka) and after 35 minutes, tightly grasp the nut with your hand in a rubber glove and unscrew it with a little force. After this, wipe all parts with a clean cloth and put the rod and reel in their covers.
6. As preventative measure To prevent the reel from jamming, always after fishing, remove from its foot and from the reel seat (especially carefully from the threads) the contaminants that inevitably form during fishing. Fish mucus, particles of bait and bait magically attract sand, which can wear out the threads on the plastic and metal parts of the reel seat in less than one season. And replacing it is quite a troublesome and expensive task.
Among all the other components of good fishing tackle, the reel seat for a spinning rod is one of the most important elements.
Proper, secure locking of the reel directly affects the balance, ergonomics and performance of the equipped rod.
Varieties
There are several types of reel seats used on industrial fishing rods:
- Fast-acting. They are based on a fixing bracket.
- Ring holders. Based on securing the reel legs with moving rings.
- Screw holders. They secure the coil with a rotating mounting screw.
Quick release holders are not considered reliable and can only be used for fixing lightweight spinning and wire reels.
Ring holders are more common and more reliable. Their main advantage is that they allow you to fix the reel in the most convenient place on the handle for the angler, and this allows you to achieve better balance of the entire gear. The fixation is quite reliable and simple. Their main drawback is that the reel legs are attached directly to the rod body, which over time leads to damage to its top layer with all the ensuing consequences. Such holders are mainly equipped with spinning rods of the ultra-light and light class (UL, L).
Interesting! Ring type holders are very common on rods made in France. There this design is considered the most convenient and technologically advanced.
Screw holders are rightfully considered the most reliable. They are equipped with spinning rods of all classes. This design divides the rod handle into top part and bottom. This must be taken into account when attaching coils of various types. They come with a lower fastening ring and a fixing nut (the most common), as well as with an upper location of the fixing fasteners (mainly on spinning rods from Japan).
Attention! When equipping a spinning rod with a spinning reel, the most convenient is a screw holder with fixation in the upper part. Very often, for greater convenience, manufacturers combine the top clamp nut with the cork body of the handle.
It is important to know that each holder is designed for certain sizes of reel legs, their thickness, width and depth. Always take your reel with you when choosing a new spinning rod; at the point of sale you can check the compatibility of the holder and the reel.
Manufacturing materials
Modern technologies actively implemented by manufacturers fishing accessories, made it possible to use qualitatively new materials for the manufacture of reel seats. Among the most technologically advanced and used materials are:
- Titanium and its alloys. This is a very light, durable and extremely reliable material. It is considered the most suitable, despite its high cost, material for the manufacture of fishing reel holders. Titanium reel seats are installed only on the highest quality and most expensive fishing rods. It is practically not used in mass production for middle-class models.
- Aluminum alloys. It is also a very light and reliable material. It is inferior to Tatan only in strength and durability, but it is much cheaper. Found application in the production of holders for spinning rods of various classes and categories.
- Composite materials based on graphite and epoxy resins. Composite spool holders are very technologically advanced, their production is not expensive, and their consumer properties are quite high. Therefore, products made from this material are the most common on the market.
Also, in the production of reel seats, specially treated wood is sometimes used, which serves as the basis for the supporting part in some designs. Another material - "nickelsilver", is an alloy of nickel and silver, occasionally used in the production of holders for expensive, exclusive models of spinning rods.
Not so often, but still there is a need for repairs, and sometimes even to replace the reel seat on the rod. It happens that under load, due to a manufacturing defect or simply from time to time, some elements of the spinning rod (legs, etc.) wear out and break. If a breakdown occurs while fishing, it is quite possible to make an improvised reel seat with your own hands. To do this you will need good tape or electrical tape, soft wire, scissors and pliers. Next:
- We free the holder from broken elements. If necessary, remove the holder from the form body completely. If it is a bracket, then we simply remove the fastener, which is based on the winding, and if it is a screw or ring holder, then, as a rule, it can be removed by carefully unscrewing its body from the neck of the rod.
- You must prepare a suitable place on the blank body for fixing the reel legs.
- Secure the coil to the prepared place using tape.
- We align the coil body with respect to the rings and, using soft wire, fix it in the desired position. You need to wrap the reel legs with wire very carefully, there is a risk of damaging the form body.
- On top of the wire, for better fastening and to reduce contamination of the fasteners, you need to wrap it with electrical tape or the same tape.
That's it, now you can continue fishing, the reel will sit very tightly.
Blog entry date: 04.07.2011
Date of blog entry added: 04.07.2011
Unfortunately, even famous manufacturers (let alone lesser-known ones) produce Bolognese fishing rods with an inconveniently installed reel seat. What does this lead to? After an hour or two of fishing, your hands fall off, as if you single-handedly unloaded a couple of wagons of bricks. Meanwhile, it is enough to move the reel seat by 5-10 cm and the balance of the fishing rod returns to normal and eight hours of fishing brings nothing but the pleasure of working with the same fishing rod.
What does this come from? The lap dogs are produced the same for those whose arm length from the elbow to the fingertips is 40, 50, 60 cm. And for those who use a 2500 reel and those who use a 3500, but here its weight is even more important, not its formal size. In total, we have several different individual factors on the one hand and a single rod for everyone on the other hand. Plus the fact that the fishing rod is constantly in your hands all the time while fishing. This creates an imbalance that is actually easy to eliminate.
How to find something new right place for the reel seat? Lay out the lap dog in working condition. Take a couple of rubber bands and attach exactly the reel that you plan to use with this fishing rod. Now move it along the form in the area of the old reel seat and feel what position of the reel will be most comfortable for you to hold it in your hands. You should also make sure that the butt of the fishing rod protruding backwards does not interfere with your retrieving (move the disassembled fishing rod to the sides, as if accompanying a float).
If you choose this way best place It’s hard for the reel, then take electrical tape when fishing. Instead of installing the coil in the holder, tape it with electrical tape in the place that you have chosen but are in doubt about. If after a couple of hours your hands are not tired and the rod is not in the way anywhere, then great, this is the right place. If there is any discomfort, then move the reel slightly down or up the rod and repeat the procedure. The shift interval can be chosen to be about 3-5 cm. If the factory reel seat gets in the way too much, you can first remove it from the rod. By the way, then it will be possible to wind not the reel, but the reel seat itself, and let the reel stand in it, as it should. I am sure that after your first fishing you will choose the optimal placement of the reel on your lap dog.
The easiest way to change the position of the reel seat is to remove it and attach it to a new place with electrical tape. Electrical tape is now sold in all colors of the rainbow, finding the right one is not a problem. But you can put in a little effort and effort and it will turn out no worse than the manufacturer’s. What points should you pay special attention to?
1. For work, it is best to use special adhesives and varnishes, for example, FlexCoat, which I use in the video. Professional varnish takes a long time to set and provides a thin and even coating. True, it is used in two or even three-layer versions. But the result will pleasantly please you. You will need to buy it once and it will be enough for repairs and modifications of fishing rods for many years.
2. For work, it is better to use lavsan, silk, satin or special threads that are sold in fishing stores. The secret is that they don't lint. If you make a varnish coating with fleecy threads, after the varnish hardens, it will look like a hedgehog. If this happens, then before applying the second layer, you should smooth the surface with a file, and then apply a second layer of varnish. It will be much better. One more thing with threads. They come in different thicknesses. For work such as installing a guide ring, you need to choose a thin thread (just like in the video); for the reel seat or for the repair winding, you can (and should) choose a thicker thread, it will lie smoother and will hold tighter. Unfortunately, at the time of shooting I only had a thin thread on hand, so I had to use it.
3. Using a special machine shown in the video simplifies drying the finished product, especially if long-rising professional varnishes are used. After twirling a fishing rod in your hands three times for two hours without a break, the thought of buying (or making one yourself) such a low-speed machine becomes quite obsessive.
p.s. It would be useful to remind you that work should be carried out either in a well-ventilated area or in the open air.
So, everything you need to equip your fishing rod is in store: there are hooks, fishing lines, sets of sinkers and floats, excellent fishing rods are prepared. Now, in order for the parts to become one whole, they must be connected (mounted). How to attach hooks, leashes to a fishing line, and attach sinkers and floats to it has already been discussed in the relevant sections. How to attach the fishing line itself with the parts sitting on it to the rod? If anyone thinks that it is enough to firmly tie the end of the fishing line to the tip of the rod and the rod is ready, he is deeply mistaken. Yes, with such tackle you can go to a pond, you can even throw a hook with a nozzle into your favorite place. But it’s impossible to pull a half-decent trophy out of the water - the tip of the rod will certainly be broken and all the tackle will float away along with the fish. In the hands of an unlucky fisherman, only a mutilated fishing rod will remain.
To prevent such an embarrassment from happening, the fishing line is attached to the rod differently. They do this in two ways. And according to how the fishing line is attached, fishing rods are divided into two types: with “blind” equipment and with “running” equipment.
When mounting a fishing rod with a “blind” rig, the supply of fishing line is wound onto a reel located at the butt, and the working part wraps around the entire fishing rod several times and is passed through a loop made of thick fishing line, nylon core or string specially wound to the tip of the fishing rod.
Fig 13. Reel:
I - rod, 2 - half rings (hooks), 3 - winding, 4 - rubber shock absorbers,
5 - fishing line, 6 - rubber retaining rings for the hook
What a reel is is clearly visible in Fig. 13. These are two wire half-rings (hooks) facing each other with the backs of their heads, tied to the fishing rod with silk or nylon threads. These hooks are made from copper, brass or other stainless wire with a thickness of 1.5-2 mm. The winding legs are flattened. The distance between the hooks does not matter much, but on a bamboo rod it is better to install them at the knots or in close proximity to them. In any case, you should try to ensure that the bamboo knots do not interfere with winding and unwinding the fishing line from the reel. So that after fishing there is somewhere to hide the hook, one or two rubber retaining rings are placed in the middle of the reel or pieces of cork are attached.
It is known that after a long stay in the water, the fishing line “shrinks” a little. If the wet fishing line is tightly wound on the reel, when it dries, it can break the hooks or pull them out of the reel. Rubber shock absorbers will help prevent an accident. They are pulled across the hooks, while the backs of the half rings must be bent so that the shock absorbers do not jump off them.
Not an idle question - where to place the reel? Of course, wherever is more convenient! But... if the rod is solid. And even then it is more advisable on the butt. A fishing line entwined along the entire length of the rod better absorbs and dampens the desperate jerks of the caught fish. Well, what if the rod is composite or telescopic? There can be no doubt here - only on the butt. Otherwise, no matter what the hour, the upper knee may jump out one day when casting, including along with the reel. And then... goodbye fishing!
There is no consensus on how to attach the fishing line to the tip of the rod with a “blind” rig. Some authors of manuals on recreational fishing It is recommended to use an elastic nipple attached to the fishing line, a piece of vinyl chloride tube, and all kinds of protection. It seems that all these recommendations are unacceptable. Firstly, with such a fastening, the load when fishing for prey does not fall on the entire rod, but only on its tip, as with a blind garter. Secondly, this also has a number of inconveniences. For example, if you need to increase or decrease the length of the working part of the line - pull the tip of the rod towards you, remove the tube and only then can you work on the line.
Rice. 14. Attaching the fishing line to the rod with
using a loop
There is no need to do any of this if you attach a small ring of thick (0.5-0.8 mm) nylon core or some kind of string to the tip of the rod, 8-10 mm away from the tip. The line wrapped around the rod is finally folded into a loop, passed into a wound ring and thrown over the tip of the rod. The mount is ready. Fast, reliable and, most importantly, allows you to quickly maneuver the length of the working part of the scaffold. By the way, for a fishing rod with a “blind” rig, the fishing line should not be more than 1.5 meters longer than the rod, otherwise the angler will not be able to make a targeted cast and pull the prey towards him. Fishing rods with “blind” equipment are used mainly for fishing small fish.
The “running” tackle is more advanced. Instead of a reel, a reel is placed on such a fishing rod, and so-called “pass” rings are wound along the entire length of the rod at a certain distance from each other: the threaded fishing line runs along them back and forth. The advantages of “running” tackle are that it allows you to cast the bait far (especially with a sliding float), quickly maneuver the length of the fishing line, and even fish out large prey on a thin leash.
The qualities of the “running” tackle are largely determined by the reel. Its purpose is to increase or decrease working part fishing line The reel must be light, durable, hold a sufficient supply of fishing line, have a good rotation speed and a reliable brake. All these requirements are met by coils produced by the domestic industry. Their range is quite wide.
For a float fishing rod, a small (4-6 cm in diameter) reel of the simplest design is suitable. It consists of a body with an axis and a foot for installing it on a fishing rod and a drum (spool) rotating on this axis with handles. A braking device is mounted on the housing. 
Rice. 15. Reel with bobbin for float
fishing rods
To place the reel on the rod, a special handle is made on the butt. It can be made of cork, polystyrene foam, wood, or other suitable materials. Making a pen at home is not difficult. The best material is cork. But since it is not easy to find today, you can use polystyrene foam. Of course, it would be nice to place a solid piece of foam plastic 20-25 cm long on the butt. But... it is impossible to drill a through axial hole of the required diameter in it without a special device. Therefore, the pen has to be made in typesetting. Cut out 6-7 pieces of foam plastic 3-4 cm thick and use a rifle casing of the appropriate caliber to punch an axial hole in each of them. Of course, the edges of the sleeve or other suitable tube must first be sharpened. Then these pieces are glued onto a fishing rod, dried and processed. To make the handle sit on the butt more securely, the ring pieces are tied (wrapped) with cord or other strong threads before drying.
A foam handle can be made in another way. A block of foam plastic 20 cm long is sawed lengthwise into two equal parts and a groove is cut out in each half along the diameter of the rod. Then these halves are smeared with glue, applied to the butt, and tightly wrapped with twine along the entire length. After drying, the handle is treated with a knife, rasp and sandpaper. True, the reliability of such a handle is lower than that made from individual pieces.
It is useful to equip the lower part of the handle with a buffer. It is made in a lenticular shape from a piece of hard rubber and screwed to the end of the rod with a long screw. The buffer performs two functions: it protects the fisherman’s clothing from possible snags by the tackle and serves as an additional weight to shift the center of gravity of the rod closer to the fisherman’s hand.
Rice. 16. Rod handle made from corks:
a - reel seats (cone rings), b - cones, c - buffer
By the way, about the center of gravity. Do this simple maneuver. Take an unequipped rod by the butt, hold it horizontally for a minute and mentally estimate how much it weighs. Now lift the rod by grasping its middle knee and you will notice that it has become much “lighter”. So, in order to make a fishing rod lighter, it is often filled with... lead. Yes, yes, 150-200 grams and more! True, only in the butt part. This shifts the center of gravity of the rod and makes it easier for the angler to control the tackle. For this purpose, both the reel and the reel are placed as close to the butt as possible.
A buffer can also be made from a rubber tip for a crutch (sold in pharmacies). There is no need to screw it in. Shortened by a third or half, it easily fits over the lower end of the handle.
However, before installing the buffer, you need to equip the handle with a device for attaching the coil. The simplest thing is two rings of a rubber hose 1.5-2 cm wide. If you don’t need to remove the coil every time, you can tightly tape it to the handle with electrical tape or adhesive tape. There are several designs of metal and plastic reel seats on sale. Many factory fishing rods are equipped with them.
An essential part of the “running” tackle is the guide rings. They serve to pass (hence the name) the fishing line from the reel to the tip of the rod, prevent it from sagging and disperse the load from the weight of the fish along the entire length of the rod. Rings should be light, durable, well polished inner surface to allow the line to pass without friction. They are made from steel or brass wire, porcelain, agate mineral, plastic, and other materials and are sold in a large variety in sports stores. The most reliable (but expensive) rings are made of agate and chromed steel. The ring intended for installation on the tip of the rod is called the end ring and has the shape of a “tulip”, that is, it is equipped with side posts that protect it from being overwhelmed by the line.
Rice. 17. Metal reel holder -
tel
The question of how many guides to put on a fishing rod does not have a clear answer. But practice shows: if you put in a lot, you will disrupt the structure of the tackle, and the fishing line will experience increased friction when moving. If you put in little, it’s even worse: the line will begin to sag in the spans, float in the wind, and individual sections of the rod will be unevenly loaded. For two-meter rods of normal elasticity, 3-4 rings can be considered sufficient; for rods with a length of 2 to 3 meters - 4-5 rings; 3-4 meters long - 5-6 rings. A more precise number of rings is determined taking into account the qualities, structure and purpose of each specific fishing rod.
But there is no dispute among fishermen about where to install the rings. A fairly simple method is used to determine the attachment points. At the intended points, the rings are temporarily (so that they can be moved) tied with thread. The line is threaded through them and a load of 100 grams to 1 kilogram (depending on the power of the rod) is suspended from its free end. Then they place the rod at an angle of 45 degrees and, moving the rings, ensure that all the deflections between the rings are equal, that is, the distance from the rod barrel to the fishing line stretched between the rings (clearance) is the same in all spans (a1 = a2 = = a3 = = a4). It is recommended to place the first ring 90 cm from the coil.
When the installation points are finally determined, the rings are secured: the legs are wound to the rod with silk or nylon thread, and the winding is varnished.
Rice. 18. Samples of end and pass rings
Rice. 19. Installation of access rings
Rice. 20. Winding rings
A neat and reliable winding can be done in the following way: the end of the thread is placed next to the foot (parallel to it) and wound to the rod along with the foot; before the last four or five turns of the thread, a small loop of thread or thin soft wire is placed under it and also wound to the rod; then the end of the thread used to make the winding is passed through the loop and, with its help, is pulled under the winding. It has been noticed that the threads wind better and then hold the ring more tightly if they are pre-wetted in water. After the winding has dried, it is coated with nitro varnish.
Things are somewhat more complicated with the installation of a telescopic fishing rod. The reel and reel on the “telescope” are mounted according to the same principles as on other fishing rods. True, there is no need to build a handle for the reel here, since the butt tube of the “telescope”, as a rule, is thick enough for this. But if you don’t attach rings to the middle of the tubes, the rod won’t fold in that case.
There are two solutions to the problem. The first thing is to buy removable pass rings in the store. They are light, convenient, and with the help of small insulating tape pads they can be installed at any calculated point. But... they are very fragile. The fishing line wears them out almost in one fishing trip, and they break from the slightest accidental blow or bump.
Second, place rings made of pins on the upper ends of the tubes. Although this method has significant drawbacks, for example, the load from the weight of the caught fish will not be distributed sufficiently evenly throughout the entire rod and you cannot fold it completely into the stowed position, however, many fishermen prefer just this way of winding the rings to the “telescope”. Why? The compactness of the gear is slightly disturbed, but it is brought into working condition very quickly. To do this, just remove the coil from the brake and manually pull out all the tubes one by one (starting from the top) until they stop. If the fishing rod is equipped with a reel, a supply of fishing line for two rod lengths is first removed from it.
Rice. 21. Removable guide rings
An angler's dream is a telescopic rod with a hollow tip: it doesn't need any guides! The fishing line in such a rod is placed inside, and its working end comes out through the axial hole of the tip. This kind of tackle is light and elegant. The fisherman is spared excess weight(no rings with winding), the line does not “sail” in the wind, the load from the caught fish is distributed evenly along the entire length of the rod.
There are two ways to thread the fishing line inside the rod. Since this is far from a simple matter, you should strictly adhere to the developed technologies!
Method one. In a rubber (plastic) cap, which covers the bottom of the butt tube, a hole with a diameter of 2-2.5 mm is made in the center with heated silt (nail). They unwind a piece of fishing line one and a half to two lengths of one knee from the reel (reel), thread it through the hole in the cap, and then pass it through the thinnest (central) tube of the rod. For ease of use, it is better to remove this tube from the rest, and then insert it with the fishing line already threaded. The line passed through the tip of the rod must be secured so that it does not slip back out. Then assemble the knees, tightly close the butt with a cap - and the tackle is ready for further equipment (you can hang a float, a sinker, tie leashes with hooks).
It is sometimes difficult to push a fishing line, especially a thin one, through the rod tip - it curls and does not go. A simple device called a “flexible needle” helps to facilitate this operation. A thin (0.7-0.8 mm) piece of copper or brass wire is taken (it should be 20-25 cm longer than the butt knee) and an eye is made at one end. The working end of the fishing line is inserted into this eye (like a thread into a needle), then a “flexible needle” is passed from the wide end through the central (with the tip) tube of the rod and pulls the fishing line behind it.
A “flexible needle” must be stored and carried when fishing: a small wire coil on a foam reel is not a burden, and without this device you cannot tuck fishing line, especially wet, into the rod.
Rice. 22. Methods for threading fishing line into a telescopic fishing rod:
a - first, b - second
It must be said that the above method of threading the fishing line has a serious drawback: when fishing for fish, the fishing line does not go directly to the reel, but works “at a break.” This creates additional resistance; the line quickly wears off against the walls of the cap. This can be avoided by threading the line differently.
Method two. The butt tube is freed from all other tubes. 25-30 centimeters above the attached coil (or the place where the removable coil should be installed), a small (3-4 mm in length) oval hole is made in the wall of the butt (widest) tube. The part of the fishing line wound from the reel is threaded into this hole and taken out... towards the butt. After this, the fishing line is threaded into the central (apex) tube using a “flexible needle,” as in the first method. Then the rod is assembled, making sure that the fishing line is not pinched between the tubes.
With this method of threading, the line even ends up at a double “kink”: it goes up from the reel, after the hole it turns down, then along the central bend it goes up again. But such a zigzag is not terrible. The line will be “at a break” only when the rod is not in use. Once it is straightened to its full length, the fishing line will straighten and will move through the tubes as freely as through the guide rings.
Rice. 23. Shapes of carabiners
When using tackle with a fishing line tucked inside, you should also remember this rule: after fishing, the fishing rod must be folded, starting from the top bend, while constantly holding the fishing line so that it does not get between the walls and jam the tubes.
To finish the conversation about the design of a float fishing rod - this most versatile recreational fishing tool, we need to talk about one more small but important detail - a carbine.
Rice. 24. Float rod assembled:
a - with blind equipment, b - with “running equipment”; 1 - rod, 2 - connecting rods
tubes, 3 - reel, 4 - end loops, 5 - fishing line, 6 - float,
7 — sinkers, 8 — hook, 9 — handle with a fungus (buffer) and a reel; 10 —
spool holder made of bonus rings, 11 - screw holder, 12 - plate holder
holder, 13 - pass rings, 14 - end ring (tulip)
Carabiners (swivels) are designed to counteract the twisting of the fishing line. They are made from steel or brass and come in many shapes. The main advantages of the carbine are good rotation and durable parts. On a float fishing rod, a carabiner is placed between the main line and the leash and prevents the nozzle, which rotates from movement in the water, from twisting the main line.
The carabiner is also good because without a radical re-equipment of the fishing rod, just by changing the leashes, it allows you to quickly adapt the tackle for catching fish of various sizes.
When installing a fishing rod, all its parts are selected depending on the expected production. To catch small fish, use a thin line, a small hook, a small sinker and a very sensitive float. For medium-sized fish (weighing up to 1 kg), you need a fishing line with a cross-section of 0.25-0.3 mm with a carabiner and a leash (0.18-0.20 mm). Large fish, especially predators, can be pulled out of the water only with a thick ( 0.4-0.8 mm) fishing line and on a large (No. 8.5-14) hook. In a word, we must try to ensure that all parts of the fishing rod are “coordinated”, nothing disturbs its “structure”.
At the same time, one cannot help but note this trend. More and more fishermen prefer to have one fishing rod for different occasions. Most often it consists of a telescopic rod 3-4 m long, a medium-sized bobbin (inertial) reel, replaceable floats and sinkers, as well as replaceable leashes different lengths and sections. The main line is set with a cross-section of 0.3-0.35 mm. By promptly changing (depending on fishing conditions) floats, sinkers and leashes, the fisherman can fish in still and running water, in shallows and at depth, in coastal thickets and far from the shore.
How to attach a reel Some of today's fishing gear involves the use of a rod-reel pair. The practicality of managing all the gear, and therefore the success of the fishing itself, depends on how stably and thoroughly these elements are connected. In this topic we will talk about how to attach a reel to a fishing rod so that it holds securely
More often on rods of various types you can see screw reel seats. Their mechanism is simple and quite reliable, but they differ in the location of the running nut, which presses the profile ring, which holds the reel foot on one side.
Its “lower” location is recognized as classic, when the nut is located on the reel seat tube closer to the butt of the rod. Most rods from American and European manufacturers, which are designed for fishing with spinning rods, feeder and match gear with a spinning reel, have this particular reel seat design.
Japanese rod manufacturers often prefer original, bright designs and equip the same rods with more ergonomic reel seats that take into account the anatomy of the human hand. In these designs, the running nut is placed at the front. The principle of attaching the reel in both designs is the same, but when used in conjunction with a reel, the “classic” reel is somewhat inferior in convenience to “ergonomics”. This is especially true for rods that are constantly held in the hand during the fishing process: spinning rods, partly match rods and, somewhat less frequently, feeder rods, which even more often stand on stands, just like carp rods.
When you grip the rod correctly with your hand, the stand of the spinning reel passes between the index and middle fingers (sometimes in front of the index). Therefore, almost the entire “classic” reel seat lies in the palm, and its ribbed nut either rests against the edge of the palm or is covered by the little finger.
This does not cause any particular inconvenience - millions of fishermen quickly get used to such a grip. But with all manipulations with the rod - casting, hooking and especially when retrieving the bait and landing fish - the running nut inevitably weakens a little and the reel begins to “walk” in its seat.
This “sin” in itself is not too great, but constant tightening of the running nut is annoying, distracting from the fishing process, and in some cases can lead to failure of the reel seat. Designs with a front-mounted nut, which is often framed in fine cork or practical neoprene, are less subject to arbitrary loosening, since when working with the rod the palm and fingers of the hand holding it do not touch this part.
But even in them, when there are significant backlashes on the threads of plastic (usually) parts, the coil fastening sometimes occurs. Excessively tightening the nut in both reel seat designs not only does not help matters, but threatens:
Breakage of threads on parts;
jamming of the fastening ring on the reel foot;
cracking of the nut frame made of natural cork.
The consequence of this is the cessation of fishing and the subsequent difficult repair of the WHOLE rod. All this can be prevented or losses can be minimized if you use the little tricks suggested below.
1. After installing the coil, it is advisable to wrap the running nut of the “classic” layout with a medical adhesive tape 18 mm wide. By grabbing the nut with part of the thread on the reel seat tube with a band-aid, you will immediately free yourself from both its self-loosening and abrasions on your palm. It is especially convenient to make such a winding if the reel remains on the rod for a long time, for example, while fishing on vacation. Unlike PVC electrical tape, the adhesive from the patch is simply removed with ordinary vodka.
2. Often, the self-loosening factor causes too much play between the running nut and the reel seat tube. This can be eliminated by screwing narrow thin tape directly onto the threads of the tube in one layer. The winding must be laid with force so that the thread turns remain in relief, and only in the place where the nut will be located after installing the coil in place.
3. The main reason for the random unscrewing of the nut of a screw reel seat of any type is the absence of an elastic element in the system. This can be easily compensated for by putting suitable pieces of PVC cambric or (which is better) heat-shrinkable tubing on the ends of the reel legs. The easiest way to squeeze it into the shape of a paw is to put it in boiling water. After such an operation, the reel stays very tightly in place, and its proprietary very beautiful coating will not be scratched even by all-metal clamping rings.
4. Sometimes, during fishing, a fly reel begins to dangle in the reel seat, especially if its foot is not adjacent to a rigid tube, but to a fragile insert made of natural cork. This is fraught with abrasions on the cork and pressing through its surface, which greatly weakens the fastening of the reel and damages the expensive fishing rod. And here an adhesive tape will help out. Stick it directly on the cork under the reel foot - the fastening will be much better, and the cork insert will retain its original appearance longer. The same help can be provided to light-class spinning rods, which usually have the same cork insert in the reel seat.
5. If the reel is jammed between the fastening rings and the nut does not come off, you should not apply excessive force, much less grab fragile plastic with various kinds of handy “grabs” - pliers, pliers, etc.
Just drop a little clean kerosene (in field conditions - vodka) into the threads and onto the reel foot and after 3-5 minutes, tightly grasp the nut with your hand in a rubber glove and unscrew it with not very much force. After this, wipe all parts with a clean cloth and put the rod and rod in their cases.
6. As a preventative measure against jamming of the reel, always after fishing, remove from its foot and from the reel seat (especially carefully from the threads) the blockages that inevitably form during fishing. Fish mucus, particles of bait and bait magically attract sand, which can wear out the threads on the plastic and metal parts of the reel seat in less than one season. And changing it is quite a troublesome and expensive task. Sincerely yours
