It’s a drag
Fishing reel drag systems, sometimes termed ‘clutches’, allow fishers to catch large fish on relatively light line.
We anglers regularly catch fish weighing many times the breaking strain of the fishing line. But it’s not just weight that determines how easy or difficult a fish is to subdue on a rod and reel: swimming strength/power, swimming speed and how quickly a fish changes direction are other important factors.
A properly functioning reel drag is vital to fishing success. When large or particularly strong fish are hooked, they pull line off the reel against the resistance of the drag. That’s okay: set correctly, the drag is designed to release line before the line’s breaking point is reached. So when a fish pulls line off the reel, resist the temptation to clamp down of the spool or to tighten the drag: these are rookie mistakes and you risk breaking the line and losing the fish.
Take your time and let the reel drag do its work. Pulling line off the reel against the resistance of the drag eventually tires the fish and it can be reeled in.
USE APPROPRIATE TACKLE
While reel drag systems allow anglers to catch fish on relatively weak fishing lines, there are practical limits: snapper fishing tackle is not usually up to stopping large sharks or giant kingfish.
It pays to match your gear to the species you are hoping to catch. Big fish are sometimes hooked accidentally on tackle meant for much smaller specimens, so there are always surprises, but it is irresponsible and unrewarding to fish with inadequate gear that leaves fish carrying hooks and trailing line. Use gear that is strong enough to deal with most of the fish you are likely to hook.
What constitutes appropriate tackle depends on what species you are hoping to catch and where you are fishing. Light tackle is completely appropriate for smaller fish and can be highly effective and fun to use on larger fish in open water, but it’s less appropriate where fish are generally large or there is the risk of them breaking the line on underwater obstructions. Large fish hooked on light line sometimes empty the reel because the angler can’t exert sufficient drag pressure to stop them.
DRAGS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL
Reels used for sea fishing usually have drags comprising either a stack of fibre and metal washers keyed to the spool and main shaft or one or more friction plates acting directly on the spool. Spinning reels usually house the drag washer stack inside the spool; star-drag and lever-drag overhead reels house the drag in the reel’s side plates.
Reel drag performance depends on many factors, including how well the drag is maintained. A dirty drag, or one that’s contaminated with salt, sand or water, will almost certainly perform poorly. The relative size of the drag makes a huge difference too.
Drag size is measured by the area of the friction surfaces, whether they’re a stack of washers or a friction plate(s). Larger washers, or more of them, equals a greater drag area, which usually translates into a smoother, more progressive drag less affected by fading and heat.
The materials used in the drag make a big difference too. Depending on what they’re made of, metal washers can corrode, adversely affecting drag performance, and the material used in the fibre washers sandwiched between the metal ones, contributes to how much friction is generated.
Oiled felt is popular for fibre washers because it’s smooth and reliable, but most washers these days are stamped from manmade fibres. So-called ‘carbon’ washers are popular when ultimate stopping power is important.
SPINNING REELS
Spinning reels have become very popular and probably make up the bulk of reels used for any form of fishing these days.
They generally employ a drag system comprising a series of fibre and metal washer stacked alternately inside the reel’s spool. Some of the metal washers are keyed to the spool so they rotate when it does; the others are keyed to the shaft so they can’t turn.
Fibre washers sandwiched between them create friction between the metal washers and the amount of friction (drag pressure) is controlled by a simple knob threaded onto the main shaft that pushes down on the washer stack.
This is a simple and reliable system. Modern materials and careful engineering has allowed reel manufacturers to produce spinning reels with amazing drag capabilities for their size. Today it is quite feasible to tackle billfish and tuna using a spinning reel with enough line capacity. Absolute drag pressures can exceed 30kg in top-end models.
Small, budget reels like the one pictured left, which has stamped metal washers (not machined – machined washers are perfectly flat) and oiled felt fibre washers, can exert only a kilo or three of drag pressure and line release may or may not be smooth, particularly at the higher end of the drag range, though felt washers are usually smooth if not especially powerful or long-lasting.
A reel with composite fibre washers will probably exert more drag pressure and suffer less fade during a long fight, but poorquality washers might also be sticky and lack a range of drag adjustment: there’s nothing worse than a drag that’s all-off or all-on with little in between. Some composite washers are run ‘dry’, that is without oil or grease; others are oiled or otherwise lubricated for smoothness (with graphite, for instance).
Expensive reels feature ‘carbon’ washers. Brand names include Carbontex. Carbon washers cope better with heat, can exert much higher drag pressures and resist wear better than other washers. Most top-quality (expensive) spinning and overhead reels incorporate carbon washers, which are usually oiled or greased,
and carbon washer kits can often be retrofitted to existing reels. Just make sure they are engineered to withstand elevated drag pressure.
Better engineered spinning reels shield the drag washers from water and dirt, usually with a rubber seal at the base of the drag adjustment knob; cheaper reels don’t bother and therefore require regular maintenance and cleaning to avoid drag malfunctions.
Most spinning reel drags are easy enough to remove so the washers can be cleaned and any water removed. Simply wiping down the washers and removing salt, sand, accumulated grease or emulsified oil, or for dry washers allowing them to dry out before replacing them, will make a world of difference to drag function. Add a little reel oil or drag grease to ‘wet’ drag systems before re-assembling the reel and you’re ready to fish.
Corroded metal drag washers should be replaced. Budget reels sometimes used chromed steel washers and these quickly deteriorate in salt water. While it’s possible to sand them smooth using emery paper and a sheet of glass, the fix is only temporary: they’ll quickly corrode again and may fuse the drag system completely. Throw the reel away or at least replace the drag system with one of higher quality.
OVERHEAD REELS
Overhead reels use either a washer stack like those found in spinning reels but housed horizontally behind the reel’s handle and tightened using a star wheel (‘star-drag’), or a drag plate activated by a lever (lever-drag).
Lever-drag systems tend to be smoother and offer a greater range of drag settings due to the composition of the friction plate and its greater surface area, but they are generally more expensive. Lever-drag reels tend to be large or heavy-duty and dominate
heavy tackle big game fishing and some feature two drag plates, effectively doubling the friction plates’ surface area.
Like spinning reel, star-drag reels employ drags of variable quality, depending on the materials used for the washers and how much friction surface is available. Waterproofing varies greatly between models, with price often a good indicator to drag quality, as well as the overall quality of the reel.
Carbon washers are fitted to high-end overhead reels and can provide staggering drag pressures from small reels. Small lever-drag reels are becoming more common, some also with carbon drag plates.
Aftermarket carbon drag kits are available to fit many makes and models of spinning and overhead reels and may be worthwhile provided the reel is sufficiently sturdy to cope with high drag pressures. B