Parts of a Fly Reel: What Each Part Does

The short version

A fly reel is simple. A frame holds a spool, the spool holds your backing and line, a handle turns it, and a drag slows it. You attach the reel to the rod at the foot. Everything else is detail on those five things.

Unlike a spinning reel, a fly reel does not throw the line. You cast the line with the rod and your arm, and the reel stores it and takes it back in. Wikipedia describes fly reels as usually manual, single-action designs, where turning the handle turns the spool, typically at a 1:1 ratio. The two main controls it names are the spool release and the drag adjustment.

If you are choosing a reel, the fly reels page lists what the makers state for each model, and our fly reel size guide explains matching a reel to a rod.

The parts, one by one

I'll use the Orvis Clearwater Large Arbor manual as a worked example, because it prints a parts diagram. Other reels name and number their parts differently, so treat this as a map and read your own manual.

Frame. The main body. It holds the shaft, the drag and the spool, and it carries the foot. In the Orvis diagram the frame is part 1.

Foot. The piece that attaches the reel to the rod's reel seat. It is listed as its own part, with its own screw, in the Orvis diagram.

Spool. Holds the line and spins on the spindle (Fishwest). On many reels it comes off, and the Orvis manual says the spool release sits in the middle of the spool: you press the latch while lifting the spool out of the reel body.

Arbor. The core of the spool, the diameter the line wraps around. Reels come in small, mid and large arbor sizes (Fishwest), and Orvis lists standard and mid-size arbors among the options. The next section explains why it matters.

Drag. The braking system. Orvis says it resists the line as a fish pulls, which helps you control the fish and land it. On a disc drag, Fishwest says turning the drag knob increases pressure on the line as it leaves the spool. In the Orvis manual you turn the knob clockwise to increase resistance and counterclockwise to decrease it. It also says to set the minimum drag so that the spool can't overrun on a fast run, and that you can add pressure by palming the spool rim with your fingers or hand. The drag stack inside includes plates and washers (the Orvis diagram lists a pressure plate, drag washer and friction plate) and a clicker.

Handle. A knob on a shaft that turns the spool, listed in the Orvis diagram with a handle shaft and washer. On a single-action reel one turn of the handle is one turn of the spool.

Clutch bearing. Orvis uses it to set which hand you retrieve with, which is covered in the next section.

Counter weight. The Orvis diagram lists a counter weight and its screw as separate parts. Other makers may name or build this differently.

Left- or right-hand retrieve

Many models can be switched, so you can set the handle for your dominant hand (Orvis). On the Clearwater Large Arbor, the drag is installed for left-hand wind at the factory. To change it you remove the spool, pull the keyed bush and clicker plate assembly off the spindle, flip the clutch bearing and reassemble. Your reel may differ, so use the manual that came with it. In our data, all of the fly reels that state a retrieve type are convertible.

Arbor: why it matters

Fishwest says a larger arbor covers more area per turn, so line comes back faster, and it adds that a mid arbor suits most trout fishing and rods up to a 6-weight, because it retrieves quickly without unbalancing the rod. It also says large-arbor reels are heavier and can throw off a trout rod's balance. Orvis lists the benefits of large arbors: less reeling to recover line, room for more backing and thicker lines, fewer tangles and more consistent drag.

At our last check (October 2026) we track 274 fly reels on Amazon US. Where the arbor is stated, 170 are large arbor, 20 are ultra-large, 18 are mid and 3 are standard. So large arbor is the default on today's listings, and it is the label to look at only if the weight or balance matters to you.

Drag types

The type of drag is the part that changes how a reel feels in the hand.

• Click-and-pawl. Gears and tension bands let line leave and return at a steady rate, and the reel whirrs when a fish runs (Fishwest). Little adjustment. Orvis says you can add pressure with a hand on the rim.
• Disc drag. Works something like brakes, applying pressure to the line, says Fishwest. Wikipedia says most modern reels have composite disc drags.
• Sealed drag. Orvis says saltwater reels typically need stronger drag, and sealed designs keep salt and grit out of the mechanism.
• Automatic. Wikipedia describes a coiled spring that pulls line in when you flick a lever, heavy for their size and holding limited line. Our automatic reels page lists the few we track.

In our data, where the drag type is stated, 78 are carbon disc, 79 are other disc, 17 are cork disc, 19 are conical, 35 are click-and-pawl and 3 are automatic. The click-and-pawl page lists that group.

Gary set his drag knob to maximum on his first day, on the theory that a fish should never take line. The tippet, which is the weakest part of the system, did what tippet does. A drag that is too tight is as wrong as one that is too loose. Orvis says to set it looser when you are unsure, since that lowers the chance of a break in the first few seconds, and that the right setting depends on species, conditions, hook size and tippet strength.

Frame and material

The sources I opened do not explain the difference between cast and machined frames, and Orvis' reel page only lists materials such as anodized aluminum, cast aluminum, carbon and steel. What our data shows is how makers label construction where they state it: machined is the largest group (108), then cast (42), cast and machined (31), composite (21) and forged and machined (13). A construction label tells you how a frame is made, not how long it will last, so look at the drag, the arbor and the warranty alongside it.

What to look at when you choose

1. Line weight range. Match the reel to your rod's weight. Orvis shows sizes as ranges such as 5/6 and says oversizing slightly helps for saltwater.
2. Species and water. Trout and bass need less drag and size than saltwater fish (Orvis). See trout reels and saltwater reels.
3. Arbor and balance. Fishwest says large-arbor reels can unbalance a light trout rod, and it suggests handling reels in person before you buy.
4. Drag. Pick click-and-pawl or disc by how you like to fight a fish.
5. Budget. Orvis says cheaper reels can work for trout and bass but may not last as long, and saltwater reels take heavy wear from corrosion and sand.

Fish don't read spec sheets. You should.

Care

The Orvis manual says its reel was lubricated before shipping, but should be cleaned and lubricated after extensive use or after contact with dirt or sand, and given routine cleaning at least twice each year. It names Penn reel lube for the moving components and says not to put the reel away wet or in a wet reel case. For extended storage it says to remove the line and backing and loosen the drag. That is one maker's advice for one reel, so check the manual for yours. Loading a reel properly is covered in our guide on how to spool a fly reel, and how much backing on a fly reel covers capacity.