hey everyone... i was looking at some fly reels, studying them closely no doubt from a mechanical/engineering point of view.. there are some features of these reels i like... certain aspects to the design...

then i look at baitcasting reels and well, features i like on those too...

one thing i like about the fly reels are the designs of the spools, the way theyre not enclosed... then i look at baitcasters and i notice much of the "birds nest" problems are when the spool over runs the excess line gets jammed either under the frame, or between the spool and the body...

so what if someone cross these designs?.. a smaller, more open spool with the supports and the guts of the reel passing through the center of the spool rather than around it, designed around modern braided line do doubt, and used like a conventional lure/bait reel rather than fly?

i believe i could design something along these lines, and build it... but id like to hear feedback.. if anyone can foresee problems, or is curious how a feature might work?... should the crank be direct-drive, or geared?, brake, spool tension, or both?... less likely to catastophically backlash, would drag AND spool tension be neccessary?

i just like thinking up new ways to do things to expand my own knowledge and understanding behind the mechanics, but the end product could be pretty fun to play with

There is something already made that is somewhat does what you are describing minus a smaller spool. It is called a centrepin reel. It is used up here in the pacific northwest by some anglers that target torpedo shaped fish like salmon and steelhead and companies like Loomis (I think) and Lamiglas (I know) make rods specifically meant to hold a centrepin reel. They look like a fly reel but from what I understand, you cast the rig as you would a spinning or casting reel in the sense that the weight of the lure sends the lure flying vs. the weight of the line. I hear that these babies can still backlash. You ought to be able to see videos on you tube about these reels to see if the come close to what you initially were envisioning.

i actually got the bulk of the inspiration from a centerpin reel, but most these designs are rather old, and though some concenpts i like.. if you could modernize it into a smaller, lighter spool and use some of the mechanics of the fly reels you might be able to get something fairly interesting... i would imagine using this on a spinning rod with a set of casting reel guides, free the spool, hold the line with your finger like you wood a spinning reel and cast.. problem is the design would have to be back-lash proof as there wouldnt really be a way to slow the spool down manually

Alvey reel from down under.

ive actually had the idea of a baitcast reel with a spool that pops out when you free the spool for casting.. allowing you to cast like a spinning reel, then pop back into place once you started reeling... problem is then youd have zero benefits over a spinning reel and might as well just use a spinning reel.... i cant help but feel the same way about the alvey reel