GB2319158A - Fishing reel line retrieve - Google Patents

Abstract

A fishing reel for deploying and retrieving a fishing line includes a mechanism which is adapted to repeatedly interrupt the retrieve and or vary the rate of retrieval of the line. The mechanism may comprise an electro-magnetic (Fig. 7) or mechanical (Fig. 6) or hydraulic clutch on any of the drive shafts of the reels to vary the speed of the rotor. In an alternative embodiment the mechanism may vary or stop the speed of retrieval at the spool. In other embodiments a mechanism may vary the rotation of the bale arm. The interrupted, intermittent or jerky line retrieve influences the actions of an attached bait or lure as it moves through the water. Vibrations, sounds and erratic movements are so created. These effects stimulate the predatory instincts of many fish thus increasing the chance of them being caught.

Description

Fishing Reel Line Retrieve Introduction An underwater prey species can attract the attentions of predatory fish by the movements it makes, the vibrations these movements emit and the frequency of the vibrations. If a prey species is wounded or injured, these "signals" become even more stimulating to the predator.

Artificially presented baits or lures try to create vibrations, sounds or movements to attract an attack or strike from a predator. These vibrations, sounds or movements are mainly achieved by the shape and construction of the bait or lure as it is pulled through the water by a line. The line travels from the bait or lure to the drum of a reel. The act of winding the line onto the drum is called retrieve. Winding in "retrieves" the bait or lure.

Background Originally, fishing reels had a simple retrieve. One turn of the reel handle brought in a corresponding amount of line. With the introduction of gearing, relatively slow rates of retrieve became faster. Today in some more expensive reels, variable gearing has been introduced. The mechanical function of a reel's retrieve is tailored to bringing line onto a spool, The forward motion of the bait or lure being retrieved could only be influenced to a limited extend from the reel by manually varying the speed of turning the reel handle This invention provides a method for enhancing the performance of a fishing bait or lure by deliberately and repeatedly interrupting the retrieve of the fishing bait or lure as it moves through the water. Accordingly, the present invention provides a fishing reel for deploying and retrieving a fishing line, which reel is characterised in that it incorporates a mechanism which is adapted to operate positively to repeatedly interrupt the retrieval and/or vary the rate of retrieval of line by the reel. By interrupting the speed of line retrieve artificial movements and vibrations are produced in baits or lures. These periods of change when retrieving line could be of a set frequency or even be of an intermittent or sporadic nature.

As the "smooth" retrieval of line to the reel is interrupted, we shall call the invention interrupted line retrieval. Interrupted line retrieve can be varied in three ways: (a) Application of degree of speed of line retrieve. This can vary between forward movement, stop and free line release of line (b) Duration of application (c) Frequency of application For example, three applications of interrupted line retrieve could be: 1. Line retrieve speed halved for 1.0 sec every 2 secs 2. Line retrieve stopped for 0.5 secs every 1 sec 3. Line released for 0.2 secs every 0.5 secs The fishing reel imparts a repeated action to the line which, in turn, imparts a corresponding influence on the attached bait or lure. Existing baits or lures could be used, or tailor-made lures could be introduced to work with interrupted line retrieve producing, for example, enhanced underwater sounds (known to be attractive to certain fish species) It is also possible that the interrupted line retrieve could be set to a frequency of application that is very stimulating to a targeted predator or predators.

In addition, due to the way fish move (the dynamics of tail movement call for rapid acceleration followed by deceleration), this invention could realistically mimic prey movement, again deceiving predators into striking.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1: Shows the effect of the invention on a surface or negative buoyancy bait or lure Fig 2: Shows the effect ofthe invention on a sinking bait or lure.

Fig 3: Shows the effect of the invention on a diving bait or lure (this bait or lure is buoyant,but is caused to dive by design) Fig 4: Shows the effect of the invention with an extended durating of zero retrive on a sinking bait or lure.

Fig 5: Shows a typical fixed spool reel.

Fig 6: Shows a mechanical clutch.

Fig 7: Shows an electro-magnetic clutch.

The reel can achieve interruptions and variations by varying the speed, allowing the line to run out (deploy) or stop and start to give jerky retrieval. When the interrupted retrieve is applied to a bait or lure effects such as those shown in figure 1, 2, 3, and 4 are possible.

Interrupted line retrieve is achieved either mechanically or electronically within the constraints of the reel. Interruption/variation can be achieved by: (a) Varying the speed of the rotor by introducing and electrical or mechanical or hydraulic clutch on any of the drive shafts or rotating components. This clutch could activate: a gear or gears to vary the speed of or stop rotation, a cam or cams to vary the speeds of or stop rotation or any other device that varies or stops rotation and, as a consequence, retrieval of the line.

(b) Introduce a mechanism, electrical, mechanical or hydraulic which would vary or stop the speed of line retrieval at the spool. The mechanism or mechanisms could be built into the existing clutch design or fitted at any point between the spool and the spool shaft. When activated, the spool would counter-rotate, slowing or stopping line retrieval.

(c) Introducing a mechanism, electrical, mechanical or hydraulic which would vary the position or diameter of rotation or orbit of the bale arm. This would vary or stop line retrieval.

(d) All the above mechanisms could be controlled by a lever, dial or electronically. The mechanism could be de-activated manually by the angler, electronically, for example using a float switch activated by raising the rod (a strike) or de-activated by the drag mechanism during the strike Reels incorporating the invention could stay faithful to traditional design or follow a more radical approach.

for example, using a traditional fixed spool reel (Fig. 5) interruption/variation could be achieved thus: Fig. 6 shows a mechanical clutch. The clutch plate (3) is fixed to the spool (1). The clutch plate (4) is fixed to the main shaft (5). A cam (6) fixed to the rotor (7) opens and closes the clutch. When the clutch is in the open position the spool (1) is free to counter-rotate. The duration of the counter-rotation depends upon the size and shape of the cam. A spring (8) keeps the clutch-plate (4) open.

Fig. 7 shows an electro-magnetic clutch. The clutch-plate (13) is joined to the transverse shaft (15) The plate slides on splines or a keyway (16). An electro-magnet (19) when activated by a current, moves the plate (13) in the direction ofthe arrow (17). This engages the main drive gear (20) and in turn the pinion gear (21). When the current is switched off,.

the spring (18) pushes the clutch-plate (13) in the opposite direction to the arrow (17). The transverse shaft (15) can still be manually rotated by the handle (11) but the rotor (7) (Fig. 6) does not turn. No line is retrieved. The clutch can be manually activated by a lever (21) and ratchet (22) or electronically controlled continuously to start and stop the drive shafts (15) and (21).

Claims (4)

Claims

1 A fishing reel for deploying and retrieving a fishing line, which reel is characterised in that it incorporates a mechanism which is adapted to operate positively to repeatedly interrupt the retrieval and/or vary the rate of retrieval of line by the reel.

2. A fishing reel as claimed in claim 1 which applied varying degrees of line retrieve in a recurrent manner.

3. A fishing reel as claimed in Claim 1 and 2 which applies various durations of line retrieve in a recurrent manner.

4. A fishing reel as claimed in claim 1, 2 and 3 which applies frequency of application to claim 2 and 3.