Types of Fishing Reels Explained
By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026
The main types of fishing reels used in the UK are the fixed spool (also called a spinning reel, including baitrunner or freespool versions), the centrepin, the multiplier (including the smaller baitcaster) and the fly reel. The closed-face reel is a niche extra. Which one you need depends on how you fish, not on how much you spend.
Each reel solves one problem: easy casting, letting a fish run, trotting a float, casting heavy leads or lures, or holding fly line. Most anglers start on a fixed spool, and for most of them that’s the right call. The table below shows how the rest compare.
Fishing Reel Types Compared: The Quick Table
The reel most UK anglers learn on is the younger design. The first mass-produced fixed spool, the Illingworth No.1 Threadline, arrived in 1905, while a wooden Nottingham reel of the centrepin type is credited to Samuel Lowkes back in 1850.
| Reel type | How the spool works | Best for (UK) | Main strength | Main drawback | Learning curve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed spool (spinning) | Spool stays still, a bail arm wraps the line on | Float, feeder, lure, LRF, beach | Easy, versatile, cheap, low maintenance | Line twist, line must be loaded to the right level | Easy |
| Baitrunner / freespool | Fixed spool with a secondary light drag | Carp, bait fishing, pike deadbaits, freelined sea baits | Lets a fish run without resistance | Extra mechanism to set | Easy |
| Closed-face | Fixed spool inside a cover, push-button line release | Close-range float fishing (niche) | Few tangles in the wind | Limited distance and line capacity | Easy |
| Centrepin | Free-running drum on a central pin | Trotting a stick float for roach, chub, barbel | Natural float presentation in flow | Usually no drag, tangles at first | Moderate to hard |
| Multiplier / baitcaster | Spool turns as line goes out | Beach and boat sea fishing, heavy lures for pike | Distance, cranking power, heavy lures | Bird’s nests, handle side fixed | Hard |
| Fly reel | Holds fly line and backing, line stripped by hand | Trout, grayling, salmon, sea trout, pike on the fly | Stores line, gives drag on big fish | Must match the line weight | Moderate |
Fixed Spool Reels (Spinning Reels): The UK All-Rounder
A complete beginner can cast a fixed spool on day one, then tangle a multiplier on the first chuck. The difference is that the spool on a fixed spool reel doesn’t rotate. A bail arm spins around it and wraps the line on, so on the cast the line peels off the front of the spool with nothing to overrun. Open the bail, trap the line on a finger, cast, close the bail.
“Spinning reel” is the US and lure-fishing term, “fixed spool” the UK one. Same reel. In any baitcaster vs spinning reel debate, the spinning reel is a fixed spool.
Sizes are given in thousands. Roughly, 1000 to 3000 suits LRF and light lure work, 4000 to 5000 suits bass, flatfish and heavier lures, and 7000 to 8000 is beachcasting territory. Manufacturers vary, so line capacity is the better measure: a beachcasting fixed spool should hold about 300 to 400m of 15lb (0.35mm) line. Our guide to fishing reel sizes covers sizing in detail.
The drawbacks are line twist and the need to load line to the right level for clean casting. Every fixed spool also has a drag, a clutch that gives line when a fish pulls harder than the line can take. See how reel drag works for setting it.
On Windermere a fixed spool covers almost everything I do for perch and bream, from the feeder to the drop-shot.
Best for: a first reel, plus float, feeder, lure and most sea fishing. When you’re ready to buy, start with our best spinning reels.
Baitrunner and Freespool Reels
“Baitrunner” is a Shimano trademark. It describes a fixed spool with a second, much lighter drag that lets a fish take line without feeling the rod. Other brands call the same idea freespool, BR or FS.
To use one:
- Engage the secondary drag with the lever.
- Set a light run tension on the rear dial.
- When you get a run, pick up the rod and wind the handle one turn.
- The main drag takes over and you play the fish as normal.
They’re used for carp and other bait fishing, pike deadbaits, and freelining baits for tope or bass. Retailer guidance suggests sizes of roughly 8000 to 10000 for carp, though anglers don’t all agree. Skip the baitrunner version if you mostly fish float or lure, because you’ll pay for a mechanism you never use. Our pick of the best carp reels covers what to look for.
Closed-Face Reels
A closed-face reel is a fixed spool with the spool enclosed under a cover, and line is released by a button or trigger instead of a bail arm. It’s mainly a close-range float option, and the cover limits distance and line capacity.
Centrepin Reels: Built for Trotting a Float
The centrepin predates the fixed spool by more than half a century. According to the Canal & River Trust, a wooden version is credited to Samuel Lowkes of Sneinton, Nottingham, in 1850, and a “newly invented centre reel” appears in the 1866 second edition of Bailey’s Anglers Instructor. Allcock’s Aerial followed in 1896.
A centrepin reel is a free-running drum on a central spindle. The current pulls line off the drum as the float travels, so the float moves at the pace of the flow instead of being held back.
Its main job is trotting a stick float for roach, chub and barbel. Angling Times rates it as making trotting far easier than any other type of reel. Let it run free, slow the float with light thumb pressure on the drum, and thumb the drum firmly when you strike.
Strike without your thumb on the drum and there’s no resistance to set the hook, so the line can tangle and you miss the bite. Most centrepins have no mechanical drag either. Your thumb does that job.
If you float fish rivers and want better presentation, borrow or buy a centrepin once you’re comfortable on a fixed spool. On stillwaters, a fixed spool does the job.
Multiplier and Baitcaster Reels: Power, Distance and Thumb Control
One small casting mistake with a multiplier can leave a bird’s nest that takes far longer to unpick than the cast took to make. The cause is the design. The spool turns as line goes out, and if it spins faster than the line is leaving, the line overruns and knots itself.
A multiplier reel and a baitcaster work on the same principle. In the UK, “multiplier” usually means the larger reels used on the beach and from boats, while “baitcaster” usually means the smaller, low-profile versions used for lures.
Brakes stop the overrun. They are either centrifugal or magnetic, and magnetic brakes are generally rated the best, though they usually cost more. To get started:
- Set the brakes to the slowest (most braked) setting.
- Thumb the spool as the weight lands, so it stops turning.
- Reduce the braking gradually as your timing improves.
The ratio tells you how many times the spool turns for each turn of the handle. Most multipliers sold in the UK sit between 4:1 and 6:1. Multipliers use a star drag, and most UK sea anglers screw it down fully when fishing, then back it off for storage.
Two buying checks matter. A multiplier’s handle side is fixed when you buy it, while most fixed spools switch left or right. And multiplier rods usually have more, smaller rings, while fixed spool rods have fewer, larger ones. Many modern rods suit either, but check. Our guide to the best sea fishing reels covers both types for beach and boat.
Baitcaster vs Spinning Reel for Pike and Lures
Most published advice on this comes from North America, so treat it as general guidance rather than UK data. A spinning reel suits lighter lures and anglers new to lure fishing. A baitcaster comes into its own with heavier lures, big jerkbaits and glide baits, provided you’ll put the time into thumb control.
Expect a learning curve. One UK angler reported that, at first, his new baitcaster wouldn’t cast 20 to 25g lures as far as his spinning gear. That’s one angler’s experience, but a fair warning against switching the week before a trip.
From lure fishing for pike, I’ve found the heavier the lure, the more a strong, smooth drag matters. Whichever reel you use, that’s the spec to check. Compare options in our best baitcaster reels.
Fly Reels: Matching Reel, Line and Rod
The fly reel is the one type of fishing reel that plays no part in the cast. Choose the wrong one and the setup still fails, because the line weight has to match.
In fly fishing, the weight of the line carries the fly, and you strip line in by hand. The reel’s jobs are to store the fly line and backing, balance the rod, and apply drag when a fish runs.
Reel, line and rod should all share the same AFTM line rating. A label such as 5/6 means the reel suits a range of line weights. Lighter weights suit small-river trout, while pike and saltwater need heavier lines and a reel with room for more backing. Large arbor reels have a wider drum, which picks up line faster and reduces line memory (coiling).
Buy the rod first, then a reel and line rated to match it. If the budget is tight, spend it on the line before the reel.
Which Type of Fishing Reel Should You Choose?
If you only buy one reel, make it a mid-sized fixed spool. It covers float, feeder and lure fishing on most UK waters.
| Method / species | Reel type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Float and feeder for roach, bream, tench | Fixed spool | Smaller sizes |
| Carp on bolt or bait rigs | Baitrunner / freespool | Larger sizes, opinions differ |
| River trotting for chub, barbel, roach | Centrepin | Or a fixed spool to start |
| Lure fishing for perch and pike | Fixed spool | Baitcaster for heavy lures |
| Pike deadbaiting | Baitrunner / freespool | Or a fixed spool with the bail open |
| Beach casting | Fixed spool or multiplier | Multiplier for distance once practised |
| Boat fishing | Multiplier | Cranking power |
| LRF | Small fixed spool | 1000 to 3000 |
| Fly | Fly reel | Matched to the line’s AFTM rating |
Before buying, check the reel suits your rod’s rings and your handle side, then check line capacity for your method. Owning more reels than rod rests is a common condition, but it isn’t compulsory.
Starting out, buy one fixed spool and learn it properly before adding a centrepin or multiplier. For the next step, browse our tackle explainers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best type of fishing reel for a beginner?
A fixed spool reel. It's the easiest type to cast because the spool doesn't turn, so it can't overrun. It's also versatile, cheap and needs little maintenance. One mid-sized fixed spool covers float, feeder and lure fishing on most UK waters.
What is the difference between a baitcaster and a spinning reel?
On a spinning (fixed spool) reel the spool stays still and line peels off the front. On a baitcaster the spool turns as line goes out. That gives more control with heavy lures, but a mistimed cast causes bird's nests.
Do centrepin reels have a drag?
Most centrepin reels don't have a mechanical drag. You control a running fish with your thumb on the drum, and you thumb it on the strike too. Some models have a ratchet check, but thumb control is how the reel is meant to be fished.
What does a baitrunner do on a reel?
A baitrunner adds a secondary light drag, so a fish can take line freely without feeling resistance. When you get a run, one turn of the handle brings the main drag back in. "Baitrunner" is a Shimano trademark, and other brands call it freespool.