Comparison Shimano Catana FC 3000S vs Teben Aquios AQR 400

The number of bearings provided in the design of the reel. Bearings are used to reduce friction of rotating parts, which, on the one hand, protects such parts from wear, and on the other hand, reduces excessive effort expended when the handle is rotated. Accordingly, the more bearings, the more friction units are protected and the better the coil is “optimized”; this parameter is a good indicator of the overall class of the product. At the same time, it is necessary to evaluate different models taking into account their purpose (see "Type").

So, in fly fishing reels, even quite expensive ones, 1 bearing is usually provided — at the point of installation of the drum on a bracket designed for attachment to the rod. This is actually the only significant friction point, so more bearings are simply not required. For multiplier reels, this number varies from 1 for relatively simple options to 6 – 7 for premium ones. And in inertia-free bearings, the number of bearings can reach a couple of dozen.

The presence of a baitrunner in the design of the coil. A baitrunner is a special device for bleed fishing line, used when catching large strong fish, primarily carp. The bite of such prey, even with relatively small sizes, can be so powerful and sharp that with the main clutch clamped, the fish can break the line or even break the rod. At the same time, without the brake being pressed, it is impossible to perform effective hooking. Bayrunner resolves this contradiction. When turned on, it allows the line to come off the reel with some effort, ignoring the main drag — this reduces the risk of breaks and other troubles during strong jerks, while maintaining control over the tackle. And when the baitrunner is turned off, the reel starts to work as usual, which ensures the convenience of playing. Switching between these modes is carried out with one movement of a special lever located on the back of the reel — this is much faster and more convenient than reconfiguring the clutch.

Coils with this feature are subject to special requirements for strength and reliability, so their cost is usually quite high.

The size of the main spool (drum) of the reel. This parameter directly affects the weight of the coil and its resistance to stress. It uses a symbol in thousands; in order not to go into unnecessary details, we can say that the larger the number in such a designation, the larger and heavier the drum. For different purposes, different sizes will be optimal. So, spools for 2500 – 3000 are considered universal, they can be used for both float fishing and spinning fishing in simple conditions. The smaller size is recommended for light tackle, including ultralight category, and equipment for large and heavy prey (for example, when fishing for carp) may include reels for 4500 – 5000 and even more.

The amount of line that can fit on the main spool of a reel with normal winding. It is indicated as a ratio of two numbers, the first of which corresponds to the length of the reeled line in metres, and the second to the thickness in millimetres: for example, the numbers 200 / 0.45 indicate that up to 200 m of fishing line with a thickness of 0.45 mm can fit on the reel.

For different types of fishing, there are recommendations on the optimal value of this parameter; they can be found in special sources. Here we note that the capacity of the spool is indicated exclusively for a smooth fishing line; when using a braided cord, the actual performance may differ markedly.

The material from which the base of the coil is made is the part of the structure on which the spool and other mechanisms are installed.

— Plastic. Plastic is inexpensive, lightweight, corrosion resistant and completely immune to salt water. At the same time, this material is easily scratched, its strength is relatively low, and under the action of ultraviolet radiation in some grades of plastic, it is even more reduced. As a result, plastic is used mainly in entry-level coils that are not designed for difficult conditions and high loads. Usually, its quality directly depends on the price of the product.

— Graphite. Most often, this term refers to a relatively simple type of carbon fiber, which has a low cost and can be used even in low-cost-class models. At the same time, with a small weight, graphite is somewhat stronger and more resistant to certain influences than plastic, and therefore is also found in more expensive products. The quality of this material may also vary depending on the price of the coil.

— Carbon. Another type of carbon fiber, higher grade than graphite. Carbon combines high strength, flexural stability and durability under stress with extremely low weight; in addition, it is completely chemically inert (does not corrode) and tolerates ultraviolet radiation, temperature extremes, etc. well. The main disadvantage of this material can be called a high price, due to which it is used mainly in premium models. Also note tha...t carbon requires quite careful handling, because. does not take a hit well.

— Composite. Composites are materials that combine several separate components that are not mixed with each other (unlike, for example, alloys). In coils, this term most often means a combination of the graphite or carbon fiber described above with fiberglass. Fiberglass, despite the name, bears little resemblance to ordinary glass — it is highly flexible and can withstand bumps and falls without any problems; therefore, the combination of this material with carbon reduces the fragility of the latter. And in the "bundle" with graphite, fiberglass slightly increases the strength of the entire structure. The composite base can be found in models of different price categories — this is due to the difference in the quality of the components used.

— Aluminium. The main advantage of aluminium alloys can be called high strength, due to which this material can be found even in "large-caliber" coils designed for strong and heavy production. However, there are simpler options — again, aluminium alloys come in different types, and their characteristics usually depend on the price. In terms of weight, this material, if it surpasses plastic, is not much, and its corrosion resistance is very good. Of the obvious shortcomings, one can only note a rather high (in general) cost.

— Magnesium. Magnesium-based alloys are premium materials. Their main feature is extremely light weight combined with high strength and reliability, which allows you to create powerful and at the same time quite light coils. On the other hand, such products are expensive, and the material itself does not tolerate contact with salt water, and in general its resistance to corrosion is relatively low (which requires the use of special coatings).

The material of the spare spool(drum) supplied with the reel.

Additional interchangeable spools are provided to expand the capabilities of the reel: if necessary, you can quickly replace the fishing line with tackle of a different thickness (or the same one instead of a broken one), install a reduced drum to increase the casting distance, etc. As for the materials for such spools ( plastic, aluminium, graphite), they do not differ from those used in the main drums; see the relevant paragraph above for more details.

The total weight of the reel (only the device itself, without fishing line). This parameter is important, first of all, for those who select equipment of the ultralight class — in such gear, the struggle is, as they say, for every extra gram. In other cases, you can not pay special attention to weight.