Whats a reel drag

A lost fish

When a big fish starts taking line off your reel, speed stripping it out to the islands and you can't turn its head what do you do?

I hope you didn't say tighten the drag. If you did you are apt to loose a big fish. Instead of adjusting the drag knob or hard palming the reel, you should use the inherent built in flex moment designed into your rod for just this moment.

And if the fish keeps taking line out you better loosen up the drag, here's why.

As line leaves the reel the diameter of the line on the reel decreases. If we think of the diameter of the line as a lever you can see that it will take more effort to take out line as the diameter of the line on the reel decreases.

We are using a shorter lever to accomplish the same amount of work so the drag is effectively increased as the line lets out.

If you think its a minor thing read on!

Bare with me for a moment.

X = (r1/r2) x D

X = effective drag

r1 = starting radius inches

r2 = ending radius inches

D = drag setting in LBS

Assuming you set your drag at the correct level (about 1/4 to 1/3 of your line lb test).

Example:

My 8 weight fly reel is measured at 3.75 inches which gives me a radius of 1.875 inches (3.75/2).

Spooling my reel with 200 yards of Dacron backing and 8 weight/weight forward floating line gives me a radius of about 1.75 inches +/- loose.

If I'm fishing 1x leader/tippet I'm fishing at about 12 lb test. 1/4 of 12 = 3 lbs of drag setting.

I know we don't usually measure it with a scale, but if you hold the tippet between your thumb and pinkie and pull the line out and tighten the drag until the line just slips with a tight grip of you pinkie and thumb it is about 3 lbs of drag. (OK)

So starting with a drag of 3lbs and 12 lb test line here's where we go:

With a starting radius of 1.75 inches and a large fish, whatever fish you like. Me I like Stripped Bass. He hits my popper and of he goes.

He strips out line and my line radius goes to 1.5 inches with no drag adjustment lever or hand. My 3 lb drag is now:

x=(r1/r2)xD (1.75/1.5)/3 = 3.5 lbs effective drag.

He's still taking out line now I'm at 1.00 inch radius

(1.75/1.00) x 3 = 5.25 lbs

He's a monster and striping out line until you have to put water on you reel. IGFA here we come.
(1.75/.5) x 3 = 10.5 lb effective drag

Just shy of the line lb rating. Think it can't happen? My Dacron backing starts at about 1 inch diameter. 90 feet of fly line gone.

If I'm like most saltwater fly fishers I haven't thought about drag and have set it to about what I think is tight enough. (tight) I know you don't do that.

I think this is the reason large arbor fly reels have become so popular. You can't pack line on to hilt and it makes it easier to reel in line very fast.

So (1.75/1.00) X 6lb drag = 10.5 lbs effective drag.

(1.75/.4375) X 3 lbs = 12 lbs effective drag (snap)

and if your fish strips out line the horizon (1.75/.25) X 6 = 42 lbs of effective drag.

Even at optimal drag of 3 lbs (1.75/.25) X 3 = 21 lbs

Your fish is long gone along with your $3.00 fly and your proud catch of the day.

So you see tightening the drag can be a reel drag if you loose a fish because of it. Take this post with a grain of salt. Do math and fishing go together? I don't know ever wonder why it takes such skill to catch a large lb fish on light tackle? Just a thought.