A fishing reel is a device used in recreational and sport fishing for the deployment and retrieval of fishing line using a spool mounted on an axle. They are most often used in conjuction with a fishing rod, though some specialised reels are mounted directly on to boats.
Reels come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but there are now three basic configurations of reel in common use - overhead, underhand, and threadline (eggbeater).