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Free Line Reels
Post 13 Mar 2021, 00:40 • #1 
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Joined: 01/10/06
Posts: 7811
Location: Holly Springs, NC
I recently acquired a Humphreys reel by chance. The Humphreys, Wright & McGill Fre-Line, and similar reels were an early attempt to outfit fly rods with a monofilament option. The reels were kept in a secret vest pocket for drowning worms and crickets. They are just the thing for Euro-style nymphing - eliminating that pesky fly line and still looking like a fly reel from a polite distance.

Does anyone use a free line style reel or have photos to share?


Tom

My reel came with the box, but the lid was torn off and most of the manual was missing. The first photo shows the box label and the reel from the handle side. The second photo shows the reel from the cover side. The cover is held onto the reel body by the little spring clip. Give the cover a hard twist and it will pop off.


The next two photos show the four reel parts laid out and labeled. The parts are sturdily built from stainless steel and assembled with rivets and press fittings. There are no user replaceable parts. The crank plate screws into the flyer. This combination is pushed back and forth in the reel body bushing by the spring loaded actuator fork connected to the reel latch.


The last two photos show the casting position (left photo - the reel clip on the top of the photo is unlatched) and the line pick-up position (right photo - the reel clip is latched). When the reel is unlatched, the actuator fork pushes the flyer away from the line spool to allow casting (and also locks the crank plate). When the reel is latched, the fork moves the flyer into the line pick-up position. The line simply catches in the flyer pick-up groove. The process is similar to the well known Zebco spincast reel. There is no anti-reverse or drag. The angler must back-reel to give line.


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Re: Free Line Reels
Post 13 Mar 2021, 10:08 • #2 
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Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Thanks Tom for diagramming such great photos.
I've never handled a Colorado reel, but always thought they were cool, and a great idea from the days of One rod for everything, and that's a fly rod if you live with trout.
Also, what can we do with this new nylon mono.
What they always intrigued me for was float fishing, what we call steelheading and the Brits call trotting.

The fabled PNW Rogue reel was taking the steelheading idea a step further with a spinning spool and free-spool finger lever.
Unlike the Rogue, though, this set-up would also work for casting light spinners and jigs using mono with a fly rod.

There were also a few rod models aimed specifically for this reel, including the Phillipson Haywood Zephyr.
btw, searched up four quick topics about Fre-Line reels and a matching W-M rod - the rod post has good photos, but unfortunately, other than Tom's, only came up with one reel photo.


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Re: Free Line Reels
Post 15 Mar 2021, 19:26 • #3 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Great pix and info!

I have a red Fre-Line. It's pre-WM. I haven't restored it yet. Quite interesting and I never knew such reels existed until I ran across this one.


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