When I first started fishing in the 1980s, baitcasting reels were mysterious and a little bit daunting. The old-timers told us tales of monstrous “bird’s nests” and “backlashes,” which they euphemized ...

There’s a generally-accepted premise that freshwater anglers move from the least complex form of fishing reel types to the most difficult to master as they progress in the sport. That typically means ...