Closed Face Winfield 444 Baitcaster Reel and a Senior moment !!!

[Tonytoned]

Hello there.
Thank you for your time

Picked up this Winfield 444 baitcaster closed face reel at my local carboot today. Looks in pretty good condition. But I had a bit of a moment until about six 'o' clock tonight. I couldn't understand why the reel would not wind forward, only back winding with the reel hanging below the handle, so I thought I'll take it apart and have a look at it. But then the eureka moment happened, whilst I was taking the spool off to remove the old line I noticed what direction it came off and went on, the same direction the spool rotated.



HELLO!!!! the reel is meant to be used above the handle

So all I have to do is load it up with line and Bob's your uncle!







Wrong




Right

[Olly]

The thing that gives it away - tiny hole for the line! Oh - and of course the button release at the back - etc

I use mine - an ABU - for light spinning.

[Tonytoned]

The thing that gives it away - tiny hole for the line! Oh - and of course the button release at the back - etc

I use mine - an ABU - for light spinning.

Thank you Olly. It took a while, but I got there in the end.

[Stingray]

On a technical point, Woolies slightly misnamed these. They are in fact spincast reels whereas baitcaster is what our American friends call a casting multiplier.

PS. From its livery that one is an early 1980s example.

[Tonytoned]

On a technical point, Woolies slightly misnamed these. They are in fact spincast reels whereas baitcaster is what our American friends call a casting multiplier.

PS. From its livery that one is an early 1980s example.

Thank you Stingrays! Interesting! it's nice to be able to get a date on it.

[Stingray]

Just a note regarding casting method with spincasts. The correct technique is to press the button and hold it down: this frees the line but traps it under the front cover till the button is released. Then cast and release the button at the required point in the cast. The common mistake is to cast and then press the button. I use them for spinning quite often, nice reels within their limitations.

[Tonytoned]

Just a note regarding casting method with spincasts. The correct technique is to press the button and hold it down: this frees the line but traps it under the front cover till the button is released. Then cast and release the button at the required point in the cast. The common mistake is to cast and then press the button. I use them for spinning quite often, nice reels within their limitations.

Thanks Stingray. I did wonder how it holds the line!

[Willsmodger]

Nice little reel.
I've never actually used this type of reel. I have vague fears about birds nests of line maliciously gathering under that cover.
I've always assumed it's the preference for one handed casting that saw the development of these reels. I believe the Abu 50 range were originally spinning reels.
That, or the sage advice that the best time to go spinning is when it's blowing a gale, I don't know.

[Reedling]

One thing to think of when chosing a rod is the ring spacings when you have a reel on top. With a reel under the rod the line is always away from the blank, when the reel is on top as the rod bends the line gets closer to the blank the more it bends. If you have too few rings the line can rub on the blank. Low bells on a rod will of course make the problem more acute.

[Tonytoned]

Nice little reel.
I've never actually used this type of reel. I have vague fears about birds nests of line maliciously gathering under that cover.
I've always assumed it's the preference for one handed casting that saw the development of these reels. I believe the Abu 50 range were originally spinning reels.
That, or the sage advice that the best time to go spinning is when it's blowing a gale, I don't know.

Thank you Willsmodger Sir!