A reel and mounting fixture suitable for bowfishing and the like provides a reel with a cowling covering a reel with a wide opening to reduce frictional restraint on high-speed paying out of the line with the flight of the arrow and a guide arm supported by the mounting fixture to minimize line diversion and hence friction during line payout while absorbing forces when the line is retracted permitting use of a lighter cowling design without loss of strength. The guide arm is fixed to the mounting fixture using a notched guide arm engaging with a lever of the mounting fixture.

A spinning reel for casting a fishing line in a forward direction includes a reel body, a spool shaft, a pinion gear, a bushing and a bearing. The spool shaft is supported by the reel body so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction. The pinion gear has a tubular shape and an interior, the spool shaft penetrating through the interior. The bushing has a support portion supporting the spool shaft, and a housing portion that has a larger diameter than an inner diameter of the support portion and that is fixed to the reel body by press-fitting. The bearing is attached to the housing portion of the bushing and supporting the pinion gear.

A gear mechanism for a fishing reel includes a drive gear, a handle, and a vibration damper. The drive gear includes a gear having a prescribed gear diameter, and a drive gear shaft rotated together with the gear and having a smaller dimension than the prescribed gear diameter. The handle rotates the drive gear shaft. The vibration damper is disposed between the drive gear shaft and the handle, and dampens the transmission of the vibration of the drive gear.

A spinning reel for casting a fishing line in a forward direction includes a reel body, a spool shaft, a pinion gear, a bushing and a bearing. The spool shaft is supported by the reel body so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction. The pinion gear has a tubular shape and an interior, the spool shaft penetrating through the interior. The bushing has a support portion supporting the spool shaft, and a housing portion that has a larger diameter than an inner diameter of the support portion and that is fixed to the reel body by press-fitting. The bearing is attached to the housing portion of the bushing and supporting the pinion gear.

A gear mounting structure includes a worm shaft, a gear, and an elastic member. The worm shaft includes a shaft body, on the outer surface of which is formed intersecting spiral grooves, and a gear locking portion with a non-circular cross section, on at least a portion of the outer surface of which is formed a curved surface portion and a planar portion. The gear includes a gear body, on the outer surface of which are formed teeth, and to which the handle rotation is transmitted, and a boss portion protruding from the gear body and having an engagement portion engaging the gear locking portion. The elastic member is mounted so as to abut the outer surface of the boss portion of the gear, and at least a portion of the curved surface portion of the gear locking portion.

A gear mechanism for a fishing reel includes a drive gear, a handle, and a vibration damper. The drive gear includes a gear having a prescribed gear diameter, and a drive gear shaft rotated together with the gear and having a smaller dimension than the prescribed gear diameter. The handle rotates the drive gear shaft. The vibration damper is disposed between the drive gear shaft and the handle, and dampens the transmission of the vibration of the drive gear.

A line stopper for a fishing reel according to the discloser includes a line stopper member that includes a fishing line catching portion and a support shaft portion, and a supporting member that supports the line stopper member and fits in a through hole formed in a main body of the fishing reel. On one of the fishing line catching portion or the supporting member, a protrusion is provided at a left or right side or both the left and right sides of the support shaft portion in a width direction of the supporting member in a plan view where the fishing line catching portion and the supporting member overlap each other.

A gear mechanism for a fishing reel includes a drive gear, a handle, and a vibration damper. The drive gear includes a gear having a prescribed gear diameter, and a drive gear shaft rotated together with the gear and having a smaller dimension than the prescribed gear diameter. The handle rotates the drive gear shaft. The vibration damper is disposed between the drive gear shaft and the handle, and dampens the transmission of the vibration of the drive gear.

A spinning reel includes a variable gear ratio device provided between a handle and a line guiding rotor. The variable gear ratio device includes outer and inner worm wheels rotatably sleeved on a rotary shaft. The outer worm wheel has a ring of outer gear teeth meshing with a worm. The inner worm wheel is nested in the outer worm wheel and has a ring of inner gear teeth surrounded by the outer gear teeth and meshing with the worm. An adjusting unit enables rotation of the rotary shaft to be transmitted to the worm via a selected one of the outer and inner worm wheels and enables idle rotation of the other one of the outer and inner worm wheels relative to the rotary shaft.

A gear mounting structure includes a worm shaft, a gear, and an elastic member. The worm shaft includes a shaft body, on the outer surface of which is formed intersecting spiral grooves, and a gear locking portion with a non-circular cross section, on at least a portion of the outer surface of which is formed a curved surface portion and a planar portion. The gear includes a gear body, on the outer surface of which are formed teeth, and to which the handle rotation is transmitted, and a boss portion protruding from the gear body and having an engagement portion engaging the gear locking portion. The elastic member is mounted so as to abut the outer surface of the boss portion of the gear, and at least a portion of the curved surface portion of the gear locking portion.