Advice on best (and value) reel for teek sling/trigger-less gun

    Please can I have some advice on the best reel for attaching to a teak sling / trigger-less speargun. In truth I manage quite well without as the sling has a line release which I use rigged with a 4.5m length of 0.5mm dyneema core line attached to a 150cm Tahitian spear (modified for a slip-ring). Nice and simple and OK for most UK spearfish but I fancy having a bit more play on the line when I get lucky with a large bass or mullet!





    The underside of the sling (see pictures) is (WxL): 5cm x 8cm. The total wight of the sling is 600g and she it pretty buoyant.


    Total dimensions are (WxHxL): 6.2cm x 6.5cm x 28cm


    I would like to attach with screws rather than a band and use in conjunction with the line release.


    Any advice would be appreciated.


    Best wishes from South Wales, UK
    Rick :)

    Well I have never seen a Hawaiian sling type shooter with line wrap rigging like that, but I take it you want more line just in case. Rather than a reel have you thought of a line pack which is a closed plastic cylinder (such as a tube plastic pencil case) with lengths of line wrapped back and forth inside (held in the wraps by a disposable rubber band) and only deploys when line pull from the standard line opens it up by pulling off the end cap. Otherwise it just drags along behind your weapon being relatively streamlined. A reel is good for the retrieve, but hard to wind mounted on a device such as you are using. Other line solutions have been line stuffed back and forth through a hole cut in a solid rubber ball and line wrapped on a conical spool where the line pulls off the narrow end. In the old days everything was tried, so a look into the past may provide you with some other solutions.


    I am attaching a photo of a gun with a line pack. Ignore the scale, but the principle used for extra line will be the same

    Another possibility is to buy a cheap moulded all-plastic fishing reel and cut off the rod attachment post flush with the edge of the reel. The reel is then affixed by two wood screws placed through the backing plate after dismantling the drum off the spindle and would probably fit under your shooter. Here is a home-made band gun using an "Academy" fishing reel in a drum mounting. I have shot plenty of fish with it and few have ever escaped.

    The Speardiver Reel has now appeared at post #2. Did I blink and miss this or has it just appeared? Anyway it looks a good solution if you can screw it onto the shooter, which I am sure you can do.

    Quote from ladvr

    Nice looking sling Rick. Do you have any video of it being fired with the line release being deployed?:toast:




    Unfortunately I'm not set up for video and struggle with having a camera at hand as in usually fairly remote and don't like stashing a camera on the shore just to record a fish! The release is pretty neat thou and offers little resistance when fired balanced again a firmly wrapped line while hunting and tracking.



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    Quote from ladvr

    Nice looking sling Rick. Do you have any video of it being fired with the line release being deployed?:toast:




    Pete - thanks I like and favour this idea - cheers. Also liking you speargun which I'm guessing is a home build?



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    Quote from popgun pete

    Well I have never seen a Hawaiian sling type shooter with line wrap rigging like that, but I take it you want more line just in case. Rather than a reel have you thought of a line pack which is a closed plastic cylinder (such as a tube plastic pencil case) with lengths of line wrapped back and forth inside (held in the wraps by a disposable rubber band) and only deploys when line pull from the standard line opens it up by pulling off the end cap. Otherwise it just drags along behind your weapon being relatively streamlined. A reel is good for the retrieve, but hard to wind mounted on a device such as you are using. Other line solutions have been line stuffed back and forth through a hole cut in a solid rubber ball and line wrapped on a conical spool where the line pulls off the narrow end. In the old days everything was tried, so a look into the past may provide you with some other solutions.




    I am attaching a photo of a gun with a line pack. Ignore the scale, but the principle used for extra line will be the same




    These alternative's sound really interesting though I have visions of fiddling with lengths of line in a swell which is common in uk waters! Worth having a go though and could be improvised as a trial run. The dyne ma line I use is slightly stiff so could work well folded or stuffed into a capsule - held with a band like you say! Thanks



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    Quote from popgun pete

    Another possibility is to buy a cheap moulded all-plastic fishing reel and cut off the rod attachment post flush with the edge of the reel. The reel is then affixed by two wood screws placed through the backing plate after dismantling the drum off the spindle and would probably fit under your shooter. Here is a home-made band gun using an "Academy" fishing reel in a drum mounting. I have shot plenty of fish with it and few have ever escaped.




    Would you recommend brass or stainless screws? Which in teak I suppose you would need to drill a smaller hole to avoid the risk of splitting the wood?



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    Quote from silverspearo

    Would you recommend brass or stainless screws? Which in teak I suppose you would need to drill a smaller hole to avoid the risk of splitting the wood?



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    I use chrome plated brass, but now all our fasteners come from China these are hard to get here unless old stock. Stainless is OK, but it can corrode in the wood as oxygen is denied to the chrome and you can have rust form on the screw threads. May sound funny, but raw brass will be OK provided the brass is of good quality. When I drove the stainless steel mechanism holding pins out of that home-made gun they keyed out pieces of timber due to rust on the pins despite being heavily painted over with marine varnish. So stainless steel can be a liability despite its greater strength. That timber gun was made in 1976 and is equipped with a pranger head for close range shooting and non-escapees.

    Thanks for taking the time to reply Pete - good quality brass for me then - with a small hole to avoid a splitting I'm thinking! You've got my imagination going with a oranger head and have to see one of these! I simply must have one as it sounds so cool ; ) I'll google it and see what comes up.


    Off spearfishing from the shore nw Anglesey - an island off North Wales early next week so make have a go with a longer line and an old fly reel I own - and then think about a more permanent rig taking on board some of these suggestions.


    Best wishes Rick



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    Pete, your knowledge amazes me. The information you provide is invaluable and I love the history lessons that come with it. I truly appreciate your posts.

    Stainless steel screws to attach the reel mount to a wood gun or sling are fine.

    Quote from Chase

    Should check out headhunter. They have teak slings and reels that mount to slings for a decent price.

    It looks good in the pic but the "Headhunter" reel is cheap, designed and made in China by people who don't use reels. The metal bracket/line guide is weak and bends easily.


    Quote from silverspearo

    Thanks for the advice - it seems to make sense to avoid stressing the wood
    Rick



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    Ya, I've had wood split otherwise. I have used stainless steel, but if Pete suggests something different I'd defer to him. Not that I have had a problem with stainless steel, but I'm sure his guns have seen more water than mine.

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