By Bryan Hendricks

LAKEVIEW – Just when I’d given up on spinning reels, I found a dandy. It’s the US Reel SuperCaster 230SX, and obscure product that outperforms similar, more expensive reels made by more prominent manufacturers.

Although they’re easy to use, spinning reels have an unfortunate characteristic of twisting line on the retrieve. In a short time, this kinks the line and causes it to snarl. This maddening trait can be a trip spoiler, and many spinning reel aficionados carry extra line so they can respool in the middle of a trip.

Either that, or you have to stop periodically at the top of a rapid, let out all your line and let it unravel in the current. If you’re in a boat on a lake, you have to let out your line and let it unwind as you idle across the water. Because of that, I’ve quit using spinning reels and switched to light bait casters, even for bream fishing.

US Reel provides a SuperCaster 230 for my two-day trout fishing excursion on the White River last week. The reel is very well made and functions like any other spinning reel. Its distinguishing feature is its massive spool that overshadows the reel body. The line channel is narrow but deep. This winds the line on the spool in wide loops instead of tight loops, which greatly reduces line twist.

In two days of heavy fishing, the line on this reel did not snarl once. Despite its large size, it was very well balanced and ergonomic on my Falcon light action rod. It also has a very good drag system that lets out line fluidly. I hooked and played a 21-inch brown trout with this rig, and it handled the challenge beautifully. I am certain it would handle much larger fish just as gently.

US Reels are available locally at Fish ‘n’ Stuff and Zimmerman’s and in Hot Springs at Trader Bill’s.