Design Objective: Achieve Mechanical Simplicity

Tear apart a reel today, and be prepared for the horror of finding 80 to 100 parts. Thingamajigs connecting the whatsit to the whoseyourdaddy. They can look like an eighth grade science project. Sporting a whopping 23 parts, the ULA aptly demonstrates the adage of form following function. And every once in a while the quest for simple design can result in something unexpected: A form that becomes so succinct that it may approach the compact beauty of a poem.

Two examples to illustrate our approach to simplicity. Imagine the typical fly reel counterbalance; a slug of metal and a screw opposite the handle. Take a look at the ULA spool face above. Where’s the counterbalance? The asymmetry of the spoke provides the mass to balance the handle. Two parts down, but what’s more, this form becomes one of the signature aesthetic elements of the reel. Another example of mechanical simplicity is our spool latching mechanism. On other reels, the latching mechanism involves a button or a lever that activates springs & plates that grab and hold the spool onto the frame. These represent ten to fifteen parts that create an opening for contaminants to enter the running gear of the reel, and ten to fifteen parts that can fail in time. All of our reels use a simple but effective o-ring lock that serves two purposes: to lock the spool to the frame and to seal the drag chamber. This lock is achieved using no extra parts. The spindle flair passes over an o-ring at the entrance to the drag chamber and then locks into a groove machined into the drag cap. We eliminate parts, eliminate liabilities, serve two functions, create virtues. Simple.

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