Casting reel spool speed control device

In a casting reel comprising a reel cage, a reel spool, and a bearing means rotatably mounting said spool within said cage, the improvement comprising a reel spool speed control device, said device including a cylindrical housing adapted to be secured to said reel cage and presenting a substantially circular inner surface, a rotatable disc member adapted to rotate with said reel spool and having a generally circular outer circumferential surface disposed radially inwardly of and spaced from said substantially circular inner surface of said cylindrical housing to define between said surfaces an annular braking chamber, wall means extending substantially completely across the annular axial ends of said braking chamber to substantially completely enclose said braking chamber, a plurality of speed control fingers, and pivot means individually freely pivotally mounting said fingers to said rotatable member, each said speed control finger being formed of light-weight wear-resistant material and being generally pawl-shaped having a boss portion around said pivot means and a pawl arm portion extending from said boss portion to present a smooth side surface and an opposite indented side surface and a tip surface, each said pawl-shaped finger being mounted on its pivot means with said indented side surface leading and said smooth side surface trailing with respect to the direction of rotation of the disc member during a casting action, whereby said speed control fingers are freely pivotable for movement under the combined influence of mutually opposedly acting centrifugal force and air-resistance force between retracted positions and deployed positions in which said tip surfaces lightly brush or are just clear of said substantially circular inner surface of said cylindrical housing, whereby to control a casting action.