Fishing reel

In a fishing reel including a stationary member fixed to a fishing rod, a spool shaft supported rotatably to said stationary member, a spool rotating together with said spool shaft, a pinion being positioned on said spool shaft and slidably movable between a position where said pinion engages with said spool shaft and a position where said pinion disengages from said spool shaft, a pinion holder carrying said pinion and biasing said pinion toward said engaging position, a driving gear always in mesh with said pinion, an input shaft supporting said driving gear, a return plate having a plurality of projections and being rotatable together with said driving gear integrally with said input shaft, and a clutch lever supported to said stationary member slidably movably between a first position and a second position in the direction perpendicular to the axis of said spool shaft, the improvements wherein are provided;

• an arm disposed at the fore end of said clutch lever;
• a pivot pin extending substantially parallel to the axis of said spool shaft and supporting said arm swingably;
• engaging means provided at said arm and engageable with one of said projections at said return plate;
• and a first stopper means and a second stopper means for restricting said arm in its swinging range, both said stopper means being provided at said arm, extending toward said clutch lever, and engaging therewith;
• and a spring member being disposed between said arm and said stationary member at an intermediate position between two positions of said pin movable together with said clutch lever, the two positions corresponding to the first and second positions of said clutch lever, so that until said clutch lever moves forward from the first position beyond an intermediate position between the first and second positions, said spring member biases said arm in the direction of allowing said first stopper means to engage with said clutch lever to thereby keep said engaging means away from a circular locus of rotation of said projections at said return plate, and after said clutch lever moves beyond said intermediate position, said spring member is switched in its working direction to swing said arm and engage said second stopper means with said clutch lever, thereby allowing said engaging means to enter in said circular locus of rotation of said projections.