Dual-bearing reel

A dual-bearing reel that mounts onto a fishing rod and that for retrieving fishing line turns on a spindle along an axis intersecting the fishing rod longitudinally, the dual-bearing reel comprising:

• a reel body that attaches onto the fishing rod, said reel body including first and second side plates disposed in opposition separated by a spacing in the intersecting axis direction, connectors connecting said two side plates, a first side cover removably attachable onto said first side plate for covering said first side plate outwardly, and a mechanism-mounting plate removably attachable to said first side cover, wherein a mechanism mounting space is defined between said mechanism mounting plate and said first side cover;
• a line-winding spool fitted rotatively in the reel body, disposed between said two side plates;
• a handle turning on an axis parallel with the spool rotational center axis, rotatively fitted on the reel body and projecting exteriorly from said first side cover;
• a cranking mechanism provided in the mechanism mounting space, for transmitting torque via a rotation-transmitting course from said handle to said spool;
• a clutch mechanism provided along the way in the rotation-transmitting course of said cranking mechanism, and enabling switching between a transmission state in which rotation of said handle is transmitted to said spool, and a cutoff state leaving said spool free to rotate;
• a first clutch-operating handle mounted in between said two side plates and therein retained on said reel body against coming off but free to shift, for working said clutch mechanism to switch it from the transmission state into the cutoff state;
• a second clutch-operating handle separated by a spacing from said first clutch-operating handle, mounted on said first side plate and therein retained on said reel body against coming off but free to shift, for working the clutch mechanism to switch it from the cutoff state into the transmission state;
• a linking member provided free to shift within the mechanism mounting space, removable with respect to the two clutch-operating handles mounted between the two side plates, and linking the two clutch-operating handles cooperatively;
• and
• a clutch-switching device provided in the mechanism mounting space, for shifting cooperatively with movement of said linking member to switch said clutch mechanism between the transmission state and the cutoff state.