Penn Fathom II Level wind

Overview

The PENN Fathom II Level Wind is a heavy-duty conventional saltwater multiplier reel built around a Full Metal Body and metal sideplates, designed to withstand demanding day-to-day boat fishing. Available in four sizes – 15LW, 20LW, 30LW and 50LW – it pairs the rigidity of an all-metal chassis with an automatic level-wind mechanism that lays line evenly across the spool as you retrieve.

PENN specifies HT-100 carbon-fibre drag washers and a 4+1 stainless-steel bearing system across every size, giving a consistent 30lb / 13.6kg maximum drag regardless of which model you choose. The differences between sizes come down to capacity, gearing and physical weight rather than headline drag power, so anglers can pick the reel that matches their target line class rather than simply buying the biggest option.

A Fast Gear Access Sideplate allows the gear-side plate to be removed for servicing without fully dismantling the reel, while Line Capacity Rings marked on the spool give an instant visual check of how much line remains during a session.

Perfect For

For UK sea fishing, the Fathom II Level Wind suits boat fishing, wrecking, reef fishing, drifting and heavy bottom fishing. The compact 15LW and 20LW work well for general inshore boat fishing, lighter bottom fishing and reef work, while staying noticeably lighter than the bigger sizes.

Step up to the 30LW or 50LW and the reel moves into serious wrecking, heavy reef fishing, conger fishing and deep bottom fishing territory, thanks to their larger spools and huge braid capacities. The 50LW in particular, with room for 660 yards of 100lb braid, is aimed at anglers who genuinely need very heavy line and maximum capacity rather than everyday shallow-water boat fishing.

Technical Insight

The Full Metal Body and sideplates aren't just about durability – PENN's rationale is gear alignment, since a rigid chassis helps keep the gears properly aligned when a boat reel is fighting the combined load of heavy lead, bait, tide and a hooked fish. The automatic Level Wind then takes care of line distribution on the retrieve, which is particularly useful when repeatedly dropping and retrieving from depth on a wreck or reef.

Gear ratios drop from 5.5:1 on the 15LW and 20LW down to 4.3:1 on the 30LW and 3.7:1 on the 50LW, yet retrieve per crank stays remarkably consistent at around 76-79cm across the range. That's because the larger reels have larger spool diameters, so a lower gear ratio still recovers a similar amount of line per handle turn – proof that gear ratio alone doesn't tell you how quickly a reel retrieves.