The Open Back reel was introduced to the market in March of 1999. The Open Back incorporates a large arbor for a few reasons. First, the large diameter on the Open Back dramatically increases retrieve speed. Line is picked up much more rapidly than with a conventional spool. Second, on a long running fish, a conventional reel will spin faster and faster as more and more line is taken out. The resulting increase in drag is often enough to pop a light tippet. With a large arbor spool, drag tension remains almost constant as more line and backing are pulled from the reel, thus reducing the chances of breaking off a big fish. Finally, line is stored in bigger loops, thus reducing the line coil memory and those annoying loops that come off near the bottom of a conventional spool.