Abstract: A double-bearing fishing reel includes a pinion which meshes with a drive gear provided on a handle shaft. The pinion is axially and slidably fitted onto a spool shaft which has a spool secured thereon and is supported between reel side plates. The pinion can be engaged and disengaged as desired with respect to a connection portion of the spool shaft by means of a clutch plate which is urged by a dead-point utilizing spring so as to reciprocate. The pinion is separated from the spool shaft by sliding the clutch plate from a clutch-engaging position to a clutch-disengaging position by a pressing motion of a clutch plate operating member projecting from one of the reel side plates, to enable a fishing line to be paid out. The pinion is re-engaged with the spool shaft by sliding the clutch plate from the clutch-disengaging position to the clutch-engaging position by turning the handle shaft, to enable rewinding of the fishing line.