Abstract: A spinning reel has a reel body, a handle shaft rotatably supported to the reel body, a spool shaft supported to the reel body to be axially slidable thereto and for supporting a spool, a rotary frame rotatable with a rotation of the handle shaft thereby to wind up a fishing line about an outer periphery of the spool and a slide mechanism for causing the spool shaft to slide with a rotation of the handle shaft. The slide mechanism includes a slide element gear rotatable with the rotation of the handle shaft, the slide element gear having a pivot shaft positioned on a side of the rotary frame across the handle shaft, a portion of the gear element being included within the rotary frame, a slide element slidable back and forth along a guide portion to slide the spool shaft in reciprocating motion, and a cam mechanism for transducing the rotary motion of the slide element gear into the reciprocating motion of the slide element.