A gear mechanism (6) for a fishing reel (100) includes a drive gear (20), a handle (7), and a vibration damper (25). The drive gear (20) includes a gear (16) having a prescribed gear diameter (D1), and a drive gear shaft (15) rotated together with the gear (16) and having a smaller dimension (D2) than the prescribed gear diameter (D1). The handle (7) rotates the drive gear shaft (15). The vibration damper (25) is disposed between the drive gear shaft (15) and the handle (7), and dampens the transmission of the vibration of the drive gear (20).
