A pinion gear 3 for meshing with a drive gear (14 Fig 1) connected to a handle shaft (19) of a fishing reel (100). The pinion gear 3 includes a gear portion 31 which is non-rotatably fitted to a shaft portion 32 which integrally rotates with the gear portion 31. The gear portion 31 and the shaft portion 32 are formed from different materials, and the specific gravity (material density) of the shaft portion 32 is smaller than the specific gravity of the gear portion 31. Preferably the gear portion and the shaft portion are fixed with an adhesive. The shaft portion may be cylindrical 51 and engage with an cylindrical aperture on the gear portion 41. There may be an abutting portion 42 52 between the two. Alternatively the shaft may have a taper 56 corresponding to a tapered inner surface of the gear portion 45. Again abutments may be present 42 52. The gear may be brass and the shaft an aluminum alloy, alternatively the gear may be a metal and the shaft a synthetic resin.
