On the Reel or Not

[jbewley]

I have seen some folks prefer right hand retrieve over left. Any thoughts on that??

Jim

 

[Canoetripper]

I am right-handed and cast with my right hand and reel with my left hand.

 

[dryflyguy]

jbewley wrote:
I have seen some folks prefer right hand retrieve over left. Any thoughts on that??

Jim

If you’re left handed, sure. Would seem natural
But I’ve met some right handed people who cast with their right arm - then switch the rod to their left arm, and retrieve with their right hand

Seems bass ackward to me.

But - if you’re comfortable with it, why not?

 

[redietz]

dryflyguy wrote:

jbewley wrote:
I have seen some folks prefer right hand retrieve over left. Any thoughts on that??

Jim

But I’ve met some right handed people who cast with their right arm - then switch the rod to their left arm, and retrieve with their right hand

Seems bass ackward to me.

Lefty Kreh believed that you should always reel with your dominant hand -- righties should reel with their right hand and lefties with the left.

I've reeled with the hand I cast with so for more than half a century. It seems natural to me.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I agree with whoever said earlier that the biggest reason to use the reel is to keep the hook from pulling. I rarely fish trout streamers on anything lighter than 2X if fish over 16" are possible, breakoffs basically never happen but I've had the hook pull on a couple fish that I tried to play too hard without using the reel. And when you go for stripers and shad it is even easier for the hook to pull if they do a big head shake at the same instant you are pinching the line. Let the drag handle it.

That was me. I cant tell you how many times ive lost big fish because of what you describe. Its been along time though. I rarely lose a good fish anymore.

 

[Bamboozle]

Canoetripper wrote:
I am right-handed and cast with my right hand and reel with my left hand.

Since the day I bought my first spinning reel (which was handed) to today, I do the same.

Every reel I own from a RHW only Penn Jigmaster I paid Penn $13 to reverse to fly reels, baitcasters & spinning reels, everything cranks with my left hand.

To each his own but switching hands is stupid IMHO.

Just wondering, do the folks who "NEVER put a fish on the reel" switch hands?

If so, that is even "stupider." ;-)

 

[tomgamber]

I remember doing the right cast, left reel thing at one time. I honestly cannot remember when I switched but I'm guessing it coincided with a reel purchase.

 

[Swattie87]

Right handed. Cast right, reel left.

I’ve always reeled with my left hand, spinning or fly. In terms of muscle memory my left hand is actually far better than my right at reeling, from doing it that way my whole life.

I had a reel malfunction on a trip a few years ago, and the spare reel my buddy had along was a right hand retrieve. Definitely better at reeling with my left (non-dominant) hand.

 

[jifigz]

The dominant arm should definitely be the one with the rod controlling the fish, giving it the give and pressure as needed, and doing the workout. The non dominant hand/arm should definitely be in the reel/stripping line.

I basically never lose any fish once the hookset happens..sure, I'll lose fish from not quite getting a hookset but that rarely happens too. Once hooked 99% of fish are landed, especially good fish. The fish I most often lose are dinks because sometimes I just don't care if I land it because it's tiny. I won't put much caution into the way that I play the fish.

 

[redietz]

jifigz wrote:
The dominant arm should definitely be the one with the rod controlling the fish, giving it the give and pressure as needed, and doing the workout.

You mean reel controlling the fish, the hand that can palm the drag, and reel faster if the fish runs at you. That was Leftie's point.

If a fish is big enough to absolutely need to be on the reel -- tarpon for example. you need to control the reel, which is active, as opposed to just holding on, which is what the rod is doing.

At first glance, it may seem stupid to swtich your right foot from the gas to the brake when the left foot is just sitting there doing nothing. After all, most cars nowdays have automatic transmissions. The first time you drive a stick, you realiize it wasn't stupid at all. And switching hands for the rod requires no more conscious thought, once it's ingrained. than to switch the right foot to the brake.

 

[larkmark]

All my fly rods were set up for right hand reel ( I am rt handed) for many years. At some point I got ahold of a left hand reel and liked it and switched. I try to get all my fish on the reel. Only strip if one is running at me fast which some big ones will do. Hate watching guys with a pile of line all around them stripping in a fish. Definitely rookie.
I use an old Orvis clicker on most rods and like it. I only fish for trout and bass.

 

[jifigz]

redietz wrote:

jifigz wrote:
The dominant arm should definitely be the one with the rod controlling the fish, giving it the give and pressure as needed, and doing the workout.

You mean reel controlling the fish, the hand that can palm the drag, and reel faster if the fish runs at you. That was Leftie's point.

If a fish is big enough to absolutely need to be on the reel -- tarpon for example. you need to control the reel, which is active, as opposed to just holding on, which is what the rod is doing.

At first glance, it may seem stupid to swtich your right foot from the gas to the brake when the left foot is just sitting there doing nothing. After all, most cars nowdays have automatic transmissions. The first time you drive a stick, you realiize it wasn't stupid at all. And switching hands for the rod requires no more conscious thought, once it's ingrained. than to switch the right foot to the brake.

No, I meant what I said. I've no problems handling large fish and the arm holding your rod does a lot more than just "hold on." You can easily dial the reel's drag to where you want it to be. There isn't that much need to be cupping the reel with your hand.....because there is a drag. Either way differing opinions. I'll keep using what works for me and you for you.

 

[moon1284]

I cast with my right most of my reels are left hand retrieve but I can go either way. I was told by a saltwater guy you want your dominant hand on the reel so I have a reel set up that way (right hand wind). I was leery at first but landed bonefish and a fairly large barracuda that way so it worked. To be honest i liked rhw better I had planned on changing all of my reels but I was too lazy to take the backing off of 15 or 20 or however many reels and switch them all around.

 

[afishinado]

moon1284 wrote:
I cast with my right most of my reels are left hand retrieve but I can go either way. I was told by a saltwater guy you want your dominant hand on the reel so I have a reel set up that way (right hand wind). I was leery at first but landed bonefish and a fairly large barracuda that way so it worked. To be honest i liked rhw better I had planned on changing all of my reels but I was too lazy to take the backing off of 15 or 20 or however many reels and switch them all around.

+1

My freshwater reels are set up LH retrieve while my saltwater reels are set up RH retrieve.

If you fish SW quite a bit, you'll realize switching hands with your rod is no big deal. In fact when your arm grows weary you will find your switching back and forth many times. When it's time to reel, most anglers are more proficient reeling with their dominant hand.

Don't forget, nearly all baitcasting reels re RH retrieve.

 

[dryflyguy]

Back to the original topic of this thread:

I've taught quite a few people to FF.
And have always told them to get the fish on the reel as quickly as possible
I don't think it's a good idea to have a newbie hand lining a fish.

And if that's how you are taught, I would think you would likely just keep doing it that way.
Guess that's how it happened to me. But it's been 40 years now. And I honestly can't remember if that's what I was told to do.

Kinda wondering if anyone out there learned the sport from a professional instructor - and how were you shown to do it

 

[jbewley]

Great responses and because they varied, it made them more enlightening.

I have decided that I will continue to strip (which I do not think is "rookie" at all), until a fish puts itself on the reel and then I will fight it from there. I can take up line faster with my dominant hand, so I will lean toward Lefty's view on this one.

Now, if I ever hook a monster, I have a plan.

Very good thread.

Jim

 

[dryflyguy]

Yeah - I enjoyed hearing all the other opinions on this.
Just shows that there are multiple ways to achieve the same result - hooking and landing a fish.

I once came across a fellow who was fishing with the rod and reel upside down - the way you fish a spin cast setup.

I walked up to him as he was flailing away, and told him that fly rods are supposed to be fished with the guides and reel hanging down.
And then asked him if he actually caught anything using it that way.
He said - "yep"

 

[redietz]

dryflyguy wrote:

I once came across a fellow who was fishing with the rod and reel upside down - the way you fish a spin cast setup.

I walked up to him as he was flailing away, and told him that fly rods are supposed to be fished with the guides and reel hanging down.
And then asked him if he actually caught anything using it that way.
He said - "yep"

Out of curiosity, what was he fishing with? Guys that fish cane will sometimes play a fish with the reel up to remove or prevent a set (permanent bend) in the tip.

It's hard to do by accident or ignorance. Gravity wants the reel to be on bottom.

 

[ryansheehan]

I always had my spinning rod set up with a right handed retrieve, I fly cast left handed most of the time so it was never an issue.

 

[dryflyguy]

redietz wrote:

dryflyguy wrote:

I once came across a fellow who was fishing with the rod and reel upside down - the way you fish a spin cast setup.

I walked up to him as he was flailing away, and told him that fly rods are supposed to be fished with the guides and reel hanging down.
And then asked him if he actually caught anything using it that way.
He said - "yep"

Out of curiosity, what was he fishing with? Guys that fish cane will sometimes play a fish with the reel up to remove or prevent a set (permanent bend) in the tip.

It's hard to do by accident or ignorance. Gravity wants the reel to be on bottom.

That's interesting!

But no, it wasn't a bamboo rod.
The guy was just a novice, I'm sure