On Jun 17, 12:56 pm, "RalphH" wrote:
"Guy" guytee2 at comcast dot net wrote in m...

I am a "righty" (politics aside) and learned to reel right handed. After
abuse from some of my leftist fish partners that it was a waste of time to
cast right and exchange the rod to my left hand to reel right was the
"correct" method, I attempted the change. As much as I tried to reel left,
it felt awkward so I changed all my reels back to right hand reel. Just
wanted to know if I was in the minority.

Guy

Much the same as you the 1st reels I had were right hand retrieve so that's
what I am used to and can't change. English reels from 20 years or more ago
(I am thinking Hardy) were always right hand retrieve. I don't know why but
the best suggestion I heard was that for a right handed person using a
single action (1:1 retrieve ratio) it made sense to retrieve with the
dominate hand.

Early baitcasting reels did not have level wind. A person cast with
right hand, grasped the "knob" in front of the reel with his left, and
cranked with his right, while the fingers of the left hand were evenly
distributing the line on the arbor of the reel.
In later days, the same action was convenient, for me and many others,
even with level wind reels, in that I could maintain a slight tension
on the line as it was reeled in, helping to alleviate backlashes from
loosely spooled line.
In my case, however, being left handed, there was one EXTRA changing
hands step. Ideally, I should be able to simply cast with left and
crank with right, but have never felt comfortable holding the rod by
anything but the small grip IN FRONT OF the reel.

cheers

oz