righty vs. lefty

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

"Guy" guytee2 at comcast dot net wrote in message
...
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.

On Sun, 17 Jun 2007 17:56:48 GMT, "RalphH" wrote:


"Guy" guytee2 at comcast dot net wrote in message
...
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.

Why worry about it? If someone is critical of what hand you use to
retrieve, IMO, they have the, um, "real" problem, not you.

TC,
R

On Sun, 17 Jun 2007 17:56:48 GMT, "RalphH" wrote:


"Guy" guytee2 at comcast dot net wrote in message
...
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.

I have a collection of Hardy reels, mostly from the '60s and '70s, a few from
the '80s, and all of them came set for right hand retrieve. Each was switched
over to left hand retrieve easily - usually by just flipping the drag dogs"...

/daytripper

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

Guy wrote:
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

As a righty, I find it much more convenient and natural to use a
left-handed retrieve. Before I started fly fishing I used spinning gear,
and the left-handed retrieve came easily.

The only time I've used a right-handed retrieve recently is while
sal****er fishing, when it's sometimes important to retrieve as fast as
possible.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"rw" wrote in message
m...
Guy wrote:
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

As a righty, I find it much more convenient and natural to use a
left-handed retrieve. Before I started fly fishing I used spinning gear,
and the left-handed retrieve came easily.

The only time I've used a right-handed retrieve recently is while
sal****er fishing, when it's sometimes important to retrieve as fast as
possible.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

Almost all my reels are left hand retrieve. When bass fishing or plugging
the salt for fish, is much simpler to cast with the right and retrieve with
the left. Same with the fly rod.

I too grew up with right hand retrieve reels until spinning reels came out
in the fiftys. I prefer cranking right handed with everything including fly
reels.

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
nk.net...

"rw" wrote in message
m...
Guy wrote:
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

As a righty, I find it much more convenient and natural to use a
left-handed retrieve. Before I started fly fishing I used spinning gear,
and the left-handed retrieve came easily.

The only time I've used a right-handed retrieve recently is while
sal****er fishing, when it's sometimes important to retrieve as fast as
possible.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

Almost all my reels are left hand retrieve. When bass fishing or plugging
the salt for fish, is much simpler to cast with the right and retrieve
with the left. Same with the fly rod.

Thanks all,
Somehow I feel better about right reeling.
G

Guy wrote:
Thanks all,
Somehow I feel better about right reeling.
G



Sorry to rain on your parade, but ...

The most delicate part of landing a large fish, IMO, is getting the fish
on the reel, where you can use the drag of the reel and not worry about
snagging slack line when the fish makes a run. I want my dominant hand
-- my right hand -- to be on the rod, controlling the line after a
hookup. This is (again, IMO) the most compelling argument for left-hand
retrieve (for a right hander).

Of course, with small fish it doesn't matter. That's the time for a
long-line release. :-)

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.