Right or left retrieve?

[Terry Beeson]

Dano's thread about changing a reel retrieve from LH to RH begged this poll for me. I use left hand retrieve and I'm right handed, but I know many use only RH...

Comments as to why?

[snagged in outlet 3]

Hey Terry.

Good topic. I use left-handed reels for everything, including baitcasters, and I'm right-handed.

I do it because I have better rod control and hooksetting ability with my right hand. No need to cast and switch hands or set the hook and switch hands to reel. Thank Bill Dance for that advice.

I've told several buddies to switch to left-handed reels for baitcasters when bass fishing and all have commented how they have better control when casting, feeling the bite and setting the hook.

Same for flyfishing when you get a big fish on and want to get him on the reel you don't have to switch hands and risk losing tension and ultimately losing a trophy.

I have a buddy who can't set the hook with his baitcaster which is right-handed and I convinced him to switch to a left-handed baitcaster. He went to Basspro and the clerk told him the left-handed reels are inferior and will break and not to buy one. So he bought another right-hand reel that he rarely uses. He uses his spincast outfit whenever possible. He regrets that purchase all the time. What a joke that clerk is!

Does the reel know it's left-handed? Did the machine that made it know it's left-handed? I guess cars with the steering on the right don't hold up either.

SIO3

[jjtroutbum]

Same here switchin hands would be a waste of time and energy, but its not as tho I can really take credit for this. My father was the one who Im shure set-up that first Johnson real for my left hand to turn the crank. And I know that he was the one who carefully rewraped the guides on the pole it was attached to ...thanks Pop

JJ

[Micheal Kyle]

Any thing under a 9 wt I will use my left hand for the larger rods I will use my right hand for one reason the ability to pick and reel line up faster.

So I would have to say fresh water I use my left hand and salt water I use my right hand.

So for the poll sake both hands

Michael

[Crippled Caddis]

So far I appear to be the sole maverick. Some things never change.;o)

While I can't seem to wind a spinning reel with my right hand there's some sort of mental block that prevents me winding a flyreel with my left hand in a predictable direction of rotation. Go figure!;o( Or it might have something to do with @ 60 years of experience doing it that way.;o) Too old to change and frankly I don't find it a problem. I think the logic has been over-thought.

SIO3 sez:

<I guess cars with the steering on the right don't hold up either.>

Never owned any old British sports cars with Lucas electrical systems have ya?;o)

[Snow Fly]

CC: I'm also right handed and reel with the right hand, seems like I can reel a lot faster this way. Left handed reel just does not feel right. Have not had any problems,to date, switching hands on the hook up.

[Flysmallie]

Fly reel = Left hand. It just seems to be the best for me. When I did try to use my right hand I had to change hands that was actually holding the rod and it was hard to maintain tension on the line.

[AKflyfisher]

I think i just learned to reel with my left hand, because all of the reels are set up from the factory are for left hand retreive. If it isnt broke dont fix it I guess. But my 1 spinning rod is right hand retreive

[Danoinark]

Your not alone CC. Right hand and right hand reel. Don't know why. Just always done it that way.

Dano

[Brian Sloss]

I am from the school of cast right, reel left and I am right handed. It just didn't make sense to me when I was learning to switch hands to put something on the reel and it still doesn't. I've been told that I don't do it correctly for a right handed person, but I feel more comfortable my way. I also set up beginners to fish my way as well. I figure the less you have to do bringing a fish in, the better; and to have a beginner switch hands if they have a good fish on is a good way to have them loose that fish in my experience (they tend to loose tension on the line during the trade off). At the end of the day though, I say to each his own.