Crank your reel with your left hand or your right hand?

[Mr T]

If you fish conventional gear you will need to learn how to reel with both hands.

I don't know why but the majority of spinning reels are left hand, while most baitcaster and off shore reels are right hand.

[Tony Buzolich]

Sometimes you have to retrieve line as quickly as possible, especially with saltwater and big or fast fish. Getting the line back onto the reel allows for the use of your drag.

The key here is SMOOTHNESS of retrieve as well as SPEED.
If you try winding a reel as fast as you can,( with your less dominant hand) you will be shaking the rod around violently and run the risk of shaking the fish loose because of your erratic movements.

Winding with your dominant hand will always be smoother and much faster.
Tony

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

If you fish conventional gear you will need to learn how to reel with both hands.

I don't know why but the majority of spinning reels are left hand, while most baitcaster and off shore reels are right hand.

Mr T

Most all new spinning reels can be made right hand or left hand crank in a matter of minutes right out in the field now.

All you do is put the handle on the right or on the left.


Now most baitcasting level wind reels come either right hand or left hand crank but are not switchable.

Big offshore conventional reels are not convertible.


Most fly reels today are convertible but you have to change all the backing and fly lines.

[Mr T]

Mr T

Most all new spinning reels can be made right hand or left hand crank in a matter of minutes right out in the field now.

All you do is put the handle on the right or on the left.


Now most baitcasting level wind reels come either right hand or left hand crank but are not switchable.

Big offshore conventional reels are not convertible.


Most fly reels today are convertible but you have to change all the backing and fly lines.

good point- spinning reels have been easy to convert for a long time, conventional not so much. That took a lot longer to get manufacturers to build, since you cant just swap a handle from one side to the other on those.

[Carl Blackledge]

Tony,

Not true, My right is my dominant hand, and I retrieve left handed. My left hand is very well educated and is just as fast as my right hand is if not faster, after all it has 50 years worth of experience. And when it comes to striping in my line I haven't ever seen any difference in actually catching a fish with a smooth retrieve as opposed to a radical retrieve, If their are any differences I am sure the radical retrieves is better, fish on the feed usually don't swim all calm and collective, and by the way if you really want to retrieve fast and smooth put your rod under your arm and use both hands-LOLO

My 2 cents

Carl Blackledge

[Darian]

From my own experiences conventional/fly and listening to others over the last 70 years, using one hand or the other when reeling in line is a matter of personal comfort/choice. Carl's example of reeling with his non-dominant hand is a matter of comfort/muscle memory learned over time. I cast with my right (dominant) hand, change the rod to the left and reel with the right (also, muscle memory/comfort). If you're not comfortable with your casting/retrieves, go get some advice or a lesson.

The problem in trying to discuss this in this Forum is that not all of the posters may be fishing in salt water or for fish that require long casts/retrieves, are large/speedy and don't require getting them on the reel to land.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

From my own experiences conventional/fly and listening to others over the last 70 years, using one hand or the other when reeling in line is a matter of personal comfort/choice. Carl's example of reeling with his non-dominant hand is a matter of comfort/muscle memory learned over time. I cast with my right (dominant) hand, change the rod to the left and reel with the right (also, muscle memory/comfort). If you're not comfortable with your casting/retrieves, go get some advice or a lesson.

The problem in trying to discuss this in this Forum is that not all of the posters may be fishing in salt water or for fish that require long casts/retrieves, are large/speedy and don't require getting them on the reel to land.

Well done......as usual. Saltwater is different.....especially blue water.


I just want people to be thinking about this. Maybe try it both ways?



Thanks for all the interesting posts.

[Carl Blackledge]

Darian, Your 100% right, It's a matter of comfort and an individuals taste or what he's used too, I personally don't think their is a right way or wrong way, Look at my first post on this subject

Carl Blackledge

[Bob G]

Hi Billy and Others -

FWIW, I agree with personal preference to a point. However, a new fly fisher doesn’t know what they don’t know. I personally and professionally believe that a beginning fly fisher with a dominant right hand should reel/crank left-handed. I can still remember back to the early 1970s when I switched to my left hand...everything just seemed so synchronized, and after the next few days of fishing and casting my left hand was as competent at cranking as my right hand had been. Most importantly, line hand coordination is enhanced for all aspects...fighting fish, casting, line control, etc. In 1978 when I was appointed as Director of Fenwick’s Montana Fly Fishing Schools I switched most of the School’s 40 fly reels to left hand wind. With 10 to 12 weekly Schools each summer with many hundreds of students, over my many years at the Schools reeling with the left hand was never an issue for students with a dominant right hand. I maintained a few right hand crank reels for left handed students. I also maintained this approach for the years I was Director of the Kiene Fly Fishing Schools for Billy during the 1980s through the 1990s.

Please don’t take my post as an attempt to convince experienced fly fishers to switch. Instead, I write this for beginner fly fishers as food for thought.

Best, Bob

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Bob Giannoni made a very positive impact on my fly shop when he started teaching an abbreviated "Fenwick Fly Fishing School" as a one day event on Saturdays for us.


Because Bob was/is really "somebody" in the fly fishing world, when he started our "one day schools" he told Sage about it.

In a week we received a very large box from Sage with 12 brand new Sage 590 LL fly rods for Bob's schools.

We also received a couple of big boxes from Scientific Angler/3M full of fly reels, fly line, backing and a 'plethora' of tapered leaders.


When fly fishing Reps came to our shop they would comment on what good fly caster we all were.

I attributed it to the fact that we had people like Al Perryman and Walt Bennett who worked for Bob at the Fenwick Fly

Fishing Schools outside West Yellowstone in the summers. Another reason was the fact that we all fly fished for Steelhead.

We also had Jeff Putnam at the shop for many years. Even though he is modest, he is one of the very best casting instructors.


Today with the popularity of indicator fishing in moving water and stillwater you don't have to become a great fly caster but you do

need to learn how to manipulate the line to get a long, drag free drift.


I would bet that today, without indicator fishing there would be way less fly fishers.



If you go to British Columbia for Steelhead, or to the tropical clear shallow SW flats for Bonefish, or to New Zealand to sight cast to big

wild trout in clear rivers you will want to learn how to fly cast very well.


20-30 years ago I was a pretty good fly caster myself for all those same reasons. I did work as an instructor for Bob in the 'Mel

Krieger Fly Fishing Schools' in Nor Cal. I also worked for Al Perryman when he ran the Nor Cal 'Orvis Fly Fishing Schools'.

Today, at 77, I am kind of back to just an OK caster because I don't have the physical ability that I once had.

In Florida I fish almost every day because it is so exciting.....I have a small river with Tarpon, Snook and LMB in it, year round.


Every so often we all need to work on our fly casting skills......

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