Bluegill Fly Rodders

Comment

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on July 11, 2013 at 2:24pm

....as Leo pointed out, there's always personal preference...
and for every preference, there is someone to defend it.

In my case I'm fishing for bluegill and bass, maybe crappie.
I'm not really concerned with massive fish running toward me so fast I can't keep up.

I take care to not be too obsessive about fishing. At heart, I'm a casual spin fisherman. I've always thought it odd that casting reels,
be they spin or bait cast, place the handle to the right hand.

To me it's a matter of convenience and efficiency. With the handle on the left side, I don't have to change hands to reel in the line.
it's that simple for me... the KISS principle in action.
Truthfully, the handles on my fly reels are so small that tangling hasn't been an issue. I see where it might be, but lik. e so many things we worry about... it has turned out to be most of a non-issue.

I think we understand the why of handle placement, now. The background of it, if you will. From here, the debate can begin.
I vote for left hand placement. All you "righties" can kiss my grits!

LOL! :-) :-) :-)

Comment by Leo Nguyen on July 11, 2013 at 9:11am

The testimonies normally chimed in as, when reeling in with the dominant hand, supporting the rod with the non-dominant hand for a large fish that runs, both hands are easily become fatigue. However, when predominant hand holds the rod, where the more agile hand (the non-predominant), although taking longer, the fatigue level reduced nearly to 1/3 the factor in comparison. Study like this had been done for those who fish the deep seas, chasing after ultimate fighters. However, is it true for fresh water small frys? No, if you consider only a few hours of fishing. Yes, if you're planning to roam the waters more than 8 hours.

Comment by Ray Ditzenberger on July 11, 2013 at 8:36am

Many of the saltwater boys still believe that the winding should be done with the dominant hand. If and when a fast fish turns and runs toward the angler the dominant hand can do a much better job of keeping up with the fish running towards the angler. I personally have have been winding with my left hand with spinning and fly for over 45 years and I will continue to do so even though the experts say otherwise. ......I could be wrong.........Naaaaaaaaa

Comment by Leo Nguyen on July 11, 2013 at 7:56am

And all this time, I though is was designed for tele-kinesis endowed people, trying to make a joke out of the rest of us, as they use their mental power to hold up the rod, and spin with the same predominant hand they casted with. In the meanwhile, the rest suffer with the non-predominant hand with the rod, and reel with the predominant hand, creating a crossed-brain complex issues later the same day, when we sleep, resulting in nightmares. Conspiracy theory!!

Comment by Bob Parker on July 11, 2013 at 7:44am

I agree with David that traditional fly reels had right hand retrieve.  I have a Herter's reel from the early 70's, and the Herter's catalog that I ordered it from.  Nearly all of their reels had right hand retrieve.

The reasoning was that, once you've cast your line, all the action is in the retrieve and that it should be done with your dominant hand.  We can trace this way back into Britain in the earliest days - Isaac Walton, for instance.

Bob

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on July 10, 2013 at 4:30pm

I'm still working on good line management, so I have
found the line getting "huddled" on the reel.

I see it as an error on my part, although the reel handle is there.
It's a liveable arrangement, because I don't like changing
hands either.

Comment by John Sheehan on July 10, 2013 at 3:52pm

"Hanging on the reel handle", I can see where that could be a problem .

Comment by John Sheehan on July 10, 2013 at 3:42pm

David I have one  fly reel with the left sided retrieve I have yet to set up for Pike .

I myself always hate that feeling of losing contact with the fish while switching hands using my three other reels/rods and right handed retrieves .I'll have to check to see if they can be reversed .

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on July 10, 2013 at 1:56pm

Ive found several references and all seem to agree on the same thing:

Tradition
Practicality

The tradition part is not obvious, but it seems to hinge on practicality.
Fly LINE spends much of its useful time (fishing) OFF the reel. It is in the hands of the angler, at his feet or generally somewhere in between.
This gives it the chance to hang up in a reel handle that is on the LEFT side of the reel.

Back when reels were first designed, they were rather bulky affairs. They were nothing like the sleek, lightweight things we have today, which are more air than structure!
So, a bulky handle on a bulky reel would always be in the way. This would naturally lead one to place it - yep - on the off side.
For a couple hundred years, fly fishing was the realm of well-to-do BRITISH anglers, and The British are nothing if not traditional. The off side position seems to have stuck.

Today, most reels are open designs that allow you to orient the reel either way. But not all - I have an older Martin Model 60 that is enclosed. It only allowed for one orientation... the traditional, or BRITISH, one.

(I say "allowed," because I wasn't having any of that. I took the handle off and reattached it so the reel could be mounted the other way round. Problem solved).

Comment by Leo Nguyen on July 10, 2013 at 1:39pm

It's a conspiracy theory I'm telling you. Joke aside, the reel's handle can be switched, depending the make-model. The Okuma KVL and a few other models allows you to pull out the gear, and switch side. A simple tool that pulls out the internal drag mechanism to allow you to switch it, similar to the spinning reel handle and locking cap. Fly reels are a bit more work, requiring a bit more forces, subtle handling, and lots of pissing off when you forgot which direction the dragging wheel was last placed in when you fail. Happened to me a few times in the past, and still happen when I help my left handed fly rodding friends when they use my gears.

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