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Posted on Jan 31, 2013 in Q&A with Lefty Kreh
Reel Left or Right handed?
by Lefty Kreh
Q: “If right-handed, do you wind the reel with your right or left hand?”
A: Some right-handers claim they have always wound a spinning reel with the left hand so that’s why they do so with a fly reel. I don’t see that as a legitimate argument. The longer spinning-reel handle travels in a wider arc and is much easier to manipulate than the tight-circle coordination required of a fly reel.
I’ve had right-handers claim they could reel just as fast and long with their nondominant, or left, hand. To test my theory I had them reel in the length of the fly line with their left hand and then stretched the line out again and had them reel it in with their right hand. While I’m sure there’s someone out there who can dispute this, I have never seen the nondominant hand reel in the fly line faster than the dominant hand. It’s a case of endurance. I have yet to see the nondominant hand win when people attempt it.
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Lefty, you and Stue will argue righty vs Lefty for ever!
Stue once told me face to face one time he had never seen any right handed angler that reeled left handed that was any good. ( wow what a let down)
Well its hard to argue with both of yall and being a left hand reeler, as I get older my reflexes and eyes get worse l'm believeing I was lucky to ever catch a fish!
You know l'm just kidding, love both of yall!
I am a rightie and I reel with my non-dominate, left hand. I have seen many talented anglers who are right handed, that can only reel comfortably with their right hands (personally I don't mind reeling "switch"). I started flyfishing for trout over forty years ago and reeling with my non-casting hand always seemed to me to be the natural way to go. Perhaps I was dropped on my head when I was a baby?
Since that time it has been my privlege to hook and land numerous saltwater species on the fly including; Barracuda, Bonefish, Jacks, Permit, Redfish, Salmon, Snook, Tarpon and Tuna. I have never felt any need to switch my rod hand in order to land a fish or to more effectively use my reel.
I say; reel with whichever hand suits you best and enjoy.
Forgive me Lefty?
I'm a rightie and I'm with the left hand reeling crowd, although I have no problem at all reeling "switch". As a trout angler I never understood the need to change hands in order to use my reel. My experience with saltwater species, Bones, Permit, Redfish, Salmon, Snook, Tarpon and Tuna, has done nothing to change this impression.
I say, do whatever feels right for you and don't let anyone tell you that reeling with your dominate hand is the only way to go.
Forgive me Lefty!
Add me to the left hand reel crowd. I mostly fish inshore with small spinning reels and large arbor fly reels which makes the handle radius fairly close. I agree with the others in that I would rather control the rod with my right hand which is dominant. The only time I'm reeling as fast as I can is when reeling up the line to store the rod, if a fish suddenly runs at me, I usually go back to hand lining him in.
Reeling in a single action fly reel with the non-dominent hand is not the best way. Consider a large sw fish that runs and pulls with much speed and great force. The tight winding circle on a typical fly reel puts a great deal of strain on the two fingers plus, non-dominent hand holding/turning the knob. Lefty is correct in my mind, this is not a spin reel as he notes, with a wide arc turning circle. When a fast swimming fish is running toward the angler, it behoves him or her to wind extremely fast, just to take up slack. this is really important especially if barbless hooks are in play. I find it easier to switch holding the rod to my left non-dominent hand when a fish is fought, and then wind with my right hand. (I am a dominent right handed person.) The mechanical advantage is in favor of using the stronger hand. If you don't agree, try the otherhand, you might be suprised with results!
Comment to: "How often does the typical fly fisherman need to retrieve the line as quickly as you describe in your test? Not very often I'd guess?"
Every time you catch a tarpon, bigger snook, redfish, bonita, bonefish, permit, pompano, bluefish...
I will agree you don't need to on most seatrout, blowfish, ladyfish, flounder, pinfish, lizardfish...
I find fighting fish with, and controlling the rod, with my dominant right is much easier than doing the same with my left (although I'm trying to imprint left handed casting into my psyche). Whilst I appreciate the crank speed maybe higher with my right hand I don't feel there is a big enough crank speed difference for me to change to my right hand. Playing a fish is not just about crank speed (as useful as it can be on occasions), but is about the total combined factors of cranking, playing and on occasions strength (and any other factors that come into play) as a total package of playing a fish, particularly saltwater fish. I suppose in scientific terms that a "mathematical formula" could be developed that demonstrates that all of these factors must be taken into consideration and I think playing a fish with your dominant arm would win out. Purely theoretical mind you :-)
I have always instructed my clients to fight the fish with the rod, not the reel. So, I suggest a right handed angler reel left handed and a left handed angler rell with his right. Also, it has never made sense to cast the rod, then change hands.
I have fly fished fresh and salt water since I was 12 years old in 1957. I am right-handed and had to reel right-handed when inexpensive fly reels were only right-handed reels. Some time in the early 1960's I got my first changeable fly reel and immediately switched it to left-hand reeling. I have always wanted to control the rod and fight larger fish with my right hand. Since I turned 65 three years ago I started keeping several flyrod setups for left-hand reeling to combat times when my right arm has gotten "fish" (usually called Tennis) elbow. Only when my right arm needs a rest from landing too many fish do I want to just reel with my right hand. I am the same way with spinning reels but completely the opposite with baitcasting reels. I resently bought a left-hand reeling baitcaster and returned it after one week of fishing with it. I seem to be stuck with switching arms between casting and reeling when using baitcasters.
Isn't it really about comfort and preference? I'm right-handed and have fished spinning gear for decades using my left hand because its more comfortable to hold and control the rod in my dominant hand. How often does the typical fly fisherman need to retrieve the line as quickly as you describe in your test? Not very often I'd guess. What's more typical is seeing the right-handed fly fisherman controlling the fly rod in his right hand and then switching the rod to his left hand so he can reel in the line with his right hand. This to me is more awkward, but if that's how you're more comfortable, then more power to you. For me, I'll fly fish using my left hand to work the reel...
I reel in with my non-dominant hand so I don't have to switch hands after casting the fly. I fish mostly in saltwater.