George, I don't remember any 'handed-version' in flyfishing roots. My first real flyreel was a Sears automatic, and it was either R or L. Standard fly reels could be turned around either way or the spool could be reversed R to L.
I disagree with the dominant hand theory. Spin-fishermen have for decades cast right reeled left, and gotten accustomed to this by 1000's of casts per day fishing lures. It's also easy for them to swap to bait casters- reel right, cast right. I was able to cast a bait caster with either hand, since we fished on boats a lot. But a right-handed spinner or fly-reel is just too unpracticed for me. I can flycast left-handed easier that I can reel righthanded. Then there's the guy who flips his spinning reel over on top and reels backwards with the right hand. I think I saw JimmyD doing this. Lefty was just as stubborn when I taught him how to flycast. He always wanted to revert back to baitcasting, poor guy. Had to stop him from flipping his flyreel over to the top side and reeling it backwards too. I gave him the name 'Lefty' because I wantd him to focus on reeling left-handed. DonO ----- Original Message ----- From: George E Vincent To: vfb-mail@googlegroups.com Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 10:21 AM Subject: [VFB] Re: Reeling left-handed Jimmy, I know we have had this discussion on this list before. I do it the same as you, that is cast with my right arm and switch to my left when I catch a fish to reel it in. This is the way that I was taught and the way that fly rods and reels were set up to be used by right-handed people at least back in the 50s when I learned to fly fish. BTW this is also the way that Lefty Kreh says that it should be done, because you are using your dominant hand to do the work. I don't know when they started teaching right-handed people to cast with the right and reel with the left, but as far as I am concerned they are wrong. George Vincent ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: vfb-mail@googlegroups.com [mailto:vfb-m...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Jimmy D. Moore Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 12:09 To: Virtual Fly Box; Fly Fishing World; Hill Coountry Fly Fishers Subject: [VFB] Reeling left-handed I'm right-handed and I've always reeled right handed after changing the rod from right hand to left I know that in the time it takes to change the rod from right hand to left hand has cost me a fish or two, but try as I may, I just can't get the hang of reeling left-handed. I've had this trouble with my bait casting reel but it doesn't seem to affect how quick I strike at a bass. I've sat at my tying bench with a reel attached to a reel seat held the handle in my right hand and reeled left-handed until I'm blue in the face. After about 5 minutes, reeling left-handed seems natural, BUT . . . . when I get on the stream and a fish takes, I fall back into the switching rod from right to left hand and then reeling with my right hand. I'll try doubly hard to reel left-handed on the next fish, but even if I don't make the switch, my reeling is an uncoordinated jerky motion. Maybe I've just got a mental block. Any suggestions will be appreciated. JIMMY D --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VFB Mail" group. To post to this group, send email to vfb-mail@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to vfb-mail-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vfb-mail?hl=en VFB Mail is sponsored by Line's End Inc at http://www.linesend.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
