Right or left handed winding?

[theoldlegend]

I'm with you Webby.

This whole question conjures up some mind boggling scenarios. What if you had a broken arm? What would you do? Depends which arm was broken I suppose.


TOL

[Why-ting]

Im all over the shop, I wind left on my spin rods, wind right on my baitcasters and wind right when high speed spinning.

[Great White]

I went either or, but I do favour the right hand to use on spin reel, and alvey reels but when it comes to bait casters and rods with pistol grip rods I use the left to wind.

I guess thats whet you get a left handed bait caster given to you as a kid from your folks as a kid

Good poll dear

Webby you lost me at "The"

[skeeter]

For me, it depends, I am right handed, so with an baitcaster and alvey I retrieve right handed but with a spinning reel i wind left handed. Can't really remember when I changed but it just feels right to me.

My fishing mates give me a bit of stick about it still though.

Peter

[Noelm]

there is always theories about casting and changing hands/arms to fish and the possibility of getting "hit" when in the middle of changing (possible) and then the stronger arm being better for the rod, lots of "possibles" what it all comes down to is do what feels right for you, not what some TV "celebrity" says you must do, other wise we will all be using only berkely gulps, on a Berkely rod, with berkely line and wear a Berkely shirt (like that boofhead on fishin trip) "if it feels good, do it"!!

[Herm]

Thanks everyone for your replies and opinions

......, lots of "possibles" what it all comes down to is do what feels right for you, not what some TV "celebrity" says you must do, other wise we will all be using only berkely gulps, on a Berkely rod, with berkely line and wear a Berkely shirt (like that boofhead on fishin trip) "if it feels good, do it"!!

Noelm - I am certainly not considering it "because a celebrity...." I asked about it because with the little spinning reel on my SP rod, I can see how winding with my left hand would make sense.

Your comment did make me think about what brand I spend my money on and I seem to spread my dollars out a bit with alot of brands - rod - G.Loomis, reel - Daiwa, line - Fireline, leader - yamatoya, and various brands of jigheads and SP's and not to forget my favourite Alvey Cap!

Looking forward to reading more comments!

Cheers
Janine

[szopen]

I have grown up in Europe and there almost everybody uses right hand for casting, controlling the rod, feeling the bites, fighting fish and the left hand for winding.

So that's the way I do.

That is one of the reasons why overhead reels never got a large share of the market there until left hand retrive versions shown up.

I agree with doing what feels right theory.
It does look strange when I see people with spinning gear changing hands every cast.

But if most of the people in the world use left hand for winding there might be a reason there.

[ozvettec1]

SZOPEN, has a good point. After thinking about it my English fishing mate winds with the left and can't seem to get the hang of a RH wind. He tells me he was taught from scratch to do this, as is everyone over there, but being raised the opposite it feels too different to make the change for the sake of it because I don't think I would be a better fisherman if I changed. Just the hassle of buying left handed overheads is enough to put me off.

[DR]

i cast with right & retrieve with right. Have been given all the reasons for casting right , retrieving left.. what if fish hits as soon as lure hits the water, never had it happen in almost 50 years. need stronger ( right) arm to control fish, are peoples left arms so pissweak they need to do this?? mine isn't, might be a tiny bit weaker but not enough that i can't fish with it..
over the years my casting style has developed (in critical areas where you may get an instant hit) into casting, & while lure is traveling to it's destination i gently lay the rod onto my left hand, when it hits i turn the handle (instantly if required) with my right hand, same result as winding with left.
to me it's just a case of having a reason to do something, but that there is no true correct way, only what works for you personally.

[Flex]

Jeremy has it spot on. The dominant hand holding the rod idea is total crap.

both arms are pretty much just as strong as one another(unless your a tennis player etc). so that theory is crap
and everyone can build up the co-ordination to wind any arm they wish over time. so do what ever you have done since your a kid.

How many people out there can honestly say they have lost a fish when changing hands after casting? 15y fishing for me and i have never lost 1.

and even if you do get a hit whilst changing hands, you can change a rod from 1 hand to another in about .2 of a second.

[ckool_77]

I am right handed and wind with my left,just the way i was brought up since i was a kid,if i had a choice i would prefer to wind on my right... now im so used to winding with my left and can't change the habit and i am so limited to what reels i can use

[oldboot]

there seems that there is an asumption that you are either right or left handed. ( or ambudexterous)
But it isn't always that simple.
If you are right handed that doesn't automaticaly make the left arm weaker.
It depends on how you use you arms day to day.
Like I can swing a hammer just fine in the left... not as well as the right but ok.
It can vary from one to the other the differing capabilities of each hand/arm.

some brickeis for instance are stronger in the left because thats the hand they lift the bricks with.... strong in the left skill in the right.

I recon this is one of those things there is no right and wrong..... its what works for you and what you can get your brain to tell you hands to do.

Me I'm an alvey man....... no problems

cheers

[NAGG]

Interesting Topic ..... specially the poll result for right handers winding with their right .... I would have bet that most would cast with their dominant hand & naturally wind with the opposite (sure some might be strong in both arms ... but unless your ambidextrous ... you still have a dominant arm that will control the rod better)
Me ... I'm left handed (cast with left & wind with right) ...... In fact I'm very much left side orientated (nothing to do with my political veiws or sexuality ) Im left , handed , footed & my gun eye is the left .......... BUT I swing a golf club & cricket / baseball bats & an axe right handed & could not do it left handed to save my life ...... So that does give some cred to how you have been brought up using a rod & reel ..... Nagg

[Tropicaltrout]

always wind left and I am right handed, the rod is a extention of my arm and thats the way I was tought so I struggle to wind right now. I know a few fellas and they wind right and are right handed and they seem fine so not really a big thing just do whats comfortable.

TT

[Luc]

I'm an ambidextrous leftie & cast with my right and wind left.

Most of my reels (including alveys) are left crankers. Still, I have a couple of baitcasters that are right crankers so with those I cast right and then hold the rod in my left hand.

If necessary, I can cast fairly accurately with my left. More practice would improve my LH casting but as most of my reels are left crankers I don't bother.

Ultimately, it's what you prefer. If you have a need to change, you'll do so relatively easily.

Luc

PS other than writing, I prefer to use my left hand as the "skilled" hand.