The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Very true but, It seems very strange that the most comfortable way to fish for a right handed person was not catered for by reel makers. I say that based on how everyone/most people use their centrepin reels and rods today. I would find it most uncomfortable reeling in a centrepin with my right hand etc. I feel something was missed by makers along the line, I wish I had been around back then I think Icould have cornered the market.
I forgot to add that the way the multiplier is used by BV and in the other shots is totally the right way (for me), this is how I cast and reel in when beachcasting, with the reel on top and wind with your right hand. If no leveline fitted to reel you thumb on the line lay with your left hand whilst reeling in.

Well, at a guess if you can do it using a multiplyer you might find you can do it with a 'pin after all, possibly. I've done a bit of lure casting with a top mounted right-hand wind baitcasting reel and it wasn't too bad, in truth but today we just don't like it anymore.
How many anglers are using vintage 'pins with the anti-reverse working against them, rather than with them, nowadays?

Even later reels, like JW Young's Rapidex and Trudex reels have a pawl that only works for right-hand wind and they were made right up until 1969. They can be converted of course, it only takes about ten minutes, but it never occurred to Youngs to even offer a reversible pawl.

It seems strange to me that the old centrepins with a line guard fitted were for someone to wind in using their right hand and yet when fixed spools came along they were virtually all for winding in with the left hand...which is best for most. Maybe the way of angling was just performed in a different way in the past but I still cannot understand why makers put the line guard on what to me is, the wrong side. As regards the reel on top, that reminds me of the Jack Hargreaves LP cover with Jack pictured with a fixed spool being fished on top of the rod.

Absolutely. Whilst the world was still making swimming and trotting reels for right-hand wind, Mitchell sold a million fixed spool reels with left-hand wind.* Maybe that was part of their success? The reel was really designed with spinning in mind too....a direct competitor to the baitcasters and multipliers out there...all with right hand wind. It's unfathomable!


* Mitchell offered right hand wind fixed spool reels denoted by an odd number, the 300 becoming the 301, the 304 the 305, the 314 the 315 etc etc,but they only sold a few, probably a hundredth by number comparison.

Perhaps it was in keeping with traditional fly fishing, many fly reels were right hand wind. Also, by having the handle on the right of the centrepin it made controlling the rim of the spool easy with your forefingers.

I know back in the early 1900's someone like Halford, Francis or Skues wrote the reason for all reels being right handed was the the rod was then used with the left arm which is deemed to be the weaker, making the fight more sporting and giving the fish more of a chance to break free!

I have never understood why fly reels are wound with the right hand, when I had a go at fly fishing I used the rod in my right hand, stripped line with my left, figure of eighted with my left, wound with my left and used the landing net with my left, because that was natural and comfortable for me. It just seems to me that it must have been uncomfortable for people like me(right handed) in times past. Am I missing something?

My thanks to Andrew Davis who has waved his magic wand over my Craftversa and brought it back to superb condition to ensure many more years of active service.

The original butt ring and tip rings have been retained whilst the intermediate rings which were black have been replaced with new black rings which are pretty much identical to the originals which I have retained for historic purposes.

I hope to encounter some obliging Tench and Crucians later in the year.

Only just seen this! Beautiful

Thanks for firing this thread up to the front LS. you've brought it to my notice.
Cor that whipping is done to perfection PH ! Smashing Pics. AJ has a steady hand with not a trace of a gap anywhere !

If I may wander off slightly,

When I go Trotting Light with cane I take no seat or rodrests. I do fix my Pin to LH wind. However when my right arm tires I continue trotting
by hold the rod in my left hand which gives marvellous respite to the right arm without the need to stop fishing.
The Reel control is compromised slightly but improves if its fitted a bit lower on the corks.

As Rods developed I would guess that fitting the reel lower down was the only practical way to gain balance to the tip heavy jobbies available
at that time. Reel control in that position becomes easier by using the little finger of the right hand with the reel fitted RHW .
Given such it makes sense to me. Evolution in practice perhaps ?