# Retrieve Hand



## BGBrown311 (Feb 15, 2016)

I just wanted to hear what other people do. I currently cast with my right hand and strip with my left then reel with my left. I find that I can't keep tight and reel as fast as sometimes needed with my left hand. Does anyone cast with their dominant hand and then switch hands to reel with their dominate hand? Is there any downfall to doing this?


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## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

@BGBrown311 I am right handed and cast with my right and reel with my right. I can retrieve line quicker reeling with my right. You will hear Pros and Cons from both sides. I can reel just fine with either hand but I am quicker with my right and feel it gives me an advantage on hard running fish who tend to swim right back at you. Most will say it is silly to change hands but again on a hard running fish, you have more than enough time to change hands while they are headed to the horizon. Dont sweat it or overthink it. Walk off 100-150yds and see which one you are quickest/most comfortable and stick with it. You might find you start to reel in "squares", that is a sign you should switch.


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## Micro Thinfisher (Jan 27, 2018)

^^^ This....same reason Flip reels right with dominant hand and many others. Learned the hard way it’s better to wind left only when finessing trout as you’ll sometimes miss the bite. For saltwater right is right! Unless your a lefty.



lemaymiami said:


> I was taught (all those years ago...) to always reel with your dominant hand since the reeling part of fighting a really big fish with a fly rod is the toughest part (remember that fly reels have a very slow rate of retrieve ...). To emphasize what we were taught the usual demo was to ask a new angler which hand he wanted to reel 200 to 300 yards of backing onto a brand new reel.... 'nuff said. Then, as the sport grew in numbers - many, many fly anglers started out in fresh water where the demands on your reeling hand were minimal at best... so a lot of new saltwater fly anglers came to the sport already used to winding with their weak hand... These days more than half of my fly anglers are used to using the reel with their left hand -while I'm still a right hander...
> 
> I'm finally at the point after more than 20 years of guiding that I actually have accumulated two reels for every rod size from a 7wt on up to a 12wt and routinely ask my anglers which hand they use -then set up each rod accordingly...
> 
> ...


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Oh dear - I'm posting too much when I see my long past words getting quoted here - but it still goes. Most of us "old timers" were taught to wind with our dominant hand (whichever it is...). If I handed you a brand new fly reel and a big spool of backing - which hand would you want to be winding with? The retrieve speed with 99% of all fly reels is still very slow when a fast moving fish turns and runs back towards you and you simply can't keep up with your weak hand...

After years and years I finally have enough fly reels to have two for every rod when we're using fly gear -one that winds left - the other winds right handed... With every charter I make a point of asking the angler which he (or she) prefers and that's how each rod will be set up on the day we fish...


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

I’m right handed, if I’m in a sword fight, I want the sword in my right hand!


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## finbully (Jan 26, 2013)

I shoot fly lines and bullets with my right hand being predominate. I smoke Cubanos with my left. Go figure...


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## grass bass (Aug 29, 2017)

I have two hands, an R hand and an L hand. Rod hand, line hand.


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## sotilloa1078 (Mar 27, 2014)

Lots of good info here. Like stated above, try reeling with your right hand and see how it feels. More importantly see how smooth your retrieve is.

I cast right handed, strip with my left hand and can reel much faster with my right hand. But I’m very much so capable of reeling with my left. I have rods set up for both as Bob stated. Good to have one of each for clients.


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## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

Water Bound said:


> I’m right handed, if I’m in a sword fight, I want the sword in my right hand!


The rod is the sword!


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## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

sotilloa1078 said:


> Lots of good info here. Like stated above, try reeling with your right hand and see how it feels. More importantly see how smooth your retrieve is.
> 
> I cast right handed, strip with my left hand and can reel much faster with my right hand. But I’m very much so capable of reeling with my left. I have rods set up for both as Bob stated. Good to have one of each for clients.


Grew up spin fishing, so actually I am much more comfortable with my left when retrieving.


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## karstopo (Nov 28, 2019)

I don’t think I can reel faster with the right or left hand, about the same they are. I leave all of my fly reels with a left hand retrieve and bait-casting reels right hand. 

I cast fly rods with my left or right hand and don’t really have a preference on which side, the wind direction off my shoulders generally dictates the arm I choose to cast with. Leaving the retrieve all on the one side I don’t have to think about it when a fish is on the reel.


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## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

karstopo said:


> I don’t think I can reel faster with the right or left hand, about the same they are. I leave all of my fly reels with a left hand retrieve and bait-casting reels right hand.
> 
> I cast fly rods with my left or right hand and don’t really have a preference on which side, the wind direction off my shoulders generally dictates the arm I choose to cast with. Leaving the retrieve all on the one side I don’t have to think about it when a fish is on the reel.


same. the only time I retrieve right, by design, is with baitcaster. Unfortunately, casting a fly rod with my left hand is not quite as comfortable as with my right. I used to practice more with my left, but not so much anymore. Should really spend more time on my back hand cast.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

lemaymiami said:


> Oh dear - I'm posting too much when I see my long past words getting quoted here - but it still goes. Most of us "old timers" were taught to wind with our dominant hand (whichever it is...). If I handed you a brand new fly reel and a big spool of backing - which hand would you want to be winding with? The retrieve speed with 99% of all fly reels is still very slow when a fast moving fish turns and runs back towards you and you simply can't keep up with your weak hand...
> 
> After years and years I finally have enough fly reels to have two for every rod when we're using fly gear -one that winds left - the other winds right handed... With every charter I make a point of asking the angler which he (or she) prefers and that's how each rod will be set up on the day we fish...


Me too!

I learned from ole Stu Apte many years ago that you have more and faster dexterity on your dominate hand to let go of the knob when a powerful or fast fish lunges, like tarpon, bones and offshore pelagics. It doesn't take long to learn the hard way, from a busted up knuckles incident. 

You also have the ability to wind faster, picking up line faster for longer periods of time with your dominate hand. Yeah, no doubt it's cool and exciting to watch that backing just melt off your reel. To me, aside from the "eat," there is nothing better to get your heart pumping than to see that. But once that excitement has died down when the spool stops turning in the fish's favor, then you have to reel all that line back in on a 1:1 ratio, which can be a chore. So for me, that's how I've rolled for at least 28yrs now since I learned that lil tidbit, where any reels I keep specific for those species, are situated on my dominate hand (right hand).

One time I fought a large female poon down a stretch of beach for 4 miles on a lighter fly rod than I should have been using for a fish that size (she was in the 140-150 range). I would of given up long before we boated her if I had to reel with my left hand.

That being said, a lot (not all) of the reels I've owned over the years that I only use for basic inshore and freshwater, I have no problems leaving them in a left hand retrieve mode. Most long runs on those species are no more than 50yrds. So I have no problems reeling with my left hand for them. So those extra yards of backing for those inshore type reels are really for increasing the arbor size to help with faster retrieving, aside from the extra insurance policy of that...."just in-case" fish.


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## IRLyRiser (Feb 14, 2007)

Whichever hand you can reel best with. I’m right handed and maybe a little ambidextrous. I can’t reel for crap with my right hand. I don’t know what it is. I just reel with my left.


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## Plantation (Nov 24, 2015)

One of my buddies told me he thinks people reel with whichever hand they masturbate with.


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Reel with your dominant hand is what I've always done and works goid for me.


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## grass bass (Aug 29, 2017)

We all do everything best with our dominant hand starting out -- that's what dominant hand means -- but where we start out is not usually where we want to end up. Seems to me proper technique usually feels awkward and unnatural starting out, no matter the sport. Handling the rod, both casting and fighting fish, especially at the boat, is also a skill, just as reeling fast is. I keep the rod in my right hand. When I need to gain line quickly I often go back to stripping.


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## grass bass (Aug 29, 2017)

Plantation said:


> One of my buddies told me he thinks people reel with whichever hand they masturbate with.


Well, he's wrong. In at least one case.


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## Seymour fish (May 13, 2018)

rcbrower said:


> I shoot fly lines and bullets with my right hand being predominate. I smoke Cubanos with my left. Go figure...


So you can hold that cocktail with your right. Makes sense to me


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## 7WT (Feb 12, 2016)

When I started fishing salt some 35 years ago I only heard of reeling with your dominant hand. However, one day tarpon fishing and catching two well over 100 lb fish on two succesive casts with the second fish breaking the fly line itself after 20 minutes when it somehow wrapped the reel on a jump- kapow. I was more than relieved our back up rod reeled with my less dominant left hand as on the very next cast I hooked the third of the day. By the way when the line broke on that second fish with now no pressure on her she immediately stopped and we were almost able to grab the end of the line as it sat floating on the water in front of us.


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## 8w8n8 (Sep 30, 2017)

Started with a spinner as a kid, casted right reeled left … developed and perfected the Kenai-twitch with the rod on my right/dominant hand (holding fish in the current) … definitely used my strong arm hauling-up 80/90/100lb halibut, especially if the tide was running … by the time I started fly fishing (early 80s) it was just natural, for me, to cast right/strip & reel left … besides, most of the time I’d have a 12GA on my left shoulder, barrel pointed down, and could grab it faster with my left (reel hand) if I ever needed it … had to grab it a few times but luckily only for warning shots!


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## Seymour fish (May 13, 2018)

BGBrown311 said:


> I just wanted to hear what other people do. I currently cast with my right hand and strip with my left then reel with my left. I find that I can't keep tight and reel as fast as sometimes needed with my left hand. Does anyone cast with their dominant hand and then switch hands to reel with their dominate hand? Is there any downfall to doing this?


It seems to me that strikes come often enough very shortly after the fly touches down that its a bad time to be switching hands, and a good time to stay in touch with the fly and focus on fishing it and not dawdling around switching hands when you need to be ready to strip-strike. Plenty folks manage it very well. Perhaps they can only whack off with the dominant hand ?


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## BGBrown311 (Feb 15, 2016)

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. The only time I have had a major problem is when fighting large tarpon. Just like what was said above, I feel like I'm reeling squares. I will switch a couple of reels for my trip to the 10k Islands next week and see how it works for me.


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## BGBrown311 (Feb 15, 2016)

Seymour fish said:


> It seems to me that strikes come often enough very shortly after the fly touches down that its a bad time to be switching hands, and a good time to stay in touch with the fly and focus on fishing it and not dawdling around switching hands when you need to be ready to strip-strike. Plenty folks manage it very well. Perhaps they can only whack off with the dominant hand ?


When I have seen the hand switch by anglers much better than myself it is after a strike and the fish is on the reel. I would still strip with my left hand and strike the fish with my left hand.


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2020)

BGBrown311 said:


> I just wanted to hear what other people do. I currently cast with my right hand and strip with my left then reel with my left. I find that I can't keep tight and reel as fast as sometimes needed with my left hand. Does anyone cast with their dominant hand and then switch hands to reel with their dominate hand? Is there any downfall to doing this?


I used to switch to my dominate hand after the cast as I too felt that I could reel quicker. I now believe that as a right-handed caster, I prefer to fight larger fish with that dominate right hand [I can hold on to the rod better] and I also don't stand a chance of loosing the rod or having something unexpected happen if I'm in the process of switching the rod to my weaker side so that I can reel right-handed.


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

I am mostly ambidextrous. Left handed but right eye dominant so I do some things lefty and some righty and a lot of them I can use either hand.
For fly casting, it is left hand cast, reel with my right hand. I can fly cast pretty good right handed and reel with my left hand but I rarely need to switch. If the wind is blowing onto my shoulder, I prefer to cast with my arm up and rod over my head instead of changing hands. Baitcasters I cast left handed and use right hand retrieve reels but can use either hand with little issue. Spinners don't matter which hand. I actually have a some spinners lefty and some righty.


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## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

grass bass said:


> We all do everything best with our dominant hand starting out -- that's what dominant hand means -- but where we start out is not usually where we want to end up. Seems to me proper technique usually feels awkward and unnatural starting out, no matter the sport. Handling the rod, both casting and fighting fish, especially at the boat, is also a skill, just as reeling fast is. I keep the rod in my right hand. When I need to gain line quickly I often go back to stripping.


Agree, I like the rod (for casting AND fish fighting) in my right. I think some of the motor control stuff that you do when fighting a fish with the rod are fairly complex-increasing or decreasing rod pressure instantaneously, changing angle of pull, sticking the rod into the water, etc. Those things feel weird to me with my Left. 
my two cents.


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## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

Seymour fish said:


> It seems to me that strikes come often enough very shortly after the fly touches down that its a bad time to be switching hands, and a good time to stay in touch with the fly and focus on fishing it and not dawdling around switching hands when you need to be ready to strip-strike. Plenty folks manage it very well. Perhaps they can only whack off with the dominant hand ?


agree on all.


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## karstopo (Nov 28, 2019)

What costs the most fish? Is it how one handles the rod after the fish has eaten or how fast they can reel? Does it depend on the fish and situation? 

Many of the fish I’ve lost were just after the eat and before they even got on the reel, with me being slow to respond, either with the rod or line to some powerful move. 

I’m not sure how fast you can reel is the most important thing going on during the fight with fish that can break things. Could be it is with some fish. Lots of things also going on with the rod hand for sure. Which hand and task, rod or reel, get priority?


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## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

karstopo said:


> What costs the most fish? Is it how one handles the rod after the fish has eaten or how fast they can reel? Does it depend on the fish and situation?
> 
> Many of the fish I’ve lost were just after the eat and before they even got on the reel, with me being slow to respond, either with the rod or line to some powerful move.
> 
> I’m not sure how fast you can reel is the most important thing going on during the fight with fish that can break things. Could be it is with some fish. Lots of things also going on with the rod hand for sure. Which hand and task, rod or reel, get priority?


well said, and for me its definitely the rod. only instance where the retrieve hand is potential issue is when a fast fish coming right back at you. In those cases I think it can be hard to keep up any way.


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## shb (Oct 29, 2013)




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## shb (Oct 29, 2013)

Do you ever think this fishing business is too simple to support a lot of discussion?


It seems like us humans are just busy bodies, we can take the simplest activity and make it into some pseudo sophisticated extrapolation of common sense.


I know the outdoor marketing machine eggs us on.


maybe I'm ascending to geezerdom.


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2020)

shb said:


> Do you ever think this fishing business is too simple to support a lot of discussion?
> 
> 
> It seems like us humans are just busy bodies, we can take the simplest activity and make it into some pseudo sophisticated extrapolation of common sense.
> ...


No!


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## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

shb said:


> Do you ever think this fishing business is too simple to support a lot of discussion?
> 
> 
> It seems like us humans are just busy bodies, we can take the simplest activity and make it into some pseudo sophisticated extrapolation of common sense.
> ...


I've come to the conclusion that we all are here because we like it ( fly fishing) and enjoy talking about it, getting other perspectives. But, I agree that sometimes we make things way more complicated than they need to be. LOL


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Plantation said:


> One of my buddies told me he thinks people reel with whichever hand they masturbate with.


What if your girlfriend/wife does all that for you? For me, she can touch that, but I'm not letting her touch my reel!


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

grass bass said:


> I keep the rod in my right hand. When I need to gain line quickly I often go back to stripping.


That works find with fish that hasn't pulled any backing out, but.......


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Doublehaul said:


> I've come to the conclusion that we all are here because we like it ( fly fishing) and enjoy talking about it, getting other perspectives. But, I agree that sometimes we make things way more complicated than they need to be. LOL


It's really is just taking it to whatever level you are willing to push it to. But as one exits out of one's comfort zone and takes on newer and higher challenges, then those challenges will mostly be conquered by those honing their skill levels, techniques and challenges, like with any other sport or obsession.

Personally, I can just taking it easy, taking the canoe and go catch bluegills on simple popper flies where they never pull any string off my reel. But I can be obsessed with looking forward to those times where I can get in the zone and push my threshold to pursue that fish that is difficult, and get to that place, where if all the work and effort pays off, you can get them to turn on that fly. For me, it's hard to beat that rush!

When life quickly passes by, I want to be that ole man that I can close my eyes and re-live those moments that I did those extra things to prepare and pushed myself out there, made it happened and did those things that some only dream of doing. 

So then, simplicity can work, and will only take you so far. And that will work if that's all you are good with. But there are some that seek to push further. For those individuals, going down the rabbit hole is part of the fun and challenge and has it's own set of rewards. In a nut shell, _"To each, their own!" 

Ted Haas_


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## Seymour fish (May 13, 2018)

Backwater said:


> What if your girlfriend/wife does all that for you? For me, she can touch that, but I'm not letting her touch my reel!


Everything comes, yes comes, with a risk reward ratio. Seymour


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## Seymour fish (May 13, 2018)

Backwater said:


> It's really is just taking it to whatever level you are willing to push it to. But as one exits out of one's comfort box and takes on newer challenges, then those challenges will mostly be conquered by those honing their skill levels, techniques and challenges, like with any other sport or obsession.
> 
> Personally, I love just taking it easy, taking the canoe and go catch bluegills on simple popper flies. But I look forward to those times where I can get in the zone and pushing my threshold to pursue that fish that is difficult to get to that place, where if all the work and effort pays off, you can get them to turn on that fly. For me, it's hard to beat that rush!
> 
> ...


I am rapidly becoming one of your old men. The memories congeal into a happy blur of identity as a fisherman. The lessons learned are distilled down to actionable essence. The rush is as strong as ever, and sufficient to drive through the accumulated physical failings. Fish on my brothers


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Seymour fish said:


> I am rapidly becoming one of your old men. The memories congeal into a happy blur of identity as a fisherman. The lessons learned are distilled down to actionable essence. The rush is as strong as ever, and sufficient to drive through the accumulated physical failings. Fish on my brothers


They'll have to wheel chair me out there to fish before I stop.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

I'm left handed. I fly cast with right hand, bait cast left hand and spin right hand. I just go with whatever side the handle is on.


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## Craig Pablo (Feb 15, 2018)

I am right handed (although I think I was naturally a "lefty" but somewhat "forced" to be a righty) and I've always cast with my right hand and stripped/reeled with my left. Seems natural to me and reeling right seems somewhat unnatural. I shoot guns right handed, but I am goofy footed on skate/snowboards (typical of lefties), can dribble a basketball better left handed but shoot better right handed. I throw right handed, and started out swinging right handed, but it's an inside out swing and I was typically an up the middle or spray to right field hitter, as I got a little older I began to hit from the left side and found out, while I was a straight pull hitter, I hit from the left side with considerably more power. I also can't throw a frisbee right handed to save my life, feels funny. I smoke cigars left handed and generally pick up new things (shuffling poker chips, etc.) easier left handed. go figure!


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

Craig, we must be twins. Exact same in all respects except for hitting lefty.

If I had to reel with my right hand I would just soon quit fishing and that goes for baitcasters too.


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## grass bass (Aug 29, 2017)

Backwater said:


> That works find with fish that hasn't pulled any backing out, but.......


Yes, true.


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## Stormy Monday (Mar 27, 2019)

I'm with Craig too. Technically right, but from playing guitar my left is more coordinated. Goofy foot water skier. I hit from the right side for power but the left side for average, and my backhand is stronger than forehand, but I think that's eye dominance. And yet - I struggle to cast even 40' left handed. Every year I work on casting Lefty and every year I fail.


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## Craig Pablo (Feb 15, 2018)

Half Shell said:


> Craig, we must be twins. Exact same in all respects except for hitting lefty.
> 
> If I had to reel with my right hand I would just soon quit fishing and that goes for baitcasters too.


I would just as soon quit fishing than reel right handed as well, it's kept me from owning a couple of RH retrieve only reels lol.


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## Craig Pablo (Feb 15, 2018)

Stormy Monday said:


> I'm with Craig too. Technically right, but from playing guitar my left is more coordinated. Goofy foot water skier. I hit from the right side for power but the left side for average, and my backhand is stronger than forehand, but I think that's eye dominance. And yet - I struggle to cast even 40' left handed. Every year I work on casting Lefty and every year I fail.


I've recently started trying to cast left handed, I can get about 30' out nicely but beyond that it's a complete mess.


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## Ricky Wolbert (Oct 27, 2019)

BGBrown311 said:


> I just wanted to hear what other people do. I currently cast with my right hand and strip with my left then reel with my left. I find that I can't keep tight and reel as fast as sometimes needed with my left hand. Does anyone cast with their dominant hand and then switch hands to reel with their dominate hand? Is there any downfall to doing this?


Lefty even said u can not reel as fast or as long if u are set up like u say , for trout and bass it might be ok but for a Saltwater runner I reel right handed .


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## Clubhunter (Jan 22, 2019)

BGBrown311 said:


> I just wanted to hear what other people do. I currently cast with my right hand and strip with my left then reel with my left. I find that I can't keep tight and reel as fast as sometimes needed with my left hand. Does anyone cast with their dominant hand and then switch hands to reel with their dominate hand? Is there any downfall to doing this?


I cast with my right and strip line with left. I have all my reel handles on the right though. When I have to reel fast I can do it better with the dominant hand.


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## 8w8n8 (Sep 30, 2017)

I remember listening to the following about a year ago … 

Andy Mill made an interesting point on the right/left-cast/reel debate when April Vokey interviewed him on her podcast back in 2018 … I believe he stated the following as “another good reason” for the cast-right, reel-left discussion. He basically said (and I paraphrase) that once a fish is hooked, running, and taking fly line off the deck, there’s less chance of the fly line getting caught on the reel-handle if you strip-left and cast/reel-right … as the line you strip-in, laying on the deck before the hook-up, is on your left side and the reel handle is on the right. I’m sure it’s not 100% fool-proof but I would guess it is, 80% of the time! (I’ll take Mill’s word on this … as someone who self-proclaims spending over $1mil on guides.) And also, (my perspective) there’s probably a better chance of the line just wrapping around your hand during that initial run, , if you strip/reel-left (and cast-right) … as the line is going helter-skelter off the deck into the first ferrule.

Although I’ll continue to reel-left, I will eventually get coordinated, as I too am changing my casting to the left hand-side!

Sorry, I no longer have this link as it was on my old cell … Vokey’s podcasts are easy to find, though.


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## Bonesonthebrain (Jan 2, 2020)

See this debate time and time again. There is no one right answer. Just figure out what works best for you and stick with it.

I am most comfortable casting right handed and reeling left handed. Can I reel a little faster right handed, probably, but I also can fight the fish much better with the rod in right hand. The drag of the water on the line usually (operative word - usually) keeps the line semi tight if the fish is running towards you faster than you can reel.

Casting right and reeling left is very natural for me having used spinning gear a lot. Have never been real comfortable with bait casting gear reeling right handed and even got left hand retrieve reels so would not have to switch hands after the cast and had much better hooksets frog fishing with right hand on the rod. Would love to be able to fly cast left handed, but do not think I will ever be very good at it.


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## mac (Jul 24, 2017)

Just need practice, if I lived up in the mountains trout fishing all the time I'd put some serious time into left handed casting because of how annoying backcast presenting gets. Rare I have to do it here in Florida


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

I'm too old and set in my ways to change. I'm in the cast right/reel left camp. I did convert a reel to right hand retrieve years ago and tried it. After doing it one way for so long, it just felt weird. And on top of that, I missed a couple of fish switching the rod from right to left hand. Turns out I know what I like and I like what I know.


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