DonO, Funny you should mention that (beat-up fingers that is). I hate to say it, but those boys sound like trout fishers; those of us who grew up with salmon sense when a fish is going to run before it does. This saves big-time on bandages and pain killers.
I must admit, from up here in the frozen north, the idea of testing my theories on dorado is mighty appealing. Nevertheless, I don't think I'd battle those saltwater biggies without an anti-reverse reel. My strange Polish friend who designed the Governor reel, now has a saltwater model and is presently using it somewhere off Hawaii. cheers Paul DonO wrote: > > Paul, > On your point below... I have an anti-reverse 12wt Billy Pate and a 14wt > Abel direct drive. Each has it's strong suits and weak suits. > > On the direct drive, I want my left hand fingers getting the heck beat out > of them as I try to let go of the reel handle with a monster fish bending > the 14wt. rod tip down into the water. If I let my right hand take that > beating, I wouldn't be able to draw for weeks after I got home. A couple of > guys on one dorado trip had to quit fishing as their reeling hands were so > beat up and swollen, they couldn't hold the reel handle any more. They both > got anti-reverse reels for the next trip. > > On the anti-reverse, one does not have a direct link to the spool, as the > drag can go out whenever. So I find I'm constantly changing the drag > setting for different parts of the fight- whether they're tail-walking or > sounding, or coming in or running away. But my fingers are spared, and > that's good, and less painful. > > DonO > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Paul Marriner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 8:16 AM > Subject: Re: [VFB] LHW & RHW > > >Spinning reels are anti-reverse, most fly reels aren't. If you > > palm the spool, or even have to frequently wind and release, your best > > hand is the most sensitive.> Cheers > > Paul -- Paul Marriner Outdoor Writing & Photography. Owner: Gale's End Press. Member: OWAA & OWC. Author of: A Compendium of Canadian Fly Patterns (co-author), Stillwater Fly Fishing: Tools & Tactics, How to Choose & Use Fly-tying Thread, Modern Atlantic Salmon Flies, Miramichi River Journal, Ausable River Journal, and Atlantic Salmon.
