I have agree with DonO that fishing for the big boys in the blue, you have
to use whichever hand doesn't cramp up in the midst of a big battle. When
you're playing a fish for an hour or two, this becomes important. On the
anti-reverse reels, I am not in favor. I've had a few, but something about
the fight on a direct/one-to-one reel seems fitting and sporting and
separates us from the Penn reel boys. I agree with Paul that a good sense of
anticipation spares your hands as well as anti-reverse. I've caught a lot of
sailfish, tarpon, big dorado, tuna, etc. and haven't really ever got my
hands knocked up. I have got the line over my head, between my legs, around
a finger, etc. and that hurts worse!!! The reel handle design is important
as well. I just got back from the Bahamas and the reel handles on my new
Tibors are too small. My hand kept flying off. Luckily, they have larger
handles you can buy as the reels themselves are flawless!
Jay
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Marriner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 11:38 AM
Subject: Re: [VFB] LHW & RHW
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.
