It's probably stupid....but I have to try it.....

I look at the line as I am pulling it off the fly reel out to the left....and I just wonder if it would pull easier coming off the bottom of the reel feeding out....instead of the top. All I would have to do is re-wind the backing and line on backwards.....then the line would be a straight line from the reel to the tip when...uh..tight or playing a fish on the reel. ( I haven't gotten a fish on the reel yet so no experience here...plead ignorance)..closer to the rod I guess I wanna say. A more straight plane from the bottoom of the reel to the tip of the rod. Line would almost be parrallel to the rod all the way. All I would have to do is learn to wind the reel backwards to take IN line. I'll have to try it myself to actually see how it works...and I will. I know the idea is going to get shot down pretty hard...but I will get some other thoughts on it. I offer it up here for ideas and so you pros can take a shot at me and my igorance.

Gem

Is the line supposed to come off the top of the reel?
I've always run mine off the bottom... I've never had any trouble with it.

Oh yeah, I'm right handed and I wind with my left hand, too.

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There's almost nothin' wrong with the first lie, it's the weight of all the others holdin' it up that gets ya'! - Tim

[This message has been edited by MOturkE (edited 28 September 2005).]

POJ:

I think what you are describing is the correct way for the line to enter the reel. It should wind from the bottom.

e

Jim,
Check this picture out, this is how you should be loaded.
[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/Forum1/HTML/014470.html:45fb4]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/Forum1/HTML/014470.html[/url:45fb4]


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There's almost nothin' wrong with the first lie, it's the weight of all the others holdin' it up that gets ya'! - Tim

If you wish to find out how it feels and works without learning to wind the line backwards,Id suggest you take an old direct drive bait casting reel, wind the line on. Then mount it as you would any other fly reel. The line of course will have to come off the back of the reel away from the level wind. (if it has one) You will be able to wind in the normal forward direction.

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Captn. Paul Darby

Reel should be spooled same as TP: Pulls off bottom.

Rich

[This message has been edited by flymaker2 (edited 28 September 2005).]

POJ, most of the fish you'll catch around these parts are brought in by hand sttipping anyway, meaning you don't use the reel to "work" them. Therefore, how the line comes off the reel - from the top or from the bottom - isn't what it's all about anyway.

But, having said that, all of my reels are set up so the line comes off the bottom and in order to wind the line in using my left hand, I wind in a counter clockwise direction. Next time you're out on the water look around at the other fly fishers, I'll bet they nearly all have it set up so the line comes off the bottom of the reel.

(And Flymaker, if I put the next roll of TP on so it spools off the bottom of the roll, the LOTH would snatch me bald headed for "not having any class". As source evidence of "proper", she sez "Look at how they fold the point on the paper in the motel!!".)

Now we're gonna have a duel purpose thread going here, "which way to spool a fly reel" and "what's proper for the TP".

'Course there'll be some who remember that we were taught to rip the pages outta the Monkey Wards catalog from the back to the front, that way the lady folk could continue to look at the clothing section longer while we menfolk had to use up the tool section first.

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There's snow on the roof but the fire still burns in the oven.

I would have to assume Plain Old Jim is an amazing dexterous fisherman because I couldn't wind my left handed reels clockwise if my life depended on it.

Jim have you ever used regular reels? They all wind anti or counter clockwise if set up for left hand wind and clockwise if set up for right hand wind.

I am always amazed by people who can fish and wind their reels one way while using spinning tackle or fly tackle and then do the hand switching thing when using a casting reel or an old right hand wind Hardy St George. I wind all of my fishing reels left handed. I guess I'm just a klutz

By the way, I've been told the TP position is a gender thing; men do it off the bottom and women do it off the top.

Antron Midge let me use his bamboo rod once, and I didn't figure out the reel was on there backwards 'til I had a fish on! That was an awkward experience.

I'm going to recommend that you try this by just taking your reel off, flipping it around, and winding in backwards with your other hand. This will also make this experiment possible with a one-way disc drag reel.

The advice that follows probably applies to other subjects as well: See what the people in authority do and emulate it. Don't re invent the wheel. The top dogs have probably seen all these variants, and if they still do it one way, then thats probably the best way. -Migs