left handed retrieve

[cold waters]

here is what seems to be an awfully dumb question.. I am about to buy a new fly reel. the design of the reel doesnt allow you to swap it from right to left handed retrieve.
even as i type this i still can't believe i am asking it.
all my fly reels are reversable and never thought about it. i think i have even set them up different ways depending on the fish i am targeting. but it you crank with you left hand, that should be a left handed retrieve correct. it seems so obvious that i feel like i am messing it up and i dont want to do that

[cold waters]

HMMMM no takers on my dumb question?? looks like i will have to stick with the obvious belief, reel with your right hand equal right hand retrieve....

[kkevvy]

You're correct (I would've said right, but that would be confusing). Left hand retrieve means you actively reel with your left hand, like me. My fly reels are reversible as well. I was actually asked this question yesterday at a fly shop, haha.

[cold waters]

ya well like i said it seemed so easy and stupid that i had to ask... i really hacked around in HS when i original taught myself how to fly fish.... I think i watch "a River runs throught it" and decided that was something i wanted to learn!!ahahah. i bought some cheap stuff and never looked back... well then i bought some really nice stuff after college (islanders) but they were reversible and i never had to think about it... well now i am looking to get a bauer for my 5 wt. and i had to think about it. thanks for the reassurance

[Roccus]

Most fly reels, except rfor the cheapest peice of crap are reversable.. what brand is it? I I My 9 wt is an orvis mid arbor, it took switching a few parts around so the drag would work and I could reel with my RIGHT hand... of coarse they had pre wound the line and backing so I had to go to reverse the line... I never thought about it when i bought it..

[Merrillizer™]

Ya, left hand cranking is "left handed retrieve", at least by every reel manufacturer I have seen. It's weird I know a lot of folks who are righties (right arm is power arm), but reel with their right hand instead. I crank with my left, and fight fish with my dominant arm, that being the right one.....right hand on the top handle of the rod. I can crank with my right hand if I have to, say for conventional reels, but when I buy conventional or baitcasters, I buy left hand retrieve models. It's a weird phenomenon, this retrieving and casting stuff lol.

For instance, with baitcasters, I more often than not see "righties" cast over their right shoulder, then switch the rod to their left hand and crank with their right. LMAO. This is weird to me. I'm a rightie (although somewhat ambidextrous), so I cast over my right shoulder, hold the rod in my right hand, fight fish with my right, and crank with my left hand. The right-hand/left-hand retrieve subject is definitely weird.

[marshman]

I was going to post the same thing about people casting and cranking with their right hand. My brother-in-law does that. He thinks he's using a right handed set up. I call him a crossdraw.

[Roccus]

NOt me LMAO.. I'm a sout' paw from the word go... even shoot lefty!

[Roccus]

It's kind of funny, I have my boat laid out form e being a lefty.... righties are always snagging something!

[Merrillizer™]

Yup, the new antenna been whacked by an eel once or twice over me right shouldah

I can write with both hands goddamnit! I can shoot hockey and bat righty N lefty too.