using the clutch (or not)

[Dales]

I find i can never get the drag set to exactly how i want it, so i tend to backwind quite a bit when playing fish.

 

It's worth spending the time playing with your reels until the clutch is set just right, even if you plan to backwind anyway it's worth having the flexability to chop and change at will, plus if you knock the anti-reverse off be accident when playing the fish the clutch should pick up the fight and hopefully avoid a break.

[Steve Burke]

With the more modern reels I found over runs to be a problem when back winding.

 

I've found the same with a few of the modern reels in particular - they're too free running. But it varies from maker to maker, and even from model to model. Thankfully none of my older Shimanos and DAMs has this problem.

 

When backwinding against anything other than a fast run I find it very easy to control things with finger pressure on the rear of the flyer. In the early years of skirted spool reels this was a problem as with many you'd get your fingers rapped. Nowadays the designs are much better and it seems rare to find a reel that doesn't allow finger pressure on the flyer.

[tony tinca]

Don't you mean you took the anti reverse pawl out of the 506 (it had a drag and no backwind) ?

 

The 501 has not drag other than a backwind which can be tightend up to act as a drag as the handle backwinds.

 

Could be the 506 then as ive got all of them up to the 704 , dont see the need to have the 706 as im sure theres not much difference to the 704 althou ive not really looked in to this so might be wrong

[tony tinca]

Don't you mean you took the anti reverse pawl out of the 506 (it had a drag and no backwind) ?

 

The 501 has not drag other than a backwind which can be tightend up to act as a drag as the handle backwinds.

 

Just looked at the abu,s and it was the 506s that have had the pawl taken out .

Do you know if i can use a light braid on these reels ?

[Tigger]

Just looked at the abu,s and it was the 506s that have had the pawl taken out .

Do you know if i can use a light braid on these reels ?

 

 

I don't see why not tony. Personally I'd stick with mono that braid sounds like someone scrapin their nails on a blackboard goin though the rings

[tincatinca]

Just looked at the abu,s and it was the 506s that have had the pawl taken out .

Do you know if i can use a light braid on these reels ?

 

Slightly different use but I often used light braid on a ABU506 coupled with a light spinning rod after black bass on several lakes in France.

[terry t shirt]

spanner in works time

i dont trust clutches or back winding.

If i'm using light lines i'm virtually always using a close face reel and as the clutch on my early 506's was basically rubbish and had no backwind if a fish ran i just hit the button and held the line between my fingers.

On heavier line i tend to be using my shimano bait runner if the fish runs and when getting close to the net i just switch the baitrunner on to let them go and control the spool with my finger.

[Ken L]

If I were to wind the clock back to the days when I used ABU's and Mitchells with crappy drags, there'd be no question that I would be using backwinding for big fish on light line but these days, any decent reels will have a drag that makes backwinding obsolete - and if you can backwing fast enough to deal with tropical beasties, you're a better man than I.

[Andy Macfarlane]

Also once ive hooked a carp i want to try and get as many turns on the reel as i can get especially when im clipped up and then let the clutch do its job.

 

Why not use a marker on your line then? Once you've cast to your clip, mark the line just beyond your tip with a bit of elastic, pole elastic, powergum, tippex, marker pen....something. Now undo the clip and tighten up.

 

That way you don't have to flap getting to the rod or trying to get as many turns on the reel AND most of all, there's no way your rod is going to end up in the drink.

 

Just play the fish as normal, without the panic and once you have your fish on the bank, cast your rig out somewhere where it won't disturb your swim or anyone else and then reel in until your marker shows at the tip again (walk it along the bank if you can't). Clip up once more and then cast back to your baited spot.

 

I think remaining clipped up while carp fishing is asking for a disaster.

Edited March 8, 2011 by Andy Macfarlane

[Vagabond]

Was strongly tempted to ask "Wot's backwinding?" except I do know of it, have even seen someone doing it.

 

Its something I have never seen the need of in my own fishing. I set my clutch/drag on the light side, and augment it with a forefinger in the case of egg-beaters and a thumb on the rim in the case of fly-reels, centrepins and multipliers - that gives me fine and instant control of the amount of pressure I may need. You need that fine control, and a light drag setting, in those last few seconds before netting when the fish may make a last-minute lunge.

 

However, if I am losing ground against a really big fish on a multiplier (ie if I can't get enough thumb pressure on) I will increase the drag during the fight. One thing I would stress is to check your drag/clutch setting frequently - and particularly if you have just landed a good fish.

 

Over the last seventy years, light drag and finger/thumb control has coped with a variety of fish around the world, from dace to tarpon to bronze whaler shark. Some of the fast-moving and strong tropical fish such as tarpon, tigerfish and tuna would soon demolish any idea of backwinding!

 

I can see that the ponderous run of a carp or tench is amenable to backwinding, but am quite happy to play them the same way as I play any other fish.

 

Whatever method you use, the important thing is to stay calm and don't try to hurry things.