front or rear drag?

[tiddlerking]

rear drag for me. i hate front drag, i find it less accurate and harder to use. but, it really is personal perference.

[Bradford Angler]

front drag . . now that takes me back . .

 

LN03 and lx03 and the intrepids black prince . . no thanks . . for me now. if it aint on the back it is locked up and backwind only, but only the ones I get for free. Those I buy come with it on the back . . std

 

[Keith Banks]

Back wind

[John S]

As tiddlerking says, I suppose it is all a matter of personal taste. I grew up with front drag reels (including the dreaded Black Prince, the only reel that sounds like an ouzi!) and even now all my reels are front drag (apart from two carp reels - I wonder if they will work for tench? ).

 

I must admit that at times I have caught the line with my hand when going to adjust the tension, but never severely enough to damage or snap the line or even lose the fish.

 

I agree with Seph too, I think front drag is more sensitive than rear. It might be just the feel of the reels, but I trust the front drag reels more. It could just be because the rear drags on my carp reels click into place whereas the nut on the front is infinitely adjustable.

 

I will make no comment about the nut holding the rod

 

Best advice is try to borrow a rear drag reel and see how you like it. What suits one person will be totally alien to another.

 

Whichever one you choose....

 

Tight lines

[Newt]

Errrr - why all the drag adjustments?

 

Set it where it belongs before a session and it should do fine with no fiddling.

 

And why backwind if you have a decent drag on the reel? If the drag is crap, you need a different reel.

[chesters1]

front drag is best the mitchells etc had front drag you set it for the line on the spool ,if you changed spool it was already set up , i have a shimano with a "fighting" drag (a sgt 3000x) i cant say i`ve ever used it, a forefinger on the spool can apply more pressure if needed :confused: if the drag is set up properly it shouldnt need adjustment

 

[ 18. July 2003, 09:30 PM: Message edited by: chesters1 ]

[HOPPY4]

prez,

I happen to own both Front and rear drag reels that are used for different things. When fishing for Carp and other larger species, I would prefeer a FRONT drag. When fishing for Zander, Bream, Tench and Hecht/Pike I prefeer Rear drag. My Lure fishing reels are rear drag as well and allow the minute changes in the tention necessary during a good fight with light tackel.

[John S]

quote:

---

Errrr - why all the drag adjustments?

---

Because we know how to get the best out of our tackle

 

quote:

---

And why backwind if you have a decent drag on the reel? If the drag is crap, you need a different reel

---

Backwinding allows you to keep in contact with the fish better then letting the line just run out on the drag. I have used both methods and personally prefer the drag method, but if you are tackling a specimen on light gear, knowing how to backwind would be a major bonus.

 

Relying on the drag means that you set a limit, after which the fish is 'free' to run. If you backwind, you can control the amount of pressure on the fish to a far higher degree, giving it more line when necessary and more pressure when you can.

 

Also, I have read (someone else will have to confirm) that letting the line run off the spool on the drag can induce line twist.

 

Tight (not twisted) lines

[poledark]

Nobody ever heard of Finger pressure? It is applied to the rim of the spool to increase pressure when the clutch is set fairly light. For me that has been standard practise for 50years or more ( so bloomin long I forget )

 

Den

[chesters1]

i have den , maybe we had the same teacher , did you show me at keston in c1962