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front or rear drag?


prez

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I prefer a front drag for species like barbel, carp and pike that have good acceleration. But a rear drag is good for when you need t adjust it during the fight, without doing something like tangling the line on the front drag! Yes, I have done it!

Tight Lines,

Matt AKA "The Kid!"

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John S:

... 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.

Winding in while a fish is taking line via the drag will cause twisting. Holding while the fish takes line via the drag will not.
" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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Newt:

Newt:

... 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.

Winding in while a fish is taking line via the drag will cause twisting. Holding while the fish takes line via the drag will not.
Thanks Newt, that clears that up :) However, I've been trying to think of a situation where someone would wind in when the fish is running on the drag....

 

Either the fish is running in which case you give it line in one way or another, or it isn't running and you wind it in. The only thing I can see happening is the spool spinning faster as the fish legs it (sorry, fins it).

 

Tight lines

John S

Quanti Canicula Ille In Fenestra

 

Species caught in 2017 Common Ash, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, White Willow.

Species caught in 2016: Alder, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Crab Apple, Left Earlobe, Pedunculate Oak, Rock Whitebeam, Scots Pine, Smooth-leaved Elm, Swan, Wayfaring tree.

Species caught in 2015: Ash, Bird Cherry, Black-Headed Gull, Common Hazel, Common Whitebeam, Elder, Field Maple, Gorse, Puma, Sessile Oak, White Willow.

Species caught in 2014: Big Angry Man's Ear, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Common Whitebeam, Downy Birch, European Beech, European Holly, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, Wych Elm.
Species caught in 2013: Beech, Elder, Hawthorn, Oak, Right Earlobe, Scots Pine.

Species caught in 2012: Ash, Aspen, Beech, Big Nasty Stinging Nettle, Birch, Copper Beech, Grey Willow, Holly, Hazel, Oak, Wasp Nest (that was a really bad day), White Poplar.
Species caught in 2011: Blackthorn, Crab Apple, Elder, Fir, Hawthorn, Horse Chestnut, Oak, Passing Dog, Rowan, Sycamore, Willow.
Species caught in 2010: Ash, Beech, Birch, Elder, Elm, Gorse, Mullberry, Oak, Poplar, Rowan, Sloe, Willow, Yew.

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I tend to backwind on fish rather than use clutches (front or back) because the pressure you can bring to bear on the fish is instant & variable, whereas with clutches they occasionally stick & cannot be as sensitive as your hand.

 

Having said that!! the other day I had to use a lightly set clutch & finger pressure (ala Den) due to superfast Carp in the 8 - 10lb bracket going off so quick they were whipping the reel handle out of my hand & clouting my finger tips..ouch!

Peter.

 

The loose lines gone..STRIKE.

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Turning out to be an interesting debate this.

 

I think I agree that rear drags are easy to adjust mid-fight but having said that there really isn't a need for any adjusting if it's set correctly. That said I borrowed a front drag to try out and it did seem smoother but I just wasn't used to it.

 

I was taught to use a clutch properly and it has never failed me so far but i might give backwinding a go next time. I'm only worried about not backwinding fast enough or too fast but I can see how pressure can always be maintained and controlled on a fish this way.

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I tried one of those centre drags and found them more akward to adjust whilst fish playing, than either a front or rear drag. Rear drag is inferior to front drag technically. A good front drag will outperform a good rear drag .. fact.

I recently bought a Daiwa Capricorn .. the drag is fantastic. Smooth and sings with a big carp hooked under the rod tip bolting off hard.

We are probably the only country in the world that still use rear drag .. say no more.

BTW, to all you GTE and RE Baitrunner owners, I bought one of these Reels last year (5000 GTE), and that drag was the worst piece of junk I have ever seen. The model before was also poor. Mind you, I have a Shimano GTM 3000GTM, I bought about 4 years ago I think... the one with fighting drag, and it's an ok drag, but no where near as smooth as any front drag reel I have used.

I think alot of these modern carp anglers feel they have to use 15 IB + line because they 'will' carry on using these rear drag pieces of junk.

Fortunately, many companies are now making their front drag reels available to the UK, so there is no excuse.

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The Diamond Geezer:

The Diamond Geezer:

Yup, I agree with PW .. get the best of both worlds cd4reel.jpg

 

More info here

 

DG

I tried one of these Reels. Very akward to adjust the drag whilst fighting a fish. That photograp shows it all.. everything gets in the way, and you find yourself 'looking' for the drag adjustment... not pretty :( .
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prez:

Turning out to be an interesting debate this.

 

I think I agree that rear drags are easy to adjust mid-fight but having said that there really isn't a need for any adjusting if it's set correctly. That said I borrowed a front drag to try out and it did seem smoother but I just wasn't used to it.

 

I was taught to use a clutch properly and it has never failed me so far but i might give backwinding a go next time. I'm only worried about not backwinding fast enough or too fast

Hi Prez,

To be honest, if your using a rear drag and you set the drag exactly correct (just under line snap), you would loose a carp on it's first surge if you were fishing close in.

Get hold of your reel, set the drag proper, then yank the line as hard as you can... it will snap because your drag cannot handle the torque.

Even front drag anglers set their drags at 23 of line snap. So I would disagree when you say "there really isn't a need for any adjusting if it's set correctly" especially if you hook an active 20IB'er under a stiff carp rod tip.

Best regards.

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barblesss:

.... So I would disagree when you say "there really isn't a need for any adjusting if it's set correctly" especially if you hook an active 20IB'er under a stiff carp rod tip.

You would have problems with that no matter what you were using. A backwinder would probably wind up with some very bruised fingers and a lost fish from slack when the handle got away.

 

My guess is the only way to be fairly sure of doing well with a biggun close in with a stiff rod tip would be to use a heavy braid.

" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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