[chris grace]

help
Can anybody explain simply the difference between reel up or down I fish with the reel up as thats where the reel seat always was but now with coasters Ican put it where i like ,Is there that much difference and how difficult is it to cast with the reel down the butt

 

[MrBeachams]

help
Can anybody explain simply the difference between reel up or down I fish with the reel up as thats where the reel seat always was but now with coasters Ican put it where i like ,Is there that much difference and how difficult is it to cast with the reel down the butt

Many arguments about this one ....Reel down does allow better balance and useage of the rod........take time out and practice with a low reel ....see and feel the differance ...but start gentley ....then it comes down to your choice

MrB

 

[Flatty Basher]

i fish with the reel down the butt. For fishing I fish it can be difficult when the rod it in the tripod as the reel goes in the sand and the waves can wash over the reel if you are not carefull.
Havin the reel down the butt is suopsed to give the caster more time - dont ask me why i just read it

 

[C0DDY]

as the reel is low on the butt,it gives more of a guide against your gut lol for lifting,if it was high it will make you reel in with butt between ya groin (legs) and harder to put your tip down to lift a decent fish,some will understand

p.s as this post was done no members was harmed ,:clap2:

 

[bluejt2000]

Fishing with the reel down was first used by tournament casters in conjunction with a longer rod in order to generate more tip speed. Neil Mackellow switched to this setup in order to be able to compete with Paul Kerry (who has always used the reel up position).

The topic has been covered in this section recently. Here's the link:

http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66957

See post 7 for my further views. It's each to their own but I've never found it a problem to lift fish with the reel in the up position when, say, fishing from a pier. I just shift it from between my legs, point the tip down and then grab the rod above the reel with my left hand, which gives me better leverage to swing the fish onto the deck.

Unless you need extra distance - and shifting the position of the reel won't necessarily acheive it - why change?

Cheers,

John

 

[philtherod]

Fishing with the reel down was first used by tournament casters in conjunction with a longer rod in order to generate more tip speed. Neil Mackellow switched to this setup in order to be able to compete with Paul Kerry (who has always used the reel up position).


Sorry to disagree on your timing...Low reel was in use 100 years ago, I have a cane two-piece that belonged to Frederick Aflalo, the Mike Millman of the late 19th and early 20th century, with a low reel fitting, I was taught what is now referred to as the pendulum cast by Dennis Darkin in 1971/2, along with the late John Darling, and he used his own home-made reels, including a lever-drag model, in the low position on a Davenport & Fordham "Super Surflite", fitted with a sliding reel fitting that was designed by Dennis for that rod. The rod was 11'4" long.
I later bought the same rod that Nigel Forrest was using, the ABU 464, 11'6" long, that he used to set several records in that era. He used it reel down, I tried low reel and found it easier than it looked, and have used it ever since for long-range work. In those early years, we didn't really understand what happened and why. Today, the application of a little logic and simple science makes that understanding relatively easy.

philtherod

 

[chris grace]

thanks for all your help lads
After reading this and the other thread I think I'll try casting low and see how I get on ,if I like it I'll use a sliding reel seat (probably a talon) and move the reel up for the retreive. I can see the disadvantages of giving a fish a bigger lever to use against me!

 

[paulstewart]

instead of moving the reel seat for the retrieve, y not use a reducer to give the extra length?:g: and just remove it for casting.
PS

 

[chris grace]

Good idea , the simple ideas are always the best. Where can I get a reducer thats 28 inches long?
Out of interest why is it called a reducer when it actually increases the length of the rod

 

[MrBeachams]

Probably because it reduces the amount of leverage and effort it requires to reel in without one

 

[conger conger]

one of the lads i fish with from oban says he much prefers it up the butt - not sure what he meant though LOL

 

[Ajohn]

I thought mostly from 2nd hand info and some thought that the reel down position changes the dynamics of rod during a cast. The casting load carried by the line is over most of the length of the rod but I can't see how it can make any difference unless the butt flexes during the cast.

John

 

[MrBeachams]

one of the lads i fish with from oban says he much prefers it up the butt - not sure what he meant though LOL

Ide check his credentials if i was you ...lol.....low is the way to go

 

[paulstewart]

the rod makers should be able to supply reducers aslong as the rods are designed for them.
they are called reducers as tournament casters use them to put the position the reel on - and with being reduced in diametre, compared to the rod, you can get get better grip on the reel spool, etc. (only the FULL carbon reducers can be used for this)
most people just use the reducers as an extension - i.e. same as your instance.
PS

 

[dangerpowers]

one of the lads i fish with from oban says he much prefers it up the butt - not sure what he meant though LOL

Doesn't matter how many times that gets said, it always brings a schoolboy giggle lol

 

[bluejt2000]

Fishing with the reel down was first used by tournament casters in conjunction with a longer rod in order to generate more tip speed. Neil Mackellow switched to this setup in order to be able to compete with Paul Kerry (who has always used the reel up position).


Sorry to disagree on your timing...Low reel was in use 100 years ago, I have a cane two-piece that belonged to Frederick Aflalo, the Mike Millman of the late 19th and early 20th century, with a low reel fitting, I was taught what is now referred to as the pendulum cast by Dennis Darkin in 1971/2, along with the late John Darling, and he used his own home-made reels, including a lever-drag model, in the low position on a Davenport & Fordham "Super Surflite", fitted with a sliding reel fitting that was designed by Dennis for that rod. The rod was 11'4" long.
I later bought the same rod that Nigel Forrest was using, the ABU 464, 11'6" long, that he used to set several records in that era. He used it reel down, I tried low reel and found it easier than it looked, and have used it ever since for long-range work. In those early years, we didn't really understand what happened and why. Today, the application of a little logic and simple science makes that understanding relatively easy.

philtherod

Interesting post - I always enjoy reading about surfcasting lore and I've found some of your other posts interesting too. However I ought to have pointed out that I was referring to modern multipiers. Scarborough reels were popular at the venues I used to fish as a schoolboy in the late 60s and these were used down rod. As line lay was less critical than on a multiplier the rod could be gripped much higher along the butt which, with the butt cap jammed into the belly, gave sufficient leverage to land big cod - which were then more plentiful - from rock edges, etc. I once owned an Alvey Sidecast reel (are they still available?), which I used down rod in a similar fashion. Also, the increased distance from reel to butt ring allowed the huge line coils to taper down. When multipliers became popular, though, the norm was to use them up rod.

The point I was trying to make is that the down rod position, with regard to multipliers, is normally associated with distance casting while the up rod position is more traditional for fishing (though there might have been exceptions to this too). If one needs to cast big distances to catch fish then adopting the former may help to achieve that. Big hitters naturally tend to use the reel position they're used to for normal fishing - which itself keeps things simple. But in my view for distances up to 150 yds (and beyond in some instances) the up rod position is adequate, is more comfortable for fishing and should prove less troublesome for beginners.

However, as I said earlier, each to his own. I'm glad Chris found all the advice on here useful and he's probably making the wisest decision in trying things out for himself.

Cheers,

John

 

[Coalycatcher]

I once owned an Alvey Sidecast reel (are they still available?), which I used down rod in a similar fashion.

they're still available, Shakespeare have them on their website.

I saw someone using one on Roker Pier a few months back - seemed superb for distance casting.

 

[bluejt2000]

they're still available, Shakespeare have them on their website.

I saw someone using one on Roker Pier a few months back - seemed superb for distance casting.

I sometimes wonder why they aren't popular on rock marks where they used to use Scarborough reels. They'll both cast and winch.

Cheers,

John

P.S. I've just checked Shakespeare's site and they only do small models. I think their poor rate of retrieve would tell against them. They used to be avilable in sizes up to around 7" diameter. Here's a page on surfcasting with Alveys: http://www.surfcasters.iinet.net.au/UsingAlveyReels.html

 

[cod king]

i prefer the reel donw the butt get more load in the rod i fnd and cast further. lot easier down the butt with a reducer for reeling in wise



cod king

 

[spinyeel]

Saw a video recently of some guys surf fishing for big Bronze Whaler sharks in Namibia.They were using large 4/0 size multipliers on 14 foot rods,with the reels in the low mount.They caught some bloody big sharks,and were chucking huge baits and 8oz sinkers a country mile.Unbelievable.