Clutch or backwind

[tigger]

I am surprised that the backwind disciples have not mentioned the risk of a full blooded run where a hands off approach to a whirring handle leading to overrun and subsequent snap off.

Your right terry, backwinding a large powerful fish as it runs at full speed is nigh impossible. Ok if your just catching smaller sized fish
, but as ****y said....whay blow money on a reel with a good clutch if your not going to use it :der:.

 

[markcw]

I am surprised that the backwind disciples have not mentioned the risk of a full blooded run where a hands off approach to a whirring handle leading to overrun and subsequent snap off.

If you read my post on fishing at Hampton Springs you would have seen that is what happened, in my case the hooklength went, Also i put it depends on the venue, If i had fished another pool on that complex, i would have used the drag.

 

[silvers]

Your right terry, backwinding a large powerful fish as it runs at full speed is nigh impossible. Ok if your just catching smaller sized fish
, but as ****y said....whay blow money on a reel with a good clutch if your not going to use it :der:.

In over forty years of fishing I’ve yet to hook a fish that I couldn’t keep up with by backwinding. Closest Was a salmon on the Wye, but even that didn’t necessitate letting go.
But I don’t fish for carp, so perhaps they might?

But I did emphasise that it wouldn’t be most people’s preference.

 

[mikench]

Perhaps I won’t bother after all.

 

[tigger]

Perhaps I won’t bother after all.

Hahaha....

I don' blame you Mike lol.

 

[fishface1]

The only reel I have that I backwind with is a old abu 501 closed face and that's because the handle has the drag on the handle.
Other than that no backwinding for me. I usually have my clutch set lighti'sh and use my finger to slow it down as I do with my centrepin.

Well I never thought I’d say it, but I’m in complete agreement with tigger....

Abu 501 have a completely useless clutch, and on the rare occasion I use mine it’s backwind time. And yes, if you are lucky enough to hook a barbel, you just have to let it spin and hope you don’t get in a pickle....

Most of my trotting is with ‘pins so that’s sort of backwinding.

All other fishing is with egg beaters and even relatively cheap ones have decent enough clutches these days.

I do plan to bring out my childhood Mitchell’s if we are ever allowed out again, and if memory serves me right, will need to remember the art of the panicked backwind....

 

[silvers]

501 never had a clutch, just a variable resistance backwind (knob on the handle stem).

Synchro drag on the other 500 models was a good part of the reason why many have had the ‘anti reverse pawl” removed.

There must be some turbo charged berties out there, I look forward to hooking one someday.

 

[fishface1]

501 never had a clutch, just a variable resistance backwind (knob on the stem)

Yes - I have never worked that out, so always just tightened it right down and back wound. Does it actually work as a slipping clutch type thing?

 

[silvers]

Clutch by my understanding means the spool can rotate with the handle static. That’s impossible with a 501. Iirc (and it’s over 30 years since I took mine apart) there’s a little spring inside if you completely unscrew the handle knob. Remove that spring and the handle will backwind freely, even with the knob fully tightened down. Out of the four that I have, two are missing the knob, and the other two have the spring removed so all backwind freely.

 

[fishface1]

Thanks - something for me to do tomorrow!

 

[silvers]

If you can tighten the knob right down and still backwind, then the spring is already gone

 

[tigger]

Clutch by my understanding means the spool can rotate with the handle static. That’s impossible with a 501. Iirc (and it’s over 30 years since I took mine apart) there’s a little spring inside if you completely unscrew the handle knob. Remove that spring and the handle will backwind freely, even with the knob fully tightened down. Out of the four that I have, two are missing the knob, and the other two have the spring removed so all backwind freely.

The 501 has a drag. The nut on the handle tightens the drag on the backwind which is a drag. I love my 501 and using the drag on it. I have it set at my desired drag and use my finger to slow it and put more drag on just as I do with the spool on a fixed spool or the rim on my pins.
The 506 has a drag on the handle also but ot's the spool which is slowed. The drag on the 506 is sticky but I would never destroy it by removing the anti reverse.

 

[silvers]

Hi Tigger,
So you put your finger on the winding bell to slow it?

Agree the 501 is a great little reel. I prefer the 507 for my river fishing in winter, but still use 501 for waggler on canals and drains.
I’ve taken the anti-reverse out of all five of my 507s (all eBay purchases ... couldn’t afford them back in the 80s as a student).

Having said that, does the synchro drag operate on the bell housing or the spool on a 500 ... it must be on the bell housing due to the pin fixings on the base plate? So it’s different to a fixed spool anyway I think.

 

[tigger]

Hi Tigger,
So you put your finger on the winding bell to slow it?

Agree the 501 is a great little reel. I prefer the 507 for my river fishing in winter, but still use 501 for waggler on canals and drains.
I’ve taken the anti-reverse out of all five of my 507s (all eBay purchases ... couldn’t afford them back in the 80s as a student).

Having said that, does the synchro drag operate on the bell housing or the spool on a 500 ... it must be on the bell housing due to the pin fixings on the base plate? So it’s different to a fixed spool anyway I think.

Silvers,
I've no idea about the mechanics of the reel, in all honesty the workings/mechanics never interested me, so long as things worked well was/is i've ever been concerned with.
I used to do most of my trotting with 501's but I always had prob's with line stick.
I stil like using my 501 but it comes into it's own for me when float fishing for tench at night. I think if I could only have one reel it would be the 501 even now.

Forgot to say, yes I slow the reel by pressing on the nut and also by letting the handle drag on my fingers as it backwinds, if you get my meaning.

 

[108831]

Backwind.
I don’t fish for Marlin or Tarpon (or even carp). I have never felt that a clutch would give Me any advantage over backwinding ... even if the reels that I use were to have a decent clutch (which they mostly don’t).

I must say that when fishing with say 3 to 4lb line(cant say which diameters)for fish like chub using a drag can cause line twist issues,plus you actually get more control over said chub backwinding,however as soon as lines over say 6lb are used a drag is superior imo,well it is if your reel has a decent drag anyway.

 

[fishface1]

If you can tighten the knob right down and still backwind, then the spring is already gone

So, not for the first time some might say, it turns out I was talking nonsense. Well partially at least.

I actually have a pair of Abu 704s.

Both have the clutch/drag knob on the handle screwed up tight and the anti-reverse off.

As I say, I could never get on with the slipping clutch thing so just bypassed it.