Les, I hold the rod in my left hand, and use my right for winding and netting. Not that I can remember much about netting...but nothing looks clumsier than people casting with one hand, then changing over to retrieve. Especially if they try to change once they've hooked a fish.
Odd thing is, though I write and fish left-handed, I do everything else either right-handed or ambi ... and usually clumsily!
Shooting is complicated by the fact that I'm strongly left-eyed. Other things aren't helped by being right footed. Sabotaged at birf, I wuz!
Pet hates in reels: over-long stems, small spools, and clips that don't. Or clip in the sense that nail-clippers do.
Please can we have line clips that just hold the line, and let go of it at the flip of a lever/ push of a button, even (especially) under tension?
I prefer front drags, partly because I use spare spools a lot, and the drag setting stays with the spool, and also because they are more direct and seem smoother and more precise. If I need to change the drag with a fish on, I can see what I'm doing better. Last time that mattered was probably in the eighties, but still...
Isn't steel on bronze supposed to be the best combination for gears? I know I'm filled with fear when I look inside a reel and see the dull grey of cast aluminium teeth!