playing fish without clutch

[Neil Smart]

I can understand why there is more work in backwinding but can someone explain why there's more skill?

Fact is those reels people still rave about like the mitchell 300's had useless jerky clutches. The Abu closed faced reels spent lots of time with the line wrapped around the spindle.
Modern decent reels have silky smooth clutches.

No need to backwind if you don't want to and no extra skill involved unless you include unwrapping the line from the bail arm when you've reversed too quickly.. Only if you want to kid yourself.
Thank you.

Never had the line wrap around the bail arm..yet, certainly wouldn't say there is more skill in back winding, but I do think you get a better feel for the fight, but that's a bit of conjecture anyway.
It all stems from when as a kid we had to back wind or get snapped, I guess it sticks with you. I have used the Penn with no back wind on the Wye, and I must admit it wasn't an unpleasant experience playing 'off the clutch' just felt a bit weird.

 

[Ben Jennings]

Surely you liken using no clutch to using a centrepin. Personally I feel it's the other way around you put a finger on the spool when using a clutch during the fight to tighten it and you put your hand on the spool of a centrepin to tighten it (well I do). Personally don't like back winding as hook something unexpected or have a fish that shoots of at speed without letting go of the reel is very hard to keep up.

 

[Neil Smart]

Surely you liken using no clutch to using a centrepin. Personally I feel it's the other way around you put a finger on the spool when using a clutch during the fight to tighten it and you put your hand on the spool of a centrepin to tighten it (well I do). Personally don't like back winding as hook something unexpected or have a fish that shoots of at speed without letting go of the reel is very hard to keep up.

It doesn't work that way Ben, I have never felt the fish is ahead of me playing it off the handle. You feel the fight through the rod, you don't get that with the clutch.
Besides all the proper Anglers do it this way...

 

[Alan Jackson]

glad to see other people have tried this
those that mock it why not try it? some are not fully understanding the mechanics of not using a clutch and I assume are just picturing someone backwinding like an organ grinder

graham Elliot and ruissel emms
try and imagine when the fish is almost beat and you are getting it to net range but its still making mini runs
if you simply held on, you risk pulling out or snapping so you have to give line then winch it back in
at the same time you have to use the rod a lot more skillfully
the clutch angler can just hold his rod still and let the clutch do the work and does not have to worry about the hook pulling out half as much and does not have to use the rod

and as for netting, that is the hard part, i use my fingers on the part of the reel with the bail arm, dunno what its name is and let it run or hold still

its miles harder, on sat evening I netted a near double barbell then 10 mins later went and stood behind a very accomplished angler (according to him!!!) play a double with his clutch whizzing away every time it made a surge
it looked childs play in comparison and at some stages if he had been using his finger on the spool he would have been in more control

and Stuart Prescott by using the reels technology (clutch) you are dumbing down the playing of a fish, not letting the rod do its job never mind your right arm, the clutch is taking pressure off the rod and doing some of its work.
but that work is so rewarding when you do the working out when to give hold or bully

I am not stupid
I can see how a clutch works and it can reduce hook pulls snaps etc

but don't we want to still experience the skill of being more directly in contact with the fish?

those who are stuck in the mud wanna give it a try to see how hard it is
and also how enjoyable it is

as opposed to whizzz whizzz......

 

[Darren Hawen]

How do you backwind with a net in one hand as the fish makes its final bid for freedom? Seems a bit clumsy to me.

 

[Alan Jackson]

I use penn live liner reels, no back wind facility. When I first caught a barbel I hadn't set my
Clutch correctly and to back wind.Never again there is no skill in back winding a powerful fish like a barbel. I set my drag which enables the fish to take some line on the take , then I'm in control of playing the fish. I don't use the bait runner facility, the clutch is best part off a reel ,being in control of the fight is the skill not back winding .

backwinding like an organ grinder is the least skilful part of playing a fish sans clutch
trying to get it into netting range without a clutch takes far more concentration-skill because you don't have the safety net of the clutch
so you have to use your rod, your arm, your hand on the handle, or when holding the net, fingers on the reel- not spool

i don't think some appreciate what it involves and are just picturing someone fastly backwinding and saying that's not skilfull


well ill counter that by saying if your clutch is set correctly in theory from the moment the first run is over you could simply wind the fish in, keeping winding and the clutch will do all the work right until the fish is in the net

exaggerating what actually happens in reality but you get my point

lets face it most anglers are lazy barstewards and settle for the easy route and using a clutch puts more fish on the bank for most anglers

but so would using a trawler

those who think I'm a fool, give it a go first and see how much more in touch with the fish you are and how you have to react to its movement

as opposed to rod held high whizzz whizzzz

either way tight lines!!!

 

[Graham Elliott]

Alan.
All you've said is you like to make it more difficult and in doing so conclude its more skilful.

It's rubbish. Anglers simply do what they prefer or what suits them.

Load of tosh. If as you say anglers using the clutch put more fish on the bank, I would suggest you are not fishing with the fishes welfare as a consideration to your rambling.

 

[Howard Cooke]

Just use a flipping centrepin! Total control and fantastically dynamic with the ultra sensitive thumb. If only I could cast a decent distance I would use one on the Wye all the time. And any notion that it takes longer to land a fish with a pin is, I have found, baseless.

 

[Graham Young]

How do you backwind with a net in one hand as the fish makes its final bid for freedom? Seems a bit clumsy to me.

Its simple Darren and something that is done without thinking about it, the spool is controlled with a finger on the right hand (if you are right handed)

 

[Dave Taylor]

Alan,...I think your logic is flawed, and also please remember that a good number of guys on here were brought up on backwinding and now prefer using the clutch.
It's not a big deal,...people will do what they are happy with.
Here on the Avon and Stour I'm just chuffed to get a bite,...i don't need more of a drama trying to land a fish.

 

[Neil Smart]

Alan,...I think your logic is flawed, and also please remember that a good number of guys on here were brought up on backwinding and now prefer using the clutch.
It's not a big deal,...people will do what they are happy with.
Here on the Avon and Stour I'm just chuffed to get a bite,...i don't need more of a drama trying to land a fish.

 

[Dave Taylor]

Just use a flipping centrepin! Total control and fantastically dynamic with the ultra sensitive thumb. If only I could cast a decent distance I would use one on the Wye all the time. And any notion that it takes longer to land a fish with a pin is, I have found, baseless.

Yes Howard,...if you want Durex sensitivity use a pin,...much better control than backwinding imo.

 

[Julian Peacock]

All a bit subjective to the type of fishing you are doing I reckon.
If when I spent a whole season barbel fishing, I had used back wind, I would have suffered breakages or snagged fish. This was because I was fishing a small weedy river for big fish and needed to exert maximum pressure that my tackle would allow, 11/4lb rod, 12lb sensor (regularly tested and broke at 17lb), 12lb Drennan sink link and Drennan barbel hooks in size 9 with a very tight clutch set on a Shimano 4000 DLFA. Occasionally the hook bent outwards but never did anything snap nor did I lose a single barbel. Testamount to very strong but well set clutch. When some of those barbel bolted my arm was nearly ripped off at the shoulder but it was very effective. If I had tried to back wind it would have got very messy.
That said i do back wind but usually this is only when float fishing a slider on lakes if I hook something a bit big.
I use pins for most of my river fishing and these are sublime for big roach. The way you can immediately give line according to the direction that a big roach is plunging cannot be beaten.
I have tried a pin for barbel fishing but found it very awkward in a tight spot. In these cases it is about landing them safely and not being pretentious about pin use.

 

[Terry Simner]

I use both (clutch & backwind). I prefer the feel of 'off the handle' so I use that method mostly, and I always have anti-reverse off and finger on the whizzer when the fish is at the net.
On smaller snaggy rivers (e.g. Teme) I wouldn't trust any clutch.

Yep, I learned with Mitchells too...where the clutch had 2 settings: full on, or full off

 

[Richard Parsons]

Just use a flipping centrepin! Total control and fantastically dynamic with the ultra sensitive thumb. If only I could cast a decent distance I would use one on the Wye all the time. And any notion that it takes longer to land a fish with a pin is, I have found, baseless.

Quite right, Howard! If I use a fixed spool - which I haven't for at least two seasons, I tend to use the clutch and finger-control the spool. More like using a 'pin in my opinion. With a 'pin, it's more natural to control the line taken by applying pressure with the thumb of the rod hand, particularly when the fish is close in.

As someone already mentioned, either method is valid, and an angler will do what comes naturally. I don't agree either requires more skill.

 

[Jeff Collins]

I think I once entered into this debate on here a few years ago and remember getting flamed by the uninformed, if you haven't tried it please don't reply

in the 90's as a club/match angler we used to tighten our clutches right down and play fish directly
we agreed it took far more skill, put you directly in touch with the fish and was a million times more rewarding as opposed to sat there motionless rod held high like a garden gnome with whizzzz whizzz going on every time the fish made a lunge

john Wilson on telly invariably inanely laughing his head off, rod held still whizzz whizz on the telly reinforced this

purists use the centre pin -directly in contact with the fish - and I liken fishing with no clutch to that

so does anyone else fish like this?


without a clutch you are far more in control and it takes far more skill than letting the clutch spin, I mean you could fish with a broom handle if you set the clutch right, but we have fantastic rods that we want to put to the test

netting a fish yourself holding the reel with your finger knowing the fish is gonna surge any minute and allowing everything to be fluid is a fantastic skill to learn and I can see why a lot of people set the clutch and let that do the work

but that work the angler can do himself and is so rewarding its unreal

so is anyone else in the purist no clutch club?

Has my calendar broke is it the close season?

 

[Graham Elliott]

Yes Jeff.
It's 1st April.

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

I use both (clutch & backwind). I prefer the feel of 'off the handle' so I use that method mostly, and I always have anti-reverse off and finger on the whizzer when the fish is at the net.
On smaller snaggy rivers (e.g. Teme) I wouldn't trust any clutch.

Yep, I learned with Mitchells too...where the clutch had 2 settings: full on, or full off

That's the way Terry , best of both worlds , I guess the original poster would regard you at least a semi skilled angler using this approach I think you are being a bit harsh on the good old mitchells , there are 3 settings full on [ no give ] half way [ reluctant give ] and off [ free as a bird ] . Unless you have to cast a long way, a centre pin takes some beating both in terms of control and excitement . Of course the other way is use a pole and let the laggy band do the work

 

[Darren Hawen]

Its simple Darren and something that is done without thinking about it, the spool is controlled with a finger on the right hand (if you are right handed)

Fair point Graham, I slacken the clutch and use finger on the spool in the latter stages of a fight with bigger fish but don't with smaller fish when fishing a fixed spool.

 

[Terry Simner]

That's the way Terry , best of both worlds , I guess the original poster would regard you at least a semi skilled angler using this approach I think you are being a bit harsh on the good old mitchells , there are 3 settings full on [ no give ] half way [ reluctant give ] and off [ free as a bird ] . Unless you have to cast a long way, a centre pin takes some beating both in terms of control and excitement . Of course the other way is use a pole and let the laggy band do the work

Yep, I'll settle for 'semi-skilled'

BTW...I found the "half-way" position meant: full on, full off, full on..ad inf