Traditional Ambassadeurs

[Liphook]

That's a peach Jeff The 'shuffle', as you deftly put it, is most definitely a hangover from the American bass angler market. Many still do it to this day with multiplier, fly, spincaster and fixed spool reels. Don't get it myself but hey ho, there's room for us all (nearly). It's interesting that these lure fishing reels eventually morphed into the 300yd tournament casting rockets

[Pickerel]

Still use my ABU 5001c (leftie) bought new in the late70's. Usually teamed up with a rod made up from a Fibatube blank of uncertain lineage (10' two piece - might be an Avon?) and used for heavier spoons and plugs. I have learned to leave the brake blocks well alone, as earlier on my quest for extra distance was thwarted by my not being sponsored by Maxima, such was my ability to create the most intricate of bird's nests..

[Phil Arnott]

Of the older Ambassadeurs I have, this is my favourite - the 2100 Sport, here with original extras plus a magnesium alloy casting spool and ABU practice weight.

[Jeff Smith]

That’s a beauty Phil. I remember reading an article by , I believe,Dave Stuart ( I hope I’ve spelled his name correctly) in ‘Angling’ magazine where he described using the 2100 as a trotting reel. He pointed out that it was a pity that Abu didn’t market a left hand wind version.
With a suitably rung rod, I think a small multiplier would make an excellent trotting reel.

[Pickerel]

Knew I had a picture somewhere. still got the case, tool, spares and oil bottle. Reel is loaded with braid as the Maxima sponsorship wasn't forthcoming..

[Phil Arnott]

I've probably spent as much time using multipliers than all the other types of reel put together. I find using left handed fixed spools, centrepins and fly reels but right-handed multipliers entirely natural. Having had a think about why this should be, these are my conclusions -

When trotting a river, most people would hold the rod with their stronger arm and reel with the other, so right handed anglers would hold the rod with their right and wind with their left. Casting would also be done with the stronger arm and winding with the other.

With short light rods and small multipliers such as for freshwater lure fishing, left-hand reels are fine but when going to long rods on a beach or boat fishing with heavy weights or playing big fish the vast majority of right-handed people like to use their stronger right hand for winding in.

So I think the answer lies in how most people like to use their strongest arm.

Incidentally one of the issues of using a fixed spool reel with heavy loads is stopping the rod twisting about in you hand. This really shows up when sea fishing even when using your stronger arm/hand to hold the rod. The tendency for the rod to twist is easier to control using a multiplier by holding the hand against the reel.

[PatrickZ]

I hesitate to comment on this topic for my first post, but as an American who signed to up to learn about neat reels and techniques unknown here, I thought I would offer my theory on the right-hand baitcaster/multiplier reel origins since the American bass market was mentioned. Before the Ambassadeur became popular in the 1950s, all multiplier reels were "direct drive" (though actually this term is a Shakespeare trademark specifically for their two-gear design) with no drag or anti-reverse. When a bass or other fish of any size struck your lure, you absolutely needed to be cranking with your dominant hand to avoid losing your grip (remember, the handles and knobs were small because they had to revolve something like 30,000 rpms on the cast!) and having the handle wrap your knuckles before you're able to clamp down on the spool with your left hand thumb. Though well before my time, I have spent considerable time fishing with a Shakespeare Marhoff reel on a short 5' Heddon Pal tubular steel rod casting 5/8 ounce lures. I couldn't fathom doing so with my left hand even though it's all I use for my spinning reels and fly reels. I think the modern reel with anti-reverse and drag has allowed many anglers to be more efficient with the left-hand wind reels. I tried them, too, but just couldn't get comfortable with them.

[kevin55]

I fly fish with my left hand, coarse fish with my right hand (I'm left handed) it seems to be that what needs the most use is the determining factor, so a reel is used more coarse fishing, rod fly fishing

Landing a fish fly fishing I swap hands, and if using a net, use the net in my left hand

Using multipliers is the same for me as using a centrepin or fixed spool reel, so rod in the right handf and ideally LHW reel