OUCH!

[nelz]

So I was fishing my Millionaire II 500M for some pan-sized snapper when something very powerful grabbed the bait. It felt like a big ray and it was not gonna get stopped by this little reel, sooo, I started thumbing the spool, then in the heat of the moment, my ring finger somehow ended up in the path of the level-wind. Holy cow OUCH! Man I was barely able to pull it out as the fish just kept on going!

Well, the sacrificial nylon cog did not strip at all, but the wire line guide bent a bit, enough for my finger to escape in time. Thought I would lose the nail, but it's healed up. Well, the fish never did stop and snapped the line on the pilings.

The reel was fine after pushing the line guide back into shape. Would have been much worse with the later model Millionaires or Luna's that have the solid plated line guides. This was a first for me, lesson learned!

[Cor]

I occasionally also use my finger and I wel know I should not!   Have never had my finger in the level wind, but the spool puls the finger forward and it gets wedged between spool and reel frame.

Hope your finger heals up quickly and you remember the painful lesson👈

[handi2]

I feel for you!

That little reel didn't have a chance with a sting ray.