fixed spools...

[soffit]

They are very handy but you don't really fall in love with them like some do a centerpin?

I currently own three Power 100's that come with line and are still 55p short of costing me a tenner for all three. Everytime the line finds its way behind the spool and the grease destroys the line so it breaks on the next strike with the loss of your float tackle and a messed up fish. So I just use them for ledgering which is always on a taunt line so cheap as chips fishing. At 150grams they make a nonsense of the idea of balanced tackle. You hold the rod at the reel so the lighter the better. Balance would only mean anything if the reel was away from the pivot point of your hand.

I need a fixed spool which is less than dull... Abu closed face possibly?

 

[sam vimes]

They are very handy but you don't really fall in love in love with them like some do a centerpin?

I currently own three Power 100's that come with line and are still 55p short of costing me a tenner for all three. Everytime the line finds its way behind the spool and the grease destroys the line so it breaks on the next strike with the loss of your float tackle and a messed up fish. So I just use them for ledgering which is always on a taunt line so cheap as chips fishing. At 150grams they make a nonsense of the idea of balanced tackle. You hold the rod at the reel so the lighter the better. Balance would only mean anything if the reel was away from the pivot point of your hand.

I need a fixed spool which is less than dull... Abu closed face possibly?

Whether you can fall in love with a reel is going to depend entirely on the reel. I don't fall for centrepins because I simply don't like them very much. I do have a soft spot for closed faced Abu reels, but that's got a lot to do with the reel I started with being a closed faced Abu 505.
Recent reels I have fallen for in a big way are the Shimano 4000Ds and the Shimano Twin Power Ci4s (Tri-Drag). The latter in particular are fantastic reels. However, they are pricey and very difficult to get hold of. Most have never heard of them let alone used them.
Unless I'm long range carping or feeder fishing/legering for barbel on a big river like the Trent, chances are I'll be using the Twin Powers for all my float fishing and occasional legering. All other light legering duties, right up to smaller river barbelling can be covered by the 4000Ds.

 

[soffit]

Been reading about the Abu's and they were originally supllied with quite heavy lines. The thing about them being just light match reels seems to have been because of the way they were adopted by English match fishermen. With that narrow line spool, especially the deep one I can't see them winning any casting contests

 

[sam vimes]

Been reading about the Abu's and they were originally supllied with quite heavy lines. The thing about them being just light match reels seems to have been because of the way they were adopted by English match fishermen. With that narrow line spool, especially the deep one I can't see them winning any casting contests

If all else is equal, you certainly aren't likely to beat any properly loaded open faced reel for casting distance.

 

[soffit]

If all else is equal, you certainly aren't likely to beat any properly loaded open faced reel for casting distance.

I wonder if those match fishermen on rivers got it right? Perhaps the slight resistance of that narrow spool was more controllable than a well-filled fixed spool?

 

[sam vimes]

I wonder if those match fishermen on rivers got it right? Perhaps the slight resistance of that narrow spool was more controllable than a well-filled fixed spool?

They certainly weren't using a closed faced reel for their casting ability.
As I understand it, primarily they'd be using them to trot. That's usually done at distances of a rod length or two or less. No need for long range casting ability. The big advantage in them for trotting is that they are virtually windproof, no wind tangles with the bail arm open as can happen with an open faced reel. Another benefit is quick line pick up on the strike and as the bail mechanism (pin(s) on a closed face) turn over. Less bumping of fish due to jolts/slack line as the bail engages the line. As far as line speed control is concerned, they aren't any better than an open faced reel. If you want the ultimate in speed control then you are better served with a centrepin which is infinitely controllable.

 

[soffit]

Yer. Good point. They wouldn't have been too far from the next swim [pitch?]

Gonna get one, the 500 series that is. 'No more than needed'. Like a Mk1 Golf compared to the current Mk5 bloat sort of thingy

 

[mark brailsford 2]

Whether you can fall in love with a reel is going to depend entirely on the reel. I don't fall for centrepins because I simply don't like them very much. I do have a soft spot for closed faced Abu reels, but that's got a lot to do with the reel I started with being a closed faced Abu 505.
Recent reels I have fallen for in a big way are the Shimano 4000Ds and the Shimano Twin Power Ci4s (Tri-Drag). The latter in particular are fantastic reels. However, they are pricey and very difficult to get hold of. Most have never heard of them let alone used them.
Unless I'm long range carping or feeder fishing/legering for barbel on a big river like the Trent, chances are I'll be using the Twin Powers for all my float fishing and occasional legering. All other light legering duties, right up to smaller river barbelling can be covered by the 4000Ds.

Hi Sam,
I might take a look at those twin power reels you keep raving about, I think billy has some in stock. had a look at the new Diawa team match reels but at £250 they are a little over priced for what they are!

Mark

 

[soffit]

Hi Sam,
I might take a look at those twin power reels you keep raving about, I think billy has some in stock. had a look at the new Diawa team match reels but at £250 they are a little over priced for what they are!

Mark

Dear Life!! Are we fishing for Marlin or something?

 

[Sean Meeghan]

When trotting (especially stick float fishing) with a fixed spool including the Abu 500 series you feed line to the float by following it downstream with the rod tip with the line trapped against the spool with your finger. When you want to release more line you take the finger away from the spool and sweep the rod tip back upstream before trapping the line and following the float down with the rod tip again. It's easier to do than to describe!

This gives much better float control than any other method. It's not as effective as using a centre pin for longish trots in fast water, but it works better in almost any other situation. The advantage of a closed face reel was that there was no slack line when engaging the pickup. With modern reels with manual bail arms this isn't as much an advantage as it used to be.

I quite like using an Abu 444 which is the predecessor of the 44. The 44 is probabbly the classic fixed spool unless you're a Mitchel head (the 300) or you wear tweed and smoke a pipe (the Ambidex)

 

[mark brailsford 2]

Dear Life!! Are we fishing for Marlin or something?

Its just they way things are going mate, but there will allways be folk out there that are willing to pay!!

Mark

---------- Post added at 17:13 ---------- Previous post was at 17:11 ----------

When trotting (especially stick float fishing) with a fixed spool including the Abu 500 series you feed line to the float by following it downstream with the rod tip with the line trapped against the spool with your finger. When you want to release more line you take the finger away from the spool and sweep the rod tip back upstream before trapping the line and following the float down with the rod tip again. It's easier to do than to describe!

This gives much better float control than any other method. It's not as effective as using a centre pin for longish trots in fast water, but it works better in almost any other situation. The advantage of a closed face reel was that there was no slack line when engaging the pickup. With modern reels with manual bail arms this isn't as much an advantage as it used to be.

I quite like using an Abu 444 which is the predecessor of the 44. The 44 is probabbly the classic fixed spool unless you're a Mitchel head (the 300) or you wear tweed and smoke a pipe (the Ambidex)

I like your style mate!

 

[sam vimes]

Hi Sam,
I might take a look at those twin power reels you keep raving about, I think billy has some in stock. had a look at the new Diawa team match reels but at £250 they are a little over priced for what they are!

Mark

Mark,
it may say a great deal when I tell you that I've bought another Twinpower since I wrote that review. I also hasten to add that I wasn't given the reels to review, they were bought and paid for. However, I have managed to get all three for a fair bit less than RRP and the usual street price.

 

[mark brailsford 2]

Mark,
it may say a great deal when I tell you that I've bought another Twinpower since I wrote that review. I also hasten to add that I wasn't given the reels to review, they were bought and paid for. However, I have managed to get all three for a fair bit less than RRP and the usual street price.

Like I keep spouting on here Sam, you cannot beat a good shimano reel, no matter what model you purchase. I will have to get my hands on a twimpower...afterall, I am a tackle tart!!!

Mark