Using a centrepin

[Paul (Brummie) Williams]

Maggot...pity they didn't have Shimano in those days eh?.....never have to coil my line on the ground either.

Pins are wonderful tools, but only in certain situations........anyone who thinks they can use them in modern angling for all types of float fishing on rivers is gonna struggle on my waters!!!!

 

[Maggot]

Yep Paul I agree totally,

but I like readingthe history of anglingand think it is facinating.

By the way the book that I mentioned was originally published in 1930 I think (not 1955,so mineis a reprint of the original).

 

[Paul (Brummie) Williams]

Pins were the only thing available then.......at least to most?

I am so gladthings moved on.........if the pin was so hot why did so many work to think of something better?

But i like using em...........when it's right.

 

[Maggot]

Paul

Re your comment: Pins are wonderful tools, but only in certain situations........anyone who thinks they can use them in modern angling for all types of float fishing on rivers is gonna struggle on my waters!!!!

Yep I agree,but in thefew situationswhere they arewonderful tools they are great fun (and on my small rivers can behard to beat).

Its horses for courses, with enjoyment in the forefront.

 

[Alan Roe]

To be honest I don't think that even the most ardent pin fan would say that they are the best tool for all jobs.

Where they shine is with trotting and light ledgering situations especially those in which the angler is moving the bait round the swim.

The primary reaason why things moved on is because in order to get the best out of fishing a pin it requires the angler to put in a little effort in learning the skills required to operate a pin properly.

Mr average angler is not prepared to do that as he is essentially a lazy git. Go to any commercial fishery and which swims tend to be filled first...Yup the ones next to the car park! Then go to any water favoured by Mr average and see how much litter is left there by him and his ilk!

Hence the pressure was always on to find ways of achieving long casts without having to bother to learn very much, this was achieved with the invention of the fixed spool reel.

It always amuses me that wherever I am doing demonstations on how to use a pin I will always get someone who will come up to me beforehand and state that the reason he uses a fixed spool reel is that you can't cast very far with one of those things by this stage he is pointing at my centerpin.....How I love the look on the faces of these oiks when they see me lob an avon float thirty yards!!

Next year it should be even better as I have a couple of ladies who I have taught who I hope will be coming to the demos and showing the men that they can cast very long distances.... That should embarrass a few!

For those who take the trouble to learn there is an extra dimension to the pleasure of using a pin in the reward for having learnt the skills and the mechanical pleasure in using them. Game anglers get a similar pleasure in their casting skills.

A part of my putting something back into angling is to demystify the use of the centerpin and to break down some of these long held beliefs....Usually held by those who have never used a pin or those who have bought one ,tried it once and then never used it again!

Certainly if you are looking to cast heavy weights into the next county in the manner of carp or modern barbel anglers then use a fixed spool reel but a pin is more versatile than many would have us all believe.

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Alan, I trust your ladies will be suitably attired?

Good post BTW.

 

[Wendy Perry 2]

Alan i know i will be using my pin for alot of my river fishing in future, i'm hoping it will be here next week and i can get out again having a go on my own.

It is (for me) a brand new way of fishing, and i always like to try something new. I think people that come into fishing, should know more about using pins, as i, and i'm sure a hell of a lot of anglers have stayed clear of them. To me they aren't featured enough in the angling mags. I wonder how many tackle shop dealers stock them? I know mine doesn't.

Nige, aren't my threads always interseting?/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

 

[Wendy Perry 2]

Another question guys: when my new reel comes, how will i fill it with line, is it the same as you would a fixed spool?

 

[Neneman Nick]

One question i meant to ask wendy......what river did you fish with alan???

I have to ring him up to arrange a days fishing for myself and the yogmeister....really looking forward to this one.

 

[Paul (Brummie) Williams]

Alan......i don't think being lazy has anything to do with it at all......the fixed spool is simply a far better tool in a lot of situations.......and no not just for casting to carp ranges ( incedently my present "carp range" is two to threerod lengths out!)

A close friend of mine is also a pin addict......but he uses the fixed spool for about 75% of his riverfishing........the pin is a great tool and i love to use them in some situations, but if i had to choose a reel i had to use for ALL my river fishing, and i'm not an idle angler, the fixed spool is the baby for me.

That said, i applaude and totally respect your skills with a pin....but i'm sure you don't want everyone to agree with you /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Wendy,

The short answer is; no, not at all.

I only use abut 50 to 60 yards of line on my centrepin reels. Any more and:

1. You will probably suffer 'line bedding' especially with modern ow diameter lines.

2. You cannot see a float at more than about 20 to 30 yards anyway, so why put more line on than that?

3. Mostly you will be catching small(er) fish on the pin and float, and they are certainly not going to take you 'miles' across the river

4. Mostly, the venues that you use a pin on will not be all that big (Trent excepted) so again, why put on more line than you need?


Hope this helps.

 

[Wendy Perry 2]

Nick we went on the Ribble and i'm hoping to comealong with you and the yogster/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Peter thank you so much for that, i can't remember what Alan told me about putting the line on, and how much. I can't wait forit to come now.

I for one will be using this for most of my float fishing on the rivers. It has changed my way of thinking aout how you catch fish too. I have always thought you could only get a barbel through ledgering and using halibut pellet etc, same with chub. Now i have caught both on the pin, with an Avon float, and maggot! That did it for me!

 

[Maggot]

Paul, The majority of anglersdo not need to choose a single type ofreel forALL his/her river fishing; so comparing them in this way is pointless.

In my view; both the Fixed Spool reel and the Centrepin have their differentuses in different river methods.

The pin is regarded by many anglers(including myself) to be the most efficient and enjoyable method for a number of river fishing methods, and is a very worthwhile tool to have in your armoury.

Not everyone agrees; either because they have tried unsuccessfully to use one or because they have always used a fixed spool reel and dont see that they need a pin, or simply because they have been using it for methods where a fixed spool has more advantages.

I love using a pinand can see the advantages it gives me for certain methods (and the disadvantages); but everyone to their own.

 

[Wendy Perry 2]

I can see a hell of a lot of advantages using the pin for most of my methods maggot. A friend of mine said he would love to use one, however he's tried and failed so heput it away. Maybe that people who don't like them, can't use them?

 

[yoggy]

Hooray!!! I`m back on.

That was a pain,I`m sure you know what I mean Wendy!!

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

My favorite way of fishing, one of the great delights of this sport, but each to their own.

 

[Wendy Perry 2]

Glad to have you back on line Yogster /forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gifNow get the pin out /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

 

[Neil Maidment]

Alan's line "Game anglers get a similar pleasure in their casting skills" sums it up for me.

I get a lot of pleasure when I'm "fishing well" and able to hit the same spot regularly with the feeder using a fixed spool reel. Also the same pleasure when using a centrepin trotting a balsa down the flow.

Recently, I've started to use the 'pin far more when margin fishing for largish carp rather than the pole. To control a decent carp with thumb/finger pressure on the drum is a great feeling.

 

[chavender]

there's just something nicer about using a centrepin ,I Think that things are changing and its no longer the bearded ,floppy-hatted weirdo with the cranky old reel or the elitist types who have the sole domain of the centrepin ,partly by the Go Fishing Shows of john Wilson And the A passion for angling shows (even though they were fronted by people with a questionable taste in hats and sporting beards [all the best anglers have beards you know] but they did show that using centrepins needn't be hard work but can actually be fun.) And the advent of perfectly good reels at reasonable prices.Reels that are well made& work very efficintlyAnd actually do so equally as well as more expensive established brand named centrepins.Have helped to break down that snobbish elitist vaneer and allow everyone access to using centrepins.Even beareded floppy hatted fools like me too rediscover old skill's and learn new ones ,And to appieciate something that as a youngster i took for granted and wasn't really happy about using one , i wanted a nice shiny open faced reels not cranky old fashioned whirlygig ones.

yes it takes a bit of effort to learn to use one because your required to think about it .wether you learn to wallis cast or not (there are other ways to cast a centrepin,but mastering the wallis brings its own satisfaction) doesn't matter ,if just using it brings pleasure thats whats important .

 

[Trisantona]

Quite right Neil,pins aren't only for rivers,they lend themselves well for fishing Sheffield style (waggler) oncommercial fisheries,(providing you are careful when you strike,as you can easily get broken if you grab the rod and lock the reel up with your fingers), i have recently seemed to have developed a cast which can best be described as an (don't laugh) overhead Nottingham/wallis cast by lifting the rod with my right hand whilst pulling the line with my left to set reel spinning,and casting overhead,this is fairly easy with modern lightweight carbon rods,not entirely new i know but nothing much is in angling these days,