Mark eats his hat?

Crumbs Mark, if the wife isn't feeding you, there's no need to make excuses.

I think Graham should throw him of the site for threatening a FISHINGmagic cap.

You made a good choice with the Kingpin though. A terrific centrepin, but when mine screemed off once with a decent double figure carp, I ended up with a burn scar on my thumb trying to stop it.

Welcome to world of "pin" fishing Mark. It looks as though you're beginning to realise just what you've been missing all those years.

Blimey Mark, will I be allowed to come fishing with you now you are among the elite and can you remember what part of the lake you threw the Stradics in cos I might bring a shallow water diver with me next time.

I've never fished a lake with a centrepin I must admit, only the river and my old Adcock Stanton has no clutch either so its prone to overruns if you aren't very careful.

I reckon it's horses for courses - or reels for situations. Where casting any significant distance is involved, the modern fixed-spool wins every time. For close-in fishing, though, as Mark says, the centrepin has certain advantages - chief among them being freedom from line-spillage and consequent tangles. In my experience, a line-guard helps in this regard, too (I wouldn't consider using a centrepin without one).

What I can't understand, though, is the oft-quoted contention that playing fish is more direct on a centrepin, and the angler has more control etc. Having caught lots of fish on a centrepin - including carp, pike, bass and, in recent years, some big mullet - I'm unable to detect any significant benefits in this regard. Indeed, I'm inclined to the view that, for playing fast-moving, hard-fighting fish, the fixed-spool is the more efficient tool.

Mark,

Just my type of fishing.I was doing something similar on my local canal at he start of the season and had a few decent carp.As you say stealth is the key so as not to frighten away the fish when they are close in.

It certainly works on the harbour mullet.When I had a decent catch last year I was just dropping the bait off the rod tip as casting was a nightmare with the prevailing wind.You will need to invest in a pair of chesties though to get right out to the fish.

Graham,

Still using the Stradics so don't bother hiring a diver. I'll be in touch once my computer is sorted - new email address etc.

Jim,

I found that for really cranking fish the centrepin was more direct in that the gearing is 1:1 therefore only 13" of line not 30" per turn without the loss in the gears; you'd have to ask an engineer about gear efficiency. But I accept that a fast moving fish, and with carp, seatrout, mullet, that's what we are talking, a fast retrieve fixed spool can be advantageous. It was mainly the fun of a different experience.

Mark

In about half an hour, I'll be heading off for an afternoon's shore mullet fishing. My 13ft match rod will be equipped with a centrepin. For the close-in float fishing style I'll be using, it's the more efficient option.

Tomorrow, I'm pier fishing (again for mullet). The light spinning rods I use for pier fishing are equipped with fixed-spool reels. In that situation, either centre-pins or fixed-spool reels would be equally efficient, so I'll use the reels with which the rods are already rigged.

Later in the week (weather permitting), I'll be having a day's floater fishing for carp. In which instance I'll be using a fixed-spool reel, as it's by far the more efficient tool for the way I fish surface baits (involving medium and sometimes longish casting with a controller).

As I said earlier: horses for courses, or reels for situations. Or, as Mark says, for fun - which, on reflection, is the best reason of all for one's choice.

i use a centerpin for virtually all my close in fishing to most peoples amazement but if you are fishing at only a few yards range why use anything else. In fact if you are casting to a snag i find i get better accuracy with a pin.As for trotting it's no contest for me a pin is better .

john hooper

I think that Jim hits the proverbial nail on the head.

It really is a case of 'horses for courses' and there is no one solution fits all when it comes to float fishing.

For close-in stick float work I use a centrepin every time, unless the wind is horrendous.

A little further out, or in a match, then its the Abu 506's for either stick float or waggler but for further casting then a fixed spool reel is the order of the day.

When stalking margin fish I tend to go with the centrepin again.

I thought it was old hat.
You should have told him 2 years ago, Peter! ;o)