Closed Face Reels

After a few very windy days on the Hampshire Avon where I didn't even think of using my centrepin - I have been wondering about closed face reels. I have to admit right now that I have never used one, never even sat next to someone who has been using one. But not long ago I met an angler (also down for fishing on the Avon) who swore by "coffee grinders," as he called them. Now what I'm wondering folks is - do any of you use one? If so, what are the advantages (wind cheating?) and disadvantages. What are the best models? How do you play bigger fish on them. etc etc

Alan - they aren't very popular these days are they, but they are good trotting reels. They combine the casting ability of a fixed spool with the line feed (well sort of) of a pin. They are far better than a fixed spool if there is a bit of a breeze on, and much faster in locking the line on the strike.

The most popular make is the Abu, though Daiwa still make one too. The ABU has a drag system built into the handle to deal with larger fish, though I wouldn't want to play big barbel on it. Definitely a roach or chub type reel.

I've still got an ABU 505 bought,I think ,in about 1969. I used to use it for absolutely everything as a kid.....unsurprising as it was my only reel. Chub, barbel, pike, roach, perch, eels, trout and sea trout [poached].

Anyone got a spare handle for one? I fell on it on rocks in Scotland in 1970 while mackerel fishing.

I've got another reel now in case you are concerned .

Alan
I've been using closed face reels for years
mainly for the stick ,i find like Dave mentioned with the instant line lock you are in control of the fish much faster enabling you to pull the fish from the shoal quickly.
Another reason i like using it for the stick is that they are quite light which helps when your holding the rod for hours.
the one thing i don't like is the slow line retrievel ,but that could be because i've been spoilt by using the stradics all summer.
The closed face i'm using now is the ABU 704 Premier ,nice reel but not worth the seventy odd quid i spent for it.
One thing worth mentioning is that i find if you load to much line on these reels it seems to bed in a bit so i tend to limit it to about 50 or 60 meters.
what i should of said at the begining is the ease in which you can cast with these reels ,so much faster and easier.
Rob

Alan, Why didn't you contemplate using the pin in the wind?
Until I became reasonably proficient in the dark art of 'the pin' I used to use a 704 C/F for stick work for roach and dace bashing, for which it is excellent if your 'on a roll', in fact better than a pin! Anything over 2lb becomes a problem tho, they sound like a clapped out coffee grinder and feel like a cement mixer, they lack serious grunt and the line beds in seriously.
I rate them for learning to trot b4 moving to the pin. I also understand that Des Taylor rates them highly but I don't know what for.

As stated above, closed face's are ideal for trotting. I remember in the early 90's eveybody on the match scene had a couple 1044's or 507's. I think now though , that the open face reels are so good with easy operating bale arms that the use of closed face reels has disappeared for this reason.

Thanks guys - a big help all of you. I don't think that I'm half bad with a pin Mike but the wind and pins do not mix well in my view - hence my enquiry about closed face reels. In fact, even open fixed spool reels can be a pain in the wind - you really do need to keep a tight finger on it to stop the line blowing back over the bail hinge. Sometimes I forget to do this - hence my query about closed face reels. It is trotting I'm thinking of - I never fish matches. Anyway, thanks again all of you. I must really consider getting a closed face!