Silly question of the day!

mikench · May 12, 2017

If you are using a pin and have a large fish takes your bait, is it easy to stop the line being taken by just pressing your finger on the rim or do you need both hands one on the rod and one on the reel handles? I cannot see how I would have managed that common the other day using a pin which allows line to come off so freely

The 2oz or so roach I have caught to date were insufficient experience of the practical solution to my perceived difficulty!

tigger · May 12, 2017

mikench said:
If you are using a pin and have a large fish takes your bait, is it easy to stop the line being taken by just pressing your finger on the rim or do you need both hands one on the rod and one on the reel handles? I cannot see how I would have managed that common the other day using a pin which allows line to come off so freely

The 2oz or so roach I have caught to date were insufficient experience of the practical solution to my perceived difficulty!

You'd stop it easy Mike, just use the hand you hold the rod with and use your thumb. It's surprising how little pressure on the rim is needed to stop a fish from running. Don't hold the handles as a drag, use pressure on the rim, use the handles when your winding in line, or use a finger in between the gaps on the faceplate

.

greenie62 · May 12, 2017

mikench said:
If you are using a pin and have a large fish takes your bait, is it easy to stop the line being taken by just pressing your finger on the rim or do you need both hands one on the rod and one on the reel handles?....

Tip: Count your fingers before and after such manouevres! - particularly if you're going to make a habit of this with 20lb Carp!

dorsetandchub · May 12, 2017

Like shakin hands with a Scouser, is it Mike?

S-Kippy · May 12, 2017

The last thing you want is your fingers or knuckles anywhere near a pin's handles when you're attached to a fast running fish.

As Tiggs says Rod hand thumb should suffice or you can use the palm of your "free" hand to cup the spool and slow down the real nutters.

greenie62 · May 12, 2017

dorsetandchub said:
Like shakin hands with a Scouser, is it Mike?

I've counted - still gorrem all! - even after meeting you at the LIF t'other year, Phil!

mg:

dorsetandchub · May 12, 2017

I've obviously lost the knack, matey - been darn Shandyland too long

Jim Crosskey 2 · May 12, 2017

As has been suggested, thumb of the rod holding hand on the pin's rim. It's the most sensitive drag on the market! Better than shimano or daiwa put together!

Something I've also only recently learned - when you're looking to play a big fish on lighter line, always look for side strain - as opposed to holding the rod up vertically and trying to fight it from above. For some reason, carp and barbel pull much harder against the rod held high, whereas holding the rod low to the water and putting on side strain seems to beat them quicker.... (anyone know why that it?) I've managed to just reel in fairly substantial fish on a pin doing this, whereas as soon as you lift the rod and make the fight from above, you lose control of the fish?

dorsetandchub · May 12, 2017

Jim,

Apologies for a semi hijack here but would be interested to know which centrepin is your weapon of choice for barbel / big fish?

Cheers

greenie62 · May 12, 2017

Jim Crosskey 2 said:
..... For some reason, carp and barbel pull much harder against the rod held high, whereas holding the rod low to the water and putting on side strain seems to beat them quicker.... (anyone know why that it?) .....

Spot on Jim!
I'm guessing this is 'cos it allows them to stay deep and 'hidden' - they don't seem to be happy being moved 'towards the light' - fear of the unknown?

thecrow · May 12, 2017

Jim Crosskey 2 said:
For some reason, carp and barbel pull much harder against the rod held high, whereas holding the rod low to the water and putting on side strain seems to beat them quicker.... (anyone know why that it?)

Possibly because they are not bring pulled upwards towards the surface/light?

I once watched an angler in the mid 60s catching barbel from the royalty on fairly light line he was leading the fish instead of pulling them, he reckoned the harder an angler pulled them the harder the barbel pulled back, maybe pulling them upwards Its easier to exert more pressure on the fish through the rod?

Wilko · May 12, 2017

Jim Crosskey 2 said:
..... For some reason, carp and barbel pull much harder against the rod held high, whereas holding the rod low to the water and putting on side strain seems to beat them quicker....

I prefer to apply side strain rather than rod up as my default method as I feel it is less likely to pull the hook, I've no real hard evidence for this, just sits better with me.

theartist · May 12, 2017

greenie62 said:
Spot on Jim!
I'm guessing this is 'cos it allows them to stay deep and 'hidden' - they don't seem to be happy being moved 'towards the light' - fear of the unknown?

I think were over complicating things again, whilst that theory could hold true with barbel I'm pretty sure carp don't mind being in the upper layers and in bright light infact i'd go a s far as say that is their preferred domain on a sunny day.

Most fish will put up more of a scrap with a high rod as they are going where they want laterally whereas side strain will work the fish more, forcing the fish off balance. Also carp and barbel have quite a flat bottom hugging underside and curved backs which would lend itself to clamping the bottom easier, much like downforce on a formula one car. The flatter the fish the harder it is to pull directly upwards just look at rays and skates as an example.

There I've compared carp to F1 Cars

binka · May 12, 2017

The one big thing which has only occurred to me recently is that since using the 'pin for the vast majority of my perching over the last eighteen months and playing them 'off the thumb' I've lost far fewer fish.

We all know that Perch are notorious for hook pulls due to their bony mouths and despite me owning some very capable fixed spool reels with correctly set drags I reckon the thumb is a much finer tuned instrument which is capable of reacting to lunges faster than the extra pull required to start up a drag system.

If you think about it your thumb has all the attributes of a perfect, variable drag which can react differently and accordingly to each stage of the battle without ever having to adjust it

robtherake · May 12, 2017

The "spare" hand can be put to good use stabilising the rod and providing extra power by pulling on the blank a foot or so in front of the reel (depends how long yer arms are, I suppose

) The technique isn't confined to centrepin use and can be employed equally well with a fixed spool reel. Useful in prolonged fights when wrist fatigue sets in.

mikench · May 12, 2017

Another stupid question! I can use the pin both with a float and a feeder I assume? I plan to use it tomorrow instead of my normal fs reels .

I just need to practice I suppose! I am hopeless at trying something new when I have just mastered(relative) one technique!

Thanks to one and all for your helpful comments

john step · May 12, 2017

My first reaction is that I wouldn't use one for a feeder. Out of instinct!
Then I thought I ought to have a reason.
Then I thought that I do use one occasionally for a bomb at close range particularly rivers.

I think the feeder with all the frequent reeling in and filling the groundait and casting at a greater range it is far easier on the fixed spool.

I wouldn't use a feeder at the range of a CP where I could drop in the feed by hand or catty. I suppose in some circumstances you could use a feeder at close range ie where you needed to get bait down quickly past tiddlers but I have never done so or likely to. I would use a bait dropper even in still water.

geoffmaynard · May 12, 2017

When playing a powerful fish on a light rod, if you completely submerge the rod tip the fish seem to come in much more quietly. The guys I know who fly-fish for carp all seem to do it, a 7 weight rod and a double figure carp is an interesting combination!

Philip · May 12, 2017

binka said:
The one big thing which has only occurred to me recently is that since using the 'pin for the vast majority of my perching over the last eighteen months and playing them 'off the thumb' I've lost far fewer fish.

Interesting you mention this as I was also thinking the same thing just recently. I have been getting some accidental Carp whilst trotting after Roach and Chub of late, far more than normal for some reason but that’s an aside. The point is that I have been having some very extended fights on light tackle on a pin and I am totally convinced I would not have landed some of them on a fixed spool reel off a slipping clutch. I just get the feeling that even the smoothest fixed spool clutch still wont give line as consistantly or as smoothly as you can control with your finger on a revolving drum of a pin.

I am so convinced by it that I am beginning to wonder if it might be worth slackening off the clutches on my fixed spools more than normal and rely on finger pressure on those to apply more drag when I need it. I usually have my clutches set pretty tight and only touch the spool to basically stop it when I have to turn a fish. However I wonder if there is some milage in slackening them off even more and relying on finger pressure more often...

tigger · May 13, 2017

Philip said:
I am so convinced by it that I am beginning to wonder if it might be worth slackening off the clutches on my fixed spools more than normal and rely on finger pressure on those to apply more drag when I need it. I usually have my clutches set pretty tight and only touch the spool to basically stop it when I have to turn a fish. However I wonder if there is some milage in slackening them off even more and relying on finger pressure more often...

I never have my drag set tight and I use finger pressure on the spool to get the best results. Only problem with this is when a fish gets near a snag etc and you heed to wind in quickly with tension on the line, you can't, but having a fighting drag as is on some of the shimano reels is great in this situation as you can tighten it up very quickly and wind like a trooper lol.

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