mike Gibson
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- May 9, 2006
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I’m something of a ‘pin fanatic and bought this on spec off the web about 18 months ago. Not really a true 'pin as it’s got a side cast mechanism, but at around 38 quid, it seemed worth a punt. s. Although marketed by Shakespeare, they are made by the Aussie firm Alvey, who specialise in heavy duty sea fishing reels.Took it out of the box and was a bit disappointed at it seemed better suited to casting a three ounce lead off Brighton pier than trotting a stick float down the Stour , but after a few sessions I changed my mind. Its incredibly free running, better than my Trudex and as good as my Okuma Sheffield (for a third of the price). It’s made out of some sort of heavy duty polymer/plastic and it’s pretty rugged. It also has a closed construction so there is no risk of grit or maize mail getting into the innards as is the case on some pins. Overall, I’m pleased. It’s great for trotting, under the rod top float work on still waters and I’ve used it for margin fishing for carp. Its side cast mechanism means you can achieve that extra distance, if, like me, you are a bit ham fisted with the Wallis cast.Only two niggles.First, while it has a locking mechanism for carrying a set up rod and reel from swim too swim, it has no ratchet which rules it for ledgering. Second, as it’s a side caster, the spool is fairly shallow and this means that coils of line can blow off in a string side wind and cause tangles. This can be avoided if, like me, you have the line coming off the top of the reel, but this might not be to everyone’s taste.However, if you want an introduction to centre pin fishing and can’t justify the silly money you can pay for some reels, I would recommend it.
