What really did interest me was the trotting technique being used. Paying off the line from the reel, by hand was a style I learnt as a kid and have used ever since. This method of trotting can be used with any type of reel. So it begs the question which one of you purists is going to tell umpteen times World Champion Alan he should have used a Pin?:wh Pete.
As much as I like using them, I wouldn't tell Joe Bloggs he should have used a pin, let alone Alan Scotthorne. I'd certainly never expect to see a matchman using one. If I'd have stuck with match fishing, I doubt that I'd have ever bothered to try one.
I don't know anyone of fifty, or less, that was brought up on centrepins. No doubt there will be some that inherited pins from dads, uncles and granddads and maybe got a bit of tuition thrown in. None of my angling age group peers have ever used a pin. None of the match types I know have used a pin unless they are old enough to have been fishing before the early seventies (at the very latest).
There are pros and cons for pin use. Whether the pros outweigh the cons depends on the individual, the style of fishing they enjoy and the type of venue concerned. I know quite a few of the older river matchmen in my area that use that kind of hand feeding of the line for both waggler and stick fishing. It can be very effective. However, even when the user is very well practised, it doesn't work very well when there's a bit of pace about the swim. Most of the water I fish is far too pacey for it, but it doesn't help that I'm rubbish at it. I can achieve far better float control with a pin than with fixed spool reels.
However, the ultimate reality is that I use centrepins for no greater reason than I enjoy using them. It goes hand in hand with me trotting rather than using a lead, feeder, or waggler regardless of them being the most appropriate methods at times. I like trotting and I like doing it with a pin. As I'm not a matchman, I care not one jot for ultimate speed or efficiency. However, if I genuinely thought using pins was having a significant impact on my catches, I'd not bother using them.
Let's face it, I use long rods with centrepins. I'm under no illusions of it being an on trend way of going about things. I'm happy with what I do and it works for me. I suspect that there are things I can do with long rods and a pin that others couldn't replicate with a 13' rod and fixed spool reel. However, chances are they'd do just fine with an alternate method to a top and bottom float.
I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't use pins if I went back to match fishing. However, the prime reason for not using them would come down to the amount of gear being taken. A couple of fixed spool reels can be enough for all aspects of running line fishing. I'd only want to use a pin for trotting a top and bottom float. It would be left at home in the pursuit of efficiency before the actual fishing even came into it.