ABU 706/trotting for trout question.

[Steve Walker]

One point about the line coming off the reel - when I'm trotting with a fixed spool reel, open or closed face, I don't usually keep the rod still and let the current draw line off the reel (like I do with a centrepin), I trap the line with my finger and follow the float downstream with the tip of the rod as far as I can. Then I release the line, quickly sweep the rod upstream back to its starting position and repeat. This way, I have (almost) constant contact with the float and and control the speed it runs through, and any stickiness about the line release is negated.

Edited March 23, 2011 by Steve Walker

[Hopinc]

As I said, I have been contemplating this choice for quite a while. Your comments and a good nights sleep, when my subconsious mind must been churning things over, has made me see the light - it has to be a good quality centrepin reel and nothing else. Even the decision about which one has been made - the Okuma Aventa Pro.

 

Thanks to all of you for finally getting my head out of the sand.

[Anderoo]

I don't think you'll regret it Hopinc, it's a wonderful way to fish

[Tigger]

Hopinc, ebay is about the cheapest place to get your pin (brand new or second hand) but if you go to certain shops they will give you a massive discount rather than loose your buisness to another.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Okuma-Sheffield-cent...=item2c5b8c27d5

 

This brand new one is from a shop in Leigh nr Wigan and they willl always give a very good discount and well worth contacting via email or better still by phone.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Okuma-Sheffield-Cent...=item3f07911b16

[Hopinc]

Reckon I will have to save up a bit first. Curently there is only £54 in the fishing kitty - enough to buy a new 706, but not the centrepin.

 

It can wait a bit now that I have made up my mind which way to go.

 

Thanks again all.

Edited March 23, 2011 by Hopinc

[Dick Dastardly]

Dave I have a nice running 4 1/2" Leeds going for £35 + P&P if your interested?

[watatoad]

I bought a 706 for trotting on windy days. I found it ok but for a smooth trot I had to pull line off with my left hand and feed it otherwise it was a bit jerky. I've used it three times and on each occasion suffered from line getting wrapped around the back of the spool so it's now consigned to its box in a cupboard. I'll continue to use a centrepin thanks and tolerate the odd windy day making life difficult.

 

I have not seen your reel set up but would suggest five possible points to look at :-

 

1; Check to see if you have you overfilled your spool - so easily done

 

2; Was the line in enough tension when you loaded it originally - this can certainly cause the problem you are experiencing

 

3; Due to what I would guess are manufacturing/quality control hiccups some ABU closed faced reels can be a little line manufacturer sensitive - perhaps try a different line manufacturer

 

4; Are there any imperfections around the front or the inside of the spool cover or even the spool itself - it need only take a blob of paint to cause this problem

 

5; Is the spool fitted perfectly

[watatoad]

Hi Guys,

 

Thank you for your responses.

 

Rusty, that is exactly the kind of information I was looking for.

 

Alan & Tigger, today I was over at Tackle2U in Bradford and was looking at both the centrepin reels and the ABU. I started having doubts about the 706 at that point. The example on show would not consistently re-engage the line pin when the handle was turned (no matter what the drag setting) and I got to wondering if anyone had experienced any problems with them. It could be that it was not assembled properly, but I could not check this as adjacent reels prevented me from taking the spool cover off to see what was happening.

 

I steered clear of the really expenisve centrepins like the Hardy, but had a play with an Ikonix, an Okuma Sheffield, an Okuma Aventa Pro and a Greys. Of these I would probably have bought the Aventa Pro had I that sort of cash available at the moment.

 

The Ikonix example was much better than the Marco Cortesi that I returned to Dragon Carp recently, which frankly was junk. This reel ran for a long time, but as an engineer I did not like the feel of the ball bearings (lumpy) and there was some play on the spool axis. It was being sold at a good price though, and it occured to me that if stripping, cleaning and re-lubrication did not fix the lumpiness then it would not be a great expense to replace the bearings with Abec 5's.

 

Whilst I was talking to the assistant in the shop he suggested that if I was fishing slow moving swims I would be better off with the ABU - yet another complication to the decision making process, if it's true?

 

You will no doubt have grasped by now that I have been contemplating a centrepin for some time. As yet the jury is still out. Making this decision is proving a lot harder than I ever thought it would. Crikey, I could pick up a fly rod and know within seconds if it was for me or not, but choosing a trotting reel is proving very problematical.

 

Alan, neither of those. I am a member of the Hebden Bridge AS and it's their waters that I fish.

 

I do use an Okuma Aventa pro as well as a Okuma Sheffied and as at least one other person on Anglers Net will tell you there is very little difference between them, but there is a difference and it is in my opinion worth the little extra.

 

You may know I bought a Zen Master nearly a year ago to see what it was like for the slow moving rivers near me. I have not finished testing it yet so I am not going to say a lot but I would strongly recommend you give one a look. You will either love it or hate it - its rather like the old D.A.M. ROBO

[far bank stalker]

Hi Guys,

 

I was wondering if anyone had any issues with the ABU 706 reel?

 

My birthday is coming up and I wondered whether to add one of these to my reel collection. I would be using it for trotting my local river for brown trout. It has a mixture of swims from slow paced, medium (most) and the odd fastish one.

 

Some other things I would like to ask, as I am new to trotting are: This method is aimed at bottom feeding fish, should I modify the standard rig set up for trout in any way? Should I stop the float more often so the bait rises in the water? Would I be best starting at say 6 inches clear of bottom?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Regards,

 

Dave

i haven't really read the replies yet but i saw i thread that mentioned centrepins. i got mine off ebay for £45 ( a mint allcocks fick 'em). i got it from somebody who from the listing clearly both fished and collected, so i trusted the description and lucked out. i would try that.

 

i have been using it for trotting for trout. started with sweetcorn and maggot and got nothing but out of season grayling, so i switched to lob and chopped lob and just got a couple of hoofing great out of season grayling! i want to get just one big brownie (3-4lb) before i switch to a more civilised method, but no luck!

 

once it's warmed up a touch more with a good centre pin you could try free-lining worm, that way you can adjust the depth according to the flow with small weights around a foot away from the hook. no idea if that will work, the practice works because i tried it with no luck the other day, not sure if it will catch fish though but thats what i'm going to try. a good pin definitely gives you enough control over the terminal end

 

by the way, i'm allowed to fish with worm on my local stretch of the dee for trout, but just up the road in either direction i can't so i'm going to give trotting nymphs a go

Edited March 24, 2011 by far bank stalker