CENTRE PIN REELS

[Jim Gibbinson]

Split-cane rods have an aesthetic appeal of sorts, and for its time split-cane was the best rod-making material available. It was, however, superseded by hollow glass - even the early hollow glass rods were superior to cane.

 

Modern carbon composite rods are wonderful tools and embody all the characteristics we require. Those who claim cane had a special "feel" etc. are entitled to their opinion, but they're wrong! Cane was heavy, made a rod top-heavy, was easily strained and readily took a set.

 

If someone wants to use a cane rod because it appeals to some aspect of their temperament, that's fine - just so long as they don't get all superior and start ascribing virtues to it that the rest of us "philistines" are incapable of appreciating. Just as those self-same people do with centrepins, in fact...!

[Cranfield]

A centrepin has a place in my tackle bag, as do the fixed spool and multiplier reels.

My interpretation of the right tool, for the right job.

 

James, do I detect the sound of rattlin' cages ?

[BobH]

Peter,

 

Are you saying a Centre Pin Reel is unsuitable for the Bivvy Boys and should not be used in conjunction with a Cane or for that matter a Hollow glass or Carbon Rods ?

 

In the Margins, nice little Bolt rig, hair rigged Boilie or Lump of Meat.

 

Matching Pins, nice Matching Pair of Carbon Rods, sat on a set of State of the Delkin Buzzers.

 

I would have thought a Pin was ideal, if it has a decent Ratchet.

 

I fact I can remember a very well known Barbel angler who use to encourage Students to sit on their hands, when a bent up bit of twisted cane took on a violent bend and the Pin made a loud shrick as the Barbel bolted off.

[Spindle]

Jim Gibbinson:

Those who claim cane had a special "feel" etc. are entitled to their opinion, but they're wrong!

I'm sure that's true of many cane rods Jim. However, I have a 1952 Allcock Wizard and I absolutely love using it. Obviously it's heavier than my carbon rods, but it does just FEEL right. At the same time, I did at one point have a second Wizard and that felt all wrong. I hated it.

 

I'm not a "purist" in the traditional sense. I just like to see fishing as a simple, gentle art, not something that needs computerising, digitalising, turbo-charged and so-on. I think that was partly the charm of "A Passion For Angling", the contrast between Chris and Bob.

 

For me, I much preferred to watch Chris, with his sticks and pins. Others would have preferred to watch Bob. Each to their own.

[Andrew Boyd]

Spent many of my early years using a "Modern Arms" 13' split cane fly Salmon rod for my Tench fishing. Had a delicate tip and was wonderful in it's time, did the job, worked well when using moderate lines in Keston's pads. But boy was it heavy. Give me a modern rod any day.

It would "set" . . just meant re-ringing it on the opposite side every couple of years.

Someone stole it a long time back, their welcome to it.

[Paul Boote]

Paul Boote:

 

Paul Boote:

Joy of joys, we've got people talking sense regarding centrepins! Never thought I'd see the day!

Just in from a few hours' river-fishing with a couple of small fixed-spools, and none the worse for it.

 

Absolutely right, Jim. It has been my long-held belief that all misty-eyed centrepin fascists and fetishists and Golden Age Traddies should be either taken out and shot or summarily flogged to death with a close-whipped early-model James Mk. IV, both preferably.

 

"Probably wear cane underpants, those guys" (much stronger last word used in the original) as someone once said to me...

Captain's Log, somewhere in the Outer West London Galaxy, stardate 12/1/05: Have at last managed to find a solvent capable of removing the tongue that appeared permanently welded to my cheek. Seven of Nine, now, again has reasons to be nervous. Which is nice.

[Andrew Boyd]

Just a thought Paul . . .

 

How much skin would you have had left on your fingers using a "pin" for Barbus Tor.

[Andrew Boyd]

Oh . . seeing that your "cheeks" can be at the top of your legs that's one hell of a tongue.

 

We'll say no more about the captains log.

[Paul Boote]

Andrew Boyd:

Just a thought Paul . . .

 

How much skin would you have had left on your fingers using a "pin" for Barbus Tor.

I have done it over the years, Andrew, all over India, North and South. One fish in the South -- hooked on a 4-inch 1922 12-spoke Aerial, 8lb line, size-12 hook and a blob of paste or a worm for small deadbait species, below an Avon float -- went a good 25 pounds! Cane underpants? Nah. But I nearly messed them. In the North, I can say that I have Wallis Cast and long-trotted on many rivers, including the Ganges. Just wish that the footage of my doing this (plus catching tiddler commons and mirrors from a houseboat on Kashmir's Nagin Lake) had found its way into that old mahseer film I once found myself in.

 

The biggest 'centrepin burn' that I had in India was from a 42-pound fly-caught mahseer from the Kaveri in the South. Not a centrepin proper, a ratchet (not disc) drag 4-in. salmon fly reel, but it matters little when a fish goes a full 120 down a rapid...

 

[ 12. January 2005, 02:19 PM: Message edited by: Paul Boote ]

[Andrew Boyd]

Your a better man than I.

 

One day I'll . .