Trotting with a freespool reel

[GlennB]

While wondering whether to break out the old 'pin for the Itchen bash, and thinking of what a pain it is retrieving with a 'pin but what a pain it also is trotting with a normal fixed-spool, it occurred to me that a small fixed spool reel with freespool facility might work.

Put it in freespool mode and peel off line with the spare hand, then retrieve as normal. A finger on the spool to handle mending the line and striking... Also, unlike with a normal fixed-spool, you'd be able to keep the rod pointing downstream and able to pick up plenty of line when the float is well down the river.

 

Anyone tried this? I can't picture any real disadvantages but I'm guessing there might be

[jeepster]

i can imagine the line coming off being pretty 'coily' if you see what i mean.

 

just cos my 'pin is shinier than yours

[Dick Dastardly]

Yes you would end up with monster,monster line twist!

[jeepster]

so you've seen the way glenn spools his line then budgie

 

seriously though, that's the problem that hits me immediatly

[GlennB]

Ah well Back to designing my solar-powered 'pin then.

[jeepster]

with the panels on the top of your heed?

[Russell Fitzpatrick]

it does work,

 

i do it when im troting lives and deads on the river,i am using braid tho,you can slow teh run of the float right down and hold it back nicely,lifting the bait up in the flow.

 

could work with mono,but why bother?

 

i fished there last year,and used a open face reel to trot with no prob,just gotta use your index finger to control it,misssed a few bites but connected with a few too.

me trotting the itchen last year-photo by seph. note teh open face reel!

 

[chavender]

i can't see how a free-spool facility would have any influence on how a fixed spool reel when used for trotting.unless i've been doing it wrong ?

as the spool doesn't rotate and you fish with the bail-arm open ! or maybe i am doing it wrong ? this is how i do it

 

the angler casts out ,and leaves the bail-arm open he controls the line by applying gentle pressure to the line by clamping down on it on the body of the spool or the rim of the spool with either his/hers index/fore finger and allowing line to peel of the spool by releasing pressure and feathering the line,if the float is off sufficient weight the current should pull line of the spool by its self but under control by the angler and if using a light float the angler can assist the float by easing line of the spool with his/hers spare hand whilst continuing to maintain control with the other and ready ,control is maintained by using ones finger as a guide which prevents loose coils falling off and to apply pressure to the line like a variable drag by feathering ( by allowing line to pass between the rim and finger being tapped against the rim ) or held to the rim to prevent its progress in order to hold back the float when needed or too trap the line tight against the rim to strike.and then closing the bail-arm manually or the angler is dexterous enough to wind shut the bail-arm and remove his finger without whacking his/hers knuckles

 

well thats how i do it,and the spool doesn't rotate so a free-spool wouldn't make any difference

 

 

oohhh nice bit of river that .

[Russell Fitzpatrick]

thats the way to do it!

 

but it still works for pike chavender,seriusly,sometimes they dont want it whizzing past theer nose so hold it back,works when trotting for other species but with an open bail.

 

with the pike as they hit the bait the freespool is already on so not much resistance is felt plus it stops teh top of the rod violently whacking rod.

[chavender]

i can see how it would work with larger species like pike and barbel but

even then whenever i've caught a barbel on the float and they've dashed off ,they've taken line freely anyhow ,but with smaller species i carn't see how a freespool would be any different to a none freespool open faced reel and both be equily as good