Centerpin Fishing

[Severn Wolf]

Chavender, I take it you can Wallis cast?

 

I`ve been wondering for a while if its possible to alter the style and not hold the hook/bottom shot when casting.

 

My own preference for getting more distance with the loop method of casting is to spin the reel up with my thumb on the cast.

[chavender]

theres many ways to perform a spinning side cast after all thats what it is i've tried very hard to master the way Glen Smith does it in his video but mostly fail (i think i'm too buisy thinking about it,too doo it right) but its a challenge to perfect that way,i also do it in a different way where the line is left swinging and i give the line a tug as the tackle swings out.

similar to the top video on this page Wallis casts this is how i was shown as a lad but then after many years of not using one i got a old centrepin and caught the bug (pin itus) and just wanted to lean many different ways of casting and using them the way Glen shows in his video is more of a challenge for me thats why i persevere with trying to master it,i do have some good days & some bad,at best i'd say 65% good casts and 35% bad (bad timing & poor cordination) i'm yet to try and master the under arm veriation (which is simular to casting a bait dropper where you need too load the rod and put extra flex into it so the tip acts as a spring and catapults out your light tackle.i actually cheat slightly by not using ultra light tackle all versions are easier with a heavier float to load the rod better and give a good casting weight.your choice of rod can make quite a big difference too stiff and its usless but too soft and its usless.

[Severn Wolf]

Great link!!!!!!!

 

I like the look of the Canadian cast, it does seem a lot more straightforward. Have to give that a go!

 

99% of my `pin fishing is in a seemingly futile attempt to catch a Severn barbel on the float. The gear is quite heavy, 1 1/4lb Avon, 6lb mainline and no less than a 4 swan chubber so having a bit of weight to help the gear out is not a problem.

 

definitely watch that link a few more times before I next go on the river.

 

Ta!!!!

[chavender]

as for tips. its like fly casting find a flat field in which to practice or on a river with clear banks put a 1/2oz lead on the end of your line and try to cast 20yds or so don't worry about distance get the timing and rythem right its not a cast that can be rushed the hardest thing to remember is to feather the cast as it nears the end (water) (one of my faults!) as over spin can occour and usually ends in a mess or tangle or flips over the backplate into a nice birds nest.i have seen in video's of old timers where they fish (cast) with the reel reveresed so the handles face off to the right (by right handed angler) and when they reel in they hold the rod just above the reel (on rods with sliding retainers!) and trap the butt into their sides and wind in with their right hands seemed odd way to me (banjo style) the only reasons i can think of why it was done this way was that you could still bat the drum as normal or wind in as above in order to apply more winching power as centrepins have no gear ratio's to help with cranking in big fish and letting the rod take most off the strain plus with the handles facing the other way if your line was too slip over the back the handles should catch the line rather that it getting rapped up around the reel seat area.thats the only reasons that i can think off after seeing it done that way in a old fishing video (anglers corner ) i keep meaning to try it out too see if it helps stop the tangles.(i might make a clip of it to add to the others !!)

[Dick Dastardly]

I dont "wallis cast" properly (as has been discussed often on here!) but you know what I dont give a monkeys! I cast just as far (if not further) than most with my own style (end tackle just dangling a couple of loops and pull on them to start the reel spinning.Upright for max distance when stillwater fishing and side ways with top and bottom floats when trotting) Its so simple! I really cant see all the mystery behind it all!

 

My advice for what its worth is to start of with the basic loop (Nottingham?) cast,get that sorted then start pulling to spin the reel a bit.It really isnt that hard.

 

We should really have a pin casting get together one day! Sod the fishing! there are enough pin owners/competent users on here to make it really interesting.Be good to see the real distances some of us can cast with the different styles.

 

We could hold it on a well (if there is such a thing) patrolled stretch of river during the closed season! should raise a few eye brows

[chavender]

when i cast using my normal cast i swing out the tackle from the side and have either my hand the other way up or use the crook of my thumb to hold & pull the line (unlike the video where he seems to swing his tackle in a high arc almost overhead and has his fingers pointing upwards) this way is easier for me as i don't have to think about it.but i'm always crap at a start of a session but soon settle down and i'm happy most of the time to achieve a couple of rod lengths or at least 1/3 of the way accross the trent (upper) or dove,i can if i push my self get out further but don't really need to cast that far and trying to over reach is usually when the tangles start.

Edited October 9, 2006 by chavender

[Severn Wolf]

We should really have a pin casting get together one day! Sod the fishing! there are enough pin owners/competent users on here to make it really interesting.Be good to see the real distances some of us can cast with the different styles.

 

Now thats a good idea! I`m pretty sure that a day spent in the company of competent `pin users would help all us pretenders no end.

[Chris Plumb]

Hmm.

 

Try this on eBay...

 

Item number 280035307616

 

...£660 at the mo, with 6 days left to run!

 

Makes the Chris Lythe look positively cheap.

 

 

Serious collectors item (& some serious collectors are after it!)

 

 

C.

[Steve Walker]

Steve W,Im at a loss to offer any reasons other than the fact you had greased the braid maybe?

 

For what its worth I use Spiderwire (the origonal not Stealth or Fussion) in 10lb BS (aprox same diameter as 2lb mono).My end tackle is normally quite heavy ie Chubbers/Loafers/Avons rather than light sticks.

 

I've given it another go with a differerent braid. I bought a spool of this on impulse. It's 15lb, it's thicker and stiffer than the Drennan braid I was using, and it floats. This works much, much better. I don't know what the problem was with the other stuff, but this is fine.

[chavender]

perhaps it was a combination of limpness and the type of braid (being sinking braid) with the Drennan that caused the problems your where having,i'll be sticking my 20lb power pro back onto my aventa pro soon as the problems i had was with the 8lb PP and i beleave was a combination of not properly balanced tackle and the limpness where as i've not had too many problems using the 20lb PP with my float rods most of my problems was when using my old 15ft diawa black shadow float rod {a bit heavy & stiff} with the 8lb PP (~>1lb mono) .