Raven Classic Centrepin

[Ditchrat]

Ditchrat, just curious which are the most favoured Pins in Canada ? As you lot seem to do a lot of pin fishing your opinion would be interesting.

 

Canada has many talented centerpin builders two that come to mind are John Milner and John Sparh.

 

Here is a Milner Kingfisher. Nice tightly hand built reel. They are great fishers too.

 

Here is a spahr. There are equally good fishers, but cosmetically a little less ornate.

 

Hi All

Until i read this thread i hadnt realised that centrepin reels were so popular in north america.Had a quick go on google myself and came across a site aimed at great lakes anglers,with a whole forum dedicated to "pin" users.

Even saw a post re the humble Drennan Loafer,a popular river float on our side of the pond.

 

Ditchrat

Is the new Hardy conquest centrepin reel going to be available over there?

I only ask because a friend of mine recently handled one of these reels and was practically salivating!

 

There are tons of pinning sites in the US and Canada, it has become a little cultish. www.questoutdoors.net, www.floatfishing.net and www.riverrunsrods.com/forum (mine) are just a few of a dozen or more.

 

As for you loafer, with the exception it is hard to see under low light it is by far one of the best designed trotting floats I have ever fished. I use them all the time and love them.

 

I dont know about the conquest being released in the US. I have someone looking into it as I was reminded about this forum as I was searching to purchase a Conquest for myself. The features are innovative and the design is very attractive. I plan on adding one to my collection very soon.

 

Ditchrat I quite fancy an SST 3 what would it cost me to have one sent here in the UK

 

 

The sst3 is $269.00 us. It is a very light reel with equally light start up. I didnt come here looking to sell any thing and please dont take this personally but I wont sell one to you for the simple reason that I responded to give some info not promote a product.

 

I suggest ordering from www.fishusa.com, shipping wont be terible and with the conversion rates it should be a good deal for you. You may want to also check out the ross flow. Another nice reel for the money

 

 

If you want any more information on pins this side of the pond please feel free to contact me. I learned allot about centerpin tradition from reading sites like this, and am glad to return the favor

[Guest tigger]

Ditchrat I like the look of the Milner Kingfisher, just curious of their price ?

[Newt]

Until i read this thread i hadnt realised that centrepin reels were so popular in north america.

It is very much a regional thing Stretpegger.

 

Northern US and Canada have very different conditions and target species than the southern part so pins, noodle rods, leaches for bait, large carp, pike, steelhead, and quite a few other things are common in the north and unheard of in the south.

 

Nearly 100% of the large southern and western US lakes are impounded rivers where the northern US and Canada are blessed with many large natural lakes.

 

I've been fishing well over 60 years and have never seen a pin or noodle rod. For Severus (in Michigan) they are common. I've seen one downrigger and one steelhead - both when I was lucky enough to fish with Severus on Lake Michigan.

[Ditchrat]

I thought I might post a couple pics of the fish we chase with pins.

If you look you will notice a modified raven sst2, the one with the extended arm and my buddies milner

Some salmon

 

 

Some browns

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some bows

 

 

 

 

[Ditchrat]

Ditchrat I like the look of the Milner Kingfisher, just curious of their price ?

 

 

I think they are about $560.00

 

It is very much a regional thing Stretpegger.

 

Not in the last 20 years. From California to Alaska, all the great lakes and now its spreading south into trout and small mouth waters of PA, NJ and DE, plus the whole of Canada.

[Stretpegger]

Ditchrat

Yes "questoutdoors" was the site i was looking at,made for very interesting reading.

Do any of you guys over there use U.K. style floatfishing rods at all?I realise you are fishing for different species on more powerful rivers than here,but judging by the photos they are like nothing i have ever seen before.

 

Newt

Excuse my ignorance but what the hell is a noodle rod?

[Ditchrat]

Ditchrat

Yes "questoutdoors" was the site i was looking at,made for very interesting reading.

Do any of you guys over there use U.K. style floatfishing rods at all?I realise you are fishing for different species on more powerful rivers than here,but judging by the photos they are like nothing i have ever seen before.

 

Newt

Excuse my ignorance but what the hell is a noodle rod?

 

 

A noodle rod is a very light action spinning rod. Usually 9-12 ft and rated for very light line 2-4lb test. It is a full parbolic flexing rod designed to protect light line on big fish. Noodle rids are not used for centerpining over here. The get their name because the action is best described as a wet noodle.

 

No our rods are designed very different. Guides need to be larger to deal with ice formation. We fish for steelhead in very cold weather at times. Generally the temps are a few degrees above freezing, however many times it is 10-20 degrees below that.

 

The rods are very much like carp rods, but the grips are different. US angler generally place the pin 7-8 inches above the butt and have a 6-7 inch fore grip. Canadians use shorter rear grips in the 5-6 inch range and linger for grips, up to ten inches.

 

Ours vary wildly as the US and Canada are both large. Generally the medium sized river flow at rates that wading above the waist will take you off your feet. However some creeks are slow moving and very much like many pictures I have seen of sewin rivers some of you might fish.

 

But generally the rivers vary so much that describing them would leave a poor understanding of them. But just a quick try some of the rivers I fish actually are large enough for 65ft tug boats and barges to use them just a few miles down stream. Some are 10ft wide and meander though woods or fields. Some are rock bottom like slate, some are boulders and some are all sand. Most are a mix.

 

Here a few few videos that might give you some idea.

 

Winter Steelheading

 

Delaware River Shad (3-9lb herring) Dont wztch this one with kiddies around am afraid I cused more then a couple times in it

[Stretpegger]

Ditchrat

Thanks mate for the links to the videos,awesome looking rivers.

Followed a link to another video " extreme steelhead" that river was really motoring,made floodwater barbel fishing on my local river look positively wimpish lol

 

PS the soundtrack was pretty good too although im more of a " stranglers" fan myself

 

Tight lines Stret

[tincatinca]

Just took a break from watching some of the links from Ditchrat. Absolutely awesome. Nice to see the fish being put back too. Cup of coffee then back for some more.Excellent.

[steel pin]

Ditchrat I quite fancy an SST 3 what would it cost me to have one sent here in the UK

 

I disagree with {admin note: if you aren't in agreement with what someone else says, that is certainly your right but keep personal beefs somewhere else please.

Newt}

 

I'm from Canada. The use of centrepins in the Great Lakes area is so widespread you'll see about 90% of river steelhead anglers using them. Far more widespread in use than in the UK. The Raven reels are somewhat ok as budget reels but nothing special. I'd actually say the Okuma Sheffield is a better made / quality reel at a slightly cheaper price. The most popular reel used by serious anglers here is the Islander Steelheader which is a very nicely made piece of kit proven over time and manufactured in Canada, not somewhere in the Orient. There are also quite a few quality N. American made "artisan" reels floating around. Before the Islander was around in force the most common reel you would see would be the Brit classic Adcock Stanton. Seems most Stantons now demoted to shelf status as you don't see many in use anymore at least in Ontario.

 

Excellent thread right here anyone who hasn't found it yet should find it interesting and also fairly enlightening :

 

 

http://questoutdoors.net/phpBB2/about172.html

 

Quite a big difference in fishing steelhead than the popular coarse fish in the UK. The main difference being in the violence of the fight when a fish is hooked. But still basically the same trotting principles and also relatively light line used generally 4 - 8lb leaders (or tippets as in Blighty).