Allocks Match Aerial

[Guest tigger]

Just done the deed and ordered a 1915 4'' Avon pattern 11/8 with lever check. It was a hard choice between the AJPand the 1915 but I think that the 1915 is probably more versatile.

 

 

 

Great minds eh ? I orderd the 4" 1 1/8 but I think I'll have the v check button so we don't get them mixed up if we ever meet up.

Did you decide on a colour or go with the slate grey ? I do like the slate grey and just went with the flow on that. Only trouble is the 18 month wait, but lets hope they're worth it.

[Chris Plumb]

Just done the deed and ordered a 1915 4'' Avon pattern 11/8 with lever check. It was a hard choice between the AJPand the 1915 but I think that the 1915 is probably more versatile.

 

You won't be disappointed, mine's a 1915 pattern though in 3&5/8ths - something of a prototype I'm lead to believe. BTW there's a lovely Witcher 1920 pattern on ebay atm - probably Paul's best reel (after the VERY rare Bisternes....)

 

 

C.

[tincatinca]

Great minds eh ? I orderd the 4" 1 1/8 but I think I'll have the v check button so we don't get them mixed up if we ever meet up.

Did you decide on a colour or go with the slate grey ? I do like the slate grey and just went with the flow on that. Only trouble is the 18 month wait, but lets hope they're worth it.

 

I like the slate grey as well however, when talking to Chris today he has got a new source for anodising and says that the new grey colour looks better than the existing, but as you say,18 months gives you plenty of time. His check button is toward the top of the reel and being handed is easily operated by your forefinger when holding the rod but I do find the lever more convenient. I must admit that I nearly went daft and thought of ordering the AJP as well. I missed out on one of those some months back when one was on e-bay although it was in Canada but unfortunately I was working away at the time.

[tincatinca]

You won't be disappointed, mine's a 1915 pattern though in 3&5/8ths - something of a prototype I'm lead to believe. BTW there's a lovely Witcher 1920 pattern on ebay atm - probably Paul's best reel (after the VERY rare Bisternes....)

C.

 

I have been tracking the reel on e-bay but I decided to order the Lythe as I feel that the Witcher could make £600 plus. I know a couple of guys who seem very interested and if they decide to go for it, the price wont come into it. It was interesting talking to Chris as I have a copy made by a company called Casting in Wood based on the 1920 pattern which I did not know too much about and Chris was able to give me chapter and verse on it including who made it and when it was made. It is not in the same street as regards quality but it is quite rare so may be of interest to a collector. It looks pretty which is whyI bought it in the first place and has never been used but as I will not be using it I will probably put it up for sale at some time.

[Jigotai]

I'm glad it can be saved Dan, I wouldn't be without mine.

I thought Jigotai would be the one to help, he kindly helped me with mine.

Even though I usually spell his name wrong, sorry Andy.

 

John.

 

No probs John, you're not the only one.

[Guest tigger]

You won't be disappointed, mine's a 1915 pattern though in 3&5/8ths - something of a prototype I'm lead to believe. BTW there's a lovely Witcher 1920 pattern on ebay atm - probably Paul's best reel (after the VERY rare Bisternes....)

C.

 

 

Did you not see the Bernard Venables Pin on ebay, starting bid was £600 reserve not met. No one bid on it, maybe the fact that it was in Australia put people off.

[Chris Plumb]

Did you not see the Bernard Venables Pin on ebay, starting bid was £600 reserve not met. No one bid on it, maybe the fact that it was in Australia put people off.

 

Would still prefer the Witcher! The BV pin's been relisted - I'm keeping an eye on it!

 

 

C.

[dant]

Hello All..

 

A slight bit of lazyness here I guess as I'm sure I might be able to find out the info I'm after by trawling through the hundreds of centrepin threads on here from the last few years.

 

But.

 

I've just bought an old Match Aerial off everyones favourite gambling site. It was poorly titled/listed with poor photos and therefore attracted little interest so I took a punt figuring that with a little tinkering I could get it up to speed. Wrong!.

 

I won the auction at a good price but you get what you pay for and the pin is a bit of a wreck. It dosn't spin very freely, has a bad wobble, bent spokes and is covered in sand. The last bit is a little iffy, it looks like, judging by a small knot of 60lb's+ mono to have been used as sea reel. None too sharp.

 

I don't think the reel is beyond repair but it is by my hands. So does anyone know of the names or contacts of good centrepin repairers, bearing in mind it might have to be a independent manufacturer due to the replacement of parts..

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully there might be someone close'ish to the Eastern Counties so I can take the thing along and get an estimate.

 

Thanks in adavance..

 

Dan T.

 

Do any of you pin buffs know what age the reel might be?...

 

More Pics.

 

 

Considering what I wrote a few months back, I can't quite believe what I'm in the possesion of now.

 

I also don't know where to start with the plaudits.

 

After Andy's (Jigotai) very kind offer to take a look at the heap of junk I acquired off fleabay I eventually pulled my finger out of my wotsit and sent the thing over to his HQ.

 

As soon as it had arrived I got a mail telling me precisely and succinctly what was wrong which was pretty much everything.

Then over the course of maybe 3 days or 4!!! maximum and several enlightning e-mails telling me what was going on. The thing was finished.

Now when I say finished I was imagining that maybe finished meant I could turn the handle without a hidious metallic chaffing noise or maybe if it did spin a bit it wouldn't feel like you were going over a speed bump while it did so.

 

Rather than trouble with a courier and seens as I was in North London and Andy had offered me a guided tour of the engineering works I whizzed off up the rat run that is the A10.

Having forgotten what a pleasent county Hertfordshire seems once you get out of the town I arrived somewhat late.

 

If it hadn't been for the paint scratches I would of thought he'd given me a different reel.

 

The reel now spins for between 1 and 2 minutes with only the vaguest barely noticeable hint of a wobble. Dumbfounded would be a word to use.

 

He did run me through what he'd done but I think he was talking in Greek maybe something about spindles and other things. I really have no clue about stuff like this, why I'd imagined that I might be able to fix it I don't know.

I write as someone who was banned from craft, design and technology at school for being a risk to other pupils

 

In all seriousness I think the main big problem was that the, err, thick bit at the top of the spindle had worn out causing the reel to wobble like hell and cause the chaffing on the bodge job of the reel foot.

Andy had managed to replicate the original spindle, even compensating for any internal wear inside the spool - now that is seriously clever.

 

The reel foot was replaced and is indentical to the original, the main screw in the middle of the back of the reel was replicated and replaced. Something else was put on the wrong way round too and was fixed along with various other things that I can't remember the name of.

 

All this in 3 or 4 days of his percious spare time from a throughly decent fella who obviously works like a trooper and has a burgeoning family to contend with.

 

The guided tour was good fun too. There were loads of big machines that looked like they did stuff! Clever stuff!

 

I now have a super free running centrepin that will probably outlast me if I look after it properly. I'm going to road test it this weekend in the warm up for another amazingly generous Anglers Net offer.

 

Good to meet you Andy and a very resounding thank you.

 

Brilliant.

 

Dan T.

 

p.s I think we should start calling him 'The Iron Man'.

[Anderoo]

p.s I think we should start calling him 'The Iron Man'.

 

I prefer 'Kingpin'!

 

He does know a thing or two that's for sure, I can't wait to get my grubby paws on my AN pin again.

 

The big test will be in a week's time, Dan - can it tame a Wingham tench?!

[dant]

I prefer 'Kingpin'!

 

He does know a thing or two that's for sure, I can't wait to get my grubby paws on my AN pin again.

 

The big test will be in a week's time, Dan - can it tame a Wingham tench?!

 

Easy peasy he says tougne firmly in cheek.

 

I would love to offer a more substantial answer but I've no clue if I'll be able to hook one let alone land it.

 

Am I going to be under-gunned on 6lb line if I fish a slider in the margins??