First centrepin - advice needed

[RUDD]

At last I own a centre pin.

Would of liked a youngs model but cannot justify the price for the amount of use it will get.

In the end I purchased (or rather bid for) an Okuma aventa vtr1002 off ebay (sorry pete)

It cost me 70 quid with postage.

They have an rrp of 130.00 but an opening offer (new model just out)of 90.00 (not including post which has an average of 6.00) so I have saved myself 26.00

 

I am happy with the reel as it is very well made and spins very smoothly for a good amount of time due to the two bearings.

 

Cant wait to get to a river to trot a stick float.

I have done alright with a fixed spool reel but how many times did I strike with an open bale arm and get in a mess!!!!!!!!

Also slowing a float down with a fixed spool is very tricky as line peels off the open spool in coils.

 

What pound line and how much should I put on?

I will be fishing for silver fish, mainley on fairley deep fast flowing tidal rivers on the broads along the nearside track. Any further out and I will use the waggler / fixed spool for this.

I have heard of anglers have two sets of line on a centre pin spool but this sounds tricky.

Do any of you do this?

I have read Leons article to gain a few tips but any more will be appreciated.

I have a general idea how to cast a written explanation will help (cant use spindles wallace video guide as my winterm has no sound).

 

A guide to stick floats and their shotting capacity / patterns would help.

Ie what type and weight for what depth and pace.

(just a general guide would help)

And how much do you need to slow the float down?

I know this is done by dabbing the rotating spool.

Is there a correct way to hold the rod/reel as it is very close to the blank and does not leave any room for fingers between blank and reel.

 

I have paired the reel with a 14 foot shimano twin power match rod as its feels more natural and is easier to hold then with my 13ft map matchtek parabolix waggler rod due to having a full cork handle with sliding reel fittings rather than having a fixed fuji screw type reel fitting.

[phil dean]

hi rudd, not tried that reel, the real test is to see how much weight is needed to set the reel running...however, welcome to the weird world of pin owners.

 

main questions:

 

Amount of line ..... less is better, the more line you have, the more chance it has to imbed itself making the free running reel a bit pointless....try 60 yards of a floating line like bayer, I use 4lb on my browning and 3lb on the trudex, but obviousley tackle up to suit conditions.

 

casting, i've watched the videos but you can't beat a lesson, Alan Roe gave me half an hour of his time which has been invaluable. First tip for wallace casting is take off the line guard if there is one, you do get more prone to tangles but it makes the cast possible never mind easier.

 

Alan did post some written instructions a couple of years ago.

 

Tackle...the heavier float pulls line smoother, but as with all stick float fishing the float should match the conditions, deep turbulent water suits a wire stemmed stick to "cut through" the turbulance, a full bodied stick for less turbulance...and if its shallow and turbulent, probably a chubber or loafer float.

 

Shotting, keep the shotting simple, you know about fine shotting, but use the shotting as a way of stopping the line wrapping round the float on the cast...everyone talks about a shirt button pattern, but if you want it on the bottom quickly put some bulk shot halfway before dotting down evenly below that.

 

tight lines

 

phil

[phil dean]

RUDD:

And how much do you need to slow the float down?

I know this is done by dabbing the rotating spool.

Is there a correct way to hold the rod/reel as it is very close to the blank and does not leave any room for fingers between blank and reel.

I hold my rod and reel in my right handresting the body of the reel resting on a couple of fingures and use my thumb to control the speed.

 

i start by running the float through at the speed of the river, this is one of the great benefits of the pin, then slow it down by constant application of pressure to find the "biting" speed. Remember the water at the top may well be going faster than the water at the bottom so expirement until you get the bites, also use this to lift the bait over obstacles on the bottom which keep making you think you've got a bite.

[Leon Roskilly]

Hi Rudd,

 

Now you can really start to enjoy fishing (as opposed to just catching fish)

 

I normally use line from 3lb to 6lb, going up to 8lb if I expect to encounter some really big fish (big rainbows, salmon etc).

 

Is the reel a narrow spool, or wide spool?

 

The main problem is that putting on too much line this can lead to line bedding in, and then not coming off smoothly.

 

The wider spool reels will obviously take more line, before this becomes a problem.

 

So don't load with more line than you think you'll need. 15 metres is about right, though I'll sometimes load up to 30 metres to my wide spool reel, reasoning that I can always shorten the length if I start to have problems, and can tolerate losing the odd couple of metres due to snagging or tangling.

 

If you are long-trotting, taking shy fish 20 yards downstream or more, obviously 15 metres will not be enough.

 

Don't forget to use a floating line. Don't use a line dressing to make it float as this can cause it to stick at the rings.

 

In fact giving the rod and rings a polish with silicone will help to prevent sticking, especially when wet, or when the wet line gets blown against the blank.

 

As far as floats, it depends on the water you are fishing which is best. Always attach floats with just a rubber at the top, and at the bottom (don't use the 'eye' at the bottom of the float that some makers helpfully provide), so that you can easily change floats. You might need to do that for each swim!

 

And a short piece of silicone tubing is best for the bottom 'rubber' (slightly extending below the bottom of the float), and sometimes a silicone rubber bait ring can be used for the top 'rubber'.

 

The more weight a float carries, the more control you will have, especially in fast water, but you really want to fish as light as possible, given the conditions, for maximum bite detection from shy-biting fish.

 

For a shallow fast run, a small dumpy type float is best, such as a small drennan crystal loafer, these don't need much depth and can be fished in water lieterally 3 inches deep without risk of bouncing on the bottom, ideal for exploring deeper indentations along a shallow gravel run.

 

In a really fast deep current, a wire stem float will work best.

 

For a moderate flow then a lignum stick is a joy to fish.

 

The added length of the stick below the float will give you more control.

 

Again, if you are fishing at a distance, then a large float is needed, both to see and to be able to control properly at the end of a lot of line being swirled by currents.

 

Similarly a large, heavily loaded float is good for running along the far bank. It will resist more the pull of the line dragging it away from the current there, back to your side of the river.

 

You'll soon get the hang of it if you keep experimenting.

 

If you are having problems with control, and have used float rubbers top and bottom, its dead easy to change floats and add/remove weight. You will be surprised at what a difference to handling and control occurs.

 

I usually hold the rod, just above the reel, controlling the speed with my thumb, or middle finger, which instinctively presses down to lock the reel as I strike.

 

With a lot of line out, perhaps swirled out of line by currents, you need to pick up all that line quickly to strike. That means pulling the rod back a long way to set the hook quickly, much further than you probably normally do.

 

You can cast a fair distance, just by stripping line off the reel above the first or second eye, no need for a posy wallace cast. (But not so easy when there's lots of brambles and it's windy!)

 

With a new reel, it takes time for it to wear in and become exceptionally free running (you can set it up with a hair dryer turning the spool on cool setting, overnight!), also you'll probably find that the reel unspools more easily if you hold it so that the handles point to the sky. (Using your left hand to support the reel eases the strain on your left wrist )

 

Best thing to do is to get out there and use it, then come back if you have any problems or thoughts.

 

 

Tight Lines - leon

 

[ 05. November 2004, 03:41 PM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

[RUDD]

Cheers for all the info.

 

One more question

 

is it best to have the line coming off the top of the reel near the blank or the bottom of the reel the same as a fly reel?

I was going to have it coming off the bottom.

[Leon Roskilly]

Some have it coming off the top so that the line aligns with the rod rings, reducing resistance.

 

But to do that you have to retrieve line/play a fish winding backwards. I couldn't get along with that.

 

And it makes Wallis casting difficult!!

 

Everyone I know has it coming off the bottom.

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Leon Roskilly]

By the way, can you remove the handles?

 

To retieve line quickly, you can spin the reel with the flat of your hand (much faster than with a fixed spool or multiplier!).

 

And all those holes are to stick your fingers into, when you are playing a fish.

 

Reel handles are for wimps and should be removed from a centrepin, if possible (mine are riveted on to my Leeds and just get in the way - grrrr!)

 

Tight Lines - leon

 

[ 05. November 2004, 05:37 PM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

[Andrew Boyd]

Leon . . Try and angle grinder !!

[jeepster]

thinking of taking the plunge and going for a pin myself, what rods does anyone recommend for use with one?

[snotty]

Something 'tippy' which will pick up line quickly on the strike and easily mend the line to keep it trotting straight downstream.

 

Make sure you try the pin on the reel seat some modern screw fittings dont have the necessary clearance to accept the reel leg.

 

I had to grind away some of the legs on my two speedias to make them fit.

 

You could always opt for the older sliding ring reel seat.