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Cane and Pin

Thing is i can remember losing a big barbel once using a pin when during a wet night session a barbel tore off and when i tried to thumb the drum and stop/slow the fish down i couldnt as my thumb and the drum were wet and i couldnt get any friction on the drum. The fish got in a weed bed and that was it game over, wouldnt have happened with a fixed spool
 
No, what i am trying to say is that my control over the fish was dependant on friction on the drum which in turn is dependant on wether the drum and thumb are dry, wet or dry the clutch on a decent fixed spool are constant
 
Sorry Chris, I can't say that I've experienced the same in the wet. Are put sure you hadn't been eating something greasy like fish and chips? What were you doing with your spare hand whilst struggling to stop the fish? If really in trouble and desperately trying to stop the fish, why not use your spare hand to cup the spool?
 
Chris Thomson said:
So are some pins more suitable for cranking than others and if so what ones?
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Yes, some are designed with light line trotting in mind, whereas others are more sturdily built and therefore more suitable for barbel fishing with heavy line.
I used an early Fred Crouch wide drum Aerial for barbel fishing for many years without any problems, but am now using a prototype reel custom built by Dave Beale.
There are many other suitable models that I could recommend if you're genuinely interested...
 
Chris Thomson said:
No, what i am trying to say is that my control over the fish was dependant on friction on the drum which in turn is dependant on wether the drum and thumb are dry, wet or dry the clutch on a decent fixed spool are constant
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Did the reel you were using have a knurled rim?

This can be an issue, which is why many models have a knurled rim. A few (such as the Cob) have a lever operated brake which is unaffected by the wet.
 
Chris Thomson said:
No it was a speedia and i would be genuinly in your recommends Tim
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It really depends on your budget.
How about a mkII Swallow for around £200, or for less money a copy of the Swallow made by Relum. Both are sturdily built, have a solid core drum, and a 4.5" diameter.
The Cob I mentioned previously is quite a rarity. The lever brake is great, but its 4" diameter is slightly too small to make it ideal for my requirements.
 
Most of the time i use Shimano 5010's on carbon rods but after decades of fishing like this i now find i need more variety and new challenges. As a result of this i acquired an Adcock Stanton a couple of years ago which I use for barbel fishing on small rivers, and i have to say its a joy to use. I also have an Avon Royal Supreme for trotting which is a true pin but probably not upto serious barbel fishing. I don't have a cane rod but have been looking at them recently because I find some carbon rods lock up when not giving any line, which results in either, straightened hooks, torn hook holds or snapped line. I admit that part of the appeal is in using hand crafted tackle from an age since passed. A photo of a fin perfect barbel on the mat looks so much more impressive when flanked by a centre pin and cane rod - on a purely aesthetic level obviously.

Nick C
 
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i've caught barbel too 12.7lbs on carbon rods and fixed spooled reels ,and theres no doubting the efficiency and capability of modern tackle and its clinical superiority ,but thats its achilles heel ,in that most modern tackle is just too clinical and cold .a bit like the difference between diesel and steam trains

where as cane and centrepins are more pleasurable ,by giving a little uncertainty and are just more tactile and give more feedback than sterile carbon and the dead winching of the fixed spool ,not better proficiently just a better experiance .

admittedly i dont have a great ambitious drive ,i have no desire too catch the biggest barbel ,don't get me wrong big is nice ,but just to catch fish is pleasurable enough for me ,so anything that makes my fishing more pleasurable a experiance is a bonus.centrepins have been one such thing that enhances the days fishing and i've in the last few years been getting into cane rods as well ,as they add another level to my fishing ,a degree of differculty and a sense of uncertainty of not quite knowing its limits all add too the angling experiance and just a personal choice .

after all they're the same but different .its all barbel fishing at the end of the day
 
I'm with Chavender here on this, , i have drennan a Martin Bowler big river barbel ro, 2 fox kevlex barbel and a kevlex barbel float, a pair of fox floodwater barbel 12' and a hexahraph no.2 avon as well as having many other barbel type rods from fox, shimano and other makes along the way and with the possible exception of the hexagraph they all are tools and not much more, efficient and effective, but what is my first choice for barbel, a Chapmans Quinette Mk8 10' cane rod with a spedia centrepin for short range or a mitchell 300, alternatively one of a dozen or so cane avon and carp rods i own. I would never claim any to be better than modern rods, and i don't fish with them in situations and swims where it may risk damage to the fish by not having the control needed for the situation, but, for pure pleasure there is nothing better than the bend of a cane rod and the feed of a fish through it with a centrepin, no gears to dull the pleasure and the control from your thumb on the rim as the clutch. As for centrepins being upto the job, yes a good modern pin should be but an old spedia, trudex or rapidex will do the job nicely, although i confess I am waiting for a Lythe barbel master which will go on one of my specialist cane rods of similar build to a Barder barbus maximus Mk1, but with a heavier tip and lined guides to cope with modern size barbel well into record proportions should i look for them ;)
 
I remember how I yearned for a Mitchell 300 as a boy and when I eventually saved up enough money to buy one and it arrived, it was the best thing I'd ever owned. For the first few months I had it I used to sleep with it next to my bed. Now when I compare them to my Shimano 5010's I think they are vastly inferior, but no doubt those with the latest Shimanos probably think the same of my 5010's. Mitchell 300's will always be a special reel for me but I can't see myself using one again.

Nick C
 
It's all down to personal preference and what floats your boat as it were..........If you enjoy it then why not !!
I have a MKIV Cane rod and coupled with a decent pin have used it fishing for Barbel on my local small river. I had a few fish on it and will say that the experience was 'different' and reasonably enjoyable, but I can honestly say that at no point did I feel in full control of the situation and certainly wouldn't want to fish for big Barbel using it !! This of course could be down to my incompetence............
I'm quite happy using my I-Powers and Shimano 5000GTE's as I know I stand a good chance of landing pretty much anything I hook......... Everyone plays fish differently and likes different things...... 2lbtc rods will seem overgunned to many people, but I have confidence in them !!Even using my 1 1/2lbtc BFW Stalker, which is a lovely rod, I always feel a little undergunned...........I think it may well be how I play fish, or just a confidence thing ?! Who knows.
As I said, if you enjoy it and can land fish safely then why not !!!
 
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At the end of the day (swap that for any other dreadful cliche you care to) we are all individuals....we do things because they give us pleasure, and we do them in a way that maximises that pleasure FOR US. There is no rights or wrongs in a situation like that, there are no rules...there is not even much logic to it all. There certainly isn't much of that in my fishing, anyway :p

When I say there are no wrong in all of this...I mean almost none. The one big fault I see in it all, and always will...is the constant ridiculing of one faction by the other. I don't mean harmless banter, I mean the real snide stuff that comes out at times. It astonishes me how bitter the exchanges can be at times (not in this thread I hasten to add) Carpers, barbel fishers, fly fishermen...(Not to mention Man U. v Man C. et al :rolleyes:), so much bitterness between us all at times

My point in this context is...I like quality, I like efficient tackle that works well...a lot of folk will identify with that. But I 'get' the whole thing about using old, traditional tackle too, I really do. I haven't gone down that road yet...but I may do one day. Would I be a fool, or a different person if I did?

I guess we humans just have a tribal streak in us...we can't help competing, one faction against the other in everything we do, often to the bitter end. However, the new year is nigh, and we are talking about fishing lads. Just enjoy it :D:D

A happy, healthy and prosperous new year to one and all,

Dave (AKA Victor Meldrew) G. :D
 
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Dave, Nostalgia is a big part in b/cane rods mate, yes they have unique indidual traits when under real pressure and (unless its a stepped up rod) when the rod butt flexes and the cork rings begin their groaning with one heart in their mouth wondering if the rod will stand the pressure:eek::eek::eek:
yes anyone whos used a b/cane rod and caught decent fish will know what i mean,
like yourself Dave i like the Good modern rods technology and never have i felt
any unease when my i-powers come under a real good bend,
as for fixed spools they,ve never been so good as todays ones,
yes i have a few decent pins but much prefer the advantages i get from fixed spool reels, both Alan Marshall and Paul Whiteing looked at my coffee grinder
with a touch of apathy but they do me fine:)
 
Nick Coulthurst said:
I remember how I yearned for a Mitchell 300 as a boy and when I eventually saved up enough money to buy one and it arrived, it was the best thing I'd ever owned. For the first few months I had it I used to sleep with it next to my bed. Now when I compare them to my Shimano 5010's I think they are vastly inferior, but no doubt those with the latest Shimanos probably think the same of my 5010's. Mitchell 300's will always be a special reel for me but I can't see myself using one again.

Nick C
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Stop plugging the 5010's Nick they are not cheap anymore :) But the those old Mitchell's did look nice and all, but they did grind a bit and certainly when I see the likes of Chris Ball use them and his cane rod to catch 20lb plus Carp, they grind a lot.

It can only be one thing, sentiment I reckon, can you imagine a XTEA 5000 clipped on to a cane rod? No neither can I, but a 5010 :cool:
 
John, Allan Marshall frowns upon anyone using over a 1oz lead let alone a coffee grinder ;o)
I'm sure in the right hands a centrepin is a very effective tool and yes I can (just about) Wallis Cast, but I just find them hard work !! As for trotting, well with my fast retrieve Shimano Saharas I reckon I get 2 trots to every one my mate gets with his pins !! Again, that's my preference........
 
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