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Dropped a bollock

S

Steve Lewis

Senior Member
It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago and I thought with my money I'd treat myself to something I've never had before that I've wanted ever since I started fishing in the 90s - an "artisan"/independently made centrepin. My budget didn't extend anywhere near to a Gary Mills, Chris Lythe or Richard Carter reel, but it was looking just about okay (with some extra from my savings) for a Fred Crouch or Dave Swallow. I found what I thought was a Dave Swallow Bob James reel for £220, used but in good nick and full working order (I'm a user, not a collector, so that was fine with me), on a local FaceBook sale page. Knocked the guy down to £200 and thought I was getting a bargain. Not long got home with it and have just done some research - I've discovered it's actually a BJ Relum. I had literally no idea about the Swallow/Kingpin/Relum shenanigans until researching it now, and whilst the reel is lovely and is in very good condition with absolutely no issues, I've now obviously seen that it typically sells for £90 to low hundred (old threads on another forum suggest that they've gone for as little as £60 on eBay in the past), so feel like I've wasted my money a bit. I can't blame the seller and have no comeback as he never mentioned it as a Swallow reel, and he's not an angler (selling some bits and bobs for his dad who has recently retired from fishing) - I'm assuming he just went on eBay to see what similar reels were selling for and priced it accordingly.

But what a ballache though - there was me saying the other day in another thread I couldn't afford a Peregrine rod (made literally 5-10mins down the road from me), and yet here I am now with a reel I've paid at least twice over the odds for. GAWWWW!!!!!
 
To be honest Steve with the pre covid selling price of Swallows being up to and over £300 pounds and Arnolds over £240 on some sites I always thought the Relum reels were a bargain in comparison but recently the prices have escalated. I bought a Relum for £60 and one for £90 but those prices were pre Covid. A normal Relum went for around £160 recently on Ebay. There is a BJ one on Ebay at the moment at £113 with 6 days to go. You have probably paid over the odds £20-30 but not by much on recent prices. Use it and enjoy they make great small river big Barbel reels. The very heavily Knurled spool edge is great to clamp your hand on to stop fish.
 
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Yar, you are right Mark. I was just in the market for a little decent treat for myself, and I don't really think I've got that to be honest, or at least not actually what I set out for/wanted. My own fault and a lesson learnt, though.
 
That must've been hard to swallow - if you'll excuse the pun. They do look a nice reel, however. I'm sure I've seen them go for well over a ton on a well known FB page (that deals with centrepins).
 
Richard Parsons said:
That must've been hard to swallow - if you'll excuse the pun. They do look a nice reel, however. I'm sure I've seen them go for well over a ton on a well known FB page (that deals with centrepins).
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Tell me about it.

Relum was/is a Czech company but, if all of what I've read about them is correct, the BJ ones were at least made in the UK and had direct involvement from Bob. But that only makes it slightly easier to swallow. No doubt someone with a lot more knowledge will come into this thread and say Bob had no involvement at all and they were actually all built in Eastern Europe or China with cheap materials.
 
Yes, apparently a Czech company called PJ, who were wholesalers rather than manufacturers. It seems that the Relum were probably bought and re-badged. The earlier models were UK made and the BJ version. Later manufacturing switched to India.

A little more about the Swallow (though you've probably already seen it).
 
I've had more of a "play" with it and a closer inspection today and I have to say I'm quite disappointed with it - apart from weighing an absolute ton, there is just no finesse in the reel at all. Even to look at it looks like someone just got a big solid chunk of steel and drilled a few holes here and there. You handle a Young or Okuma and they just feel nice in the hand as well as being aesthetically pleasing. This is just lump.

No way would it be any good for trotting (it's far too weighty), but I imagine it would be alright for ledgering and static float fishing. I'll give it a go at some point in the new season and see, but at the moment I can easily see myself selling this on (at quite a loss I imagine).

Are the Dave Swallow reels it's imitating very heavy? How about the Kingpins?

On the one plus side, it is the most solidly built centrepin I've ever come across - it's probably bomb proof.
 
I‘ve seen those reels go for £150+

Like the Dave Swallow MK II, they are solid reels and by no means the lightest on the market. It was said that Relum were not on Dave Swallow’s Xmas card list, after they copied his reel?

Being solid and with a strong rachet, they make good Barbel ledgering reels 👍🏻

I use my Dave Swallow MK II for ledgering only.
 
Steve, I did a weigh up for you on my Relums, Kingpins and Swallows close to hand. My MK11 Hans J Swallow reel weighs 295g, mk1 swallow 252g, the standard Relum 316g, a Bob james Relum 340g, Green kingpin 321g, Silver kingpin 296g both 6 round holes and look the same ? , kingpin with 6 triangular holes 285g. So yes the Bob James Relum is the heaviest by some way. I only use them for ledgering and one rod at a time so never realised that there was that much of a difference in the Relum models. Definitely not for trotting, but a solid reliable bomb proof ledgering tool for small stream snag fishing.
 
Thanks Mark - above and beyond, much appreciated.

I'll defo give it a go before making any rash decisions (like buying it almost blind, cough-cough).

Neil - strong ratchet, tell me about it. I'm so used to the Youngs BJ one engaging just by looking in its general direction, I thought the Relum one was broken at first!!!!
 
They are a true 'pin'as you know, not the most free running but probably OK for ledgering. They have also gone up in value, like most older gear, do you ever use yours?
 
It was one of the first pins I ever got, already well used when I got it. I know they have a solid (and increasing) fanbase but, as you say, they're not the most free running (and mine had so much use it probably won't even work for trotting unless there's a VERY strong flow), and for ledgering my go-to has always been the Avon Royal Supreme. I've not used it for a LONG time, and amongst my battered old well-used pins it would be near the bottom of the list, but it's nice to know I've got it in the armoury.
 
Why not put it on ebay, accept you might lose a bit of cash and then get what you really want? Since Covid a lot of tackle has made very good prices so you might not lose too much.
 
I might do John, or perhaps offer it up on here first. But I WILL give it at least one go this year so I can at least say I've tried it.
 
Just for your info Steve, my Adcock Stanton weighs about 280g. I have used my Swallow MKII for trotting on a number of occasions and found it ok weight wise, but there’s no doubting there are lighter pins out there. My favourite trotting reel is my Swallow MKI, but even that’s a long way off the lightest out there. The TFG pins are some of the lightest and of course the Youngs super lights.
 
I would sell it on Steve, while the market is hot. Like I said, I don’t think 280g is too heavy for trotting, but that thing is a brick. Ok for ledgering, but for trotting there are loads of better pins.
 
Neil Blood said:
The same reel has just been listed on the Facebook page, Centrepins for Sale, Swap or Trade for £200

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It sold and I assume for the asking price. If you don’t like the reel, put it on the same facebook page would be my advice 👍🏻
 
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