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Ideal first pin...

Ian Lowe

Ian Lowe

Senior Member
Hi all,

I know there are alot of pin threads about, but where do I start they all look the same to me ( I am a brummie ;) ). I have seen the prices vary from £10 to £4000. I am looking for something not to pricey for my first one in case I don't like it / can't get used to it.

Any ideas.

ian
 
thats easy ,get a okuma sheffield or aventa pro ,a good solid reel and very forgiving too the inexperianced ,they'll do all you need of them and do it well .
 
Ian,

Have a look at a speedia there are usually a few on ebay at the right price,
these reels are good solid workhorses and i think you will find are likely to be recommended by many.

I have a couple and can compare them favorably with another significantly more expensive pin i have.
 
You can still get the Okuma Trent for £100 at http://www.tackle2u.com/prods/609.html. If you are going to use it for static bait fishing the star drag is worthwhile. The aventa pro or sheffield may be better for float only.
 
Hi Ian happy new year mate. I use a pin for the first time for barbel this season I went for the Fred Crouch wide Drum. Paid around £125 for it . I tend to use it more when we had the floods when just roaming with one rod on the middle severn and was more then happy with it. Didnt want to spend big money on one just in case like you said i couldnt get on with it.Biggest i caught with one was 9lb 10 oz from the middle and pleased how it handle
 
I started with a really cheap Shakespeare sidecast pin - still got it if you want it for a tenner - its about £30 on ebay. I used it for rolling meat mainly... now I've got a Ray Walton Rolling Pin which I've used for rolling and static work. I love the sidecast facility and it is a lovely looking thing too... got mine for £200 off ebay (black one).
 
I'd get a Fred Crouch Jet Aerial Ian - well I would say that wouldn't I?

Seriously though, £130 (delivered) with drag and ratchet. I have 6 of these and use them for all my fishing, mainly Kennet and Trent - but well, I blank on lots of rivers :(

paul4
 
Cant rate the Fred Crouch Pin, as above, any more highly than tops for value.

There are some on the classified page at VERY good prices.

Graham
 
Get yourself a Speedia off ebay. I've got a wide-drum and can't recommend it highly enough. A plus is, if you don't get on with it, you can stick it back on ebay and get your money back!

Declan
 
Aventa Pro gets my vote Ian as do the Fred Crouch pins, excellent value for money.
 
If it is a new one, then Okuma's seem to take some beating. I don't have one myself, but I've had a play and they seem great value.

I would favour a speedia myself as a first pin (if you can live without a line guard) or a Mordex (if you want a line guard). They are workhorse reels, not hugely expensive, and you can sell them on at very little loss if you look after them, or as I've done, just keep on using them...

I think the Okuma Trent looks like a good deal at £99. If you can live with the colour.
 
Whichever pin you choose (and avoid the Leeds classic...go second hand Speedia, Avon Royal, Trudex, et. al. all great tools), my betting is that by the end of your first season you will have brought a couple more and the threadlines won't come out the back of the car again!
 
my two penneth would be if you plan to use just for ledgering then go for a fred crouch, if you want to use for trotting then get a okuma aventa pro or sheffield they have a bearing and are smoother. Don't get me wrong you can trot with the fred crouch it just needs a bit more maintenance to keep clean and oiled. Speedias get good reviews but i don't have one (yet) so can't comment.

If you've not read Paul's article on Pins 'Centrepins and using them, especially for Barbel Fishing' then i strongly reccomend that you do, its in the articles section.
 
David Parker said:
I think the Okuma Trent looks like a good deal at £99. If you can live with the colour.
Click to expand...

I had (Yuku) PMs a while ago and it appears, although I must stress I cannot comment on this as I don't have one, that there are issues with these reels for left-handers (which I know Ian is one of) and the way the star-drag works, or doesn't work.

I must investigate and add a paragraph or three to my article about lefties, once I can sort out some info.

paul4
 
Paul,

I can test some for you ;)

Yes I am a leftie that's it, it's out of the closet now I feel so much better :D

ian the leftie pin virgin
 
Hi everybody
I bought two okuma centrepins. one which was a gift for my old man for xmas which was a sheffield and a trent for me.
When they arrived i didnt want the trent and sent it back the sheffield is such a nice thing! and i cant wait for mine to turn up ;]
 
I use three regularly
G&Y Avon Crown for flaot work for Grayling-Roach etc.
Fred Crouch Jet for legering
Okuma Trent for Trotting and Legering - now permanantly on my 11' Rover rod.
Used a friend's Sheffie;ld for a while but the ratchet could not cope with debris build up and used to click away.
 
I use an Adcock Stanton for trotting and cannot recomend it highly enough, absolutely firts class bearing reel. The new ones are very expensive but you can pick them up reasonably on flea bay
 
Darryl does the star drag work well on the Okuma Trent. I'm not sure whether Paul means that the drag doesn't work at all or whether it is unsuitable for left handed operation. I have a rapidex which has a ratchet which does not cope well with flood water conditions. I was looking for something to use with my recently acquired 11 foot GTi. I had a few fish during the summer with the rapidex but would like to be able to add a little more drag to the spool when legering. I still like the idea of controlling the fish using the pins rim but would like a little help if that makes sense.

Conrad
 
Recently new to the centrepin world myself.

I have a Okuma Sheffield, a Speedia and a Rapidex (though not used this yet).
Out of the three (from a pin novice point of view) I would try and get hold of a Speedia on Ebay.

The Sheffiled is a lovely piece of kit, had a couple of fish on it too, but its does love to cause me grief with it overrunning, I guess due to the bearings and my lack of experience!

I even gave in the other week and reverted to my baitrunner after an almighty tangled mess!!!

They'll be back though. Worth persevering with, without any doubt.
 
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