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Ideal first pin...

Conrad Farlow said:
Darryl does the star drag work well on the Okuma Trent.
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I use it with the handles to the left and the drag copes well.
I have control when trotting to back the reel off from free flowing to dibbing the float on resistence.
When using more static rigs I can adjust the drag to suit to flow and debris build up. A quick look inside suggests the mechanism is reversible.
I liked the Sheffield but for legering it is a pain as the ratchet is non-adjustable. As as the Trent is currently available for Aventura Pro prices it hits all the buittons (and I kind of like the blue).
I do use it more often than my Fred Crouch Aerial too.
 
One of my aims for next season is save up and buy a fred crouch from paul4, then go for my first pin caught barbel.

I've used some old pins for trotting etc growing up but they were always my fathers.

I can't imagine the state of my knuckles if I was lucky enough to hook a double while using one, I'm sure they take some getting used to to land the bigger girls

Quick question, what are the pros and cons of wide vs narrow drums please?

cheers, simon
 
Simon Haggis said:
Quick question, what are the pros and cons of wide vs narrow drums please?

cheers, simon
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No easy answer. re. Crouch Aerials, I use narrows since the first ones I bought in the 70s were narrow. I have used narrows since then for all my fishing (including piking when I did that). Others use wides and they are happy with those.
Weight difference is hardly an issue.

I have a "very narrow" Trudex II and that is ok for me. I have an Aventa Pro which is much wider and that is ok.

I honestly don't know that there are any reasons - some say "line lay" (whatever that is with a c'pin) is maybe better with a wide but I doubt it. Some say you get less "bedding in" with a wide but I doubt that too, ok if the line lay evenly across the "spool" like f/s reels do due to the bail-arm action, but on a c'pin it just doesn't happen.

Maybe it's like chocolate, I like plain, others prefer milk.

If you can try a reel on your rod and decide which "feels" better.

paul4
 
Conrad Farlow said:
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.
Conrad
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The issue WAS that it didn't seem to work well for a leftie. Maybe as the line comes off in the "opposite" direction the out and in performance of the drag is not as good.

I nearly bought one for £99 to have a try ......... but don't need another c'pin :)

paul4
 
What I don't get is why what appears to be a more sophisticated reel has suddenly plummeted in price. Is it actually slightly inferior to the Sheffield and it was a failed marketing ploy. What I mean is that did Okuma mess up with the initial pricing, is it going to be discontinued etc. I am a little sceptical when I see such huge discounts, it's almost too good to be true.

Conrad
 
Conrad,

It usually means that they got the Market Research wrong and didn't sell as many as they expected, either because they were priced too high or are just not what people want to buy.

R.
 
Paul Whiteing said:
I have a "very narrow" Trudex II and that is ok for me. I have an Aventa Pro which is much wider and that is ok.

I honestly don't know that there are any reasons
paul4
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Thanks Paul. I have used mainly Trudex reels in the past.

I'll place an order in the coming months I'm sure.

cheers, simon
 
Not sure why it is reduced - perhaps as Robin suggests demand not as high as expected.
It looks like you need to dismantle and reverse a couple of parts for a "leftie"
(in particular part #315 )
8263598ac20ddc45a14e9f9ff80bdb194c8b594.jpg

77a358a4cec9d96fa8d299f9f2dfa56fb638750.JPG
 
the one thing I really like about pins is the simplicity...so much less to go wrong. Then a diagram like the one above is posted! I think I'll stick with the old style simplicity for now.
As far as playing fish, large or small, on a pin goes I have always found it far easier than with a threadline reel. No drag to set, just control the runs with figure pressure..remarkably little is required to stop even the strongest run as long as the rod is a good one. Let the rod do the work rather than the reel. No "pumping" required.
It may be just me, but I never feel so confident with a big fish on a threadline, constantly worried that something is going to break!
 
Hi all,

Well I have just ordered one...........But you will have to wait and see which one, from the photo's of my first pin caught barbel or grayling ;) which will probably be about September time, by the look of Metcheck:eek:

ian
 
A good pin will last indefinately - I'm currently using an Allcocks Match Aerial of around 1962 vintage and an Aerial replica that I bought new in about 1985. Both are going strong and, at age 54, I expect them to outlive me. And, believe me, I am pretty brutal with them!

So, my advice would be not to waste money on cheap stuff like Okuma. They will do a job for a few years but I doubt if they would stand up to serious and sustained barbel fishing over a decent period of time.

For slightly more money (say around £120 to £150) you could get a really nice second hand pin. About a year ago I picked up a used Young's Purist for £140 at the annual Redditch Vintage Tackle Show and what a fine piece of kit it is! It seems almost criminal to me to waste £100 on a toy reel when for a little more you could get a superbly engineered weapon that will see you (and probably your children) to the end of their days.

As for the possibility of not getting on with a pin - once you hook your first barbel you won't ever want to go back to mangles. Trust me!

Happy pinning,

Steve
 
One thing that strikes me with that Okuma reel and other similar ones (Bob james ) is that all those holes are a really good way of getting muck and grit into the workings.The ones in the back plate particularly confuse me, what are they there for?
 
Simon Lush said:
One thing that strikes me with that Okuma reel and other similar ones (Bob james ) is that all those holes are a really good way of getting muck and grit into the workings.The ones in the back plate particularly confuse me, what are they there for?
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They have holes in the back plate! Seems madness to me The only problems I have ever had with older cheaper reels, such as Speedia etc. is dirt, ground bait or whatever getting into the works via the very small gap between back plate and spool. One of the reasons for laying out the extra for reels like the Arial I suppose. Actually putting holes in the back plate deliberately seems asking for it. Never used one of the Okumas so I don't know. I do use their fly reel (a SLV 2/3) which for the money (£39.00) is absolutely amazing. Really well built and as good as reels costing two or three times the price. That has holes in the back plate as well...but on a fly reel that is no problem.
 
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Can someone please explain the fascination with centrepins to me?:confused:
I can just about understand for trotting a stick although I usually prefer a closed face reel. What are the advantages for other types of fishing?
 
Chris

I can't explain. Try reading this (you'll need a while though :))

https://barbel.co.uk/site/articles/pin/fish_cpin_bfwstyle.htm

if it helps convince you then get one and enjoy using it; if it doesn't then fine.

There are no rights or wrongs, you use whatever is comfortable for you and your style of fishing. Me? I have used c'pins for so many years for all my fishing. A couple of years ago I caught my first barbel on a fixed-spool for 30 years, and to be honest I didn't enjoy it at all :)

paul4
 
Pete Marshall said:
They have holes in the back plate! Seems madness to me The only problems I have ever had with older cheaper reels, such as Speedia etc. is dirt, ground bait or whatever getting into the works via the very small gap between back plate and spool. One of the reasons for laying out the extra for reels like the Arial I suppose. Actually putting holes in the back plate deliberately seems asking for it. Never used one of the Okumas so I don't know. I do use their fly reel (a SLV 2/3) which for the money (£39.00) is absolutely amazing. Really well built and as good as reels costing two or three times the price. That has holes in the back plate as well...but on a fly reel that is no problem.
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Yes but isn't the restrictive nature of the small gaps the problem? That is what causes binding, whereas if things get into a great gaping hole presumably they can also get out fairly easily? Not used the Okumas in anger yet but some experienced people have and they have not seen fit to mention this.

Conrad
 
That's a good point, Conrad, hadn't thought of it like that. Most of the time I cause the problems myself anyway, dragging the reel about through undergrowth and mud, not wiping my hands after chucking in ground bait..so a bit of care can prevent it anyway. I am just a sloppy angler by nature I suppose!
My Rapidex is the main culprit as little stuff seems to stick like glue and has to be carefully removed...wiping with a dirty rag (as I tend to do) isn't the solution! Leaving the reel on the rod in the back of the car between sessions and going months before bothering to clean and oil it can't help either......
And on the fascination with centre pins..I would put it the other way around. Why use a complex reel, that makes playing a fish difficult like a fixed spool unless you need to? They were designed to make casting a bait at distance easier and for spinning. I use them for those purposes. For most of my fishing, done at short range, and often in snaggy swims a centre pin is just far easier to use. The odd tangle..but I get those with fixed spools! And for trotting a float...I really don't know how people do it with fixed spools..far to difficult. Make life easier for yourself I say.
 
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