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Old centrepin - no longer required.

I assume you're talking trotting with the 14' Acolyte. The Marco Cortesi reels are great value for money, I find mine ideal for running a 6gram float.
 
Kevin Steele said:
I recently bought and sold a Youngs BJ centrepin, but I'm going to re-set the 'patience button' and give the pin another go.

Target: chub, but 'nuisance' barbel inevitable (I hope), 14ft Acolyte Plus.
Budget: £50.00-£80.00.

Loads on eBay of course, but thought I'd ask here before going ahead.

What have you got?
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The TF gear reels have a great following Kevin and highly regarded by many as a superb budget reel

The weak point on them being the spring for the check but Clive shipman has a great fix solution for that.
For 50-80 that should definitely be on the shortlist
 
Thanks Richard. I'm sure they'll do the job, but I don't really like the aesthetics of any of the modern reels, so I'll probably stick to a scabby old J W Young... or the way I change my mind (and budget... it's Christmas!!!), I might end up buying a River Specialist or a Trudex II.
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You cannot really go wrong with a wide drum Speedia , excellent reels . The Marco Cortesi reels are OK but the build quality is average , if looking at a modern reel I would go for an Okuma Aventa , not strictly a centre pin as it runs on bearings but well built and durable
 
Howsabout an Advanta Discovery, the AD Okuma Sheffield lookalike? I think they were also sold as the Stillwater Severn when Chapmans were still about.

4.75” dia., line guard, very free running bearing pin. Caught me plenty of barbel, carp and silvers both float & ledger. I’d be willing to let it go for £50.
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Thanks chaps, but like I said in post #7... I don't like the look of modern centrepins. I'd rather have a scabby vintage one. Sorry for wasting anyone's time, but I'll edit my original post.
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Huanzhou Zhu said:
What about a Roger Surgay’s SEVERN reel.
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I was going to mention looking at one of Sugar Ray’s reels. The Severn has a more trad aesthetic and the chesterfield looks like another Okuma Sheffield type clone. I haven’t seen either in the flesh but they look remarkably cheap for what they are.

I also see that he’s doing some rods that for all the world look like they’re built on old stock Bruce and Walker MK IV G Avon blanks. Niche, and hardly a huge potential market but for anyone after an original B&W glass Avon then they’re cheaper for a shrink wrapped new rod than a second hand original.
 
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Mike Hodgkiss said:
You cannot really go wrong with a wide drum Speedia , excellent reels . The Marco Cortesi reels are OK but the build quality is average , if looking at a modern reel I would go for an Okuma Aventa , not strictly a centre pin as it runs on bearings but well built and durable
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Agreed. A Speedia would be my first choice, especially once arbored up. Deluxe model, rim mounted variable check, there’s nothing to dislike….

Had a Cortesi but detested it from the moment I picked it up. Mine had a drum so unbalanced that I took to balancing it with some small lead strips glued to the inside of the drum, much in the same was as wheels are rebalanced when new tyres are fitted. Lacking the right tooling to measure how much and where to load it meant it was a little hit and miss but still an improvement over how the factory saw fit to let it the door.
 
Huanzhou Zhu said:
Well, if you are after the vintage one, with your budget, trudex and speedia are the only choices you have.
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Really? There seems to be loads of choices, but I'm deliberating on a Trudex or Rapidex.

Neil Blood said:
What was wrong with the BJ out of interest? Its a good pin IMHO.
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Nothing wrong with it at all*, but until I knew if I liked using one, rather than risking any slight damage and the resale value of a minter, I should have bought a cheap one, which is what I'm doing now. Like I said in the first post, I need re-set my patience button... I gave up on the BJ too easily.

*Actually, the click check lever is very loose and in the wrong place for a left-handed person. I think a few people mentioned this in a previous thread.
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Personally I would suggest you look at the second hand okumas, the sheffield and aventa pro are fantastic reels and you'll prolly loose nothing if you sell then on.
 
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Kevin Steele said:
Really? There seems to be loads of choices, but I'm deliberating on a Trudex or Rapidex.



Nothing wrong with it at all*, but until I knew if I liked using one, rather than risking any slight damage and the resale value of a minter, I should have bought a cheap one, which is what I'm doing now. Like I said in the first post, I need re-set my patience button... I gave up on the BJ too easily.

*Actually, the click check lever is very loose and in the wrong place for a left-handed person. I think a few people mentioned this in a previous thread.
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Interesting last comment there Kevin, I assume that is in reference to the reel I purchased off you? I have a number of B James models, and all have been bought second hand, and all seemed to have loose check levers. In every case I have stripped the reels down and the issue has always been down to old, hard set grease. Clean out completely the old stuff and add some new silicone grease, they work like a dream, worst case scenario you just replace the spring.
 
Phil Dunn said:
Interesting last comment there Kevin, I assume that is in reference to the reel I purchased off you?
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I'd forgotten who bought it Phil, tbh. The lever is still in the wrong place for a left-handed person - I might be looking at another one if it wasn't for that. But it's a beautiful reel, especially one like yours, with the engraved lettering on the reverse, it's such a nice detail.
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