pin v fixed spool

[Ian Hugo Arnott]

I love using a'pin' but there are occasions when a fixed spool reel comes into its own. I have a Mitchell 300, an Ambidex and small Shimanos, which are little gems


Regards,



Hugo

 

[Paul Collins]

There's certainly no need to use old heavy rods,to use a pin. A lot of the older pins are pretty heavy too and for years this combination, for me, was too much to hold for more than an hour or two, so efficient, but not that pleasurable. Having to keep greasing the line for trotting was also a nuisance.
When I discovered braid mainline floats like a cork, without greasing I started looking to upgrade the trotting outfit. Eventually got a Drennan 12'9" super Tench rod, and an Okuma Sheffield pin.
This was a revelation, the rod is super light and the reel as well as being very light is as free running as it's possible to make. I would say this reel is an example of engineering excellence.
This combination, so light to use, and so good at what it does, makes me smile every time I use it. Something like driving an Aston Martin say.
Another factor in my conversion to 'pins where possible' was adopting the off the top line method. Winding 'backwards' was a bit strange at first but makes the reels so much more user friendly I wouldn't go back now.
It's the lack of any gears that give the pin the direct drive effect, and feel. The way it's possible to infinitely vary the amount of drag, with a finger, while playing a fish, is very useful when you have to stop one getting into a snag, or releasing drag when it's heading away. Not possible with the fixed spool.
I would say to anybody thinking of trying one,
1 get a good pin.(some expensive ones aren't very light)
2 get a light float rod
3 adopt the off the top method.
4 stick with it until you've caught a few

The braid issue is a personal thing, the non stretch and floating properties are for me massive benefits for trotting, touch ledgering and playing fish.
It's not a very popular combination on the bankside which puzzles me. Any ideas anyone?
Cheers
Paul

 

[Haydn Clarke]

1 get a good pin.(some expensive ones aren't very light)

Paul

Conversely, some cheap ones are.

The humble Speedia being a perfect example.

Incidentally, I recently managed to get a plastic arbour for my Speedia wide which makes an already brilliant little reel even better by virtue of making the spool slightly shallower, thus increasing the line retrieval rate and making drum circular (as opposed to octagonal - or whatever "agonal" it actually is....) This has the added benefit of removing the kinks that are put into the line by the line lays, as it is by any pin that has riveted line lays.

 

[John Walker]

paul the same finger or hand has the same effect with a fixed spool and a light set clutch mate , centerpins are nice but seeing how me and Paul Whiteing get on i can say i much prefer fixed spool reels (much to Pauls horror)
to the member who cant hit the far bank see if you can get Paul to demonstrate for you, he can do it with ease i have a job making 5 yards lol

 

[Tim Lennon]

Hi Haydn,
please tell us more about the plastic line arbor...

thanks

 

[Haydn Clarke]

Hi Tim,

You may have missed the boat on this one. A chap in Australia printed, yes, printed them up on a 3D printer and shipped them over to the UK. A pal of mine sorted it out and then divied them out to a group of us that frequent a traditional fishing website. They were essentially a resin curved arbor that fitted over the outside of the line lays making the spool into a cylinder.

The same thing can be achieved (almost) with some cork sheeting which is what I have done to my other wide drum Speedia as well as my narrow one too. Cut some sheet cork to just a gnat's over the inner spool width. Then you may have to sand the edges ever so slightly. A tight fit is what you really want if you are to avoid the line slipping down between the cork and the inner edge of the spool. I found that two wraps of, say, 3 or 4 mm cork gives a decent enough base on which to wind the line. It must be said, this is not quite as good as the printed resin ones, as that creates a perfectly round drum but it does take the hard angle out of the line somewhat as well as shallowing the spool and giving better line retrieval.

I think I might be able to get the plans for the Speedia arbors as I think my mate told me that the chap who'd done them was happy to let the plans go out free for anyone else who has access to a 3d printer. I for one would love to get a set for my shallow as well as my other wide. If there were enough people who wanted them then it could be worth having a batch made up.