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pin v fixed spool

Chris Thomson

Chris Thomson

Senior Member
Just trying to get a bit of debate going , now that fixed spool reels are technically quite advanced now with high spec gearing and qd spools with hi tech mayerials do they have more advantage over pins ? Apart from looks what is it that pins have over fixed spools? Cant be cranking power or retreive rate so what is it? Fancy chucking.yer twopenny worth in on what is best
 
pins easily outscore fixed spools for presentation and control when trotting.

they are the only two reasons i'd use one over a coffee grinder.
 
Chris, you say it cannot be cranking power ,but that is one of the main advantages a pin has over a fixed spool.You are in direct control of the fish and can crank/gain line when the rod is bent fully over, a thing you cannot do on a fixed spool.When you hook a fish on a fixed spool they will usually run away from you,on a pin they usually come towards you,a massive advantage in tight snaggy swims.The scream a ratchet on a pin makes, is one of those noises you will never tire of.The only advantages a fixed spool has over most pins is when the river is flooded and most pins have to be held to stop them from rotating and when distance casting.
 
Not sure that the two can be compared for a "What's better?"

Surely it's a preference.

I fish with both, depending on the circumstances. If I'm honest, I always seem to value a fish capture caught on a c'pin just that little bit more than I do on a fixed spool. I find the experience is more involved, with me having to make the judgment as and when to give line, just how much pressure to apply and at what particular moment, the direct winding bearing the exact relation to line retrieved ....

Where possible I mostly use a pin.


Only analogy I can think of is driving a manual sports car round a track or driving an automatic. Give me the gear changes any day.
 
Chris its all about skill mate,in the right hands both reels can do excellent jobs apart from very long distant casting which the fixed spool dominates for obvious reasons,
in the right hands a centerpin can be used to cast 50 yards easily,
 
John Walker said:
Chris its all about skill mate,in the right hands both reels can do excellent jobs apart from very long distant casting which the fixed spool dominates for obvious reasons,
in the right hands a centerpin can be used to cast 50 yards easily,
Click to expand...

I`ve definately got the wrong hands then, 5 yards is about my limit.

I must say catching on the pin is far more fun but i always feel more confident with a fixed spool.
 
kevin if you ever get a chance to see our Paul Whiteing demonstrating using a centerpin then jump at it, theres a fair few bfw members who are also very adept with the pin, paul was the 1st i ever saw cast around 40 yards with one completely effortlessly when we was fishing one day with another excellent centerpin man Allan Marshall:)
myself i just use mine for trotting ect as i aint a good learner:D
 
I do all sorts of fishing, coarse game and Sea, using all sorts of reels for different purposes. Without doubt the best reel for winching power, feel and efficiency for playing fish, is a centerpin. For trotting a stick type float, there's nothing better.
Nowadays I try to use the fishing method which is most pleasurable to me, not necessarily the most efficient, and more and more that is at close range, with a centerpin. Trotting on the river mostly, a waggler on lakes, ledgering at night, often touch ledgering. The ratchet makes a wonderful bite alarm for Barbel when needed.The use of braid mainline increases the efficiency and feel so much I'm afraid I'm totally addicted.
I'm very fortunate to have access to 2 sections of a small river with a good Barbel population and some nice roach, close to home and the pins have been on my float and ledger rods for 2 years now.
Mangles have their place, but since taking up the braid and pin method, fishing a waggler at range with Nylon, feels like fishing with elastic wearing oven gloves. I'd rather fish close in for possibly less fish, or go and find a swim more suited.
Cheers
Paul
 
Bet i can crank as much with my ss2600 as a pin, i just tighten clutch and crank in until i feel by experience that thatd enough, cant quite see how you can crank more/harder with a pin
 
you cant chris unless yer rods a non bending variety, a pin does allow you to control the line leaving the reel better in a fight but a light set clutch and my tough old finger on the spool and my hand ready to grip the spool can do that just as wll too:), every man to his choice:):):):)
 
Sorry Chris, the simple mechanics of a pin mean that a fixed spool cannot compete,with the cranking power, a 4.5 inch diameter pin has a spool that is about 12 inches round, a fixed spool is about 3 inches the fixed spool winds in a direction that is opposite to the pull from the fish,a pin in the same direction.Maybe you should get a cheap pin and try a matt hayes , iconix or similar will only cost you about £30, on the ebay.Most people who change will not go back.One bad point that you can get with a pin is every couple of years a heavy and powerful barbel will catch you out and the handle will rap your thumb nail,really painful.
 
I do have a pin, but can't be naffed with it. I hear all this talk of immense control and so on...but I have caught numerous barbel to mid doubles +, and Incredible carp....but never once felt under gunned, not completely in control, or in any need of anything more than the rod and reel I had.

I think as has been said, some folk absolutely love old fashioned gear, sort of budding Chris Yates 'Golden Scale Club' candidates. They love the idea of fishing the pin, and often use cane rods as well. These 'better control' etc. tales are quite possibly stories to cover for their dark lusts :D There MAY be a degree of better control...but if there is, it can only be marginal, because the vast majority of anglers manage perfectly well without ever even seeing one.

However, my main point is I have no problem with that, in fact I think anything that improves your experience, adds to your pleasure...is absolutely something you should go for. Daft differences between all the diverse disciplines of our hobby are one of the things that drive wedges between anglers and make unity impossible....don't go there!

Cheers, Dave.
 
Good rant Dave, totally agree! :D

One thing you can't control with a pin, well I can't anyway, is a good, accurate cast mid or far bank river with a lead/feeder. I could spend countless hours perfecting it, or I could just use a fixed spool.
I will however be using a pin later today as I'm off trotting, and you can't beat a pin for that.

I think it's becoming a bit elitist to use a pin for Barbel, you can almost sense the smugness of a pin user as they look down their noses at us fixed spool numties!:)
 
Oh wow, I've been "elitist" for over 30 years and I didn't know :D
 
I love using a centre pin where my limited ability allows it, for no other reason than I like them. But I have to be honest and if I was fishing where a new pb was a distinct possibility I would use a fixed spool as my confidence in landing the fish would be greatly increased. I do like to indulge myself occasionally on easy carp waters like Clattercote Resevoir where bites from good carp are numerous and if I lose one on the pin (or fs) it's not like losing a double figure barbel. I suppose it's a fair training ground for handling fish on a pin but I use them now and again and have no desire to change over completely.
 
Hi men,

I can see that people get a pleasure in the way they fish , in the tackle they use , and good luck to them . Me and Sue get a pleasure in the way we fish , it really cuts down where we can go , the size of the fish we catch , and the amount !, but we can't change . Regarding pins v fixed spools ?, Iv tried both , a really good go with a pin to see what it's all about , but love wafer thin carbon , and quality bait runners , that's the engineer in me :) . One thing is for certain , I can never say that Iv not had cranking power when playing a fish !


Hatter
 
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