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Piscario centrepins

Julian Griffiths

Julian Griffiths

Senior Member & Supporter
Don't worry I'm not buying....

I am genuinely interested in any anglers on here that have used them, and how well did they perform for you?
I know buying reels etc is a personal thing & individual to themselves, but I'm just after a bit of feedback, only because I was quite taken by them initially.

They do look rather nice, the price tag is rather nice too!

I did see a guy on YouTube on the Hampshire Avon using it for touch legering for Barbel. But for me I'd probably buy something cheaper for that sort of fishing.
 
I tried to enquire about them a couple or more months back but it seemed like the actual buisness had folded.
The reason I say that is I had no answer from the phone etc.
 
Julian Griffiths said:
Why would anyone be worried to admitting that they have one? 😂
I'd be like, fair play if you've got the money to spare to treat yourself.😊😊
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I didn't suggest that the individual concerned would be worried about admitting to owning the reel. He has done so on another platform. However, as I don't know the man, and he's not a member here, it's not my place to name him on here.
 
Chris Jones said:
openly admitting to owning one….
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You make it sound like it’s akin to admitting wearing your wife’s panties when she’s not around.

Mind you, having seen the price, and for what looks to be just a caged construction c’pin, I think I might be willing to admit to the former rather than having paid nine hundred smackeroonies for the reel. A well engineered reel, for sure, but that’s two ((ish) second hand Gary Mills.
 
Am I the one that introduced these reels to you? My bad.

If I want to spend that sort of money on a reel, I’d go with Chris lythe first.

But yes, I want to try their reels, but never had a chance. I remember read somewhere these reels are too free running (whatever that means), but that’s all I know about them.

I know one for sale for 695 btw.
 
Huanzhou Zhu said:
Am I the one that introduced these reels to you? My bad.

If I want to spend that sort of money on a reel, I’d go with Chris lythe first.

But yes, I want to try their reels, but never had a chance. I remember read somewhere these reels are too free running (whatever that means), but that’s all I know about them.

I know one for sale for 695 btw.
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Jeeze that's good value
 
Huanzhou Zhu said:
Am I the one that introduced these reels to you? My bad.

If I want to spend that sort of money on a reel, I’d go with Chris lythe first.

But yes, I want to try their reels, but never had a chance. I remember read somewhere these reels are too free running (whatever that means), but that’s all I know about them.

I know one for sale for 695 btw.
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No mate, we've spoken briefly about them, but I'd seen their website sometime before we discussed them Huanzhou. I like the look of them, jyst wondered if anyone had one & their thoughts on them. 😊👍
 
I don’t see anything to gain from having a centrepin reel made from titanium.
I can totally understand why they are a grand a piece as the bar stock must cost a fortune and it’s obviously harder on tooling too but The true benefits of that material are completely wasted on a fishing reel because you wont get it down to the same weight as an equivalent aluminum reel despite how much extra material you want to shave off.

Magnesium would be a better “premium” material to use if you wanted something with some actual reason for the bragging rights but even then we are talking about marginal weight differences and with marginal strength gains for absolutely astronomical money.

Oh and these “aero space” grade metals that fishing tackle companies are spouting on about with reels and chairs and pods etc really gets on my nerves.
And the people that fall for it believing they are getting a reel made from some special space metal or something. Ffs.

I bet most aluminum pins are made from 6061 or 6062 grade aluminum and I bet those titanium things are grade 2 Ti at the very best.
Both materials obtained easily without the need to get permission from NASA or Boeing
 
If sicario were still producing their reels I think I would most likely take a punt on one. As I said, I did try to contact the company, but with no joy. I assumed they must have wraped up making them, maybe they didn't sell enough to be a worth while project, or maybe the company has just dissolved?

Regarding materials and lightweight reels, I don't know exactly what material the okuma Martin Bowler reel is made from, but it is very light!
 
Richard Isaacs said:
I don’t see anything to gain from having a centrepin reel made from titanium.
I can totally understand why they are a grand a piece as the bar stock must cost a fortune and it’s obviously harder on tooling too but The true benefits of that material are completely wasted on a fishing reel because you wont get it down to the same weight as an equivalent aluminum reel despite how much extra material you want to shave off.

Magnesium would be a better “premium” material to use if you wanted something with some actual reason for the bragging rights but even then we are talking about marginal weight differences and with marginal strength gains for absolutely astronomical money.

Oh and these “aero space” grade metals that fishing tackle companies are spouting on about with reels and chairs and pods etc really gets on my nerves.
And the people that fall for it believing they are getting a reel made from some special space metal or something. Ffs.

I bet most aluminum pins are made from 6061 or 6062 grade aluminum and I bet those titanium things are grade 2 Ti at the very best.
Both materials obtained easily without the need to get permission from NASA or Boeing
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Couldn’t agree more.

I know nothing of Piscario or somesuch; my scant knowledge of centrepins ends at hearing that Chris Lythe reels are nice. I’m the proud owner of a battered old Stanton.

But I know a bit about high end fly reels and much of it is form over function. I use reels that should retail for around 500 quid a pop, and they do the job just fine. And they carry on doing the job just fine. They deal with big, ugly fish and they don’t break. Unfortunately there is almost a ‘cult’ in saltwater fly fishing to use ‘one off’ gear that costs loads of money. Most of it is no better than the well designed standard issue gear; some of it is considerably worse ! A mate was given (in return for some photos) 3 reels that cost iro 2 grand each; and apart from the ceramic drags and the fact that they look nice, I think they are pretty average. Yet they are now collectors items in the US and sell used for double that. I don’t get it at all.

Of course anybody is entitled to use whatever gear they choose…….but if it doesn’t do the job properly what is the point ?
 
Tim Marks said:
Couldn’t agree more.

I know nothing of Piscario or somesuch; my scant knowledge of centrepins ends at hearing that Chris Lythe reels are nice. I’m the proud owner of a battered old Stanton.

But I know a bit about high end fly reels and much of it is form over function. I use reels that should retail for around 500 quid a pop, and they do the job just fine. And they carry on doing the job just fine. They deal with big, ugly fish and they don’t break. Unfortunately there is almost a ‘cult’ in saltwater fly fishing to use ‘one off’ gear that costs loads of money. Most of it is no better than the well designed standard issue gear; some of it is considerably worse ! A mate was given (in return for some photos) 3 reels that cost iro 2 grand each; and apart from the ceramic drags and the fact that they look nice, I think they are pretty average. Yet they are now collectors items in the US and sell used for double that. I don’t get it at all.

Of course anybody is entitled to use whatever gear they choose…….but if it doesn’t do the job properly what is the point ?
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To many people a centrepin reel is a centrepin reel and they're all the same.

In reality, the skill level of the user will reveal the hidden qualities of a high end centrepin reel.
 
Ian Woods said:
If sicario were still producing their reels I think I would most likely take a punt on one. As I said, I did try to contact the company, but with no joy. I assumed they must have wraped up making them, maybe they didn't sell enough to be a worth while project, or maybe the company has just dissolved?

Regarding materials and lightweight reels, I don't know exactly what material the okuma Martin Bowler reel is made from, but it is very light!
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I think the MB Okuma blurb mentioned magnesium or mag alloy. Shimano also use magnesium in some of their big pit reels.
 
Daniel Jeffery said:
I think the MB Okuma blurb mentioned magnesium or mag alloy. Shimano also use magnesium in some of their big pit reels.
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It’s a good point although I’m not 100% sure of the magnesium content in these reels. It might be the case that they are made with a higher mag content in the aluminum itself.
The reason I’m doubtful of these being pure magnesium is simply the cost of them and nothing else.
I’ve bought magnesium welding rods to repair the stuff and trust me when I say this, that stuff is crazy expensive.
You couldn’t buy an okuma reel for 2-300 quid if it was fully machined out of pure magnesium or even if it was twice that price

It is a lighter reel than the standard Sheffield as I’ve been told the weight differences which are reasonable and do warrant the cost difference but I’d say given the cost difference only being around 100 quid, the magnesium content or extra content won’t be extravagant.

I’m a firm believer in you get what you pay for in centrepin reels and can definitely tell the difference in performance between something that’s £100 and something that’s £500 but I’m not a believer in pointless bragging rights based on something that sounds cool.

Anyone here ever bought “titanium coated drill bits” over standard High speed steel?
They must be better right because it’s got titanium on them.
Utter crap…….. titanium wouldn’t last 5 minutes in comparison to plain HSS But as a nation we do love to splash out on a buzz word.
 
Richard Isaacs said:
It’s a good point although I’m not 100% sure of the magnesium content in these reels. It might be the case that they are made with a higher mag content in the aluminum itself.
The reason I’m doubtful of these being pure magnesium is simply the cost of them and nothing else.
I’ve bought magnesium welding rods to repair the stuff and trust me when I say this, that stuff is crazy expensive.
You couldn’t buy an okuma reel for 2-300 quid if it was fully machined out of pure magnesium or even if it was twice that price

It is a lighter reel than the standard Sheffield as I’ve been told the weight differences which are reasonable and do warrant the cost difference but I’d say given the cost difference only being around 100 quid, the magnesium content or extra content won’t be extravagant.

I’m a firm believer in you get what you pay for in centrepin reels and can definitely tell the difference in performance between something that’s £100 and something that’s £500 but I’m not a believer in pointless bragging rights based on something that sounds cool.

Anyone here ever bought “titanium coated drill bits” over standard High speed steel?
They must be better right because it’s got titanium on them.
Utter crap…….. titanium wouldn’t last 5 minutes in comparison to plain HSS But as a nation we do love to splash out on a buzz word.
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Yeah certainly not cheap. No idea what Mg alloy is used in reels, AZ91 is a common one for alloy wheels if they’re cast (90% Mg, 9% Al) or AZ31 (~95% Mg) I think if formed.

The world of Shimano materials is odd as they use Hagane as a trademark, so then say “Hagane body made from Aluminium”…even though hagane means steel :rolleyes:
 
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