Reels (to go with that full armoury of rods)?

[Chris Jones]

Well armed with all the wonderful advice on here I popped down to Climax on Saturday with the intention of treating myself to a new reel for an outing the following day.I decided that although the 4000D looked an excellent reel it was just a tad too small for The Trent but luckily they had a 6000D so he got it down for me,well the actual reel was absolutely perfect in every respect,the front drag is just what I am after having had the rear drags go for the 2nd time on my 3 year old reels BUT what were they thinking with the handle I think the designer must have been on acid when he came up with that one,its absolutely huge and spherical,no it wouldn't be possible to swap them over for the ones on the 4000D (which is perfect)as the fittings are completely different so back to the drawing board for me!!

4000D is definitely too small for the Trent, as are (IMO) most of the 5000 sizes that most barbel anglers are so fond of. I like the 4000D so much that I had wondered about the larger sizes for carping. Like you, that big bulbous handle put me right off.
Still can't find a reel for carping/Trent barbelling that I'm really happy with. I don't think that they exist. I want the long spool of a "big pit" carp reel to aid casting. I don't want the huge size or line capacity though. The Ultegra 5500s are as close as it gets for me but they aren't perfect, the line capacity is too great. I have wondered about the Diawa Linear in 4000 size but the reel itself seems big. It does have a slightly smaller than average long nosed spool but the line capacity is still pretty big.
I'd love something similar to the 4000D but with a longer nosed and shallower spool. I suspect that it won't be happening in a hurry though as I doubt that the manufacturers would see much of a market for such a reel.

 

[Chris Jones]

is it that bad? I have still yet to see these as when I went to the tackle box the other day they said they were not going to stock them as the handles were bloody silly.

It's damned awful for our uses. I suspect that it's meant for cranking up big lures from the back of a boat. I really can't see anyone that's stocked the bigger sizes managing to sell them to any UK freshwater angler. Hopefully they'll be forced to sell them off cheap and I can find a way of getting them re-handled!

 

[Jon Frisby]

Admittedly the handle on the 6000D is a bit different and possibly ergonomically perfect, but does it not tick most of the boxes? As for saying the 5000 XTB's line capacity is too great; i certainly cannot see that as a problem.

 

[Chris Jones]

Admittedly the handle on the 6000D is a bit different, but does it not tick most of the boxes? As for saying the 5000 XTB's line capacity is too great; i certainly cannot see that as a problem.

Just personal preference. I'd prefer a smaller reel with a decent, long nosed, but not too huge, spool. The XTB 5500 at 10lb-420yards/ 12-320/ 14-270 is just that bit much for my liking, even with mono. I'd like to use braid but am hating the prospect of having to faff around with mono as backing. I never get it right first time. The XTB 5500 is the best compromise I could find and it's a damned good reel, just not perfect for my preferences. If they shrunk it by a third I suspect it might be there. They do an Ultegra XSB (that seems to be quite rare in the UK) in 4500 but not the XTB.
I also wonder about these two but there seems to be no way of knowing what size they actually are.


As for the handle of the 6000/8000D, tried it and just couldn't be doing with it. However, I did feel a similar way about the single handle of the 4000D and XTB 5500 after years of using double handles. I got there in the end though and now actually prefer the handle on the 4000D above all the other types I have.

 

[Jon Frisby]

Your right Chris it is personal preference, everyone is individual and what works for one, will not work necessarily work for others.
I have a 4500 XSB and the only difference between that and an XTB is the bait runner clutch and a spool that is slightly shallower that a 5000/5500. To put it another way the 4500XSB spool will fit on a XTB.

 

[Chris Jones]

Your right Chris it is personal preference, everyone is individual and what works for one, will not work necessarily work for others.
I have a 4500 XSB and the only difference between that and an XTB is the bait runner clutch and a spool that is slightly shallower that a 5000/5500. To put it another way the 4500XSB spool will fit on a XTB.

I knew about the baitrunner facility but not that the spool would fit. That might be one way forward. Does the spool fit the XTB using the baitrunner knob? I can feel an Ebay trawl coming on!

 

[Jon Frisby]

I have just checked my XSB spool and it says it takes 295 yd of 10lb line. As far as i am aware it does fit, but to be honest the XTB 5000 is only slightly deeper than a 4500 size. You can always get a 1000yd spool of daiwa sensor as backing and if your buying a new set of reels, any decent tackle shop should give you a bulk spool IMO.

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

Makes you wonder how the Trent Otter managed with his wooden centre pins and greenheart rods , perhaps the river was narrower in those days ....

 

[Paul Boote]

I've often thought similar, Mike. I know that carbelling put in an appearance a decade or so ago, but to use reels that in many cases were designed for baitfishing tarpon...

 

[Chris Jones]

Makes you wonder how the Trent Otter managed with his wooden centre pins and greenheart rods , perhaps the river was narrower in those days ....

Perhaps he was only fishing places/pegs that suited that approach?:confused:
I'd struggle to cast to the far side of my local beck with a centrpin!

 

[Chris Jones]

I've often thought similar, Mike. I know that carbelling put in an appearance a decade or so ago, but to use reels that in many cases were designed for baitfishing tarpon...

Exactly why I would prefer the smaller reel that I've been talking about. Shame that it doesn't seem to exist. I'd love to use the 4000Ds in every scenario but I couldn't chuck to the far bank with them, mainly due to the narrow spool.

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

I've often thought similar, Mike. I know that carbelling put in an appearance a decade or so ago, but to use reels that in many cases were designed for baitfishing tarpon...

I still get excited when I fishing with my 'big 'Mitchell 411. On extra special occasions I will have a go with my Mitchell predator with built in bite alarm , phew ! No I reckon the Trent otter was either blindingly good at the Nottingham cast , or just fished near his own side of the river . Why are all the barbel 100 yards away these days ? ..

 

[Darryl Davis]

As it happens, I use a centre pin at times on the Tidal Trent with no problem but it is swim specific. I even Trot for Barbel at times on it!. Other times I am fishing to a river bed feature but not more than 50 yards, and do using larger Okumas (size 50). I have some large Shimanos and some Daiwa SS3000's but they are for casting (if necessary) for Carp or using extra size line due to weed/bars etc.

At times on the Trent it reminds me of 15 years back when Carping and because everyone had new Big reels and casting rods, they cast and caught where they had cast to. One evening (many solstices ago) rather than do that I placed the bait - my shock leader knot was still on the reel spool - result was one of the bigget fish in the lake. Lesson very quickly learnt. Sometimes when fishing on big lakes, I deliberately take my 20 year old Sportex 11' 2lb TC so that I fish near bank features (with some success).

Saying that sometimes people are casting across the river because they dont have the ticket for the far bank and that is where the (river bed) feature is. ON most stretches there are sufficient features so that is not needed.

 

[Jon Frisby]

 

[Stephen Fisher]

Why are all the barbel 100 yards away these days ? ..

Because anglers make so much noise setting up all that gear .... or because anglers like to buy the gear that enables them to fish 100 yards away, whether they need to or not!

 

[Haydn Clarke]

C.pins: Fred crouch Aerial replica, 2 Speedias, 1 narrow 1 wide, An Allcocks Aerial hex badged model.

Fixed spools: Shimano stradic x gtm (all time fav. fixed spool reels, silky smooth clutch and looks that are much better than today's blingtastic pony'n'trap), the obligatory Baitrunners x 3(mostly unused these days).

Happiest using the Speedia wide on the rivers and the Shimano Stradics on the still-water or when the river demands a fixed spool.

Know a few chaps who like to use the big-pits all the time, even when on small lakes. Personally I much prefer to weight the tackle to the fish, and more often than not have it all slightly under-gunned; it makes for much more fun.

Haydn

 

[Andy Thatcher]

Oh hell, ones of the barbel nature:
some retired ABU, Daiwa Black Diamond 1600X, 2 x Dam Quick CD 350 baitrunners, 2x Team Daiwa TD 1650 F and more modern reels 2 x 5000 GTE, 2 x 5000 XTEA, 2 x Ultegra 5500 XTB, Twin Power 4000 XTR, 2 x Baitrunner 4000D, 2 x TwinPower 4000 FA plus some others. Oh and a Okuma Trent.
Best of all the front drag Twin Power 4000 FA (non baitrunner).

Cheers
Bob

Shhhh don't tell anyone but I don't think Bob has even taken the DAM's out of the boxes they came in

If, oh my I wish at times, I were still regularly barbel fishing any of the 5 x 5000 GTE's or GTB's would be pressed into service. I would probably picked up the mini 2000 series as well by now,

Quick word on the non Aero US baitrunners. I have used the 6500 for bonefish, redfish and the like and ermmm to be honest the line lay is a bit rubbish. Bit is an understatement.

May get away with that using mono but with braid I have seen it turn into a nightmare on all three sizes.

The new D series definitely has better line lay but still not up to even original Aero standard. I still use a pair of 25 year old 4500's regularly so can compare with my new 12000 D Series.

Make no mistake the B Series were built like tanks and I do not expect my 5000's to outlast one but the 5000's are smoother and have better line lay.

Horses for courses I guess.

 

[Steve Holt]

I got a pair of 8000D's in the end,I didn't think the 6000's were quite up to the job
As for where to fish I think Dr B is right in fishing to features & if you cant hit 70yds when the need arises your limiting your options imo.

 

[Steve Holt]

Well armed with all the wonderful advice on here I popped down to Climax on Saturday with the intention of treating myself to a new reel for an outing the following day.I decided that although the 4000D looked an excellent reel it was just a tad too small for The Trent but luckily they had a 6000D so he got it down for me,well the actual reel was absolutely perfect in every respect,the front drag is just what I am after having had the rear drags go for the 2nd time on my 3 year old reels BUT what were they thinking with the handle I think the designer must have been on acid when he came up with that one,its absolutely huge and spherical,no it wouldn't be possible to swap them over for the ones on the 4000D (which is perfect)as the fittings are completely different so back to the drawing board for me!!

The handle reminds me of a love egg