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Trotting Reel - C'Pin, Closed Face or Fixed

A

Adam Ditchburn

Senior Member
I am going to venture in improving my float fishing ability for 2012 onwards, I would score myself 2/10 and spent most of my fishing life ledgering/swimfeeding.

As a complete amateur in the discipline I fancy having a good go at trotting for mainly Chub and Barbel....and anything else that is willing.

I will fish the Thames and the Windrush to get started

My question what reel/s would be suitable in my ability bracket, my thoughts and ideas below, pull them apart any recommendations etc.

Budget for reel/s £100.00 max, more than happy to buy second hand.

Centrepin - Ideal for trotting and the romance, however I fear the birds’ nests, I have been recommended a Speedia as it is less open to problems with the wind or the budget Shakey lincoln.

Closed Face - I know are better in windy conditions, I guess they are too light weight for Barbel, recommended an Abu 1004 or Daiwa 125m

Fixed - I know my way round these of course must have a dozen, but around size 3000 upwards - recommended a Static/Eager 2500 or a Daiwa 1657DM

Cheers all in advance
 
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Although very useful in windy conditions , I do not feel that a close faced reel is a useable tool if you are after big fish like barbel and chub , it is simply too difficult to control powerful runs using these reels particularly in ' tight ' swims . High risk of snap ups in my opinion . As for fixed spool or centre pin , I think it is personal choice/ confidence thing . I would use a Speedia pin , if you want new, try one of the Okuma range which are nice . Fixed spool wise , there a hundreds . In the second hand area I would use a Mitchell match or Mitchell otomatic both of which have the dab bail arm facility and are popular old school trotting tools
 
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I like closed faced reels but wouldn't recommend them for bigger fish. They are the best in windy conditions but if it's that windy will you even be trotting?
I don't like centrepins but they do give fantastic control of a trotted float. The downsides being ease of fishing at greater distances than your rod tip and the time a retrieve takes.
I'll be sticking to standard fixed spool reels, 3000 size is my minimum.

P.S. I hate my Daiwa Harrier 1657DM and couldn't recommend it for anything. I find it so bad that I can't even face selling it as I'd feel guilty.
 
Mitchell match 440a fantastic. I also like the 501 and 704 abu closed face reels, but as stated, I wouldnt like to use them for big fish. As goes for the daiwa 1657 which is another reel I had when match fishing I never used it as the spools was far to shallow for big fish so can't comment on the performance but by the sound of Chris's opinions on it stay well away lol ;). I also had a jw young rapidex that I sold on here and that was brilliant tbh half or me regrets selling it.
Thanks.
 
Thanks for the replies so far


Ok as I thought a closed face would be suicide on a small river like the Windrush as I thought it would not be up to the job except for the odd dace, small chub and grayling.

Had a sort out of my gear today and forgot that I had a Daiwa Capricorn 2500 that fits the bill.....just shows too much tackle too little memory

I think for now that will be sufficient......mind you a centrepin
 
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Daiwa 125m is fine for Chub even on a narrow river but i wouldn't use it for Barbel it hasn't got the power in the reel to control them, maybe ok on a wider river like the Thames but not on any small narrow rivers.
 
Years ago, the old ABU closed faced reels were a favourite with the match guys, 501's and 503's being the tools ( I once had the privilege of watching a very famous matchman land 2 double figure Barbel on the lower Severn whilst using a 501 trotting with casters), whilst they are excellent for trotting, we have to remember they were originally designed for lure fishing, as a big fish reel I think they are flawed, but big fish have been landed on them, but my advice would be a centre pin. Prices have come down significantly in recent times for a good Allcocks Match Aerial, with £100 getting you a dam good reel off Ebay, not only good for trotting, but good also for close in work for Barbel and if you wish to diversify a little more, a great stalking tool for Carp.......I have spent the last 25 odd years waiting for the pin to scream.....I wouldn't have it any other way, though modern baitrunners are just as good it has to be said, its all about taste.
 
I use 2 Shimano Technium 6000 FB's for all my float fishing on the Trent, I tried a few others but they all lacked in power, funnily enough they were all 4000 size and smaller, I am not saying all 4000 sized reels lack power just the ones I used. Spro Red Arc, Daiwa 2500CU and a shimano which I cant remember but it was just below a Stradic.
Closed face reels are OK for silvers and maybe Chub using light lines, but not for Barbel....Well I wouldnt dare use one on the Trent as some single runs go 15 to 20 yds before you can stop them and thats on 8lb line.
Not a Centrepin user but had a dabble, Now if all rivers were about 10 yds wide with a nice steady flow and the wind direction coming upstream, then yes I would fish for Barbel on a pin. Sadly my regular river isnt.

Jon
 
Chris Jones said:
I don't like centrepins but they do give fantastic control of a trotted float. The downsides being ease of fishing at greater distances than your rod tip and the time a retrieve takes.
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Not at all sure about this retrive rate thing, when using an decent pin to trot a float I can retrive the float quicker than on any fixed spool I own. One bat of the reel and its nearly back to hand. Never felt a lack of ability to retrieve any fish other than a salmon when playing it either. Perhaps in a match situation, but not a problem for the normal angler. Obviously the casting is limited, unless you are really good, but for most trotting situations you don't really need to cast...get out in the water if you want to trot something other than the near side, you have much more control this way anyway.
 
Pete Marshall said:
Not at all sure about this retrive rate thing, when using an decent pin to trot a float I can retrive the float quicker than on any fixed spool I own. One bat of the reel and its nearly back to hand. Never felt a lack of ability to retrieve any fish other than a salmon when playing it either. Perhaps in a match situation, but not a problem for the normal angler. Obviously the casting is limited, unless you are really good, but for most trotting situations you don't really need to cast...get out in the water if you want to trot something other than the near side, you have much more control this way anyway.
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Nope, not the retrieval of a fish. Just the retrieval of an unsuccessful trot. I'm pleased that you can manage to do so quicker than you can with a fixed spool but I can't help wondering what fixed spools you own if they are so slow. Good luck in your wading exploits on the likes of the Tidal Trent. I'd love to see it sometime:eek::D. I'm pleased that you, and others, like your centrepins, I've no doubt they can be excellent in some circumstances. However, for the vast bulk of mine, they are all but useless. No amount of forum badgering by pin enthusiasts is going to change my mind or stop me telling it as I see it.
 
please don't buy the daiwa CF reel, go for the abu 706,
these CF reels from daiwa are crud, they seize up.
 
Thanks David and all so far.

Right heres my chance to buy more tackle;)

After a bit of research I can pick up a good closed face for my practice run on the Windrush for whats left of the Roach, Dace and Grayling population, they will be easier to master than a pin, I think I will pick up an Abu 706 for around £40 used, the 704 you can pick up half the price is there an obvious reason why apart from been an older reel?

That will leave me £60 for a fairly decent used pin as a more allrounder.
 
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Adam,

I think you need not focus on the reel, most pins or fixed spool reels could deliver excellent results in the right hands, what you need to focus on is actually trotting: i.e. running a biat through at different speeds, understanding the differences between flow rate at surface and differing depths, what conditions will dictate the speeds at whish fish will readily intercept a moving bait and how to control the behaviour in different flows by the use of different shotting patterns, length over depth, etc.........

It is truly a fascinating way of fishing and you will love it and learn far more about fishing than you ever did with ledgering and feeder fishing, to the point it will enhance those methods too.

Spend time with an experienced river angler who knows well how to trot, I believe Keith Speer does tuition and is probably the best guy you could learn from on here.

Enjoy and just use whatever you have until experience tells you what you want......

I hope that does not come across as patronising
 
Not sure if I have missed this... but what river/s do you fish??
 
Ian Crook said:
Adam,

I think you need not focus on the reel, most pins or fixed spool reels could deliver excellent results in the right hands, what you need to focus on is actually trotting: i.e. running a biat through at different speeds, understanding the differences between flow rate at surface and differing depths, what conditions will dictate the speeds at whish fish will readily intercept a moving bait and how to control the behaviour in different flows by the use of different shotting patterns, length over depth, etc.........

It is truly a fascinating way of fishing and you will love it and learn far more about fishing than you ever did with ledgering and feeder fishing, to the point it will enhance those methods too.

Spend time with an experienced river angler who knows well how to trot, I believe Keith Speer does tuition and is probably the best guy you could learn from on here.

Enjoy and just use whatever you have until experience tells you what you want......

I hope that does not come across as patronising
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Not at all Ian, you hit the nail on the head with enhancing my fishing, the trouble is I am self taught and have attempted to be an angler on and off for over 25 years, I have got to the point of hitting 40 next month and have gone through my twenties and thirties with a lot of other "stuff" in the way of angling women, drink, kids career setting up a business etc.

So now that "stuff" is pretty much under control I just want to master (within my ability) the aspects of angling that interest me, it is my bucket list.

Now you have put me onto something Keith Speer ....40th coming up.......mind you it wouldn't hurt getting a new reel/s ha ha
 
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Nic Costar said:
Both 125M's ?

Why didn't you send them to Daiwa's Services ?
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the first one starting making grinding noises on the winding, worse under pressure , then the spool seized on,even tried getting it off with a large pair of grips..:eek:, then it seized up so the handle would move at all, the second, pretty much did the same but lasted a little longer,i gave up after that,
to be honest, couldn't be bothered to get them sent away and all that, back when i had loads of money, had the same problem on earlier models in the late 80's, i did always like the look of em,
maybe i was unlucky, still prefer abu'S, personal choice after that, had several and never had any real problems.
 
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