Speedia Wide Drum Deluxe Wanted

[quickcedo]

I'm looking for a speedia wide drum deluxe. Must be in good mechanical condition. I live in Oxford. Will gladly travel up to 50 miles to view. Many thaks Mark.

 

[geoffmaynard]

Mark - buy the next four that come up for sale on eBay. Keep the best one and re-auction the others.

 

[quickcedo]

Cheers Geoff, Checking eBay daily, just thought the wanted add was worth a go, you never know.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

So it was you I was bidding against was it?

Watch out for narrow drum ones and check the pics very carefully - I bought a wide drum on that the seller said was narrow!

 

[Graham Whatmore]

I have a Speedia so what determines wide and narrow? The drum measures just under threequarters of an inch inside, is that classed as narrow?

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Yup! The wide is about an inch between the flanges

 

[Tee-Cee]

Yep,my Speedia 41/4" dia x 1" wide between flanges...........still one of the best for me BUT NOT with a 15lb carp attached..............its hell with the finger burns!!

Takes me back though........long trotting the Thames at Remenham nr Henley with flake for the big roach and chub or hemp/berry with 18 hook to 2lb test for the dace...great days!!

Perhaps we should have a Speedia Owners Club...........be a good p**s-up anyway!!

 

[Graham Whatmore]

So why is a narrow drum a bad thing? I have had this speedia for two years but I used it for the first time on Saturday on the Itchen, worked a treat and I couldn't see anything to criticise it.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

It's to do with less bedding in of the line under pressure on the wider spool. If I compare my Trudex (narrow drum) with my Speedia (wide drum) there is significantly more area between the flanges, thus less depth of line, thus less bedding in.

Or so they say.

I must say that when I've actually tested much of what I've been told as gospel in fishing it isn't true!

 

[Graham Whatmore]

It's to do with less bedding in of the line under pressure on the wider spool. If I compare my Trudex (narrow drum) with my Speedia (wide drum) there is significantly more area between the flanges, thus less depth of line, thus less bedding in.

Or so they say.

I must say that when I've actually tested much of what I've been told as gospel in fishing it isn't true!

Yes Sean, and therein lies the rub. I can say at one stage I did experience the line reluctant to peel off stopping the pin from spinning but I let it run further down the swim and no problem after that. I can understand the logic of a wider drum but is a quarter of an inch really going to make that much difference?

 

[Sean Meeghan]

One technique I was taught with a wide drum reel was to wind the bulk of the line on to one side, leaving a bit of the drum without any line on it, then wind the line you're trotting with on this empty bit. I does totally prevent any stickyness on a long trot, but I don't bother any more. If I'm going to have problems like that I'm better using a proper reel.

 

[Tee-Cee]

I don't think the 1/4" makes any real difference.What I have found is that regardless of drum width the bedding of the line has much to do with how new line is loaded in the first place,the tension used and how well the line traverses across the spool.
Put too much tension on the new spool and(I have found)the line can(seemingly)run under the last turns(or over bed).I've even found this to happen after playing a biggish fish under extreme tension...........

However,as GW says most problems of this nature can be solved by doing a very long trot or long cast and winding in under the float tension only....

One last point;when loading new line I try to ensure the existing backing(or line)is as level as possible within the spool-maybe the narrow spool is'better'as less distance for the line to traverse but I doubt it.

All I know is that I never rush the loading process!!

Sean........What is a 'proper'reel????..........are you trying to upset GW on purpose!!

 

[quickcedo]

I want the wide drum deluxe because (please don't beat me for this) I want it for ledgering for Barbel and it has a ratchet with adjustable setting so line isn't taken when there's a bit of flow on.

 

[the indifferent crucian]

I think you are refering to the compensating drag..not all Speedias have this. Those that do are generally known as De-Luxe models.


They are very fashionable for barbel at the moment, but plenty of other reels have a compensating drag too, such as models by Youngs and some of the Grice and Young range.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

A "proper" reel is a threadline reel like the good old Illingworth!

Don't talk to me about fashion IC!!!! Been trying to get a decent large diameter, wide spooled, true pin for a while now and they're fetching silly money on flea bay. Having the same problem ith named split cane rods. Too many dealers and daft buggers with those last minute bid thingies!

 

[tigger]

I think you are refering to the compensating drag..not all Speedias have this. Those that do are generally known as De-Luxe models.


They are very fashionable for barbel at the moment, but plenty of other reels have a compensating drag too, such as models by Youngs and some of the Grice and Young range.

Yes, so have some of the stantons,the rapidex, and many more which are far better reels than the speedia. Ok the speedia works but it's not exactly a well made pin compared to many others. Maybe a line clip or an elastic band would/could be used to help hold the line in fast running water if the ratchet on a pin wasn't stiff enough ?

 

[quickcedo]

I did manage to find a Speedia deluxe. I have fished with it twice now and i must say I'm really enjoying it. I did ask for advice with reguard pins fit for my purpose and this one was bought to my attention. Although most of my fishing is done with a pin I am far from knowledgeable on the various models. But always listening to advice. If anyone knows other models with similar spec to the Speedia please speak up as I'm always trolling round car boots etc. Many thanks.

 

[geoffmaynard]

I've fished with quite a lot of pins now including some fairly expensive ones but I keep coming back to the Speedia. In fact it's generally the only one I use these days for trotting despite owning about six others. It's true that it is a bit agricultural - but so am I, and that seems to make for a nice combination. I'll sell any of my other pins but not that one, and it's really nothing special either.

 

[Alan Tyler]

If you want something cheap and bomb-proof, keep watch for a "Windex".
Built for trolling for pike and salmon, it has a big drag adjustment at the hub, where the oh-so-sensitive "float"-adjusting grub screw would be on its more refined stable-mates. This enables you to set it up so the reel just doesn't feed line to the drag of the current (originally, the drag of the lure against the boatmans efforts!).

The downside is that although it's a four-inch reel, the core is quite small - designed for miles of cuttyhunk backing, I imagine - so it needs building up with cork sheet or cheap line.

Someone - DAM, I think, possibly Daiwa, possibly both, did "Mooching " reels, so similar in design that I can only assume that trolling is called "mooching" over the pond. These tend to go for £20 or less, and might be ideal - has anyone met one in the flesh?

 

[the indifferent crucian]

Daiwa still do a Mooching reel, and the last few on ebay have gone for a lot of money...possibly to carp anglers.( It's what I was thinking of when I 'watched' them)

I prefer my Speedia out of all the centrepins I have..even the Rapidex. It is by far the lightest and has the least resistance to turning...the wind will make it turn!

I must say that I don't own an Aeriel, so I may yet have another 'pin to love...but I am mightilly happy with the Speedia.

I do, on occasion, wonder at the wisdom of using these old reels for carp and barbel.....especially the Coxons and the like that change hands for £500 or more. Are they really up to the job? .... or are you going to wear it out on such a modern big fish?

Perhaps these fish would be better played on a modern reel with replaceable bearings ? Just a thought.


Sean I agree with you about the price of rods on eBay...and the tackle fairs are even worse! I'm not trying to set up a business, like you....it's just a hobby for me and I struggle to find good rods these days. At least at the fairs you get to have a waggle and see how the cane has aged.