Centrepin line - for Chub, Grayling, Tench and an outside chance of Barbel and Sea Trout

[tommos16]

I’ve recently acquired a Matt Hayes Limited edition Centrepin reel off fleabay. Won’t be the highest quality reel but it’ll do me to begin with…

My question is, with the species above in mind, what mainline would you recommend? I’m minded to go slightly heavier, probably 8lb Drennan, but curious what others thing. Would be Tench fishing close in so floating wouldn’t be an issue..

Also, does anyone know why it seems to have an anti reverse on it?


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[Richard Bartlett]

I know some (many?) will disagree with this, but for many years I've only used braid on my pins, albeit always with mono hooklengths. Why braid? For me, & bearing in mind I'm usually fishing fairly pacy & swirly Yorkshire rivers where the line can go off in many directions, its the absolute ease with which I can mend line without overly disturbing the float. Braid floats, so mending is simply a case of lifting it off the surface & dropping the rod to whichever side is appropriate, unlike mono which, however well treated, can be susceptible to some sinking or bedding-in. Obviously the lack of stretch also means I'm in more direct contact with float/fish. The only real downside to braid I've yet discovered is that in a very strong wind it can be literally blown off the surface & up in the air by the gusts. I can live with that. I generally use 6lb braid, with which I've caught countless grayling, chub, barbel, dace etc.

 

[tommos16]

Sounds very interesting to me Richard. A friend of mine uses solely Braid for rolling meat and ledgering for Barbel come summer, direct contact being the obvious benefit but many more besides I’d guess. Makes a lot of sense! Is it drennan feeder braid by any chance?


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[itsfishingnotcatching]

I'd go with Drennan "Floatfish" but it only goes to 6lb bs, I use this on the pin and fixed spool, usually the 3.2lb on small rivers.

 

[Richard Bartlett]

Sounds very interesting to me Richard. A friend of mine uses solely Braid for rolling meat and ledgering for Barbel come summer, direct contact being the obvious benefit but many more besides I’d guess. Makes a lot of sense! Is it drennan feeder braid by any chance?


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I wouldn't use feeder braid for trotting - most feeder braids are treated to encourage sinking!
I'm actually still spooled up with some very old Fireline! I test regularly & to date haven't had any issues. To be sure, every year or so I strip off 5 or so metres to get rid of the worn/fluffy bit, although tbh whilst it looks a bit scruffy I've never noticed any deterioration. Belt & braces I suppose

To be clear, in my earlier post I was referring to trotting with the pin. For more, err, conventional barbel legering I use braid (Powerpro 20lb). Whilst I once used braid extensively when legering for chub, I stopped that quite some years ago & reverted to mono - far too many snatchy & missed bites on the braid.

 

[Alan Whitty]

Wouldn't use braid for floatfishing at all,my personal preference,in fact I would only use braid for lure fishing....if Tigger was still on site he would suggest Daiwa Sensor and on this occasion I would agree,if you loaded it with 6lb Sensor it probably breaks at 7-8lbs,more than man enough imo...
As for your reel,I have one myself(among other more valuable ones)and I really like mine,though I haven't fished with it for a few years,had a few double figure barbel on it,I don't really understand your comment Tommy's,most do have an anti reverse of sorts,a clicker,which stops the reel spinning line in the undergrowth,if you are teaching you would have that on I would suggest,turning it off when playing a fish or winding in....

 

[Alan Whitty]

Sounds very interesting to me Richard. A friend of mine uses solely Braid for rolling meat and ledgering for Barbel come summer, direct contact being the obvious benefit but many more besides I’d guess. Makes a lot of sense! Is it drennan feeder braid by any chance?


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Why would you need direct contact for a fish that would give you brilliant bites in a virtual freelining situation(maybe a small piece of plasticine or a shot/small bullet),the benefits are totally outweighed by the problems caused,ie lack of stretch,but hey-ho,I've only caught a couple,just to add when you get bites bouncing meat you get a bobble which you feel in your wrist rather than your rod tip,which if you left would drag your rod tip down,then you into the river,lol...

 

[Keith M]

Wouldn't use braid for floatfishing at all,my personal preference,in fact I would only use braid for lure fishing....if Tigger was still on site he would suggest Daiwa Sensor and on this occasion I would agree,if you loaded it with 6lb Sensor it probably breaks at 7-8lbs,more than man enough imo...
As for your reel,I have one myself(among other more valuable ones)and I really like mine,though I haven't fished with it for a few years,had a few double figure barbel on it,

I wouldn’t use Braid for fishing the float either, the average trotting rod (and waggler rod) will usually have a tip-ish action anyway so should pick up the line from the surface quite fast on the strike anyway; and even if I were waggler fishing on a still water I would still much prefer some stretch in my line to compensate for the sudden lunges of a decent sized fish.
Like Alan the only time I would use a braid mainline would be if I were lure fishing with one of my lure rods; which will have a lighter action than a normal float rod anyway.

In my view braid causes more problems for me than its worth when I’m float fishing; with being easier to part than mono on rushes and weed beds and sharp rocks and other similar obstructions, and causing tangles with wind knots etc. and it’s habit of cutting through fishes mouths and fins etc. and not giving any cushion to absorb the sudden lunges when fighting decent sized fish when using the average tip actioned float rod.

Keith