Centrepins

[trotter2]

Those reel look too much like the matt Hayes rubbish made a while ago.
Yet another cheep bearing reel.

 

[maggot_dangler]

On the subject of pins i have a pair of Advanta Ikon classic black reels .

Never been too happy with the bearings on them . got in touch with Hayley Bearings who supplied 4 nice new bearings any how fitted said new brarings and the difference is night to day the noise has gone they are now dead smooth and free run for ages .

So if anyone has a need to do like wise give Hayley a call in Halesowen
the part number for the Advanta bearings is 678.22 hope to get out sunday to give them a try .

PG ...

 

[nhs service]

No doubt about it, the Aerials are by miles the most photogenic of reels.
I'm down to one, I had it serviced and restored, this was ruinously expensive. And the paint has come off a couple of areas.
Spins like it has been to the spin shop and got triple Nectar points.
I've heard reports it's prone to handle wrap in a sidewind, (note to pin newbies, there's always a bloody sidewind) but I've never had a problem with that, bearing reels yes. Often. In fact very often, hence the pull line off, stop the reel, cast out technique I use with them.
I got just past the bowlng green island at Bridgnorth from the top of the wall on a flooded Severn last time I used the MA.
Poster reel for pin fishing imho, but if it starts to wobble, book a session with a therapist.
A good Rapidex or Trudex is sooooo nice, I suspect the best were forged by Sauron in Mount Doom (just outside Redditch) as a change from making jewellry. And I will have it that they are the best canal tench reels ever made.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Pins are like everything else in angling, you get the cheap, the middle, and the top end.

The mad fish pin is made in china and has two bearings. Time will tell if these reels are any good. Some bad and good reports about Matt Hayes pins in all models, cheap, which will be fine for someone who doesn't want to break the bank when starting out pin fishing.

I still think anyone starting out pin fishing is better off buying a second hand rapidex, trudex etc. You may well pay a few quid more than the cheap pins, but worth it in the long run, as these reels have already stood the test of time.

Car boot sales can sometimes throw up some good deals, if you have the time. A mate of mine got a nice Ariel for £60, some paint work missing, as with most Ariels, other than that, a drop of oil and it was fine.

 

[thecrow]

I have also read good reports, but it would be nice if there was someone we knew had tried one out for a while. Like many reports about tackle etc, you wonder sometimes if the reports are from everyday anglers like FM members, or from someone involved with the company

Some of the reports I have read about them have been from long time members of fishing forums, reviews from sponsored anglers or the company I ignore.

---------- Post added at 13:36 ---------- Previous post was at 13:26 ----------

I don't understand this "its made in China so cant be any good" attitude when in all likelihood the rod that the "better made" pin is being used with was made in China itself. If Chinese goods are so poor how come they have taken lots of markets away from western countries? cant be down to quality can it or people would read that their stuff is rubbish and not buy it so it must be down to price and if the western markets hadn't been so quick to ignore the prices of Chinese imports maybe they wouldn't have lost all the markets they have.

What is good and bad is very much down to what the individual wants from any piece of kit, its also down to what the angler can afford to pay and if a cheaper (not inferior) piece of kit is what can be afforded and does the job why pay more.

 

[sam vimes]

I don't understand this "its made in China so cant be any good" attitude when in all likelihood the rod that the "better made" pin is being used with was made in China itself. If Chinese goods are so poor how come they have taken lots of markets away from western countries? cant be down to quality can it or people would read that their stuff is rubbish and not buy it so it must be down to price and if the western markets hadn't been so quick to ignore the prices of Chinese imports maybe they wouldn't have lost all the markets they have.

People once had a similarly dim view of Japanese made stuff. Now people value a "made in Japan" badge pretty highly. The bottom line is that the Chinese will make whatever is asked of them, with whatever materials and whatever quality controls. The biggest difference is that their labour costs and overheads are much less than in the developed western countries.

If you asked the Chinese to make a direct replica of a British made JW Young centrepin, they would. If they used exactly the same materials to the same standard it should be the equal of the JW Young reel but should cost less in the shops. However, the reality is that the importer is likely to ask for a price much closer to JW Young territory to maximise profit. The alternate way to maximise profit is to reduce the QC and standard of materials used. In this respect, fishing tackle is no different to any other consumer item. If Chinese goods are inferior, it's because that's what someone specified.

 

[barbelboi]

There is another difference Sam, when I lost a tiny grub screw from my Youngs pin a few years ago I phoned Youngs and they sent me two, post free, the next day.

 

[thecrow]

People once had a similarly dim view of Japanese made stuff. Now people value a "made in Japan" badge pretty highly.

Very true as the British car and motorcycle industry found out, for other to label Chinese stuff as rubbish is imo wrong I have had plenty of British made stuff (British made as far as I knew) that wasn't up to what was expected.

Yes the Chinese costs are way below those of western manufactures but that imo isn't the only reason for lower prices, the snobbery that has existed about certain items of tackle has imo pushed prices up. centrepins being an example.

---------- Post added at 16:22 ---------- Previous post was at 16:19 ----------

There is another difference Sam, when I lost a tiny grub screw from my Youngs pin a few years ago I phoned Youngs and they sent me two, post free, the next day.

I would have thought that alol screws would have had loctight on them at source seeing as its an English made reel

 

[sam vimes]

There is another difference Sam, when I lost a tiny grub screw from my Youngs pin a few years ago I phoned Youngs and they sent me two, post free, the next day.

If the importers of Chinese reels wanted spares packages, they could have them. Naturally, the costs would drive the purchase price of the reels themselves up a fraction though. It's more a question of the disposable society we've become. If you want that level of support, you don't buy budget gear from faceless importers. You pay the premium for a British product that's hopefully top quality to start with.

Very true as the British car and motorcycle industry found out, for other to label Chinese stuff as rubbish is imo wrong I have had plenty of British made stuff (British made as far as I knew) that wasn't up to what was expected.

Yes the Chinese costs are way below those of western manufactures but that imo isn't the only reason for lower prices, the snobbery that has existed about certain items of tackle has imo pushed prices up. centrepins being an example.

There's always going to be an element of brand loyalty and price premium due to it. Again, no different to any other consumer item. A Lexus is just a posh Toyota. They make them in the same factories but you pay a premium for the Lexus.

When it comes to pins, I believe that the relatively high prices are more a question of supply and demand than any real snobbery. I just about recall the days of Match Aerials still being in tackle shops. One of my locals had a few in stock that they could barely give away. Prices were rock bottom. You'd not get a second hand one now for the price of a brand spanker back then (even with a dollop of inflation added). The Kingpins are interesting in that they barely bother with the UK market. They can sell as many as they like in North America. Then you get the handmade stuff. Whilst the prices are high, I doubt that the price is too excessive when you consider the man hours involved. I don't suppose that the likes of Chris Lythe is particularly wealthy. It tells a story when his reels tend to go for more second hand than he sells them for.

 

[flightliner]

Anyone here put aesthetics high on the list of priorities when choosing a pin ?.

 

[binka]

I recall a radio programme that I was listening to some months ago which was discussing Chinese made goods.

The person being interviewed was pretty much saying that they produce goods to either end of the scale eg. very poor or exceptionally good.

He also made the comment that it was the bit in the middle that they have difficulty with, which led him to believe they were an instruction led manufacturing industry and he wondered what direction they would go in if they had their own head, so to speak.

Stands to reason I guess.

 

[barbelboi]

Anyone here put aesthetics high on the list of priorities when choosing a pin ?.

Why would you want to put it to sleep Mick...........................

 

[sam vimes]

Anyone here put aesthetics high on the list of priorities when choosing a pin ?.

Yes, but my preferences are probably quite different to the majority. Though they look nice enough, I'm not keen on the Aerial type reels. I'm a finger through retriever and I don't much like doing so with brass spoked reels. For the same reason, I won't buy a solid faced pin. I also prefer reels of at least 4.5". However, there's little point in a 4.5" reel if the arbour is really deep.

 

[flightliner]

Yes, but my preferences are probably quite different to the majority. Though they look nice enough, I'm not keen on the Aerial type reels. I'm a finger through retriever and I don't much like doing so with brass spoked reels. For the same reason, I won't buy a solid faced pin. I also prefer reels of at least 4.5". However, there's little point in a 4.5" reel if the arbour is really deep.

That just about sums it up for me, only one other thing would be some of the gaudy colours they make them with these days.

 

[binka]

That just about sums it up for me, only one other thing would be some of the gaudy colours they make them with these days.

An angler dear to me who recently passed away always used to comment on the modern colours.

He said orange was worth an extra tenner on the rrp, blue was fifteen and a bronze spray in place of an anodised finish was a full fifty quid

 

[Bluenose]

I've fell back in love with pin fishing this winter. I have a purist, bought from WMAC about 15 yrs ago.. barely used save for the odd session over the last few years but this winter I've give it a proper run out ... had an ace laugh catching loads of average sized chub on bread and dendras.. however I'd be interested to hear what you fellas are using for reel line these days... I do sometimes trot a long way down.... and don't trot for barbel, but may use it for the odd tench float session?

 

[thecrow]

Anyone here put aesthetics high on the list of priorities when choosing a pin ?.

I never do that with any item of tackle, its whether it will do the job I want it to that's my first priority second is how cheap can I get it, one of the best anglers I ever saw had tackle that you would use to light a fire not fish with.

---------- Post added at 20:04 ---------- Previous post was at 19:59 ----------

he wondered what direction they would go in if they had their own head, so to speak.

I would imagine they would/will go the same way the Japanese went with cars and motorcycles, copy and improve on whatever it is they manufacture, any western manufacturer ignores them at their peril.

 

[binka]

I would imagine they would/will go the same way the Japanese went with cars and motorcycles, copy and improve on whatever it is they manufacture, any western manufacturer ignores them at their peril.

Many years ago when I worked in the heart of Digbeth in Birmingham Graham there were a few remaining manufacturing firms that did stuff like rewinds, whatever they are.

One of them was opposite my office and one morning I saved a window cleaner who was dangling from an upper window sill by his fingertips after his ladder had given way.

To cut a long story short I got talking to the shop floor manager who told me about how his company was paid by Japanese companies to tour their factory and show them all the different machines that did all the different things.

A proper earner and money for nothing, or so it seemed at the time.

The next thing they knew they were getting out-priced by Japanese companies which had a single machine which did all the different jobs

 

[Alan Tyler]

For looks, you can't beat a nice bit of timber with a Slater latch, but they get a bit heavy over 3 1/2". I've got one that spins so you wonder where the motor is, so they can be a bit tasty in use. (They can also be lumps of
Downside is they make any carbon or glass rod look like a pig in lipstick; even late cane with ali winch fittings looks a bit common; whereas a black Rapidex makes any rod look good - even it's early sixties classic partner, the Taperflash.

 

[flightliner]

I never do that with any item of tackle, its whether it will do the job I want it to that's my first priority second is how cheap can I get it, one of the best anglers I ever saw had tackle that you would use to light a fire not fish with.

Agree 100% graham very often an item of tackle is a little "overdressed" that for me personally is offputting. Simple, well designed, fit for purpose is all, most everything else is superfluous, sadly nothing I can do about the decals they stick on rods tho.mg:.