okuma aventa centerpins

[John Prendergast]

Hello Dave,

Sorry its been ages replying, I havent been on here in a while.

I got the Okuma pin ages ago but I am ashamed to say, I havent tried it out yet.

As far as build quality is concerned, it seems superb to me but I am no expert.

I going to try to give it a run out on the Dane this week, which I feel would be a great water to try it out on.

I have been out on where you showed me on the Ribble since we last met and have had some brilliant days but as you know it doesnt really lend itself to the float or atleast, certainly not the stick.

While we're on the subject of pins and stick fishing, which long rod would you recommend (15ft upwards). I have heard that the Sentient is supposed to be pretty good or what about some of the MAP offerings.

I suppose I would be looking to use it mostly on waters such as the Dane and maybe the Ribble if I could find any pegs with a long enough, deepish run, close in.

Talk to you soon,

John

 

[jason fisher]

john have a LOOK AT THE TROTTING ROD THREAD THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT'S ABOUT

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Stop shouting Jason. John are coming to the Chub Fish-In. I wonder if you could do me a favour and bring it with you for me to have a look at. They do not have them in my local shop.

 

[jason fisher]

sorry chaps didn't realise i'd hit the caps lock by mistake.

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Apology accepted Jason;-)

 

[John Prendergast]

Hello Jason,

Seen the trotting rod thread but it didnt tell me what I wanted to know.

The question was directed at Dave because I regard his oppinion as being "qualified" due to him being both a good angler with experience on the waters I fish and also with him being in the trade.

I didnt email the question to him because I thought that if he answered the question on the forum, some of the other members might find the answer of some use.

Hello Brian,

I will email you.

I am hoping to use the reel tommorrow, but it will be the first time that I have used a pin so I dont really know how valid any appraisal I make would be.

Regards,

John

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Cheers John look forward to the email.

 

[John Prendergast]

I had a chance to use the Okuma (the Copper coloured one) today and I must say that I am quite pleased with it.

It did everything that I expected it to with no nasty surprises.

I had three barbel (best 11lb6oz) on it and three chub and lost another two barbel through no fault of the reel.

Noticeable points were that there was no bedding in of the line even with the double figure barbel and I had 100yds of 6lb bayer on the reel fishing a 4 No4 stick.

Also, I had been led to believe that the reel would stack the line on one side or the other of the spool but this wasn't the case, it loaded it right in the middle, in use.

I can't comment on casting with the reel asd I was using a 17ft rod didnt have any need to cast, I just swung it out.

The jury is still out with regard to the fact that the reel holds the float back to to slighly less speed than the flow on the top of the water but aparently this is supposed to give improved presentation.

All in all, I am quite satisfied with the ?80 that the reel cost me and I couldnt really see any improvement that would justify spending ?200 plus, on a more expensive model (Rods though, thats another thing altogether, I think by and large with these, you get what you pay for).

John

 

[John Prendergast]

Further to my above post and after having the chance to use the reel a little more, I suppose the main variable to me that would distinguish one pin against another would be the amount of inertia that the reel exhibits in use.

The Aventa certainly spins freely and smoothly whilst being pulled by the float but I suppose the measure of its efficiency is how much it slows the float down (holds it back).

I have been using the reel with floats only taking four No4 and six No4 and the flow is certainly pulling line off the reel very smoothly, albeit more slowly than the speed of the current, in effect, holding the float back but still running through, which I am led to beleive is an advantage.

I would be very interested to see to what degree one of the more prestigous "pins" would hold the float back in the same circumstances.

Of course, given that the Aventa has a couple of ball races (or is it one?), the lubricant around those races may be a factor, in particular, its viscosity and consequently the reel may free up more, with use.

I think what we would really need would be for someone who has experience of using one of the more expensive models to make a comparison.

John

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Iam no expert with a pin but i thought the idea was for the reel to run the float through at river speed. Giving you the option of holding the float back.

Please correct me if i am wrong as this is a methord that i do'nt use to often.

 

[John Prendergast]

Well Brian,

If that's the case, my Okuma doesn't.

Maybe it isnt so good, after all.

John

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

John i know on the purist there is a adjuster so that you can slow down the reel if you need a slower presentation.

 

[John Prendergast]

Hello Lads,

While surfing around, I stumbled on this link and it seems to contain some, more qualified reviews and comparisons of the Okuma, than I can offer.

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=014918;p=0

One thing I can say, is that in actual use, I am catcing well whilst using it and enjoying doing so, tremendously.

Considering that all of my previous trotting experience was with an Abu 506, getting the hang of fishing with this centre pin has been no problem at all although, no doubt, I will become more proficient with it.

After reading through the thread on the above link, I definately feel that my views and subsequent purchase of the Okuma was justified.

John

 

[Tony Urwin]

I bought the Aventa a couple of weeks ago and I have only used it once on Grayling fishing on the Test at Timsbury.
I had problems with the reel holding back a 0.75g Drennan Alloy stick float but had no problems when I used the 1.25g float.
Also, the conditions when I was using the lighter float were horrible; I had problems with a strong upstream wind and line sticking to the rod in heavy showers.
The heavier float overcame all of these problems.
I blanked on the Grayling however, as I could not get through the out of season Browns, which were great fun on the pin.

 

[Matt Brown]

I've had a couple of casts with the Okuma and it's great.

The only thing I'm not too keen on is that there's join between the reel stem and the foot and if the line gets blown around the back when Wallis casting it can catch in the gap. It would have been nice if this was cast or CNC'd from one piece.

 

[john ledger]

Matt
I have four centrepins and i think you have made the correct decision with your choice. I paid ?230 for the Bob James one made by Youngs and although expensive you get what you pay for.
I have an old Stanton which was made at Rolls Royce factory in Derby around fifty years ago which was a good reel at the time.The Leeds reel will spin for around 3minutes but that does not make it a good pin as it tends to over spin(i know i have one)
One piece of advice i would give you is not to have to much line on spool and 30yds is enough in most cases. Like most Northern Anglers i have my line coming off from the top but the purist will say the line should come off the bottom so the spool spins in a clockwise direction but its personal choice. Hope you get on ok as a good pin is like a good watch and will last forever with TLC

 

[Matt Brown]

Cheers John, I do like my Stanton.

It won't last forever if the same thing happens to my last Stanton - that one fell off my reel fittings into Newark Dyke back in the 80s!

The Youngs reels look great too, but are more than a bit too expensive for me.

ps. I have the line coming off the bottom of the reel. It's just what I'm used to and I get on fine that way. It's a nuisance when it's windy, but that's what my other reels are for.