Using a center pin for bomb and feeder fishing

[mikench]

I know many of you use your pins for all aspects of fishing. I have used mine for trotting and for light bomb and floater fishing. The ratchet is a perfectly good clutch as in a baitrunner.

My question is have you used one for casting( within its inherent limitations) method feeders of other bait feeders and do you use an underarm flick or a Wallis cast?

 

[Aknib]

I regularly use a 'pin with a bomb or feeder Mike, for fishing reasonably close I find that through the method of casting it tends to put it on the spot each time which is something I've never otherwise been particularly good at.

I always underam it out, having first pulled off however many loops of line I need between the first two or three rings and if you think about it, once you've decided on how many loops you need, you're using the same amount of line each time so it's nice and accurate.

As soon as it hits the water I then just feather the 'pin and let the bait and rig drop vertically before tightening up just enough to straighten everything out.

It's easily good for fishing three rod lengths out.

 

[seth49]

Last year I was using a pin with a method feeder in the margins for carp and tench, just a couple of rod lengths down the margin, so just swung out into place.

Placed the rod on a couple of rests fixed to my Korum chair, ratchet on and waited till one tried to pull the rod in and the ratchet was screaming, was really effective caught lots of carp and some tench doing this, good scrap as well on the pin, I used a twelve ft barbel rod with a nice through action which worked well together.

Best days catch was twenty carp, between eight and twelve pounds in weight, so it’s certainly an effective method, and four tench one morning as well, enjoyed it.

 

[mikench]

I always underam it out, having first pulled off however many loops of line I need between the first two or three rings and if you think about it, once you've decided on how many loops you need, you're using the same amount of line each time so it's nice and accurate.

I hadn't thought of that aspect Steve; cunning! I'm accumulating ideas for when fishing resumes and I might just practice that in the garden.

 

[nottskev]

I hadn't thought of that aspect Steve; cunning! I'm accumulating ideas for when fishing resumes and I might just practice that in the garden.

I've watched Steve do this, so I'll add something he'd be too modest to say - practice it for a couple of years and you might get it to work as smoothly! ( I speak as someone who's more at your stage than his) I also notice he leaves a long drop when swinging out a bomb or slider - almost down to the butt. That adds to the line the loops give, but makes it all slightly trickier.

 

[mikench]

Kev, I already accept that I will never be as good as Steve as long as I live.

I have fished quite a few times with Ian( Tigger) and he too is far too modest to say and no doubt cringes when I refer to him as the master. He can cast a float effortlessly and accurately stood up to his doodahs in a torrent. I am just happy to stay upright. When he casts on a still water I am hard pressed to achieve his accuracy with a FS reel and again he makes it look so easy.

I must and will practice .

 

[108831]

Mike,there used to be a member on FM,toddy,Mark Todd,he used to fish rapidex for barbel wherever possible,he used make an O out of his thumb and forefinger on his left hand,holding the O maybe 18in away from the face of the pin,thus creating a fixed spool position and flick the lead out,I did use the method for a while before my family treated me to a custom built jobby,like a Ray Walton rolling pin,but far better made,if you go in your garden to try Toddys method used around an ounce and a half,it will take a short time to accostom yourself but certainly 20/25m is achievable.

 

[rayner]

I have pins I haven't used since March 98, unfortunately, they are consigned now to a drawer never to see the light of day again.
I seriously doubt that I would use one for anything other than float fishing, the lines on all reels are Aitken 2000 mono at two or three pounds. Not really useful for anything other than the roach or the odd chub I used to encounter.

 

[peterjg]

Whitty in his previous post detailed a really easy way to cast with a pin. Another method on the same theme is to have the line go around a pair of artery forceps. Again on the same theme, some anglers used a metal open hook which was in a wooden handle (like a file handle) which (if you hold the rod in right hand) was held in your left hand and made the line come off of the side of the centrepin like a fixed spool reel - sounds complicated but it's simple. Obviously you can't cast like this if you use a line guard or if the centre pin is caged like a Rapidex.

 

[mikench]

I can't quite picture that method Peter and I have pins with H Hardy Conquest) and without a line guard ( Sheffield and J W Youngs Bj)I'll try tomorrow in the garden.

 

[S-Kippy]

I love using a pin but for anything other than very close range I would not be fannying about using one to fish a lead or feeder. I really can't see the point....a fixed spool will do the job better and easier albeit with no posing
points.

 

[Aknib]

I love using a pin but for anything other than very close range I would not be fannying about using one to fish a lead or feeder. I really can't see the point....a fixed spool will do the job better and easier albeit with no posing
points.

It's funny you should say that Skip, I agree in the overall sentiment of a fixed spool being far easier but I don't get the same enjoyment out of it but we're all different and that's what makes it interesting.

The comment about posing points though, I'm often quite self conscious on the rare occasions that I arrive on the bank of a venue amongst people waving infinite metres of expensive carbon around and feel very definitely belittled when I take out the rod and 'pin, not that it really bothers me enough to give a toss but I've never really seen it as 'posing points'.

Do people really judge it as that?

 

[ian g]

I think I get what you mean , the O with finger and thumb means the line comes off the spool like a fixed spool when you cast?

 

[Keith M]

I use a pin for trotting and occasionally when I’m rolling a bait along the bottom and I also find it ideal when If I’m fishing for Tench using the lift method as I can tighten up to the float very easily (See fig).



I also occasionally fish a light leger close in for Carp using the pin.


Keith

 

[fishface1]

Hi Mike,

I certainly wouldn’t class myself as an expert, but I use a pin for 95% of my river fishing, be that trotting for chub/dace, or ledgering for barbel. I also use a pin, when I can, for targeting carp.

Generally, where I fish you are using big floats (5g +) or 2oz plus ledgers, and casting to the far bank (20m+)

At first it seems like you will never get beyond the grabbing a bit of line between the rings and flicking that out, but if you persevere, a (sort of) Wallis cast is very doable.

Like most things in life it is all about timing. And now might just be the right time to practice!

My method involves grabbing the first rings worth of line, and then timing a gentle flick of the spool, with my other hand, at the moment I feel the weight of the float/weight in the follow through of the cast.

Sorry a terrible description, there’s a YouTube clip that explains much better than I can. I’ll look it up!

 

[peterjg]

I use centre pin reels a lot because I enjoy using them - depending on swim. However; let's be realistic, overall fixed spool reels are so much easier to use and usually more efficient. In the right swim and conditions they are great. For some though there seems to be a sort of weird eletism if they use a pin - it's just another type of reel, thats all.

 

[mikench]

I plan to practice and am geared up for tomorrow.

 

[108831]

Something to do at this time of boredom eh Mike,imv centrepins give a great playing system for barbel,1 to 1 obviously,that is until large amounts of weed,or obstructions that the fish need steering round,quickly,then fixed spools rule the roost 100%.

To Ian,yes,exactly that,it works extremely well with practice...:wh

 

[Aknib]

I use a pin for trotting and occasionally when I’m rolling a bait along the bottom and I also find it ideal when If I’m fishing for Tench using the lift method as I can tighten up to the float very easily (See fig).



I also occasionally fish a light leger close in for Carp using the pin.


Keith

I enjoy that too Keith, dialling the drum fractionally with your thumb whilst watching the float rise and pimple until you set it just right.

 

[mikench]

There will be no floats involved ; my lawn is dry as a bone .