talk to me about center-pinning

I've never tried braid on my centerline reels. I get enough backlash with Mono, I don't need further headache right now.

But, if I did, I probably would stick with PowerPro braid. I use it on my bait caster.
I understand, I love the braid for me. It floats well, great hook up and it lasts!
 
I use 20-25 for chinook and 15-20 for steelhead/coho. If there's color in the water, I'll opt for the heavier leader. They don't seem to care and anything that helps me get them in faster is better in my opinion. With a dragless pin reel, my control of the resistance is less nuanced and I tend to apply more pressure than less with my hand.

I'm a crap angler and I almost never have a problem with braid so I'm surprised that so many seem to have an aversion. Given the long limber rod and extended drifts, I want less stretch not more. The flexibility for us all to find different solutions that best suit our fishing makes things more interesting.
I'm a braid person myself. I have not had any problems at all? I've had them all and so far, I like the braid for many reasons. I have great hook ups etc. Also floats well!
 
Yeah, I ran in to the same thing when I was getting in to this back in like the 2008-2010 era. All the rods I tried were long, wet noodles. I eventually just ended up using a 7wt switch rod and using electrical tape to attach my reel way up the cork for proper placement.

I eventually ended up with the ECHO PIN rod, which is built on the TR 7wt spey blank. Still longer than necessary at 13', but has the right power and backbone to do what we do up here.
I have the Edge rod and very pleased with the performance. Stryker, Edge and Lamiglass make great rods!
 
I have the Edge rod and very pleased with the performance. Stryker, Edge and Lamiglass make great rods!
I actually had an edge for a while as a secondary rod. Was one of the few I liked, but once my steelhead fishing became much less frequent, I sold it and kept the echo. Only thing I didn't really like about it was it was a 3pc and I hate having a rod I can't just break down in half 🤣

Love my Edge 360 rods for trolling though.
 
I tend to fish with bait casters that have no anti reverse dog{abu 5000d} or reels with a switch to engage the dog{Quantum 1420}. They do the same thing as the centerpin reel but provide me a quicker retrieve and i believe easier casting.
 
CP can be done with nymphs seen in Euro Nymphing neither sport I have done. Can someone do a short bullet point on compare and contrast CP v.s EN?
 
CP can be done with nymphs seen in Euro Nymphing neither sport I have done. Can someone do a short bullet point on compare and contrast CP v.s EN?
Short answer: centerpinning is usually drifting, euronymphing is dragging.
Shorter addendum: CP uses bobbers, euro don't.
 
I fish in B.C. the birthplace of centerpin reels on this side of the Atlantic. 20 years ago it was all Hardy silex reels with a few Bryce and young, jw young. A few local bench made reels started to show up in the 60’s and then there was a resurgence of local reels starting up in the 80’s. We fish heavy as our rivers are steep, fast and the fish pull. Most fish a 10.5-11’ rod and a reel that holds a couple hundred yards of 20# chameleon. But things have been influenced by the east coast with bearing reels and longer lighter rods these days. I fish a mix of everything but on average an 11’ 8-12# rod and a reel loaded with 15# gets the job done almost everywhere. Lots of reels out there from okuma, iskander, hardy, milner, etc. Pick your budget and pick your reel and enjoy. It’s a versatile and effective way to fish on smaller well defined rivers where you pitch to specific holding lies in runs and pocket water.
Ok, kind of an unusual situation... but you might be the right person to ask?

A dear friend gave me what she thought was a fly rod. She had actually built it herself, for her dad, 40-some years ago, following his specs. Is this a centerpin? Quite stout, 10ish feet, odd handle, casting rod style guides. Not sure why the reel seat is so far back. She grew up in BC, and he mostly fished the Dean.
1000008953.jpg
After reading this thread, I don't think I'll be fishing it (not really a steelheader!) but I'd like to display it in my tying room for sentimental reasons

So: if I pick up a vintage reel on ebay... is a mooching reel the same thing?
What would be appropriate float style & terminal tackle for Dean steelhead circa 1980?
Thanks for any info!
 
That is a cool rod for sure.

I remember talking to a Canadian fisherman who always wondered why we Americans put the reel in the center of the handle. They apparently felt the farther back, the longer reach of the rod thus gave an edge to mending the line.
 
Ok, kind of an unusual situation... but you might be the right person to ask?

A dear friend gave me what she thought was a fly rod. She had actually built it herself, for her dad, 40-some years ago, following his specs. Is this a centerpin? Quite stout, 10ish feet, odd handle, casting rod style guides. Not sure why the reel seat is so far back. She grew up in BC, and he mostly fished the Dean.
View attachment 145959
After reading this thread, I don't think I'll be fishing it (not really a steelheader!) but I'd like to display it in my tying room for sentimental reasons

So: if I pick up a vintage reel on ebay... is a mooching reel the same thing?
What would be appropriate float style & terminal tackle for Dean steelhead circa 1980?
Thanks for any info!
A centerpin will have the reel seat much further up the handle. Right around where your hand is. Down low like that wouldn't really work the way you want it to for a centerpin setup. So I'm not entirely sure what this would be for to be honest. Seems too low for a pin setup, mooching, or spey, but way too long of a top handle to be a standard fly rod. Definitely something someone made to fill a particular preference.
 
That is a cool rod for sure.

I remember talking to a Canadian fisherman who always wondered why we Americans put the reel in the center of the handle. They apparently felt the farther back, the longer reach of the rod thus gave an edge to mending the line.
Even on the Canadian setups I've never seen a reel mounted right at the butt.
 
This is about as far down as I’ve seen reels mounted:View attachment 146038
Photo take. From John Milner’s website.
Yeah, that's about as far down as I've seen, too. I've tried it and personally can't stand having it that low. I don't understand the advantage at all. Just not as comfortable to cast or to drift with. But, there's obviously something to it because there is a following for that type of setup.
 
That is a cool rod for sure.

I remember talking to a Canadian fisherman who always wondered why we Americans put the reel in the center of the handle. They apparently felt the farther back, the longer reach of the rod thus gave an edge to mending the line.
I came across a couple references to mounting a mooching reel like that - close to the butt "like a fly reel."

I didn't know him, but his nickname was "Shorty", so maybe this customization helped with reach
 
Even on the Canadian setups I've never seen a reel mounted right at the butt.
I know. I would find it difficult to fish. I like my reel about mid way on the handle, seems to balance out the system really well.
 
I was under the impression that the reel seat was adjustable, not fixed?
Some are. There's some that have rings that slide up and down the cork and hold in place when held tight by a reel foot
 
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