# What is centerpin?



## brodg (Sep 6, 2010)

Please forgive my ignorance but I don't know what centerpin fishing is. Ok I saw a youtube video and it looks a lot like a fly reel but that is where my understanding ends. What are the advantages? disadvantages? Is it cast like a fly rod, spinner, or completely different?

Just Curious
Thanks guys,


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## thephildo0916 (Mar 4, 2009)

search function.


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## brodg (Sep 6, 2010)

Ok I searched centerpin function, lots of info. Do you use it with a fly line or regular line?


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## thephildo0916 (Mar 4, 2009)

I am not a pinner but from what I understand, it is a fly rod, with no drag, and a free floating spool. Meaning you fight the fish with your hand controlling the drag. The free spool allows for long unobstructed drifts as well. (Again I am not a pinner, this is all from my understanding, correct me if I am wrong).


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## ShutUpNFish (Apr 17, 2007)

Found this for you on another site...

BACKROUND

Centrepin fishing (aka float fishing) is a method of delivering a presentation to a fish in a natural, drag-free manner. It pre-dates fly fishing, and originated in Europe where rough fish are highly desired, and stealth and proper presentations to spooky fish are a must. Because of the simplicity of a centrepin reels design, it was a good tool to make long casts in lakes, or to get long drifts in rivers. The basics of the reels design remain unchanged today, but the technology and materials have advanced it such that it is still an effective method to deliver a presentation.

CENTREPIN REELS

The centrepin reel is a large drum with a free spinning spool that rotates in any direction. Its design looks similar to a fly reel, with a larger diameter (usually about 5") but the big difference is that the spool is free-spinning. Usually bearings or bushings are created around the stem to allow this to happen. If you pick up a centerpin reel and give the handle a whirl, the spool will continue to whizz around for minutes if you don't touch it again.

Aside from a small clicker found on some reels, which places a tiny bit of resistance on the spool when the angler needs to rig up or do something,(it has no purpose for actual fishing) there is NO DRAG on the reel whatsoever. Fighting a fish means that when a fish is pulling out line, the angler must creatively use palming the reel or placing fingers on the spinning spool to apply resistance.

Some of the more widely known reel makers are: Islander, JW Young, Okuma, Mykiss, Hanson, Vectra, and Sheffield. There are many more.

RODS

A float rod is usually a longer, more limber type, and designed in a spinning style. No special guides are needed. Typically, rods of 13 to 15 feet are used, though some anglers will fish shorter rods if they are in tiny creek situations, or longer ones if they are on huge water. We can cover why these long rods are used in a moment.
Rods generally are softer in the tip, and firmer at the butt, a charachteristic also found in good salmon and steelhead drift rods. Even though these rods are long, they are usually very lightweight, and because a properly balanced rod or reel is important, it is surprisingly easy to manage.

Some of the more common makers of float rods are: Loomis, Raven, Frontier, Batson, St. Croix, and Sage. There are many more.

MAINLINE

Usually, if one were to spool an entire reel with line, it would hold over 300 yards easily. If that line near the spool was wound tightly , it could cause the spool to actually warp a bit..........this is very bad when dealing with such a finely tuned reel. 

As a result, most people will put dacron backing on about 75% of the reels capacity, and then attach to thier mainline and fill it up to within about 1/4-1/8th inch from the spools rim.

The mainline used on a centrepin setup is open to interpretation, but most people use standard monofilaments, and a few select anglers actually use braided lines. Be advised that braided lines can stiffen and freeze in low temps unless treated, and some warn that braided lines do eventual damage to high quality line guides.

Among the monofilament lines, (the most popular) some people prefer high visibility lines, and some choose lines that have a tendency to float. Common lines used are maxima, ande, siglon, and iron silk.

FLOATS

The floats used on centrepin rigs vary in size and shape. Narrow, thin floats are generally used when fishing slower, smoother flows. Think about floats that are almost pencil-shaped.The theory is that the float goes under easier, with less resistance to the fish. Some examples of float types would be wagglers, drennan loafers, and Blackbird Avon style floats

In moderate flows, the diameter is usually more like a cigar, and will have a taper at either end.

In choppy or fast flows, the float takes on an egg or teardrop shape, offering a wider surface area that is less prone to bobbing under all the time if the presentation bounces along rocks or bottom debris.

Some people are very picky on the floats used; and shape thier own. Companies that are commonly making centerpin floats that I know are Redwing tackle, Blackbird, Thill, and Drennan.

Most floats are secured to the line using differrent diameters of surgical tubing. this allows someone to adjust the placement of the float along the shot line (more on that below)when moving from spot to spot where the depth is always changing.

SHOT and the SHOT LINE

Generally, there will be shot hanging below that float on something referred to as a 'shot line'. This is different from the mainline in that it is usually a bit smaller in diameter, and will ideally be less visible to fish. 

Usually, the main line is connected to the shot line via a knot or tiny swivel.

On the shot line is where the float-- and the shot will be placed. Any standard line can be used; but keep in mind that since shot will be placed on it and slid around in different conditions, so you want a line with good abrasion resistance. Some flourocarbon lines quickly get thier outer coatings shredded when tightly bound shot are slid up and down.

There can be any number of shot below the float, but generally people will place larger shot near the float, and the size shrinks as one gets further down the shot line. 

In slow flows, a lot of people will evenly space or 'shirt-button' thier shot down the line.

In medium flows there is a tendency to group them more heavily on the middle part of the shot line.

In fast flows, there is a tendency to cluster more shot in the middle or lower parts of the shot line. The theory is that a condensed amount of weight will punch down through fast currents better than the same amount of weight evenly distributed across the shot line.

The total weight of your shot is generally an amount that will get your bait down near bottom, and have the float just barely floating/hovering above water, so that it is easily pulled down if a fish takes. 

The size of some shot is in grams, or fractions of a gram, and so are some floats. So if you buy a 6 gram float, that means that 6 grams worth of shot will submerge it.

**Some anglers insist on using round or oval shot, and avoid the removable split shot with "wings".....claiming that it sometimes twists the line and causes the line to tangle upoun itself when the rig is in mid-air being cast.

Some common shot manufacturers are:Water Gremlin, Blackbird, Raven, and Dinsmoor.

Attached to the bottom end of the shot line is the leader/tippet. some folks will use tiny tiny ant swivels (they are sized like hooks, and using a size 16 or 18 is common) to connect thier shot line to thier leader.

Leader lengths vary by preference, but most people lengthen them in clear waters, and shorten them in cloudier. A good starter distance for a leader is usually around 18".

Leader material is usually the smallest diameter of the three lines on your rig. This helps to ensure that if you are snagged on bottom, that only the leader will break and you won't have to retie all that rigging above it.
Of course, it also ensures that no line is visible to the fish as they consider your offering.

CONCEPT--WHY IT WORKS.

When you cast a rig like this out into a flow, you generally are working water downstream of you. You will notice that some centrepinners actually line up perpedicular to a run, and stand above it; directly opposite from anglers who line up parallel to the current. Generally, the more directly upstream of a targeted area you are, the better.

As the rig lands in the water, the rig will align itself with the currents such that the offering gets downstream of everything (shot & float) above it when a tiny bit of tension (known as "checking" is done) is applied for the first couple of seconds of the drift.... Thus, when it goes downstream, the offering will be the first thing that the fish sees as it approaches. If you were to be underwater and view the rig from the side, you would notice that a properly configured rig would be set up at about a 45 degree angle. 

Thus a general rule of thumb in determining how deep to set your rig is that the distance between your float and your offering is *usually* 1.5 times the depth of the water you're fishing. But remember that time and experience, and the way your shot is rigged will be the variables later on; and a constantly evolving game.

This is one advantage. The fish sees the offering first.

The second advantage is that once the currents begin to move and pull the float downstream, the line will begin to gently peel off the spool......the spool will begin turning......and will pull out line at the ****exact same speed of the current.****

Combining this with the fact that the offering is drifting downstream of all your rigging makes for a presentation that hovers downstream in the strike zone and stays there for a very, very, very, long time.

Additionally, by placing your rig on a seam between slow and fast water, the float will "find" the seam, and stay right on it....its amazing to observe this.

Sometimes, in larger eddies, you can steer the rig into the eddie (another long rod advantage) and by carefully taking up line as it approaches back at you, and pivoting your rod properly, you can make your rig do 'laps' around and around in that eddie without a lot of effort.

When the angler is using a long rod, elevated,it allows line to be kept off the water, and connects directly with the float. This prevents currents from catching the line and modifying your rigs speed or behavior in the water. If your depth is set properly, the top of the float will be tipped upstream, or towards you. This is an indicator that the stuff below the float is downstream of it. If the float tip is pointing downstream, your rig is set too deep, and is dragging bottom.

THE TAKE

When a fish hits, the bobber goes down, and many times you actually 'feel' the strike as well. Some strikes are a toilet bowl flush and the float dissappears, and other times (if you can clearly see the float) you will see the tip of the float point in a different direction. INSTANTLY.....THE FIRST THING YOU MUST DO IS CLAMP YOUR HAND ON THE SPOOL TO STOP ITS TURNING; LOCKING IT IN PLACE....(this is *easily* done with your rod holding hand by pushing available fingers down onto the spool)

Just strike back, slow and deliberate.....(fish dont often drop the offering as quick because there is no resistance felt)..and hold that rod high for a good long time, (it sometimes takes a second for the fish to realize its been hooked) and the rod will start bouncing and the fight is on.

Fighting a fish with a centrepin is cool because you learn how to apply finger or palming pressure properly when a fish is running. Later in the fight, the long limber rod absorbs a lot of shock when trying to land the fish; and of course, the limber rod allows the use of very light leaders or tippets....some anglers can effectively and quickly fight big steelhead with 4 lb tippets if they have a proper rod.

Another neat advantage of fighting a fish is that if you get a real hottie on and they scream towards you, you can "bat" the reel, and with an easy flick of the handle, bring in a TON of line instantly because of that free floating spool.


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## davef (Aug 7, 2007)

Paul's article covered a lot of info better than i ever could but one thing missing from that piece is casting a pin. The only thing I know about casting is I'm not good at it but there are a lot of videos out there that explain it.

Even with my terrible casting ability I can occasionally do well with a pin and actually enjoy the fact that you play the fish yourself with no help from a built in drag. I usually leave it at home till Pa. deer season starts as the crowds are less then.


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