Hi Fishjunkey: Your right about that ;it takes the right conditions and it takes the right rod.
When you are casting to fish you can see or know are in a particular location the centerpin is fine particularly in very slow drifts.
Good float rods are difficult to find. Length is important I find that 11 to 12 foot rods are right for me. A good float rod has a relatively firm tip and a soft butt. My favorite is actually a Talon 14'spey caster shortened to 12 feet by cutting the butt section.
However in fast water retrieving line makes me feel like a French chef trying to whip skim milk into whipped cream with an eggbeater.
coot