Have a question, maybe dumb, but....

Has anyone ever used a fly rod with a centerpin reel for centerpin fishing? Have a couple 8wt 9'6" that are collecting dust and thought that maybe the softer medium action could be used for this application. I realize they are not typical centerpin rod lengths of 11-14' or whatever, but the handle/grip is arranged properly, no? Any thoughts or experiences from you centerpinners would be appreciated.

No clue, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that part of the reason for the really long rod is on how the action of the rod helps with the cast. Those centerpinners use a really funky cast that seems to me is more rod-oriented-assited then anything else.

That's my guess today, and I'm sticking too it!

Ok, I'm sure one of the real experts will chime in on how stupid of a guess that is and tell you why a shorter fly rod will or won't work.

it would work in a half ass sorta way.....i would go with a longer rod

I'd just hang a spinning reel on that fly rod.........over the years, 40+, I've caught everything from trout, to silver/king jacks, a few summer run steelhead and a few silvers........fun, fun, fun..........

I agree with Parker, long rods "help" with the casting...when using a "centerpin"......my fishing pardner has a centerpin and a 2 piece 13" Loomis rod......works good for him....

I would go with a longer rod with some sort of butt section. It might be kind of hard fighting fish with no butt on the rod because you have to use your rod holding hand to work the reel (slow down the spool/apply drag) to some extent. It would work in a pinch but I doubt that you will like fishing a floatreel on a flyrod. Like DrifterWA said, I would slap a spinning reel on it and use it for drift fishing.

anyone who fishes the kalama a lot knows there's an old timer who fishes with a keen kaster(flat mounted center pin reel) on a rod between 8 and 9 feet long. he drift fishes as well as using bobbers with it, seems to do alright.

The rod length will not hurt you all that much but the handle configuration will. As steelie freak pointed out centre pin rods have quite long butt sections .The long butt is a plus when palming the reel while fighting a fish. Those who fish the Canadian style centre pin also use that long butt to apply extra force when casting.

They will work allright. Not the ideal handle config. but in a pinch it will do. I like the long fore grip and about a six inch rear cork. Casting is not an issue at all for small water I have and 1143 tied up for my pin.

its jonas, about time..


pinners ?

always good, no matter how you roll them

Hey Jonas, its Romulus............

Your cousin........




'bout nine o'clock.............






Got some killer "labrador" rolled up, why dontcha come over and help me finish this bottle??


We been getting a bunch of Springers in the net. Smoker's loaded. Got a new guard dog too, so watch out...

Thanks for the input fellas. Sounds like I should just get a centerpin rod to centerpin fish, makes sense.

Good choice for all the reasons mentioned above.

The longer rod will help mend the line better on the long drifts.

The up sides of the centre pin system are two fold. One, the drag free drift ability of the reel. And two, the line management capability of the long rod. Even with those two factors working at their maximum capability, the centre pin system, in my opinion, is still putting the user at a bit of a disadvantage over other options for casting, retrieving, and line/gear management. Take one of those away, such as rod length, and you are even farther into the hole.

That having been said, style is usually a factor and catching a fish in spite of odds stacked in the opposite direction, can be very rewarding and certainly bears merit for those in search of such an experience.

You can fish a fly on a spinning rig, you can fish drift gear on a fly rig, and you can certainly use a centre pin reel on any number of rods. However, on a macro level, matching your gear to your method based on generally accepted norms and in some cases refined data, is usually the best and most efficient way to go. On a finer level, there are those that could make strong arguments on many finer points within a given discipline, and such a proposition, to them, would seem a bit ludicrous. Oil and water so to speak.

Personally, the path is but part of the reward, the end result another. Lots of other variables along the way.

up here we use shorter rods with center pins while fishing the smaller creeks. Lots of guys use 9' 8wt and 10' 9wt fly rod blanks to make these rods. Custom done handles and guides that are not chrome plated snakes are used. If your fly rods are factory built with an extension butt, you should change the guides has the chrome snakes get line grooves very quickly when used a few days.