Regardless of the crap I will receive from some of my fly fishing buddies, I have decided to get a centerpin out fit...or for you dudes north of the border, centrepin.

I have decided on a Ross Flow reel and want to get a Sage 3106 L rod but I'm unsure about the length. Is 10.5 feet long enough for good centerpinning? It seems a little short compared to a lot of other CP rods.

Also, should you use mono or braid for mainline? I can see the advantages of braid but I'm not sure how it casts. I saw the centerpin video Amato put out awhile back but I don't remember if they touched on these two issues.

Any help?

Dave,
Just a suggestion, but you might want to give Anil a call @ PSFC.
He's been pinning for awhile now and seems to have it dialed in and could help answer your questions.

Don't take me for an expert. But, I just bought a Centerpin outfit. You might want to go longer, 11.5 feet. You could go longer, but, you should be able to cover most waters both large and small with 11.5 feet.

Don't go braid. You're going go through a lot of line at first learning how to cast and and you really don't want to be throwing out 50 or 100 feet of braid after the end of the day. Mono will be fine. I have about 100 yards of backing and about 100 yards of mono on top of that.

BTW I bought a Raven Rod and Reel.

Don't worry about what your fly fishing buddies think. I don't think floating a egg pattern under a indicator is really fly fishing. I only say that because I like to fly fish too. To each his own.

Either Anil or Clark at PSFC. Both real good guys.

Thanks guys. I just spent a day "fly fishing" with a switch rod, jig, and indicator. To be honest, I didn't really enjoy it even though I caught some decent fish. If I had to fish that method, I'd rather use a spinning rod and float, or move to the next level and do the center pin thing. Seems like you should enjoy yourself while using the best tool for the job. A two-hand fly rod using indicator techniques just doesn't do it for me. And I'm not going to do it just so others think I'm a "fly fisherman".

Dave,

The Ross flow is a good choice for a reel. However, for only a little more, you can get an Islander. Also, what type of rivers do you fish (small, medium, large)? The reason that I ask, is because the length of your rod is somewhat dictated the the type of water that you fish. For example, a 15 foot rod on a small river with overhanging tree branches is going to be an obvious pain in the ass. Also, check out Raven:(http://www.raventackle.com/float_rods.htm). They make decent rods, and they are not over priced. In addition, I second stone fish's suggestion about visiting Puget Sound Fly Company. They should be able to help you out. Also, Ted's Sports Center carries a few center pin reels and rods. I hope that this helps.

Regards,

Andrew

Sam-I am

What brand of mono are you using and does it matter?

I have been pinning for 15 years with a 10.5 ft rod never felt the need
to go longer. I have the sage you are looking at and it is money.

DaveD......

A fishing pardner has been fishing a "Center pin and 13' Loomis" rod for 2 years.....He bought the centerpin reel from Michigan, that person filled the spool with "Ande green" and its been no problem......NO NOT use braid.....

The combination is used for summer run steelhead...bobber and jigs....works very well.......

Just put "center pin" in the blank area of your web browser........you'll get all the information you ever wanted to know....

Good luck

Andrew,

Good point about river size. Although I do fish larger rivers, I fish them using other methods such as fly swinging, drifting (bottom bouncing) or swinging spoons. I would do most if not all my pinning on smaller rivers. Therefore, perhaps I don't need or even want a 13 foot rod.

Sam,

So I can see using cheaper mono when learning to cast but after becoming proficient, I would want to use the best line available for fishing. Braid would allow easier mending and less stretch but may spook fish in real clear, low water. If using mono, do people treat it with floatant to help with mending?

After checking the Raven site (thanks by the way) most pin rods are much lighter (4-8 lbs) than the Sage rods (10-20 lbs). It is almost like Sage wanted to get into gear rods but they weren't really sure what they were doing.

I bought Raven line at the recommendation of Clark at PSFC. I like it because its fairly limp, doesn't seem to hold the twist that you'll get when learning how to cast a center pin, and it's high visibility.

Dave,
I did the pin thing for a while. From my time I spent doing it I will tell you 11.5' is about the shortest you want to get if you are fishing smaller rivers. The longer the rod the easier it is to mend the line to get the drag-free drift you are after. Mono is all I ever used (suffix siege) and never had a problem with it. If your wallet is too full you can get the Siglon float lines or Ultima float lines which are really nice. There are line dressings that you can run your line through to aid in floating but regular mono is usually just fine on it's own. floatfishnconnection and swatske (usernames on youtube) are going to be your best bets for learning the casts. Dominic Federico at Infinity Rod Creations is one of the main driving forces behind centerpinning in the US. http://www.floatfishingconnection.com/ is the main website that I have found for the biggest group of people in one spot that do it. I started with the Okuma Aventa combo and it worked perfectly for me for learning and fishing and it cost me 200 dollars. That rig will easily take you from beginner to near expert without having to upgrade. I tried the Ross Flow and it is a nice reel. It is sort of a tweener in price and value between the entry-level reels and the high-end handbuilt ones. I ultimately ended up with a 4.5" Adcock Stanton reel and a custom rod built on a Batson XST blank and I don't think that setup has any peers but centerpin reels are really really really really really addictive, you can't own just one!

I never did look at the sage rods. My rod is rated 8 - 12 pound. It's got a little back bone to it.

The line I am using, Raven, seems to stay on top quit well. I didn't have any problem picking it up off the water when mending the line either.

I was concern with using mono too, since it sinks. I think I read some where that a copolymer mono filament line will tend to float more than other mono filament lines. I think that is what the Raven lines do.

I know there is person on the board that fishes heavier lines on a center pin rod. I don't know what he uses. I would like to know too, since 10 pound seems a little light for the winter nates on the Hoh...

BTW I think the Ross reel is the cats meow of reels. I was real temped to buy that reel. I didn't want to spend a lot on my first set up.

I by no means am an expert, I'm new at this too. But, I think I got off to a good start with the help from the guys at PSFC.

There are two different styles of pinning. Great Lakes and B.C. style
The sage rods have been around in B.C for twenty years and that is the market they were made for.

I fished an older Sage Gsh3106LB, brown blank rod, for a while and it is a great rod. I recently switched to a GSH3113LB because I wanted just a little more
backbone. After using both rods, I really don't think there is much difference. Me personally, I wouldn't try landing big kings on the 3106LB, it is just a touch too light and is too difficult to turn them.

I use a couple of different reels with mono only. I have an old school Hardy Silex that is spooled with 20# mono that I use on bigger rivers, due to it's greater line capacity. I also have a bushing Milner Kingfisher with 15# mono that I run on all other rivers.

As far as needing a longer rod to aid in mending, I think that is a misconception. You can actually accomplish a similar mend by keeping your line on the water as well and it will follow right in line with the flow. It just takes practice. One thing a longer rod will help with though is making longer casts. But really, how far do you really need to cast? Casting too far, you can't accomplish a good drift with your float anyway.

It just takes practice and a properly balanced pin. Proper weight under the float is key to a good drift and good casting. It is a blast fighting a fish, but learning to fish a pin isn't the most fun I have ever had. It is actually a bit frustrating until you get it dialed.

Bring your patience to the river, trust me, you will need it at first.

Just keepin' it real.....

Ps....I do not know anyone I fish with or around in BC that use braid or floatant.

Dave,

Depending on your target species (size fish), there are a limited number of sufficient blanks out there currently availible to get the job done, West Coast style. I have built five pin rods in the last two months and out of all of them I would say the 11'6" 4 pc. Forecast spey blank is a top choice for build up, with the 12'6" of the same make a close second.

The primary problem with our style of pinning is there is not one company meeting our needs for the "perfect rod", yet. (Which in my opinion would be a 12' 2 pc., with a line rating of 8#-12#.) The Great Lakes region seems to continue having the stronghold on what is being factory built, I.E. 4#-10# range rods, which cut it for hatchery fish but definitely not larger natives. Lami makes the 2 pc. 8#-15# which is a great rod for big fish but not so forgiving on the all day casting front, and not much fun on smaller fish.

Stay 2 or 4 pc. as 3 pc. rods are more of a pain to break down when bushwhacking/hiking.

CP reels are like old school fly reels, a line holder with a clicker and zero drag. Two critical elements in selecting a reel are handle placement and ease of takedown streamside. You don't want the handles to be too close to the outer rim or your fingers will interfere when casting and feeding line. Also worthy of mention is if there is too much open space on the spool/handle side, fingers have a tendency to find their way off the handles and into the "twist zone" at the most inopportune times... Like when your hands are wet and have a fish on.

Islander and Ross are both good reels but so are brands costing half as much. I have a Raven and two Okumas, both brands under $200. One of the Okumas is bearing the other bushing. I prefer bushing models to bearing as they break in nicely, afford a little extra edge in the overrun minimization department and are less hassle to clear when debris are encountered. Another thing to consider is minimal porting, like closed back styles, which further aid in keeping debris entry to a minimum. (In other words for a couple hundred extra bucks by a Milner!)

Line choice is pretty basic, use whatever you like. I have used pretty much all monos on the CP and am currently running 15# Raven floating. Floating mono is great at first but after less than ten outings it has become the "super sinker"... Guess it's time to break out the parafin or fly line foatant again.

Good luck in your selections and have fun with your new method of hookup.

Other than novelty, why would an angler choose a center pin over a spinning reel?

I came by a couple old Winona reels last summer. I think they are about as old school as center pinning gets in the US. One of them doesn't spin freely, and I haven't taken the time to figure out how to take it apart to clean up, but I'd like to get them both functioning.

That's good info about the 11.5' Forecast Spey blank Joe. I was thinking that I'd try the Winona on my old yellow Eagle Claw casting rod. However, it's all about novelty to me because I have a perfectly servicable spinning rod to cast a jig and bobber.

Sg

centerpin is about the most direct fight you can get with the fish. You have no drag other than what you put on the reel with your fingers for drag. You also get the perfect drag-free drift.

Blakemore Real Magic in aerosol or pump is easily sprayed onto your line while on the reel. It conditions your line and aids in casting, floatation and reducing line memory. It really helps your mono to cast and fish well for float fishing. It can be reapplied easily and quickly as needed. Can be used on braid as well.

Grayghost,

I hear that the Blakemore stuff gums things up after awhile, especially after being exposed to warmer temps/direct sunlight and dirt. Any truth to this in your experience?

(I will say that this was reported on baitcast reels in particular.)