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Centrepin advice

David Maddison

Senior Member
I am looking at buying a centrepin(Secondhand)and can spend up to £100. I have a marco cortesi mark 1 and although it is a good centrepin for the price i am looking for a pin which has a lower start up inertia. I have looked(But not tried) at Okuma sheffield,trent and Aventa's so far which all look good and also a J W Young purist 2.
Another reason i need another pin is that the small part on the cortesi which engages the ratchet dropped out when i knocked it! :mad:
Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

Dave
 
You won't go far wrong with an Okuma, the Sheffield is probably the best of the bunch but they're all good. There were a few new Kennets available online recently, basically a Sheffield with a line guard, a friend got one for about £90.
 
Just sent a mint condition Trent to America that was a cracking reel. Had a few inquiries from the US they like em.
 
I've got cheaper and more expensive pins but Okumas are my favourite and are permanently set up on three of my rods. Bombproof and easy to maintain. They get immersed in water regularly as I'm stood mid-river cack-handedly unhooking a decent fish and are fine. Occasionally get a bit of fine sand inside but just one easily opened central screw (no tool required) to open up and give it a quick clean.
 
You could try the Okuma Martin Bowler pin, machined from Magnesium as opposed to aluminium, so ultra light, so inertia shouldn't be an issue, otherwise similar spec to the "Sheffield"
 
I have an Aventa pro and it's a really nice reel for float fishing, although the ratchet set up is really annoying sometimes as you have to use both hands to hold the rod and reach around the back of the reel to twist it.
For bottom work I use the Grice and Young Avon Royal Supremes, they can be picked up in good condition online for a sensible price and are superb reels, very robust and user friendly with a lovely ratchet lever location and a drag which although I don't generally use, is handy to have.

Centrepins are a bit like rods though, every angler will have a different preference. What one chap loves will not be up to the job for the next guy.
 
I've got an Okuma Kennet which is excellent if you don't mind line guards. I don't mind them as I have one on my Avon Royal Supreme as well, which as Dan says are excellent pins at a reasonable price. I've also got an Adcock Stanton which I acquired before prices became silly, paid about £80 for mine in mint condition with ratchet.

Nick C
 
I'm sending off for some new bearings for my Marco Cortesi today, I can get you some replacements for yours if you want. Replacing the missing part ifvthecrstchet is easy enough if you do a search on the Internet
 
I'm sending off for some new bearings for my Marco Cortesi today, I can get you some replacements for yours if you want. Replacing the missing part ifvthecrstchet is easy enough if you do a search on the Internet

Hello Dave, Do you contact Dragon Carp for the parts? I have just phoned them now after finding out the triangular part missing is called the "Pawl" which dropped out on the river bank. Looking through google it has been an issue with the original Cortesi's and the chap i spoke to told me they had none left. I was told to keep trying and see if they have any returns also.
I have put a bid in for a cortesi on ebay for the the Pawl but don't see the point in going too high!
This is the Pawl - The Maggotdrowners Forum - Marco Cortesi - Help please

Regard Dave
 
Hi David

I found all this out recently thanks to a thread I started on Traditionalfisherman here: Marco Cortesi centrepin maintenance - The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I contacted a bearings manufacturer for the replacement bearings - you send them and they match and send replacements.

As for the pawl I have a vague memory of seeing a thread somewhere which described how to make your own pawl. I had read that Dragon Carp would be no good for parts, you might be right and finding a cheap reel on ebay might be best, but I'm a beginner in these matters so I might be wrong. It does seem like a headache for a cheap reel.

The pawl just fell out of my speedia when I was cleaning it but it was at home so I found it and fitted it again.
 
Hello Dave, Do you contact Dragon Carp for the parts? I have just phoned them now after finding out the triangular part missing is called the "Pawl" which dropped out on the river bank. Looking through google it has been an issue with the original Cortesi's and the chap i spoke to told me they had none left. I was told to keep trying and see if they have any returns also.
I have put a bid in for a cortesi on ebay for the the Pawl but don't see the point in going too high!
This is the Pawl - The Maggotdrowners Forum - Marco Cortesi - Help please

Regard Dave

I just sent you a pm about this
 
Guys, please don't shoot me in the back for this, (only my opinion) but when you buy a cheap Pin for £30 you should expect faults.

I personally would bite the bullet and buy a better quality pin rather than try to fix a cheaper one aka Marco Cortesi

PS I use an Aventa Pro for both trotting and legering which is also a relatively cheap reel but good quality.
 
I have to say I agree . I bought one of these Cortesi pins for a young lad who was keen to try a centre pin . They are pants , the gap between the back plate and the spool is way to big , result the line is forever getting behind and causes some hideous tangles . In the end I binned it and gave him an old speedia , no problems and he is getting pretty good now at using it now . For the money a 2nd hand Okuma is the way to go .
 
Yes, agreed. I bought some replacement bearings for mine and they've not made much difference, but it was a bit of fun really, not intended to be a replacement for a quality pin.

I've already put my order in for one for Christmas
 
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