Quest Outdoors

spindle · Lunker Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 130

We Brits don't get to see or hear much about centrepins from your side of the pond, yet I don't imagine they operate any different and would still be sensitive enough for the kind of angling we do.

I've heard about CLOUGH reels, but never seen one. Who was CLOUGH (I believe he's passed away?) and what makes his reels so special.

I also saw a pic of an APEX in another thread. That's a very pretty reel - who are/were APEX?

Any others I should know about???? Surprised

)

Cheers

Glenn

Slammin Steel · Eyed Egg Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 7

The most popular reels here that I've seen are Islander, Raven, and JW Young. The majority reels sold here in the states are made in Canada. My reel, the Kingfisher is made by John Milner. I believe he is British and immigrated to Canada in the 50s. He currently resides in British Columbia. I know one guy that uses the British made Arnold Kingpin reel. Here are some links to stores that carry pins and tackle

http://float-fishing-specialties.com/

http://www.thefishingstore.ca/steelhead2.html

spindle · Lunker Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 130

Over in the UK we have (or had) a number of precision engineers making very fine 'pins. Chris Lythe, Garry Mills, Paul Witcher, Dave Plowman and Richard Carter come to mind. Of those, only Chris and Garry are still making them.

Garry used to be foreman at JW Youngs before it was downsized and taken over by Masterline. These days he turns out his own pins and very good they are too (Kevan, as mentioned, has the FJT model - FJT = Fred J Taylor who is a famous angler over here).

www.milltackle.co.uk

Chris makes superb reels and I believe his Eclipse model is very popular with steelheaders. Mine is his 1915 which is based on an old . Aerial pattern.

www.chrislythe-centrepins.co.uk
(his website is down at time of writing but should be up again soon)

Paul Witcher sadly decided to stop making (again) just as I had one of his reels on order - so he returned my deposit. Which was a shame because his reels are superb but also have a unique ageing process applied to them. Very expensive mind (£550 - whatever that is in dollars).

No website, but see here (and pic of a Plowman too):

http://www.fishing.co.uk/article.php3?id=1901

And Richard Carter made some lovely reels but stopped making them several years ago. Hopefully he'll start up again when he retires from working in the Formula 1 motor racing industry!!!

Sadly the market for centrepins isn't as big as for fixed-spools etc. so centrepin manufacturers are few and far between over here. However, the 'pin is becoming very popular again (as it should!) and more seem to be trickling onto the market.

Pinner · Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:56 pm Post subject:

Hey Spindle heres a pic of the "Clough" reel the maker was Derek Clough, been deceased for awhile now. The reels were turned out from what i have heard in the Oshawa General Motors plant. Its hard to say how many were made but some say between 100-300 but i think closer 100. He sold them for somewhere around $500.00 canadian dollars back in the mid 80's, last i heard of one beeing sold went for $3000.00 U.s dollars.

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I have some other pics of reels i will post with abit of history of each.

SageDrifter · Lunker Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 726

here's an Apex. Micheal Lamaman (sp?) produced these around the same era as the Clough. produced in Miss. Ontario the run numbered somewhere around the 250-300 mark i believe. it ranks on par with the Clough for fit, finish and functionality, and recently has started to go up in value.

spindle · Lunker Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 130

Yeh, that's a very nice reel indeed. In some respects I find it odd that there are no similar-styled reels being made over in the UK - mostly UK ones are aerial-type. Perhaps I've found a niche market!!

A very pretty reel - I definitely prefer the APEX to the CLOUGH in styling.

Chromebuck · Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 8:44 am Post subject:

Spindle,

Here is the only production float reel to have been made in the US to date. It is the Hanson reel designed by Leon Hanson and it boast the title of the lightess "production" float reel at 7.6oz. It is also the first I have seen with a lusterous hardcoat anodizing that is absolutely bulletproof! There were only 100 reels produced of which 94 made it to market. Currently the design has been purchased by a company called Mykiss reels(latin for steelhead) which I am the sole proprietor of and a new batch should be out in early 2005. The current run is estimated to be of 200 reels that will all be serialized by number. There will be two models a ported model like the original Hanson and a solid backplate model. Send me an email if you'd like to chat offline...~CB

abucardinal1967@yahoo.com

SageDrifter · Lunker Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 726

now you've seen the top 3 non-massed produced and desirable pins of N.Amer.

obtaining the Clough is nothing short non-existant. heard recent rumours of $4K U.S. for one Shocked

, it's more of no-one wants to give one up regardless of price.

Apex's are around and run about $4-600 Cdn

Hansons, i haven't seen too many up for sale thus far.

spindle · Lunker Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 130

I just know that sometime in the distant future I'm going to have to fork out for an APEX....

(just don't tell the wife!)

SageDrifter · Lunker Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 726