Maximum practical diameter of a centrepin reel

[Coral Maestro]

Is there an engineering limit to the practical maximum diameter of a centrepin reel? The largest diameter of a coarse fishing centrepin reel that I've seen is 6" (a Maxima reel). The largest usually seem to be around 5".
Is the limit due to weight, ability to run true at larger diameters (wobble) or maybe lack of demand for larger sizes?
It seems to me that I spend a disproportionate amount of time retrieving my float gear while trotting for grayling and have often thought it would be nice to have a larger diameter spool so that it could be retrieved more quickly.

[Duckett]

My grandfather used to use, to my young eyes, a huge wooden winch for beach and pier fishing. In retrospect, probably 8 to 10 inches. Years later I gave it a go boat fishing in shallower water with a split cane boat rod I had. It was bleedin’ hard work but I assume you mean fresh water and not Scarborough sea fishing types.

It did teach me one thing as a youngster who couldn’t cast very far at first …… there are fish, particularly bass and flatties, very close in on many beaches. Stood me in good stead when I took up lure fishing seriously.

For fresh water, 4 inches is my practical limit. Wasn’t the large Trudex a failure because of its weight?

Phil

[Watermole+]

Is there an engineering limit to the practical maximum diameter of a centrepin reel? The largest diameter of a coarse fishing centrepin reel that I've seen is 6" (a Maxima reel). The largest usually seem to be around 5".
Is the limit due to weight, ability to run true at larger diameters (wobble) or maybe lack of demand for larger sizes?
It seems to me that I spend a disproportionate amount of time retrieving my float gear while trotting for grayling and have often thought it would be nice to have a larger diameter spool so that it could be retrieved more quickly.

A good question and one which has ben explored for as long as centrepin reels as such have been in existence.

The limitations due to weight etc. which you mention I feel no longer apply, with the advent of modern materials and better engineering, even so, there has to be some kind of limit for ease of practical handling.
The huge 'Scarborough' reels of old-if made to a good standard-were quite practical and the distance that could be achieved with one in the hands of an expert, was phenomenal, when you consider the thick 'Cuttyhunk' lines that were used..
..But I'm guessing that you mean as regards to freshwater fishing..?

Richard Walker made his two carp 'specials, for 'B.B.' and Jack Thorndyke as we know and the reasoning behind them was very sound but with carp fishing, the reel is on the rests for the most part.
The big 'Trudex' was also logical, but suffered because of it's own weight. Modern 5" reels made of lightweight alloys, carbon fibre and other materials are available as far as I know and some have quite shallow drums, which means that the effective retrieve rate is quite good-better than 12" per turn. If you 'bat' the reel drum or flick the winders (kinder to the reel), you can retrieve at a very good rate- as good as many fixed-spool reels.
A larger drum reel can be made of course, but it might prove to be somewhat unwieldy to use..

My own personal thoughts are that for trotting and similar fishing, the larger 4 1/2" to 5 1/4" diameter, but narrower line drum and-this is important- the drum depth kept to the practical maximum size to prevent unnecessary line spill- is the ideal. Wide line drums no longer have any purpose more-on this type of reel.

wm+

[Olly]

I have just weighed the following for interest - all without line or arbours:-

4in Allcocks Popular - 9oz
Allcocks Rapidex - 7.5oz
Original 5.5in chrome Leeds - 11.5oz with handles - - 11oz without handles
A black ?Plastic? 5in KenLee - 8.5oz
Speedia wide with arbour - 9oz

All trotting reels I occasionally use.

All except, the Rapidex, with an internal drum width an 1in or more!

[JAA]

For me the Leeds is a pretty good practical size, 4" diameter across the pins, 5.5" across the whole spool, provides a retrieve rate of 12½" per revolution. Even a ¼" arbour would take this up to 14". Mine is also 11.5oz.

The key thing for me is that the reel is set well off the foot, so it can be fished with the hand around the reel-seat, so it's easy to control.

The other large centrepin I have are Harlows (11.6oz), wide diameter, a smidgen over 5" across the drum, crucially, a gnat's over 4" across the pins, so more or less the same retrieve rate, but neither of mine run freely enough for serious trotting. I had reel feet made to space the reel off the rods (two small works of art by Watermole+ )

I'm not sure I'd like anything larger diameter than the Leeds myself, but a little more width across the pins/drum and an arbour would improve it a bit.

Respectfully disagree with Watermole+, I think wider drums allows a little more line to be loaded with a lower risk of the line bedding in, so I prefer a wider drum.

[Olly]

It also really helps with the line lay with more surface to cover with the line - - just as JAA points out above.

I have already asked about an arbour for a 5+in Leeds! Plus others!

[Liphook]

I've seen modern ball bearing 'pins aimed at North American steelhead anglers advertised up to 7", but haven't handled one. A very skilled friend made himself a very modern looking centrepin of 5in with a spoke-less shallow spool 7/8ths wide that operates very well indeed. It's made mostly from titanium he aquired in the aerospace industry. I'll ask to weigh it next time I see it, but I'm pretty sure after the final series of porting, skimming and finishing it was under 6oz without line. It certainly feels featherweight in use, but like the Gary Mills/Browning pins I own it's almost too damn good to use! When I asked about the possibility of commissioning one he told me the matrials and hours spent tooling and finishing would run in to the thousands and that he didn't want to face making another anyway - it was a labour of more frustration than love
WM+ made reels are an even higher form of art! Truly jaw dropping items of beauty and skill in that fashion that only a true master could combine. Given a lottery win I'd commission several and use them all (with care of course!)

[Snape]

My grandfather used to use, to my young eyes, a huge wooden winch for beach and pier fishing. In retrospect, probably 8 to 10 inches. Years later I gave it a go boat fishing in shallower water with a split cane boat rod I had. It was bleedin’ hard work but I assume you mean fresh water and not Scarborough sea fishing types.

This is Grandad Snape’s 5.5” wooden winch. Not really a centrepin I guess! He used it sea fishing in South Waies in the 40s and 50s.
I use pins up to 4.5”. I don’t think I’d want to go bigger.

[Watermole+]

JAA and Olly; there’s no substitute for experience and you gentlemen clearly know what works best for you-so far be it for me to disagree!

My thoughts are that Wide drum reels, in particular Aerial reels, were needed before the advent of modern monofilament line to dry it between casts. If a large diameter modern reel can effectively retrieve 12” of line per turn-or three turns to the yard-and a trot of even 50 yards is made, then there are 150 turns of line in use, which could easily fit within a line drum of less than one inch, without too much build up, modern line not needing to be spaced out in the same way.
I have always found narrower width reels easier handle-but that is only a personal opinion. Others like very wide reels and they are just as much entitled to theirs.

Very wide reels also give the option of having two different breaking strain lines on the same drum; one on each side.

wm+

[Duckett]

My grandfather used to use, to my young eyes, a huge wooden winch for beach and pier fishing. In retrospect, probably 8 to 10 inches. Years later I gave it a go boat fishing in shallower water with a split cane boat rod I had. It was bleedin’ hard work but I assume you mean fresh water and not Scarborough sea fishing types.

This is Grandad Snape’s 5.5” wooden winch. Not really a centrepin I guess! He used it sea fishing in South Waies in the 40s and 50s.
I use pins up to 4.5”. I don’t think I’d want to go bigger.

That’s lovely! Sadly, I don’t have Grandad’s Scarborough winch (I thunk it went when my parents downsized and I hadn’t re-discovered vintage tackle fishing then) but it was the more primitive type with a brass wing nut!

Phil