Good Morning Ray

I have been using my reel to good effect and enjoying it very much, it is a beautiful piece of kit, although I wouldn't actually say it in the company of 'Pin Nerds' I believe it is the best reel on the market of its kind, whether you are into true centre pins or Leeds reels (ball race).

This is very easy to say but I don't do it lightly. Though my old Stanton took pride of place I own a number of Leeds reels and centre pins and have handled many of the modern reels some of which have acquired cult status. Most of these are reels of the highest standard, perfectly engineered and a joy to use but some are too delicate and will in time succumb, as these pieces of fishing tackle have to withstand a modicum of 'use' and will have the odd bit of careless handling to cope with. I don't mean by being dropped but my old Stanton has been around a bit and one of my fellow 'Barbel Catchers Club' members Mick Beecroft who is a true Centre Pin user, (he uses nothing else for his fishing what ever he is after) says my old reel is just 'nicely bedded in' and that old reel isn't much younger than me. Another point about the light weight jobs is they have no momentum and so will stop instead of trickling out line gently in lightest of flows.

I took the new reel to our last meeting and it received a good reception from all. In fact I was surprised as although it does deserve praise all I expected were a few approving grunts from around the table as the Barbel Catchers' are not a group noted for their ebullience, but to a man they were all very impressed (not least of which was with the engraved Barbel ),  the engraving is 'stunning' so you never know it might start the 'ball rolling'-don't hold your breath though in these difficult times.

As for the other Centre Pins there are on the market, some are just a matter of taste. I know it probably isn't like this for most people but for me there is a bit of a north/south divide. Alcocks and Coxon Aerials are Southern reels and I live in Leeds, need I say more.

Some of the current reels on the market that are based on those reels are a bit too 'all whistles and bells' for me. They remind me of those shiny mock Davy Lamps they used sell to tourists on a guided trip down the pit.  It has to be said though that there are reels on the market worthy of praise but the 'Nerds' put me off. I can't be a follower of cults, they irritate me a bit,unless a such fondness for a product is based upon years of experience and therefore based on a genuine respect,  and I certainly would not wait several months for the privilege of spending my money.

I enjoy the fact I have been using my old 'Stanton' at least twenty four years and the pal I bought it of from was using for years before and its worth to me is based on that.  It doesn't look any different to the day I bought it. In fact when I took both reels to the B C Club meeting one of my pals said he didn't understand my buying a new Reel. Well the reason really was I liked the look of it from the off, it is very pleasing to the eye and immediately impresses, it looks and is a solid piece of British precision engineering which represents a continuity that the late Harry Reynolds and Cliff Adcock can be proud of. It also represents continuity for me as I cannot imagine myself  buying another type of Centre pin after using my old one for so long. 

I had the perfect opportunity to use both reels last Thursday. I was Grayling fishing on two rivers the first of which is tiny no more than fifteen foot wide at its widest and much narrower in places. Access is a wading only job as no one fishes this little river here  the banks are totally over grown. A delicate little eleven foot float rod was required coupled with my old Stanton. Having waded three quarters of a mile of this little river I came to its confluence with the main river and swapped to fourteen foot float rod coupled with my new reel which I was also carrying.  I usually carry these made up complete with the end rig, float, shot and hook link, broken down and velcroed together and with a rod top protecting sleeve but the neoprene reel cases you provide have a greater worth than there value for me as they allow me to carry delicate float rods and damageable reels made up like this fully protected. On that day I carried everything with me in a little stalking bag including a  tiny retractable landing net attached to the bag but the spare rod had to be carried separately as I was a mile from the car, therefore whenever I stopped to fish I had to leave it laid on the bank and it is really good to know the reel is full protected. 

I have now fished with my new reel for Grayling and Roach on the Derwent, Ure, Nidd and another little river and although conditions have been pretty dire lately and I have blanked I have caught from all four rivers despite the poor temperatures and enjoyed using it very much.                    

The reason I said earlier that I would not nail my colours to the mast in the company of  centre pin nerds is that it would be futile  and argumentative trying to convince such people that they are wrong.  However I am happy to believe that your reel is the best on the market. As a practical tool it is perfection, it has substance, is instantly recognisable for the quality of its engineering but not just that, it is a thing of beauty without being gaudy, though the gold one might get me an argument about that point still I might buy one yet. 

As for the rest that I haven't mentioned, the other cheaper centre pins on the market such as the pressed steel jobs are not worth a carrot and should not be taken seriously, though they could be put into service as mud feet for a seat box or chair perhaps.

I am sorry it has taken me so long to do this for you Ray but I wanted to use the reel for a while before I did give you my thoughts.. As you can see I am delighted with my reel.

Kind regards

Duncan Mellors