(aka….the clickety clack centrepin)
In lots of the episodes so far in the series we’ve seen John and our ‘Peters’ fishing with a centrepin reel. For most of these children it’s been the first time they’ve ever used this kind of reel and, without exception, they’ve loved it and added it to their tackle wish-list.
When we were filming, the sound of the ratchet became one of our favourites and came to mean something very special. Latterly, as viewers, the ratchet has at times been undeniably loud – of course when they’re playing a fish the reel is held close to the mic so it’s amplified, and it’s lead to some discussion on line – our favourite being #ratchettime on twitter.
As with all things, there’s a practical reason for the ratchet, and here’s John’s explanation:
John Says:
“There have been a fair few comments about the river episode with the check on the centrepin for a large part of the show. I think I’m right in saying that when there are times with me on my own towards the end of the second day, I’m fishing as I would normally without the check on.
I used the check at the start of the filming simply because Tadhg hadn’t fished the centrepin before. If there’s one thing guaranteed, it’s this. If you are unused to a centrepin and you fish without the check, there are going to be more birds’ nests than there are going to be fish.
Bearing in mind that our early efforts were being filmed, I wanted to keep everything as tangle free as I possibly could. Once Tadhg and the other ‘Peters’ really got into the groove of centrepin fishing, they flicked the check off and used the spool running freely without any untoward problems. I truly think that’s the way to kick-start centrepin fishing. No point making things overly difficult at the outset or you will simply lose the enthusiasm for the reel.”
For more fishing tips from John, pick up his new book ‘Fishing in the Footsteps of Mr. Crabtree’. Click the image to order online now.
