Hailing from the Okuma camp comes the Aventa Pro VT1002.
I bought one myself around a year ago, after previously owning a 'Leeds' Centrepin.
Now that one i couldn't get on with...... wasn't smooth, had no bearings, and you had to 'help' it get started ! It nearly put me off owning a pin altogether 'till these came out, and i ended up flogging it to some poor unsuspecting chappie! (good job he only wanted it for stillwater fishing ... ;-))
I bought my Aventa for the Dane really but with the odd sesh or two on the Ribble in mind too. First time outta the box and i'd ended up on the Ribble with thoughts of chub...... loaded up with 5lb Berkley XL and i was away . . . . . . .
I think i knew from the first drop in that me and my new companion were gonna get along just fine . . . . . . . . .
As i dropped a Drennan crystal loafer in, the line peeled away and the reel was off all by itself - no help or encouragement from me at all !
A few trots later i was right into it ! Trundling a cube of meat downstream the float sailed away and i was striking into the first chub of the day - which was no monster at just over 2lb, but a kind of 'average' stamp of fish for the Ribble.
The best bit is, that using a 'pin' is a bit like using your first carbon rod again for the very first time. Every movement of the fish seems to be transfered through the rod and it's just a totally different 'feel' to a fixed spool or closed face.
Now for the 'techy' bit . . . . . . . .
The Aventa (well, all the Okuma pins) is machined from one piece aluminium, it runs on two bearings, has an audible ratchet - that i use for setting up to stop the reel over-running, but a lot of the coarse lads use it as a 'bite alarm' for stillwater ledgering for carp etc. (anything that's gonna go tearing off!)
It is double extra smooth, and you actually find when you're running a stick down and 'mending' your line, when the float takes off again - you're actually slowing the reel down with your thumb !
I have no idea how they manage to manufacture these to sell at under a hundred quid when a Young's pin won't give you a lot of change out of £325.00 !
I'm just glad they do . . . . . . . . .
Check it out in the website here .........okuma pins
