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[Electroman]

I’m on the hunt for a new pin and got to wondering what most people use. My current reel is an Islander with bearings (obvious to most). I’ve swapped out the bearings it came with for some ceramic ones for no reason other than to fiddle with it.

So what’s your preference and, bearing or bushing, and why? Or does it matter to anyone at all?

[hammer]

Nicely broken in bushing

[Spoonman]

.....bearing for me .....but I have not owned a quality bushing reel like a milner...have an old avon rs ( retired ) that I had re-bushed but doubtful it was done proper .....also have a trophy winterrun that performs ok.... but tolerances are not tight enough to eliminate wobble....no wobble with bearing and they can be self serviced as opposed to needing a machinist to service a worn bushing or spindle...

[Ry the fly guy]

Not a huge difference IMO, I think I just like the look/feel of my Milner more then my Islander. Try a couple out in the store and see what you like.

[kingpin]

Bushing reels are superior , keep is clean and oiled and you won’t need any other maintenance . Bearings will all eventually fail

[Spoonman]

Bushing reels are superior , keep is clean and oiled and you won’t need any other maintenance . Bearings will all eventually fail

.......some facts or reasoning to back that up?.....bearings can also be kept clean and oiled.....is a bronze bushing not softer than stainless steel and therefore more likely to wear sooner ? ......

[kingpin]

Personal experience fishing Centerpin’s for 20 years , have owned a bunch of bushing milners and a few bearings as well as an islander . The bushings have needed no maintenance , just the occasional oil and set screw adjustment. I’ve changed the bearings on every bearing  reel I’ve owned . They tend to not hold up well if they get dipped into the water and get grit into them . The bearings are tiny and a small fall for the reel can mess them up .you can try at lubricating them but they are a sealed shielded bearing

[Aki]

I am still a 'newbie' with centre-pins with only six years of experience....I have both a milner (bushing) and islander (bearing)...both work great, but for some reason I prefer the milner for a more sensitive 'start' to the drift, while the islander is probably better for longer casts (although it 'spools' on me easier)...I try to add a couple of drops of oil to the milner after or during every second or third outing...and regularly clean both...I never put my reel down on the ground...I'd rather lose a fish than put the reel down before it is in a 'pouch'...that way no nicks on the rim and no grit in the reel...great way to fish though with the centre pin....my son got me the milner for my 60th and I splurged a year later for the islander...both are great, but for some subtle reasons I prefer the milner...

[Hike_and_fish]

I own both and personally prefer bearing for extremely short drifts because the reel will respond faster at the initial go. Bushing reels for longer drifts. Neither is quote "superior" than the other it just comes down to performance in certain applications. I just have to shake my head when people use that word superior when comparing types of reels. Its the same for the baitcaster vs pin argument. Again, its all about the application. Some diehard pin goofs will never understand that.

[Spawn Sack]

I have owned many of both. Personal preference. For me, bushing all the way. I have slowly sold off my bearing pins reels, not for me.

I prefer bushing for several reasons. Primarily if you happen to get a bit of sand/grit into the internal parts all you need to do it hit the quick release, pop off the spool, give the spool and backplate a good rinse off in the river, put back together, good to go! However if you rinse out all the oil, after an hour when the water inside dries out, the reel will not spin so well. To remedy this I carry a tiny bottle of oil on me. If needed I'll apply a bit on the spindle with a clean twig.

If you get sand/grit in your bearings the reel is more or less screwed for the day. Plus to get the spool off you typically need a screwdriver, and if you drop/lose that screw, not good. You might be able to limp it through a day's fishing but it will sound like hell and the bearings will likely need to be replaced before your next outing.

I also like how quiet bushing reels are. Bearing pin reels have a "tick-tick-tick" noise to them as the spool spins. Bearings also get noisier as they age.

As others have mentioned one nice thing about bearings is you can replace parts (bearings) on your own easily. If you wear out the bushing or spindle on a bushing reel it will have to be done by a machinist.

Generally I have found bearings reels start up better in frog water. They are also generally "tighter" with no side to side play. A lot of bushing reels have a little side to side play that is hard to eliminate even if you have the set screw adjusted perfectly.

Bottom line, fish both and choose what you like. Both have their pros and cons. 

Bushings do require more regular cleaning and lubricating, and also have a break in period, whereas bearings are as good as they are going to get right out of the box.

[Spawn Sack]

I am still a 'newbie' with centre-pins with only six years of experience....I have both a milner (bushing) and islander (bearing)...both work great, but for some reason I prefer the milner for a more sensitive 'start' to the drift, while the islander is probably better for longer casts (although it 'spools' on me easier)...I try to add a couple of drops of oil to the milner after or during every second or third outing...and regularly clean both...I never put my reel down on the ground...I'd rather lose a fish than put the reel down before it is in a 'pouch'...that way no nicks on the rim and no grit in the reel...great way to fish though with the centre pin....my son got me the milner for my 60th and I splurged a year later for the islander...both are great, but for some subtle reasons I prefer the milner...

Just curious, if you're fishing by yourself, and you hook a wild steelhead or coho, or whatever fish you are going to release, how do you do it without putting your reel/rod down? Unless you skid the fish up on shore (bad!) you are going to need one hand to tail the fish, and the other hand to get the hook out of the fish's mouth. If I'm wearing a hat or toque I'll flop that on the ground, carefully place my reel on it, deal with the fish quickly. Sometimes logistics don't allow for the reel in the hat strategy and it ends up getting laid in the river and usually gets full of grit and crap. Personally I'll sacrifice my reel for the fish, not the other way around. I find if you carefully place the reel down on the backplate you can avoid any nicks on the spool. This will really irritate you if you can feel this when the reel spins. If you get a nick or two on the backplate not the end of the world.

[Noahs Arc]

I learned on a bearing reel, and when I started using a bushing reel I used to always clip my knuckles on the bushing where there grub screw and release are. It was annoying and I had to learn how to reel a pin in all over again.
Casting a bushing reel, I can only describe as feeling more fluid the way the reel starts up. My casting style is well suited for slow rods and bushing reels. My islander does quite well on a faster action rod. Again just my style.

I think what’s more important is that you buy the most expensive reel, so when you hook a fish, he sees that you are not f$&@ing around. 

[stsfisher]

I think what’s more important is that you buy the most expensive reel, so when you hook a fish, he sees that you are not f$&@ing around. 

 

[Aki]

Just curious, if you're fishing by yourself, and you hook a wild steelhead or coho, or whatever fish you are going to release, how do you do it without putting your reel/rod down? Unless you skid the fish up on shore (bad!) you are going to need one hand to tail the fish, and the other hand to get the hook out of the fish's mouth. If I'm wearing a hat or toque I'll flop that on the ground, carefully place my reel on it, deal with the fish quickly. Sometimes logistics don't allow for the reel in the hat strategy and it ends up getting laid in the river and usually gets full of grit and crap. Personally I'll sacrifice my reel for the fish, not the other way around. I find if you carefully place the reel down on the backplate you can avoid any nicks on the spool. This will really irritate you if you can feel this when the reel spins. If you get a nick or two on the backplate not the end of the world.

I carry the ‘pouch’ in the front of my waders (inside, near the top)...once I have the fish close enough, I hold the reel/rod and use the other hand to grab the pouch and put it on the reel, and then bring the fish in (in the water, or shore depending on whether it’s a keeper or not)...a little clumsy but it seems to work...

[Silex-user]

Brought my first pin back in 1974 a ALvon and later years Silex reels. Never worry about laying on the rocks, sand and water. If it dirty with sand I just pop the spool off and raise in river. Its wobbles a bit now days but it's okay because it still works and seen lots of caught fishes.


Silex-user