Year in Review

As I look back, 2013 was a good year. I was able to fish quite a bit, 100 days during the year. But more importantly, I was able to go some places and fish some water that I have been wanting to for quite some time. I was able to fish and review about 30 rods and other various gear. That was fun. Also, I was able to make friends from all over the world through tenkara. Here is a quick recap of some of my favorite tenkara events from this year.

*****

#10 Rods. I was able to fish with and review a number of rods. As you can tell by my posts, I like reviewing rods. I like fishing many different rods. I'd no sooner fish only one rod as I 'd fish only one fly. I'll be posting my annual rod review summary soon. It will run through all the rods I have used; what I liked and what I didn't.

*****

 

#9 Wool Bodies Flies.  This year I spent most of my fishing time on mountain streams fishing wool bodied flies. I fish mainly size #10-12 in three different colors. They all worked equally well.

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#8 Standard Line Length. I fish upstream 90% of the time. And in doing so, I use fairly short lines. Most of the time I used a 10 foot #4 line or a 12 foot #3.5 line. On occasion I would use a 13 foot #3.5 line. Those have been my main lines this past year.

*****

#7 Small Streams. One thing that I like about tenkara is that it opens up more waters to fish. I love small, tight streams. I find them very frustrating to fish, but I also find them very satisfying. Some of the waters I fished for the first time this year were merely 2 feet wide. They were such fun!

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#6 Small fish. Many fishers target and delight in large fish. I think that is fine. This year I had two different favorite fish: a 14 inch native cutthroat taken from a mountain stream, and an 8 inch wild trout taken from a tiny mountain creek. I suppose they were my favorites not so much for the fish, but for the setting they were taken in and the effort it took to get to that spot.

*****

#5 Coastal Cutthroat. I used to live in Oregon. When I was there I learned how to fly fish. Fly fishing was mental therapy for me at a stressful time in my life. I used to fish high mountain lakes in the Cascades but I always wanted to catch a coastal cutthroat. This year I had the opportunity to do just that. Even though I had only a few minutes on the water, I was able to fulfill that dream. Now I learn that my daughter and son-in-law will be moving to Oregon so I should have more opportunity to pursue that wonderful trout!

*****

#4 Hammock Camping. I started using a hammock for my overnight adventures. Since I fish where there are trees I decided to try sleeping in a hammock instead of a tent. It is lighter and quite versatile. I'm still getting used to the difference between hammock and tent, but so far I like it.

#3 New Waters.  As I mentioned before, I was able to go to some new waters this year. I had to hike cross country by compass/map and GPS to get to some of them. It was a great adventure and the fishing was good. I plan on doing more of this in the coming year.

*****

my friend Roger

#2 Friends.  I usually fish alone. I always have. I like the freedom of going where I want, when I want and staying how long I want. But this past year I was able to fish with friends. This was new for me and I liked it. I'd like to try to do more of this.

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My daughter and son-in-law

my granddaughter and bluegill

#1 Family.  Because of tenkara, I was able to do some fishing with my family this year. Being with them was as much fun as catching the fish. I hope to be able to do a lot more if this this coming year.

*****

I look forward to this coming year and I wish the best for you as well. See you on the water!

Christmas Eve Tenkara

Merry Christmas to all of you. I hope that this season brings peace and joy to you and your family. I also hope that you can get some time to do what we love to do -- catch fish! Whether you live in the northern hemisphere or southern, this time of year can provide some wonderful tenkara opportunities.

Yesterday, I got on the water for a few hours. I was the only fisher there; there were a few duck hunters, but they stayed far away. The weather was beautiful. The sky was sunny and the air temp was right at freezing, 32 degrees F. There was very little breeze and though the fishing was a little slow it was still great fun.

I started with the Tenkara Times Try 390 7:3 rod and a 13 foot #4 line. I haven't formally reviewed this rod but I will after the first of the year. I'll I can say now is that it seems to be a very nice rod!

After an hour I changed to the Shimano Mainstream ZE and 14 foot tapered fluorocarbon line.  This rod has amazing reach!

Because of the bright sun, I used bead head nymphs to dredge up trout. With the Shimano I used a two fly tandem set up. I ran these deep through the slower pools. It worked well. Of course, I couldn't cast using a typical tenkara flick, rather, I had to lob cast. Still, the rod did nicely.

For flies, I used two versions of Lance Egan's Iron Lotus. One version was larger at #14, while the other was a smaller #18. I was testing these versions. It's a great nymphing fly.

#14 Flash Iron Lotus

#18 Flash Back Iron Lotus

Here is a video of some of the fish:





Again, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. However you celebrate them, I wish you all the best!

Multi-zoom rod Shootout - TUSA Sato v. Suntech Suikei GM 39

As you are aware, Tenkara USA recently released two new rods. One of them was the Sato, a triple-zoom tenkara rod that is very impressive.  It, however, is not the only triple-zoom rod that I have fished. I've fished a few. Some I liked more than others.

I have had, and fished, the Suntech Field Master 39 Keiryu Special and the Suntech Suikei GM 39. I ended up selling the Field Master but I still have the Suikei. I really like this rod. I have taken it places and it has never let me down. So, I thought it would be interesting to fish the Suikei and the Sato side by side and do a comparison of features, actions, balance, and on-the-water performance. Today I went to the stream with that intent.

It was a bad day. I walked just under a mile in heavy snow, fell down (more like slid down) one hundred feet from trail to rivers edge (fortunately I didn't trigger an avalanche). Once I got in the water I found that I had brought the wrong fly box, not my tenkara box! I was carrying my tailwater box, of all things!

Still, I was in the water and I wanted to test the rods. Right flies or not, I was going to fish!



Tenkara USA Sato

What more can I say about this rod than I said in my comprehensive review. This is a rod designed for tenkara that allows the fisher to fish at three different lengths, 330, 306, 390. These are supposed to be designated lengths in centimeters but the Sato is short of these advertised length at all three stations. At 390 the rod is 378 cm, at 360 it is 352 cm, and at 330 it is 326 cm. The Sato comes with a TUSA rods tube and sleeve of very good to excellent quality. The rod has a cork handle which has a very nice ergonomic shape. This allows the user to hold the rod in a variety of different positions yet use the rod very effectively. The finish is glossy black with red accents. The rod is light weight, coming in at 74 gm. Its action is relaxed in all positions, but it does get just a little softer as you extend it out.  The Sato has a Common Cents System (CCS) value of 21 pennies at 390 cm, 20 pennies at 360 cm, and 19 pennies and 330 cm. This gives it a Rod Flex Index (RFI) of 5.4, 5.5, and 5.7 for 390, 360 and 330 cm respectively. These number put the Sato in the 6:4 action range, but on the slower end. As far as balance, the moment calculations predict that the Sato will feel slightly tip heavy in its 390 configuration, but not by much. The moment numbers are 5.96 at 390, 5.03 at 360, and 4.14 at 330. Anything more than 5.5 will feel tip heavy. The Sato comes with two tip plugs and a place to store one plug in the butt cap. The zoom feature is comprised of a butt cap post with O-rings and friction tape on each of the zoomable sections. The Sato costs $215.00 USD. The Sato has the famous Tenkara USA warranty, support and parts.

Suntech Suikei GM 39

This rod is a keiryu rod that is also triple-zoom. I reviewed it in the past. There are two different versions of the Suikei, medium 硬中硬 and stiff 硬調. Mine is the medium version; I have no experience with the stiff version. This rod can be fished at 320, 360 and 390 cm. Like the TUSA Sato there are some discrepancies of the measured lengths versus the advertised lengths -- but the Suikei is much truer to what is advertised. My Suikei is 392 cm at 390, 358.5 cm at 360 and 318 cm at 320. These are tighter tolerance than seen with the Sato. The Suikei comes with a good quality rod sleeve and a plastic carton, but no rod tube is provided. The rod is cork-less. The handle has a thin non-slip coating that is very effective wet or dry. Because there is no cork, the handle may feel very narrow to many users. I have applied a Head Hydrosorb wrap to mine, so to increase the handle diameter. The rod's finish is a glossy dark charcoal with metallic flecks. The rod is lightweight at 60.5 g. Mine now weighs 70 g with the added handle wrap. Its action is quick with great recovery and no oscillation. It feels the same in all three length configurations. The Suikei has a CCS of 21.5 for 390, 21 for 360, and 18 for 320 cm. This gives it a RFI of 5.5, 5.8 and 5.8 for 390, 360, and 320 cm respectively. These numbers put the Suikei in the 6:4 action range. As far as balance, the moment calculations predict that the Suikei will feel slightly tip heavy in its 390 configuration like the Sato, but not by much. The moment numbers are 6.2 at 390, 4.93 at 360, and 3.84 at 320. The Suikei comes with a universal tip cap rather than a standard tip plug. The zoom feature is comprised of a butt cap post with O-rings and friction tape on each of the zoomable section, similar to the Sato. The Suikei costs $190.00 USD. The Suikei has no warranty, but excellent support and replacement parts are easily obtained through Tenkara Bum.

Universal rod cap for the Suikei

Physical Comparison:

The most obvious difference is that the Sato (tenkara rod) has a cork handle and the Suikei (keiryu rod) does not. While the Suikei fishes just fine, and is much lighter than the Sato, without a handle wrap, I decided to add one. This is just a personal preference and doesn't reflect the need for one at all. Both are handsome rods. Both employ the same mechanism for zooming. The Suikei has a micro-swivel for attaching the lilian, while the lilian is attached directly on the Sato.

There are length differences. The Suikei is more true to the advertised lengths. See images.

Lengths at 390: Sato top, Suikei bottom

Lengths at 360: Sato top, Suikei bottom

Lengths at 320-330: Sato top, Suikei bottom

Butt caps: Suikei left, Sato right

Action Comparison:

These two rods are both wonderful for what they are designed to do. Even though one is a tenkara rod and the other a keiryu rod, they feel quite similar. The Sato however, has a slightly softer or fuller flex feel when casting. It loads a little quicker and more effortlessly, but it doesn't tolerate a heavy line or fly like the Suikei will. The Suikei will tolerate a beadhead fly without issue, while the Sato complains a little bit. The Suikei casts a furled line better, while the Sato is best with a light level line.

Balance is comparable. Both rods are very slightly tip heavy at full 390 extension but not at all in the shorter two configurations. The Suikei is much lighter (without wrap) than the Sato.

Fishing Comparison:

I fished both rods on the same day, same water, same line, same fly. I went with a 10.5 foot #4 fluorocarbon level line with 2.5 feet of 5X tippet. The water I fished was iced in and therefore a long line was inappropriate. Because I had the wrong fly box with me I couldn't use a standard kebari, but rather I had to use smaller nymphs designed for tailwaters not mountain streams. I fished a #16 beadhead pheasant tail. When I lost the pheasant tail I went with a #12 Czech nymph of moderate weight. These flies let me feel the rods with both a light fly and heavy fly.

Again, both rods cast very well. The Suikei tolerates a heavier line better than the Sato. This goes for flies as well. The Sato prefers an unweighted or light fly. The Suikei doesn't seem to care. Targeting was spot on with both.

Fighting fish was similar, but since the Suikei is a little stiffer in the lower sections than the Sato it seems to handle fish in faster water a little better. Twelve inch trout were easily controlled in the same current with both rods however. Smaller fish were felt better with the Sato. Strike sensitivity felt the same with both rods.

12 inch brown with the Suikei

12 inch rainbow with the Sato

Conclusion:

Which rod do I like best? Both! They may be similar enough to justify getting one or the other, but they each have different personalities and characteristics. I guess it sort of depends on what you want in a multi-zoom rod. If you want one that is less expensive, then the Suikei wins. If you want a rod tube, the Sato. If you are focused on weight, the Suikei. If you want a finesse tenkara rod for unweighted flies, then the Sato. If you want an all-rounder (light flies, heavier flies, heavier line, furled lines), then Suikei.  Personally, I don't think you could go wrong with either rod. BTW, please remember that when I talk about my Suikei I am talking about the medium 硬中硬 version of that rod.

Here's the video:

Tenkara December 14, 2013

The time of ice is once again upon us here in the Intermountain West. Personally, I love fishing this time of year. Yes, it is cold. My hands tend to suffer the most. But the water is nice and despite the cold water temps the trout seem to be quite active. And of course, there's always Mountain Whitefish to oblige your hook!

The air temps have been down into the subzero fahrenheit range at night and into the low teens during the mid-day. Great fishing temps!! Ok, just joking. When it gets this cold, even the moving water in mountain streams freeze. This causes ice dams and the river spills over into the flood zone next to the river channel. When the air temperatures finally start to rise, the water opens a channel through the ice leaving high and precarious ice ledges next to the river. Sometimes the drop to the water is 6 feet or so!

Ice shelves above the water.

As I approach the river channel I usually sit on my butt and scooch out to the edge of the ice shelf. Only rarely does the shelf collapse (thankfully). I then drop into the water and proceed to fish. It's quite a rush. I love it!

Today I did just that. I made it to the water and began fishing -- upstream as is usual with me on higher gradient mountain streams. I used the Nissin Zerosum 360 7:3 with a 10 foot #4 line and 2 feet of 5X tippet. I used the #4 line because of a breeze. The water I don't mind; the breeze I hate! The fly of the day was a Bloody Prince.

Due to the breeze I fished only 1.5 hours. My fingers, particularly my rod hand fingers, get too cold after a while. This trip I tried not to touch the fish, so to keep my gloves dry. This did work better, I think.

The fish were wild native cutthroats and Mountain Whitefish interspersed with wild browns. I didn't take any monsters but a whitefish was largest at about 16 inches. That's just a guess since I didn't hold it up to measure.

Here are some of the fish:

Here's a video. No narrative, just music and some annotation:






It's the start of the winter fishing season. Let the games begin!

Peek-a-boo, I see you!

There has been some talk recently regarding the tip heaviness of tenkara rods and how some rods seem to defy physics, while other rods don't. One of the rods that seem to defy the laws of physics is the Oni rod. I reviewed this rod last summer.

What's amazing about this rod is that while it is pretty heavy (101 g), it doesn't feel heavy. Also, despite it being a long rod at 396 cm it doesn't feel tip heavy at all. I find this quite fascinating. All of my other tenkara rods that are 380 cm or longer have some degree of tip heaviness, yet I do have a few seiryu rods that don't.

It has been rumored that one way the Oni rod creates the illusion of lightness is that additional weight has been added to correct its center of balance. This balance point can be seen in the rod's moment value. Moment equals force or weight (kg) times radius (distance from the butt end to the balance point of the fully extended rod). I recently posted about using moment of inertia (MOI) as a way to show a rods tip heaviness, but after many reader replies it appears that moment and not moment of inertia would be a better formula to use. Moment is calculated by Gamakatsu for their rods, so there is industry precedent. For tenkara rods, a moment less than 5.5 will make the rod feel without tip heaviness. I gave some examples of the moment of popular rods in my last post. These examples were: the Iwana 12' moment is 6.14; Ito at 390 cm is 7.84 and at 450 cm is 10.93.

Here are the moment values for the two rods of this post:
Oni rod moment: 5.2 kgcm

Hirame-ML-3909 moment: 7.51 (with handle wrap)


Anyway, to see if Team Oni really has added weight to the rod near the butt I decided to use some x-ray vision. The other night I was called to the hospital to perform a procedure on a very ill man. This procedure required me to use an endoscope along with fluoroscopy to place a drainage tube to relieve the man's pain. Fluoroscopy is real time x-ray and allows you to see inside a person or object. When I went to the hospital I just happened to have two rods in my car: Oni and Hirame-ML-3909. I was planning on using them the next day on the river.

(Not my actual patient) C-arm flouroscopy unit similar to mine.

Before the patient was sequestered for the procedure I had a thought, "why not x-ray the Oni rod and see if there really is any added weight". So I ran to the car and retrieved the rods. I used the Hirame -ML-3909 as my control as it is about the same length as the Oni rod (it was the only other tenkara rod I had with me anyways). I quickly x-rayed the rods looking for anything that would look like added weight. Nothing unusual was seen except in the butt end of the Oni rod. There was a dark, stepped down cylindrical object (or objects, one inside another) in the handle of the Oni rod that was not present in the Hirame.  On fluoroscopy metal appears black, while other materials that allow x-rays to penetrate at varying degrees will have various shades of grey. The darker, the more radiopaque (and usually denser) the material. Thick or dense metal stops the x-rays and that's why it looks black.  Here are the x-rays of the butt ends of the rod handles (ignore the pink -- it's the reflection of another monitor that was behind me):

Hirame-ML-3909 handle x-ray (for reference, the butt cap is stainless steel)

Oni rod handle x-ray

Here is what the handles look like to our eyes:

Hirame-ML-3909 handle

Oni rod handle

So, it appears that something has been added inside the butt of the Oni rod. Exactly what it is I'm not sure, but it appears to be radiopaque and therefore is likely metal. "It" probably is two metal sleeves, one inside another. However, I'm not about to dissect my Oni rod to see what it really is! If it is metal, this would add weight to the butt end of the Oni rod and potentially change the dynamics of the rod.

Hirame-ML-3909 handle butt parts

Oni rod handle butt parts

I'm not saying that tenkara rods should have extra weight added to their handle butt. All I'm saying is something is in the handle of the Oni rod that is not in the Hirame (and likely not in my others rods). What it is, and how it affects the rod is only a guess. For now I'm satisfied with the mystery. I'll let others play around with this discovery and draw their own conclusions. For now, I'll get back to fishing!