Two New Suntech Rods from TenkaraBum -- rod #1

I really like the GM Suikei Kieryu Special rods from Suntech. I bought my first one in April of 2013, just after they were brought to the US by TenkaraBum. It was the GM39 and I have found that rod to be the best "all-arounder" for the streams I fish and the fish I catch. It casts a light line really well, but it doesn't bat an eye at a tungsten beadhead nymph. If I'm fishing new water that's fast flowing, or has the rumor of larger trout, I take the GM39.

Because I like the GM39 so much, a few years later I purchased a GM44. It too is a triple zoom rod like the GM39, but it starts at 360 cm, then to 400 cm, and finally finishes at 440 cm. I have found it to be just as versatile as the GM39, albeit a little heavier. I have also found that once a rod goes over 400 cm I pretty much have to use two hands to cast it (unless its crazy light and balanced like the Gamakatsu Ryokei 45 or Dawia Sagiri 45MC). With the GM44 I can cast the rod nicely at 440 cm, but I much prefer the shorter lengths. I really like this rod for wide open rivers that have faster current.

One of my favorite streams in Oregon, where I always use the GM44.

Now, TenkaraBum has the new Suntech GM Suikei Keiryu Special 27! Yes, that's right, a 270 cm rod in the same family. However, unlike it's longer siblings, the GM27 is a fixed length rod. I would die and go to heaven if Suntech released a zoom rod for small streams, like 240-270-300 cm, but I don't think that would ever happen. That rod is not part of their marketing strategy. But the good news is that the GM27 is a really excellent rod!

I'm not going to give a detailed description of the GM27 because it looks very similar to its sibling rods. That said, it is a sharp looking rod, like all of Suntech's rods. The butt cap is smaller and does not have a zoom post and the tip plug is just that, a plug -- not a Fuji FTC-12 universal cap.

Tip plug (left) and butt cap (right)

The rod is very lightweight, coming in at 28.4 g without the tip plug. It is perfectly balanced and casts a light level line, oh, so wonderfully. Because the rod is on loan I did not fish with it (as a don't want to damage my trust with Chris) but I did cast the rod for quite some time in the front yard. I used a #2 level fluorocarbon line and the rod fairly flicks the fly to its destination. It's a very nice casting rod!

Fully nested, the rod is 54 cm. Fully extended it's 274 cm. I measure it at 13.5 pennies, giving it an RFI of 4.9. That's pretty close to perfect, if not dead on!  It's a gem of a small rod and would be really a great choice if your small streams don't have really fast currents or 14+ inch fishing them.

So there you go. Another outstanding rod option for those of you (like me) who relish small streams and the fish that inhabit them.  You can get a Suntech GM Suikei Keiryu Special 27 from Chris at TenkaraBum. Hurry, I bet they'll go fast!

Addendum: Chris wrote and gave me permission to fish the rod, so I'll see if I can get it on the water soon. It has snowed recently and a lot of my smaller streams may be hard to get to now. But I'll give it a go and keep you updated.

Disclaimer: My opinion regarding this rod is just that, my opinion. Your opinion may differ.  Also, your rod may not have the same length, issues, or functionality as my rod. There are variations between rods, even in the same production run. No description can fully tell you how a rod feels or fishes. For this, you must personally hold, cast, and fish the rod then make up your own mind. 
I receive advertising revenue from TenkaraBum, but this does not imply a favorable review of their products. I was loaned the rod for review and it was returned to Chris.

Small Stream Rainbows

Recently, before the snow started to fly, I fished a small stream that I find very challenging. It runs near a campground, so I don't go there in the summer, when it is frequented by campers.

I usually start my fishing near an irrigation diversion and work my way upstream. This stream is very fun in the spring, and it usually has more water than than it does this time of year. The water is very clear and the trout can be seen in the shallower reaches, making site fishing possible. This time I even caught a rainbow with just my net, as I snuck up on him and scooped him up!

I used the modified Zen Suzume with a 6 foot line and 2.5 feet of tippet. This makes for some very close fishing, so stealth is of prime importance. This is my favorite type of fishing.

I don't know if anyone else fishes this stream but I find it very productive, if I can get all the things right -- right stealth, rod length, line length, tippet length and fly. Also, if the light is low it is better as well.

Here is the video of my trip, with some of the fish. The largest is a little longer than 13 inches. That's really nice for this size of stream!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Snow

I we finally received some snow. Eastern Idaho, like much of the country, has been experiencing a delayed winter. However, we finally received some snow this week and the temperatures have dropped.

Despite this, I decided to do a little fishing. I drove into one of the canyons and walked down to the stream bottom. The air temperature was 42°F (a high for the day) and the water was 38°F. I fished for only an hour; the cutthroats were a little off due to the sudden change in weather.

The fish I did take were bright and beautiful. The largest was 12 inches and put up a respectable fight on the Try 360.  The trout took beadheads, despite the water being low. I couldn't induce any interest in wool bodies kebari and I wasn't willing to get skunked, so beadheads saved the day. I had to place the fly directly on the fish's nose to induce the take.

Anyway, I didn't fish long; didn't need to. It was fun, but it was cold. I've not acclimatized to the cold yet. Winter fishing is coming on! I can't wait!

Snap-On Line Winders

If you have followed my blog for any length of time, or if you have seen my tenkara videos, you know that I prefer clip-on line winders for line management while on stream. I prefer them to EZ-Keepers, spools or other methods.  I've been using mine since 2013. I started out not sure if I'd like them, but over the years I've seen that they work better for me than anything else I've used.

Until recently, you could only get these line winders on eBay, from foreign sources. But now they are available from a US source.

Some months back I visited Brent and Brandon, of Dragontail Tenkara, at their office, and during the conversation I mentioned that they should consider getting the line winders. I mentioned how well they work for me and seem to be a perfect match for holding the line when moving from one fishing location to another.

Well, I just got an email from Brent stating that the Tenkara Snap-On Line Winders were now available from Dragontail Tenkara.

I really like these winders. I keep one in my chest pack and use it all the time. They fit the vast majority of tenkara rods; they are perfect for all of Dragontail Tenkara's rods. And if they are too large for smaller diameter rods, Dragontail provides some thin foam that will help them to fit.

My chest pack

The Snap-on Line Winder fits perfectly in my pack.

I recommend these line winders. They work great for me. Maybe they'd work well for you too!

My Favorite Hackle Pliers

I've been tying flies since 1974. When I was a kid, I took piano lessons, clarinet lessons and fly tying lessons. Once a week I'd go to a house in my home town and there, for an hour, an old man (I thought he was old) taught me how to tie flies of various patterns. I had assignments - home work, daily practice time, the whole bit. When I got older I tied commercially for fly shops around the west.

As you might expect after tying flies for 42 years, I've learned what I like in tying tools and what I don't like. I've used all sorts of vises, scissors, bobbins, and hackle pliers.

Like most tools, when it comes to hackle pliers we all have different needs and demands. Different sized fingers and hands, type of flies we produce, feather types, and fly quality aesthetics all determine whether we like a certain plier or not. Some hackle pliers are too small, some are too large. Some drop the hackle too often, others break the hackle stem too often. Some hackle pliers are too heavy and others just plain don't work. I have used inexpensive ones, cheaply made ones, ones on a handle, ones that have a stretchy segment, ones that are just electronic test connectors. I've tried them all. Here are a few I've used over the years:

Tiemco

C&F

TyFlyz

Classic English style

I prefer a hackle plier that holds the hackle securely without breaking or cutting the stem, but not too loose so to drop the hackle tip. It must be lightweight, have a finger loop and be just the right size to work with large feathers as well as small. It also must not be too expensive.

My current favorite plier is the Stonfo Soft Touch Ring Hackle Plier. This little tool is so light, flexible, and easy to use. It holds the hackle perfectly, from long saddle and cape dry fly hackles to little starling feathers. For me, it works better than hackle pliers costing 6 times as much (like the C&F CTF-120). I bought mine directly from Italy years ago, long before they were imported to US retailers. I like it so much that I just ordered another one for use at my cabin.

So there's a hackle plier to consider: a tool that is designed for tying, is inexpensive, works like a charm and can help you be a better tier. Try one out. You can get one from Anthony at Three Rivers Tenkara.

A High Mountain Stream Before the Snow Falls.

The other day I fished a stream that comes tumbling out of the mountains, in a hurry to get to the valley floor.  I don't fish this creek very much, but I ought to. It has a nice population of both browns and rainbows, and there is rumored to be cutthroats in the higher sections. The canyon it's in is usually over run with campers in the summer, so I only visit it in the autumn. I hadn't videoed this creek before, so I thought I'd take along my camera and document the fishing.

As I drove up the road I could see that there was already some snow in the shadows. The canyon was empty -- just the way I like it. The creek had excellent water flow and there was no wind!

The creek is small, but not as small as some I like to fish. I chose the Suzume, which I had modified to my preference, and a 7 foot line. This rod worked pretty well for this stream. The flies I chose were a #10 Oxford wool kebari and a Sunglow Killer Bug. Both took fish in all the likely lies.

This creek comes out of a wilderness area further up the mountain. I've not fished up that high before, but I think next year I'll devote some time in exploring the higher reaches to see of I can find a cutthroat or two. But for now, I was concentrating on browns and rainbows of the lower reaches.

Here is a video of a few of the fish:

Daiwa Expert Tenkara LT to be released

Not to long ago, Daiwa released a new line a level line tenkara rods. Labeled Expert Tenkara L, these rods are both beautiful to look at and delightful to cast. I reviewed the 360 cm model in a prior post.

In a news release, Daiwa has now announced the release of the level/tapered line rods in the same series. Not much is known about these rods, but they look like they'll be similar to the level line rods in appearance, yet have a stiffer action.

Also, there are two new "H" models that appear to have been specifically designed to handle large trout.

Here is the press release. Be advised that the information was translated into english by Google and may not be grammatically correct.

I'm not sure if TenkaraBum will carry these rods, but if anyone in the US will, he will. I guess we'll wait and see!

Have Fun Fishing, but..

A few years back I published a post regarding the dangers of sun exposure. I mentioned that I had a lot of sunburns when I was a boy and that I also didn't use proper skin protection during my younger life. I also focused on melanoma in that article and I showed you a picture of me, how I generally look when I fish. You may notice in that picture that I am mostly covered, all except my nose. Well, I'm sad to say that it's finally caught up with me.

About three months ago I happened to feel a little rough spot on my nose. It was small, less than a millimeter, but it persisted. I thought that it would be an actinic keratosis, a precancerous lesion commonly caused by sun exposure. These are usually taken care of by freezing them off or a topical cream.

Well,I saw a friend of mine, a dermatologist, and he took a shave biopsy. To my surprise, the histology returned as a basal cell carcinoma, a skin cancer. Fortunately basal cell carcinomas are usually not aggressive, but this small lesions was already invasive! Remember, it was so small that it could have easily been overlooked.

So today I had Mohs surgery. Mohs is a technique where tissue is removed, then examined under the microscope. If all the cancerous cells are contained in the specimen then no further tissue removal is required. If the borders are not "clear" then more tissue is removed and examined. This is repeated until all borders are "clear" of cancer cells.

Despite my lesion being so small my Mohs required two tissue removal sessions. Fortunately my defect is relatively small and will not require a skin graft, but I might not have been so fortunate, if I had not payed attention to my skin.

So why am I telling you this? Because you too may be at risk. If you have had a lot of sun exposure, especially with a fair complexion, like me, your risk of skin cancer may be increased. Have fun fishing tenkara, but know the risks and protect yourself.

Wear sun protection. Use sunscreen. Get your vitamin D through your foods and via a supplement. See you on the river -- I'll be the one wrapped up like a mummy!