Not too long ago I did a rod review on the TenkaraPrim Professional 315 7:3. I was so impressed that I purchased its big brother, the Professional 400 7:3. Making a well balanced 315-320 rod is one thing, but making a well balanced, well casting 400 cm rod is another.
It took about a month to receive the rod, but it was very well packaged and in perfect condition. The Professional 400 7:3 looks exactly like a more beefier version of the 315 7:3, so I'm going to forgo the description and refer you to my Professional 315 7:3 rod review for details.
Here are my measurements:
Nested length: 94 cm
Extended length: 399 cm
Weight (without tip plug): 73 g
CCS/RFI: 19 pennies/ 4.8
Rotational moment is a simple estimation of the tip heaviness of a rod. As I have stated in other articles, this measurement is used by Gamakatsu to measure their rods. A 6.3 measurement is pretty darn good, and can be taken as a pat on the back to the rod designer. I would have like to see it less than 6 (as that is the threshold for feeling tip heaviness) but it is much better than some pretty great rods, like the Zerosum, Royal Stage and Karasu! Here are some measurements of other 390-405 cm tenkara rods:
Oni type I ______________________ 5.2
TenkaraBum 40 _________________ 5.5
Tanuki XL-1 ____________________ 5.6
Nissin Zerosum Oni Honryu 395 ____ 6
Gamakatsu Multiflex Suimu 4.0 _____6.5
Allfishingbuy Hirame-ML-3909 _____ 6.8
Nissin Zerosum Tenkara 400 7:3 _____6.9
Nissin Royal Stage 400 7:3 ________ 7
Discover Tenkara Karasu 400 ______ 7
Daiwa LT39SF _________________ 7.1
DRAGONtail Hydra ZX (@390) ____ 7.5
TUSA Ito (@390 cm) ____________ 7.8
TUSA Ayu II ___________________ 8.5
TUSA Amago __________________ 10
Here is an RFI Comparison chart. Click HERE to see a larger view:
As far as casting the rod, there is no surprise that because it is a 4 m rod there is some wind load when casting. But it's light for its length and its swing arc is very pleasing. It does have just a little tip oscillation at the end of cast if you over power the rod, but that just means that you need to let the rod do the work rather than your pitching arm.
I cast the rod with #3 and #3.5 level lines in the 390 cm length plus 90 cm of tippet. It did well with both, but it's my opinion that the rod prefers the #3.5 line.
I fished the rod on a typical mountain stream using unweighted kebari. I caught trout in the 10 to 15 inch range in moderately fast flows. The rod did great! There were no issues whatsoever!
I also fished a larger stream, with slower flows, for larger fish. I used a 4.25 m tapered fluorocarbon line with 95 cm of 5.5X tippet. Again, the rod did great, except where I lost my head and overpowered my cast. In those situations I couldn't blame the rod, as any rod I have would have griped! I caught fat trout up to 17 inches and again, the rod did wonderfully.
Here is a video of the mountain stream (sorry about the highway noises, the stream is right next to a busy highway):
Conclusion: This is a really nice rod! I like it! I like its weight and balance, as well as its casting arc and fish fighting capabilities. The Professional 400 casts somewhat similar to the Shimano Mainstream ZE, but it weighs 20 grams less than the Shimano. I do wish it had a rotational moment of 6 or less, but at 6.3 it's not that tip heavy. It casts an unweighted kebari well, and it casts a level line well too. I think the rod prefers a #3.5 level line, which is OK by me. I don't mind the long nested length at all; I think it helps make this rod a winner!
So, if you are in the market for an outstanding 4 m length tenkara rod that can handle larger trout, and one that is not very tip heavy, then consider the TenkaraPrim Professional 400 7:3. Don't let the month shipping from Russia put you off. It's worth it!
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. Don't just take my word for it.
I have no financial affiliation with TenkaraPrim. I purchased the rod at full retail cost.
Most helpful. Takes more than one reading to grasp it all. So, I simply accepted that this is something that will require multiple readings and printing out for reference. Still, it has helped me develop and grasp a basic (or preliminary) understanding of a rod by reading its specs. The best advice however, as is stated, where and when possible, "you need to cast and fish them." Thank you.
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