Rods and Reels – Page 6

“My Precious” Finally Arrived!

This is just a quick photo of the reel seat. It NEEDS to be photographed by none other than Mr. Henry Gilbey to do it the proper justice it deserves.

Ladies and Gentleman, I introduce to you…the TenRyu 2018 Lunakia LK610S-MLT rod from Japan!

She is absolutely gorgeous! The Nishijin weave in carbon fiber that comprises the reel seat is spectacular. It possesses the Carbon Nano Tube Technology and weighs a sultry 2 ounces. It’s 6ft 10in long and has the Magna Flex Tip, which is new to me.

The flex and action on this little beauty will be perfect for the stream fishing I do. So why did I buy it? As a present to myself since I’m turning 50 soon. I’m sure my friends will buy me all of the usual gag gifts…Depends, a cane, Mr. Magoo glasses etc. But sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands.

This is such a high quality rod, the nicest I’ve ever owned. I asked Randy G (TroutMagnetMan over on YouTube) via email whether he thought it was a good choice for my type of fishing. His response was a resounding “YES!”

I’m not selling anything but if you’re interested, I found it on http://www.finesse-fishing.com. Mr. Stewart ships extremely fast and has good prices on Japan Domestic Market fishing items.

Also, from what I can gather, TroutMagnetMan is the de facto expert on JDM Ultra Light fishing rods here in the US. Every rod type from SUL, XUL, UL, LL, L, ML etc., he shows on his YT channel. Well worth a look…

Some More Danielsson Fly Reels!

My photography skills cannot do these reels justice. I have spent very little time fishing these two reels due to COVID restrictions but I’m hoping to rectify that in 2021.

The Danielsson Dryfly is part of the Original series and might look familiar to some…think Loop. I’m not going to get into the history of that here. The Dryfly is a fun reel to fish with, and is super simple to use. It’s kind of a mash-up of “old school meets high tech” I suppose. For drag…you palm the spool.

The Danielsson F3W 2six is an update/upgrade to the LW4seven series of reels and as such has a really nice adjustable drag system that can be set by the user. Danielsson has a YouTube series on doing just that.

I highly recommend checking out the Danielsson website.

Fly Reels & Fly Fishing Reels – Danielsson Flyreels (danielsson-flyreels.se)

The Danielsson LW4seven Fly Reel…one of my Favorites.

Danielsson fly reels are well known in Sweden where they are made. Here in the US, not many people are familiar with them and that is a real shame. These reels are impeccably made and priced affordably.

I am not sure if the LW4seven is being made anymore but it is one of my all time favorite reels to use. It’s a good looking reel and lets be honest here…nobody wants an ugly reel!

I have fished with it for a few years now and love it. It’s durable and well made and a joy to fish with. I have an eye for aesthetics and as such I am particular about what I buy. That being said, I am not a salesman and I’m definitely not sponsored. However, I would like to add a link to Danielsson’s website so you can see for yourself!

Fly Reels & Fly Fishing Reels – Danielsson Flyreels (danielsson-flyreels.se)

New Reel Arrived: The Daiwa Presso LTD 1025!

I have been looking for one of these for quite some time and happened to luck onto one. This is my first true “Made in Japan” spinning reel and I have to say…it’s NICE! Stunning in fact. From what I understand, this is Daiwa’s Flagship Trout Reel.

It has a 4.8:1 retrieve ratio, 12+1 ball bearings, Zaion frame and weighs 155g or 5.5oz. It will hold 90m of 3lb mono line. And it shows 2kg or about 4lb of drag.

Now I’m left waiting for the rod I chose to pair up with this reel to arrive. It should be equally as stunning! We have a major cold front moving in which will drop the temperature significantly. Today is Friday, Feb 5th and its 62F. Next week will be in the teens!

As they say around here…”if you don’t like the weather, wait around a bit and it’ll change.”

YES. We actually tried these!!!

STOP LAUGHING!

At the time, we thought these might be perfect for the trips we were taking. Throw them in a pack, drive or hike to an out-of-the-way fishing spot and go at it. The thought behind it was a small package, decent componentry and we could keep a reel attached and the line rigged up.

YES, we caught fish and some of them were BIG (8lb Spotted Bass-the Wife). I’m still jealous of the fish she caught…but I had to man the trolling motor to help fight the fish!

I have no idea what the blanks are made of. It could be glass with a “carbon fiber sticker” for all I know. The reel seats were metal but picky when it came to reel feet. Oh, and the action… DEAD AS DISCO!

I remember we were fishing a stretch of a river and I was catching fish left and right…she was not, and not happy! So I “took a break” and handed her my rod and she was into fish on the first cast. I dinked around with her setup and I couldn’t feel ANYTHING. The reel was so squeaky that birds on the shore were answering to my handle turns. Ugh.

To make a long story short, we stopped for dinner before driving home and I promptly ordered her a St. Croix Triumph Travel rod exactly like mine and a Daiwa BG 2000 to go with it. She’s been kicking my arse ever since!

My Go-To Rod and Reel Setup

For years now, my go-to stream fishing rod and reel setup has been the St. Croix Triumph Travel TRS66MLF4 and the Abu Japan Roxani 2500MSH spooled with Daiwa J-braid x8 in 8lb test. I chose this rod because its a 4-piece and is easy to strap to the side of a pack or stow in the trunk of a compact car. The ML (Medium Light) action is perfect for chasing Velox.

This particular rod is made in Mexico but so far (3 years) it has held up well. The Roxani has been brilliant as well and is still smooth after everything it’s been through. We stream fish and that means wading! Some spots we’ve had to swim across or even swim through deeper pools to reach the next section. Both rod and reel have been dunked or splashed but they’ve held up well.

The Roxani was my first JDM (Japan Domestic Market) reel and won’t be my last. They just have a different feel than USDM reels. We will see how it goes as 2021 seems to be shaping up into a manner where I’m going LIGHTER. Both the rods and reels I’ve purchased lately have been lighter…1000 size reels as well as Light to Ultralight rods. Time will tell…stay tuned for more!

Quick Shot of the 2020 Shimano Vanford 1000 on my Major Craft Troutino TTS-562L.

I put the Vanford 1000 onto my Major Craft Troutino TTS-562L rod and headed to a local pond. Both of these are new to me ( arrived Friday ) and I wanted to see how they paired up. Balance was really good and the action on this rod was great. No fish were caught unfortunately but I was there mainly to get a feel for the rod and see how various lure weights performed.

Randy over at TroutMagnetMan (YouTube) says, “Major Craft gives you a lot of rod for the money” and he was absolutely correct. This is a JDM rod yet its made in China but fit and finish was excellent. I’ve been using a St. Croix Triumph Travel ML spinning rod for years and this was cheaper but much nicer all the way around.

When the waters warm up a bit I plan on hitting the panfish hard as well as white bass and my beloved Neosho-strain Smallies. Stay tuned for more…

2020 Shimano Vanford VF1000F

For 2021 I decided to try a lighter spinning reel and chose the Shimano Vanford 1000. It weighs 5.3 ounces and has a 5.1:1 gear ratio. It has 7 pounds of max drag (which I’ll never use) and 7+1 ball bearings. This reel has the typical Shimano smoothness and line lay was excellent.

I have it spooled with about 130 yards of Daiwa J-Braid Grand X8 in 6 pound test. Onto that is attached an 18 inch fluorocarbon leader at 6 pound test.

side note: PE# 0.6= 6lbs test

I’m interested to see how the new features (trickled down from the Stella) act with this reel. I’m keen to see how the long stroke spool works out.

Stay tuned for more…..