recreation – Velox Seeker

Chasing Perfection…

So many rods and reels…so little money. Being a curious person by nature isn’t helpful at times. With the multitude of technological advancements happening in the fishing industry, it is difficult to choose that ONE rod that does it all. It doesn’t exist and never will. I know this and yet I keep fighting it and keep searching for the perfect setup.

Honestly, I could spend weeks just doing research and refining my needs and wants…but that doesn’t catch fish. But with all of the “Graphite Wizardry” coming out of Japan, It’s hard to settle on one rod anyway. In a land of specialization and variety, the choices are endless. And that doesn’t help my cause. The concept of “perfection” is very subjective anyway.

And as I learn more about JDM fishing rods, the wider and deeper the “rabbit hole” gets. Area Trout, Native Trout, Ajing, Mebaru, Rockfish, Light Game etc etc equals more options, more decisions. Factor in lanquage translation and videos, for an outsider, it appears to be an obsession.

I plan on doing a group photo of all all the JDM rods we have, which might be a bit disconcerting once we actually have them layed out. The plus side is that we do use every single one of them. And we haven’t bought a bad rod yet, which is nice. How’s that for rationalization?

And I will state emphatically that this gear has definitely made our fishing better both in catch-rate and fun. And I haven’t even started looking at Japanese made fly rods! Hmm…Beware the Rabbit Hole!

Zimmerbuilt Tailwater Pack…

I purchased this pack several years ago to use when fishing streams. You can find it on their website http://www.zimmerbuilt.com under “Tenkara Gear.”

Specifications:

-VX-21 fabric

-Capacity: 1300 cu in.

-Height: 19.5 in tall

-Width: 11 in at the top and 10 in at the bottom

-Depth: 6.5 in

-2 external Tenkara rod holders with shock cord retainers up top.

Simple shoulder straps with sternum strap.

This is a very well made pack and runs $95.00 on his web store. This is the lightest pack I own for fishing, coming in at 8.75 ounces. Perfect for carrying a rainjacket, water bottle and lunch, as well as some fishing lures or small tackle pouches/boxes. The back is unpadded so I added a piece of half inch closed cell foam to protect my back from sharp objects. It is not waterproof or submersible but rather highly water resistant. I can attest to fishing in light rain for 6 hours and everything stayed dry.

I don’t do Tenkara fishing and have never used the rod holders on the side. Instead, I break my rods down (4-5 piece) and store them inside.

I like to have several options of gear to choose from so I can tailor my needs to the trip.

Fishing “Systems”…

I don’t like my fishing to be overly complicated. Our preference is to break things down into modular components to be incorporated into a bigger System. Furthermore, we prefer to travel light and be efficient with the goals we have set.

Our Fishing System:

–Footwear: wading boots or shoes, neoprene socks, gravel guards etc.

–Water Filtration: Hiker Pro, Sawyers or Squeeze bottle

–Navigation: map, compass, GPS or none

–Packs: sling, shoulder, waist or backpack or just pockets

–Rods and Reels: proper choices for intended species

–Clothing: seasonal conditions apply, rainwear,hats, polarized glasses etc

–Tackle: seasonal and species specific; spoons, jerkbaits, spinners or sometimes just jigheads and plastics stuck in the pockets of our shorts

–Camera Gear: GoPro, phone or DSLR

–Food: lunch, coffee, tea, snacks etc

–Sundries Bag: licenses, knife, cordage, lighter etc

–First Aid Kit: small and light…not performing surgery!

When wading streams and walking over rocks and boulders all day, every extra pound carried can equal pain. We try hard to carry no more than 10 pounds and preferably less. There is always a balancing act in our gear between weight and durability. As an example, I tend to carry the Yeti Panga 28 backpack more often. With two straps the weight distribution is better than a sling pack. Yes it is heavier but is by far the most durable pack I own. In the future I will showcase a few other pack options that I have and use.

By traveling light we can move faster and go farther. Not that we are “speed fishing” or anything, but rather, we are not overburdened when hopping across boulders or trying to maintain our balance when crossing current.

Your comfort has to be factored into the System as well. Tennis shoes are a lot lighter than wading boots, however, how will your feet feel at the end of the day? I know from experience that my feet feel trashed after wearing sneakers all day while stream fishing. The beefier yet heavier wading boot has a lot more support and protection. But when factoring comfort into the equation, I’ll deal with the extra weight penalty. Besides, I’m not getting any younger!

And by implementing a modular approach into the system, it is easy to switch between packs to further reduce weight or increase convenience. With thought and planning you can custom tailor your gear to each outing or you can settle on one system and stick with it.

I am not creating anything new here, rather, I am just sharing what we use and the thought process behind our system.