Post
by ftl1951 » Sun Apr 11, 2021 6:23 am
I, too, have fallen down the JDM ultralight rabbit hole, and couldn’t agree more with the assessment on build quality and feel of ultralight rods built for the JDM. I would add that the Japanese prefer to have rods that are technique-specific and spend a lot of time and effort producing rods that fill a certain niche in targeting different species and under differing conditions. While I have acquired several ajing, mebaru , and light game rods, they are certainly fun to use for trout, but are designed to target different species and in conditions not normally associated with trout. Now, the JDM has two very different approaches to trout fishing. Area and stream. Area rods are focused on still conditions fishing in small to medium impoundments where angling pressure is high and the need for light and extremely sensitive rods is necessary. Stream fishing rods need to rely on a different set of build designs that take into account the moving and sometimes fast flowing water conditions associated with mountains streams and rivers. So why am I spending so much time on something many enthusiasts already know? I wanted to share my experience with what I would label as crossover, and to add a bit of a compliment to a couple of USDM manufacturers in their efforts to produce some quality trout rods as well.
I have fished many light game rods in mountain stream conditions and have had a blast. It might be my conclusion that these rods have a lot of backbone and certainly enough feel to get the job done. They do, however, have a little less range for fishing trout lures/baits. Area trout rods are by design much softer and again lack a little stiffness when fishing fast moving water. I have caught many nice size trout using an Area rod, but in my opinion, they lack what could be termed versatility. The Stream rods are purpose built to handle fast flowing conditions with sensitivity in mind. Even though fishing fast water presents very different conditions than area impoundments, there are many situations where trout are still less aggressive and you need to feel the strike. There is no doubt that the JDM stream rods are designed and built with this in mind. So, I don’t want to bring the wrath of the JDM gods down on me, but I will give a shout out to G. Loomis for their TSR791S-1 GLX rod for fishing fast moving water. While it is not my favorite stream rod, it is certainly an above average if not nearly perfect rod for these conditions. My latest trip to western North Carolina presented us with faster than normal water flow conditions. My go to rod was my Tenryu Rayz 6’8” rod and in these conditions was perfect. I caught a lot of trout of varying size and had a great success rate landing almost every trout I hooked. There was one stream where the flows were especially challenging and I took out the Loomis rod and was pleasantly surprised at how efficient it was/is. I hooked a 2..5 lb and a 3 lb rainbow that felt like I snagged a couple of Marlins. Each fish took me about five minutes to land. I was using 3.5 lb Varivas nylon spooled on a Daiwa Luvias FC LT1000 reel and had a stress-filled few minutes bringing these guys to the net. This rod really shined and I can honestly say I am glad to own it and have it as a compliment to my JDM rods when I fish.
Lastly, I just love my JDM equipment. There are not any rods that can match the quality, build, and design than those produced for the Japanese market. Many are true works of art that fish like work horses. My favorite stream rods by far are those made by Tenryu. They just know how to make rods for those conditions. One stand out rod for me is the Olympic Graphiteleader Super Bellezza. When the conditions are slower moving water, there isn’t a rod that is more fun or capable than it is. So, my two cents. I can honestly say that once you get hooked, watch out...
