Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

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Aquaftm45
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Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by Aquaftm45 » Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:07 pm

This past year I have become increasingly interested in Mountain Stream fishing. For the new year I decided to take the leap and gear up accordingly. Learning a hard lesson from "working my way up" in bass gear, I vowed not make that mistake again. With little to no consolidated information available, a spent a couple of weeks doing my research into premium MIJ rods. Below are my findings which will hopefully save some research time for like minded individuals. Links primarily pack rods, but most have conventional 2-peice models.


One of the most mainstream premium rods is the Tenru Rayz Integral, with a new version for 2023. Beautiful blue hued rod with with royal blue windings. Not a fan of the SS guide train for the price point. Reasonably priced at 50K Yen. Slap on an Availed out Blue Abu with all the money you saved.
https://fishing.tenryu-magna.com/trout/integral.html

Another brand that is not too hard to aquire is Fishman-Beams, with the Blancsierra as their premium offering. Ringing in the new year with some limited offerings. Very swanky with a wooden pistol grip. Priced at around 70k Yen
https://www.fish-man.com/beams-blancsie ... MITED.html

New into lure based rods is Campanella, historically a boutique fly rod maker who roll thier own blanks. They recently introduced a mountain stream rod that is a gem. Spinning rod in the link, but they aslo make a BC that is not on the website yet, looks the same. From what I understand, very friendly to ship to the US. Priced around 60K Yen.
https://campanellafishing.com/lurerod/lurerod01/

Taper and Shape is another premium rod maker out of Japan. Looks pretty sweet. Priced around 65K Yen
https://www.taperandshape.co.jp/glasswa ... v-gen-new/

Diving into the dark underbelly of super premium, we have Souls Avant- Garde TF-A50ULC. So underbelly that they don't list it on their main website and I don't want break rules to post a link to the shop. PM me if you would like it. Priced around 85K. Yen They also have a less premium Explorer model for 65k yen.
http://www.souls.jp/torautoroddo1.html

M-Aire is another super premium brand with stunning rods, very well respected. Although they do not have a website, I found availablility. I discovered these from a US guy on Insta who posts some great MS trout content. Here is their FB page. PM me if you want a source. Priced around 80K yen
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=635 ... 2207520000.



Now into Angler Saito Territory:

Casket, super premium and stunning bezel grips with rods sold seperate. Released in small batches for online sales. I tried to particiapate in a recent sale where 10 versions, 10 apiece sold out in 2 minutes. There was not even a chance to preview them. Priced from 40k (cork) to 80K (wood). The have about 10 rod makers who supply and sell rods, sold the same way and very few and far between events. Priced from 50-100K Yen, I believe. These resell on YJP for 1.5-4X retail. Some sales require you to have a certain number of C miles to participate.
https://www.club-casket.com/original/trout/rod/
https://www.club-casket.com/original/

Anglo and Company (commonly seen on Enjoy fishing). A realitvly wide range of super premium, very hard to obtain rods. I attempted to order one of these by just emailing the shop, as some did not show as "sold out". I went so far as posting on TT that I was getting a Paragon. The owners kind but direct response informed me that I was not and no one probobly would in 2023. Undetered at the time, I set out to "try" to aquire one from YJP. Several times a week for a month I would set my alarm for 3, 4, or 5am in hopes of participating and being the highest bidder. Time after time the price climbed well past what I was willing to bid. This past Saturday was the last one I was going to participate in before going a different direction. Well, I am super exited to have a G+Imp 494 sitting in the Buyee warehouse currently, obtained for a little less than my bid threshold. Super stoked!
Rods priced from 75-90K Yen retail.
http://www.anglo.jp/

Want to build your own Mountain Stream rod? I've got you covered on that too. Stunning parts to build your own.
https://hitotokiworks.com/?mode=cate&cb ... 870&csid=0

Feel free to add brands that I have not listed or correct any of my misinformation. Hope this is helpful or just fun to look at.

John G
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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by John G » Tue Feb 07, 2023 8:03 pm

I recently bought a 5'3" Smith 'Be Sticky' Mountain Steam trout rod and while I haven't taken it fishing yet, I really like how it cast in my pool.

A little FYI, I didn't know it and maybe it says it on their website but I've never seen it, but my Smith says Made in Japan. :D

Anglo makes a really sweet bamboo mountain stream trout rod that I would love to have. I think it's a little under $1500.

I'll add that I recently also purchased a Tenryu Rayz Alter trout spinning rod and while it is very very nice and high-quality and all that great stuff, I regret getting it. If I had to do over with again, I would've gotten the Tenryu Spectra 5'1" mountain stream trout rod. I then would have been on the hunt for a mint condition Conquest 50 and I know I'm going to have to pay to play to acquire the spool, but I would get an Avail CNQ5026 spool for it. That's just another regret that I have because I used to own 5 Conquest 50's and I had 2 of those Avail spools. ;)

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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by Aquaftm45 » Wed Feb 08, 2023 4:49 am

John G wrote:
Tue Feb 07, 2023 8:03 pm
I recently bought a 5'3" Smith 'Be Sticky' Mountain Steam trout rod and while I haven't taken it fishing yet, I really like how it cast in my pool.

A little FYI, I didn't know it and maybe it says it on their website but I've never seen it, but my Smith says Made in Japan. :D

Anglo makes a really sweet bamboo mountain stream trout rod that I would love to have. I think it's a little under $1500.

I'll add that I recently also purchased a Tenryu Rayz Alter trout spinning rod and while it is very very nice and high-quality and all that great stuff, I regret getting it. If I had to do over with again, I would've gotten the Tenryu Spectra 5'1" mountain stream trout rod. I then would have been on the hunt for a mint condition Conquest 50 and I know I'm going to have to pay to play to acquire the spool, but I would get an Avail CNQ5026 spool for it. That's just another regret that I have because I used to own 5 Conquest 50's and I had 2 of those Avail spools. ;)
Let us know how you like it one you get it out on the water. It's a really nice looking rod and has titanium guides which is nice for the price point. Somewhat of a modern vibe with that reel seat. Priced at 47k yen retail.
https://www-smith-jp.translate.goog/pro ... r_hl=en-US
They also make the more traditional Tactist line-up, with Titanium/Torzite guide train at 51k yen retail.
https://www-smith-jp.translate.goog/pro ... r_hl=en-US
Good stuff!

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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by Winstondry » Wed Feb 08, 2023 6:28 am

Hey Rick, I have a couple of Tenryu rods, one is a 6’1” spinning the other 5’2” casting. Haven’t tried either in any streams yet but fished one of our local lakes for stockers. Both were great! I’m a flyfisherman at heart, hence the board name Winstondry, this is my first step to fishing for trout with other than fly gear.
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Aquaftm45
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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by Aquaftm45 » Wed Feb 08, 2023 7:05 am

That is awesome man and it is good to hear from you! Are those the Yumeya Bamboo knobs on your Conquest? If so, I have the same ones coming for the 23 Conquest I ordered.
You should check out the Campenella link that I have above. Their main game is building fly rods, they have been rolling their own blanks and building rods for about 20 years. They ship directly to the US. You might like them so much, you change your screen name..haha

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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by John G » Wed Feb 08, 2023 11:35 am

I took my Smith 'Be Sticky' trout rod out for the first time this afternoon. The reel is a Aldebaran MGL with an Avail 1518TRI spool and I was using 3LB Sniper FC. This combo had no problem at all casting a Rodio Craft 1.4g spoon. I'm new to using spoons and I've never caught a fish on one so I didn't stick with it too long because I didn't have all day to fish. I then tied on a Strike King Bitsy Minnow because it is a proven fish catcher where I live. Sure enough, I caught my first fish. A tiny LM bass. While he was very cute, he didn't put up much of a fight to say the least. :lol:
If y'all are curious and if y'all have never used this rod, it is not a whippy trout rod at all. It has a nice soft tip that loads easily and makes throwing lighter lures easier and then it also has a little backbone. I would have fished a little longer but I was holding my long net with my right hand and casting with my left hand and my lure nicked my net on a cast and I had a unfixable backlash. I have some ultralight Topwater lures coming from Japan and I'm going to turn this into a topwater rod anyway so that's OK. I also have a couple of different 6 pound monofilaments coming from Japan to replace the Sniper FC.

Image

Dalleinf
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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by Dalleinf » Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:50 pm

I have been very happy with my Smith Be Sticky 53 rod. It is a somewhat old rod by now, but it still works great. The biggest fish I have caught with mine is the searun trout pictured on the photo from summer 2019. Note, it is a very large net. If I recall correctly the trout was around 10 pounds and the rod handled it beautifully.
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Dalleinf
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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by Dalleinf » Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:51 pm

Btw the fish was also caught on a spoon, daiwa crusader 5gram.

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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by slimjim1135 » Wed Feb 08, 2023 7:21 pm

Oh man, it is good to see someone else made the same New Year’s resolution to go high end with stream rods! I think I looked at almost all of these rod makers a few times in the last few months. I too, have been on the prowl for an Anglo and Co, but they seem to be super rare.

I got pretty close to buying an M aire around the holidays, but talked myself out of it. Instead, I ended up going American for now. In January, I had Graywolf build me a 4’6” stream glass rod, and I also grabbed a 4’11” bamboo rod from him. Both came in this week. I’ve only been able to test cast the bamboo in my lawn, and I’ve only fished the glass rod for about an hour and a half after work this week. So far, both have exceeded my expectations when it comes to castability, especially throwing weighted flies.

In the coming months, I might add a premium graphite MIJ rod (right now Tenryu is my leader, but I may be swayed), but that’s gonna depend on how these two perform through spring.

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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by Aquaftm45 » Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:06 pm

slimjim1135 wrote:
Wed Feb 08, 2023 7:21 pm
Oh man, it is good to see someone else made the same New Year’s resolution to go high end with stream rods! I think I looked at almost all of these rod makers a few times in the last few months. I too, have been on the prowl for an Anglo and Co, but they seem to be super rare.

I got pretty close to buying an M aire around the holidays, but talked myself out of it. Instead, I ended up going American for now. In January, I had Graywolf build me a 4’6” stream glass rod, and I also grabbed a 4’11” bamboo rod from him. Both came in this week. I’ve only been able to test cast the bamboo in my lawn, and I’ve only fished the glass rod for about an hour and a half after work this week. So far, both have exceeded my expectations when it comes to castability, especially throwing weighted flies.

In the coming months, I might add a premium graphite MIJ rod (right now Tenryu is my leader, but I may be swayed), but that’s gonna depend on how these two perform through spring.
Posts some pics if you get a chance, we would love to see your customs. I always have been interested in hearing how a bamboo would fish, so give us your thoughts once you have tested it out. I think at some point I will have a custom built that has a modern flair that would compliment my Steez CT SV with purple KTF spool. Not that it matters when fishing, but I think that reel would look silly on a traditional trout stream rod. I ordered a Conquest BFS to go with the Anglo, and bought a lefty for the first time in my life. I am afraid that when no one is looking, I am going to feel like putting the righty CT SV on it. :lol:

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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by slimjim1135 » Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:45 pm

IMG_2094.jpg
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Here's a few. I'll take some better pictures and post full casting notes in a new thread once I have more time with each on the water. Initially I can provide casting impressions:

The bamboo rod is crisp and on the faster end of moderate fast. I was surprised how smooth casting 0.9g plugs is, and it's accurate. Bamboo is obviously a touch heavier than other components, so I paired it with the Conquest and it's a match made in heaven. I was looking for a good place to seat my Conquest BFS with the 2023 model on the horizon, and it looks like this is gonna be the pairing.

The glass rod was built to my specs, and so I'm a little biased on performance so far. To be fair, this rod probably isn't for everyone, but it's exactly what I've been looking for. It is the softest e glass blank I think I've ever used, and from the very first cast I haven't wanted to take it out of my hands. I hit every single lawn ornament in my yard testing this out, and it cast significantly further than I'm used to when I put it on the water, effortlessly.

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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by Dalleinf » Wed Feb 08, 2023 9:30 pm

Beautiful rods and combos!

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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by John G » Thu Feb 09, 2023 1:05 am

Definitely some beautiful rods.

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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by Aquaftm45 » Thu Feb 09, 2023 5:09 am

slimjim1135 wrote:
Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:45 pm
IMG_2094.jpg

IMG_2097.JPG

Here's a few. I'll take some better pictures and post full casting notes in a new thread once I have more time with each on the water. Initially I can provide casting impressions:

The bamboo rod is crisp and on the faster end of moderate fast. I was surprised how smooth casting 0.9g plugs is, and it's accurate. Bamboo is obviously a touch heavier than other components, so I paired it with the Conquest and it's a match made in heaven. I was looking for a good place to seat my Conquest BFS with the 2023 model on the horizon, and it looks like this is gonna be the pairing.

The glass rod was built to my specs, and so I'm a little biased on performance so far. To be fair, this rod probably isn't for everyone, but it's exactly what I've been looking for. It is the softest e glass blank I think I've ever used, and from the very first cast I haven't wanted to take it out of my hands. I hit every single lawn ornament in my yard testing this out, and it cast significantly further than I'm used to when I put it on the water, effortlessly.
Those look amazing! What is the line that you have on each? Looks like Double Cross 8 and Twitch Master

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Re: Premium Mountain Stream Rods-The Hunt

Post by dragon1 » Thu Feb 09, 2023 5:26 am

Holy Schnitzels...incredible combos!
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