# A different kind of trout fishing



## tincanary

Finesse - Very subtle and delicate

Finesse fishing is not the same as ultralight. Ultralight describes your gear. Finesse describes your presentation. That said, it is much easier to achieve finesse fishing with ultralight gear.

I will go one step further and say it is easier to achieve delicate and subtle presentations with ultralight gear designed for the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM). Japan is a country with lots of fishermen but not a lot of places to fish. The fish are highly pressured, and in order to catch them the Japanese have refined their gear to be able to present smaller baits, and their tactics to achieve greater finesse.

Almost every website that even mentions finesse fishing is about bass fishing. Nearly every website that even mentions JDM rods and reels is about rods and reels for bass fishing, although the interest in JDM gear for panfish has grown in the last few years. When fishing for trout, finesse is not just AS important, it is much MORE important. There's a reason why finesse fishing for bass might mean an 1/8 ounce jig on 8 lb line, and finesse fishing for trout might mean a size 18 dry fly on 8X tippet. Trout eat smaller things, they are more line shy, they are more skittish. When fishing for trout, finesse may not be another option, it may be the only option.

American bass anglers pretty much agree that the best, most refined gear in the world is designed for the Japanese market. American trout anglers have not yet come to that realization, but I will argue that it is just as true with respect to trout gear as it is for bass gear.

Bass fishing in Japan is a big deal. Interestingly, bass fishing became popular there in the 70's and 80's, not long after bass tournaments became popular here in the US. Trout fishing, though, goes back hundreds of years. Advancements in trout rods came about as quickly as the technology allowed, with bamboo rods giving way to fiberglass and then to carbon fiber.

When I was a kid, Abu Cardinal spinning reels were considered the best, or at least, what every kid wanted. Daiwa started making spinning reels in 1965 and Shimano started making baitcasters in 1978. Now, though, collectors buy Cardinals. Fishermen buy Daiwas and Shimanos. People who want the best reels buy Japanese reels.

It is a bit sad that there are Daiwa and Shimano reels that are sold in Japan but not in the US. I think there is a reason for that, though. American fishermen are generally very keen on finding low prices. Japanese fishermen, on the other hand, are very keen on finding high quality.

There's nothing wrong with either approach. One is not "better" than the other, but they do result in different products being offered in the different markets. The big Japanese manufacturers know they won't sell very many of the really high end rods or reels in the US, not enough to make it worth their while. Just a symptom of our throwaway culture I suppose. Americans are addicted to cheap stuff. Blame Walmart. Once upon a time even Meijer and Kmart sold higher end fishing gear until they took on the Walmart business model.

If the manufacturers are not assured of selling a large number of a certain model, it isn't worth the cost of putting it in the catalogs, keeping it in inventory, educating their sales force and trying to convince their dealers to stock it. It's a numbers game, and a half dozen reels here and there isn't going to cut it.

Trout anglers in the US will spend hundreds of dollars for a fly rod and hundreds more for a fly reel. But for a spinning rod and reel? No way, or I should say, not many. That surprises me. Spin fishing for trout can be remarkably effective, to the point where some fly fishermen wouldn't believe it.

I am sure there are fishermen who would be interested in high quality spinning gear if they knew it existed. I feel that one of the main reasons trout anglers who are spin fishermen have not turned to the JDM market for higher quality gear is that most probably don't know it exists. No one is advertising it and the gulf between bass anglers and trout anglers is wide enough that the chatter about JDM bass gear hasn't crossed over to trout fishermen. The magazines that cater to trout fishermen are all about fly fishing. The internet forums are all about fly fishing. No one is talking about high quality JDM ultralight spinning and ultralight baitcasting gear for trout.

Really, though, it's deeper than that. It's not just that no one is talking about JDM gear for trout. Hardly anybody is talking about spin fishing for trout in streams. It's all fly fishing. The stream rods that are most popular in Japan are 5' - 5'6". Here in the US you would have to look long and hard to find even reasonably good quality ultralight spinning rods of that length, rods actually designed for trout fishing in small streams.

The trout rods you find here are 6’ and 7’ rods, which are fine for lakes but are too long for fishing a small stream. I suppose they'd be ok if you can drive to the stream and walk 20’ to where you will fish from the bank, which, by the way, is how most of the spin fishermen I actually see on streams fish. If you plan to hike in, even a little way, or if you plan to wade and fish the stream the way a fly fisherman would, you'll want a rod actually designed for fishing streams.

As bad as the situation is for spinning rods, for baitcasters the domestic market is hopeless. If you looked hard enough, you could find a 5' ultralight baitcaster, for about $20. They're not serious. And people who actually are serious about their fishing are not going to be satisfied with a $20 rod. I spend more than that in gas money just to go fishing once. You just can't buy a decent ultralight baitcaster for trout fishing in streams, they don't exist in the US.

Truly excellent spinning rods and reels, and baitcasting rods designed specifically for trout fishing exist in Japan. Much of it is truly for finesse fishing. Some of the same light and ultralight rods and reels are perfectly suited to panfish and will just blow away what are sold as panfish rods in the US. They have much better gear, even affordable purpose built gear. In America, one size fits most. In Japan, it’s tailor made to the species.

Too bad this style of fishing has yet to catch on here. I get many sideways looks on the streams when a fly fisherman sees me throwing little 1/16 cranks and jigs for trout with a baitcast reel. I even had a guy earlier this season tell me I won’t find any bass in the river. I’m not here for bass, I’m here for trout brother.

Here’s one of my combos, which will get used for those hike-in trips. I fish a lot of small water and a good high quality shorter rod makes it much easier to manage and accurately place your bait right where you want it. I can cast side arm, underhanded, flip, or pitch into undercut banks, logjams, and other obstacles with the smallest splash so as to not spook the fish. This is a Daiwa Millionaire CT on a 4’10” Major Craft Troutino. Spring can't come soon enough!


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## tincanary




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## Boardman Brookies

Cool video. Never thought of baitcasters for trout fishing. I’m digging that rod. 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


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## tincanary

Boardman Brookies said:


> Cool video. Never thought of baitcasters for trout fishing. I’m digging that rod.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


It's a very nice rod. Side by side with my friend's 5' St Croix Avid, it's a little heavier but has more backbone and a much faster tip. The St Croix is sold as a fast rod, but comparing it with the Major Craft, it feels more moderate to moderate fast. 

This makes me wonder why that is. One isn't inherently superior to the other, but rods appear to be designed around what type of bait Americans fish versus Japanese. In Japan, they tend to fish small minnow plugs and jigs which work better with a stiffer tip, thus the design of the rod. In America, we primarily fish spoons, spinners, and live bait which lend themselves to the more moderate action rods. 

It's a lot of fun fishing both side by side and seeing them in action. My friend with his St Croix Avid and a Japanese Daiwa Luvias trout reel can cast even tiny 1/48 Panther Martins way out. The reel casts so well that it had a slight learning curve for him. A Japanese trout spinning reel has a shallow spool with a beveled lip. This lets the line come off with less friction allowing for easier and longer casts. The best part is, trout models are offered across the board in Japan from the budget models to the higher end. We get none of the good stuff here.


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## Boardman Brookies

I am pretty much devoted to fly fishing solely now but I still get out to some of the brushy creeks a few times a year where it is almost impossible to fly fish. My go to rod for years has been my 5' St Croix Triumph 1 piece UL. I have caught so many fish with that. I have thought about getting something else but just love that little rod too much.


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## tincanary

Boardman Brookies said:


> I am pretty much devoted to fly fishing solely now but I still get out to some of the brushy creeks a few times a year where it is almost impossible to fly fish. My go to rod for years has been my 5' St Croix Triumph 1 piece UL. I have caught so many fish with that. I have thought about getting something else but just love that little rod too much.


Those are really nice rods. I always wanted to try a one piece but I do a lot of hike-in trips which make it kind of a pain to carry. My two piece 4'10" I keep in a 30" fly rod tube and it fits in an outer pocket of my backpack.

Here's a cool video showing the Japanese style of trout fishing. Make note of the Iwana trout he is catching, which are chars very closely related to the brook trout we have here.


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## tincanary

Test and tune day for the Millionaire, freshly spooled with about 50yd of Daiwa J-Braid 8lb and topped off with a 6lb Seaguar Red Label leader. My plan is to target panfish today and tweak the spool tension and braking profile until it suits my casting style. The baits I'm planning on using today are 2" Powerbait Minnows on 1/16 darter heads, 1/16 Countdowns, 1/8 Husky Jerks, and for ****s and giggles, a hair mouse. The hair mice I have come in on my scale at 1.2g which is well within the range of this reel with the spool I'm using. There will be a lot of wind resistance to contend with on the hair mouse, but I think I can pull it off with the brake set loose. Another season of fly fishermen giving me the fluoride stare is fast approaching.


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## TK81

tincanary said:


> Test and tune day for the Millionaire, freshly spooled with about 50yd of Daiwa J-Braid 8lb and topped off with a 6lb Seaguar Red Label leader. My plan is to target panfish today and tweak the spool tension and braking profile until it suits my casting style. The baits I'm planning on using today are 2" Powerbait Minnows on 1/16 darter heads, 1/16 Countdowns, 1/8 Husky Jerks, and for ****s and giggles, a hair mouse. The hair mice I have come in on my scale at 1.2g which is well within the range of this reel with the spool I'm using. There will be a lot of wind resistance to contend with on the hair mouse, but I think I can pull it off with the brake set loose. Another season of fly fishermen giving me the fluoride stare is fast approaching.
> 
> View attachment 758432


I'd like to see a video of you casting the hair mouse. That sounds amazing.


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## tincanary

TK81 said:


> I'd like to see a video of you casting the hair mouse. That sounds amazing.


I'll have my wife roll tape when we head out in a little bit. I'm about 50% sure it'll work lol. Maybe, maybe not.


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## tincanary

It was a little too windy to throw a hair mouse today. I tried a few times but it was fluffing the spool just a tiny bit, seems the spool is a little too heavy to throw that light. I have another lighter weight spool on the way that will work better. Less rotating mass means more capable of throwing lighter baits. The spool I was using today weighs about 9g while the one en route comes in at 5g, so I believe it will do the trick. On the brighter side of things, the Countdowns and Husky Jerks were going a good distance, got that spool dialed in and now it's time to hit the streams in the near future. It's fun experimenting with unconventional tactics.


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## PunyTrout

tincanary said:


> It was a little too windy to throw a hair mouse today. I tried a few times but it was fluffing the spool just a tiny bit, seems the spool is a little too heavy to throw that light. I have another lighter weight spool on the way that will work better. Less rotating mass means more capable of throwing lighter baits. The spool I was using today weighs about 9g while the one en route comes in at 5g, so I believe it will do the trick. On the brighter side of things, the Countdowns and Husky Jerks were going a good distance, got that spool dialed in and now it's time to hit the streams in the near future. It's fun experimenting with unconventional tactics.



All you need is a little heavier mouse pattern...




















I make some hybrids that you might enjoy trying out this season.


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## tincanary

PunyTrout said:


> All you need is a little heavier mouse pattern...
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I was thinking of making a joined balsa mouse and putting deer hair on it along with a tail. Seems like a good idea anyway lol


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## ongo

tincanary said:


> Test and tune day for the Millionaire, freshly spooled with about 50yd of Daiwa J-Braid 8lb and topped off with a 6lb Seaguar Red Label leader. My plan is to target panfish today and tweak the spool tension and braking profile until it suits my casting style. The baits I'm planning on using today are 2" Powerbait Minnows on 1/16 darter heads, 1/16 Countdowns, 1/8 Husky Jerks, and for ****s and giggles, a hair mouse. The hair mice I have come in on my scale at 1.2g which is well within the range of this reel with the spool I'm using. There will be a lot of wind resistance to contend with on the hair mouse, but I think I can pull it off with the brake set loose. Another season of fly fishermen giving me the fluoride stare is fast approaching.
> 
> View attachment 758432


That reel is a thing of BEAUTY !


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## tincanary

ongo said:


> That reel is a thing of BEAUTY !


Yeah it is, I'm a sucker for a nice round reel. This one is made in Japan and only available on the Japanese market so I had to buy from overseas. Here's a review from somebody stateside. Keep in mind he is using the factory spool and not the SLP Works spool I'm using right now. SLP Works is Daiwa's performance parts division. Daiwa 2019 Millionaire CT SV70 Casting Reel Product Review


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## Steve

Cool setup and cool video.


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## tincanary

Shimano is soon releasing the Curado BFS for the US market, due to launch in April. It's about time they're bringing the light baitcast reels to this side of the world. The price is pretty good too, $189.99, in line with other Curado models. From what I've read, the spool weighs about 9 grams, so that will make it very well capable of throwing 1/16 or so. Hopefully Daiwa and Abu follow suit.






Reel Curado BFS | BAITCASTING LOW PROFILE | BAITCASTING | REELS | PRODUCT | SHIMANO







fish.shimano-eu.com


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## PunyTrout

tincanary said:


> I was thinking of making a joined balsa mouse and putting deer hair on it along with a tail. Seems like a good idea anyway lol



You got me thinking again about the hybrids I started making the last few years.

Basically, I wanted to be able to tie a mouse or rat fly using spun deer hair or rabbit fur. 

One feature that I wanted to incorporate was the ability to add one of the gazillion soft plastic lure tails that are on the market for bass and pike anglers and to have the ability to swap and change as required.

Owner makes a screw eye that allows for rigging such a hybrid design.

Using the leftover wire shaft bits that I save from making spinners, I'm attaching pictures to help inspire you in making your own creations;



















Use the above image as a blank canvas to help guide you along.




Here is one from 2019 that I dubbed, the 'dirty trick'












Maybe we could convince @adam bomb to spin a few mice for you if I send him some hooks and hardware as a collaborative project.


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## tincanary

PunyTrout said:


> You got me thinking again about the hybrids I started making the last few years.
> 
> Basically, I wanted to be able to tie a mouse or rat fly using spun deer hair or rabbit fur.
> 
> One feature that I wanted to incorporate was the ability to add one of the gazillion soft plastic lure tails that are on the market for bass and pike anglers and to have the ability to swap and change as required.
> 
> Owner makes a screw eye that allows for rigging such a hybrid design.
> 
> Using the leftover wire shaft bits that I save from making spinners, I'm attaching pictures to help inspire you in making your own creations;
> 
> View attachment 758635
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> Use the above image as a blank canvas to help guide you along.
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> Here is one from 2019 that I dubbed, the 'dirty trick'
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> Maybe we could convince @adam bomb to spin a few mice for you if I send him some hooks and hardware as a collaborative project.


That sounds like a great idea. I've never made a lure before, but I feel I understand the basic concepts. I wonder if something made similar to a Heddon Torpedo would work well, but with the added tail and some fur.


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## PunyTrout

tincanary said:


> That sounds like a great idea. I've never made a lure before, but I feel I understand the basic concepts. I wonder if something made similar to a Heddon Torpedo would work well, but with the added tail and some fur.



It's a fun hobby. You're only limited by your own imagination and ingenuity. 

Trial and error is half the fun of angling.


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## tincanary

PunyTrout said:


> It's a fun hobby. You're only limited by your own imagination and ingenuity.
> 
> Trial and error is half the fun of angling.


Experimentation is my favorite part. Sometimes these ideas turn into runaway successes. There are mouse lures made, but they're all plastic and have nothing to make them appear more lifelike.


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## tincanary

Whew wee this guy is light. I had to check it with two scales just to make sure. 6'L 1/16-1/4 8.2mm in the butt section and 1.3mm in the tip. Gonna have to sneak out after work this week and try it out.


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## tincanary

Not bad, 7oz total weight with a Revo ALC-BF7. The balance is really nice too, one handed casting machine.


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## PunyTrout

And here I thought I was unique using Crown Royal bags to store my fishing reels.

Go figure.


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## tincanary

PunyTrout said:


> And here I thought I was unique using Crown Royal bags to store my fishing reels.
> 
> Go figure.


Not mine, customers send their reels to me in them. Y'all sure love the Crown lol.


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## PunyTrout

tincanary said:


> Not mine, customers send their reels to me in them. Y'all sure love the Crown lol.



I don't drink. But I have a friend who is a bartender and he saves them for me.


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## tincanary

PunyTrout said:


> I don't drink. But I have a friend who is a bartender and he saves them for me.


That makes two of us. I have this spiffy case I stick in my backpack, think I paid like $3 for it.


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## tincanary

My wife wanted us to take our son to the park this past weekend so I spooled up the Millionaire with about 50yd of 10lb J-braid and took it out to dial it in. I got the brake and spool tension set perfectly, my bait goes wherever I point the rod tip. I tried a mix of baits ranging from 1/20 Z-Viber lipless cranks to 3/16 Countdowns, point and shoot. Even had a fly fisherman stop and observe me for a bit, then ask questions. Really nice fellow that looked to be in his early 70s. I wasn't actively trying to catch anything but still had a great time.


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## 6thMichCav

I was thinking about this thread on the trout stream Saturday morning. My beater Abu Garcia spinning reel was working fine, and slingshotting a spinner under tree branches worked as well as usual. However, I also took an older baitcaster (Abu Mag II) to the river yesterday; it casted fine until I hooked a tree limb on an aggressive cast and backlashed it into next week. I have about a dozen various 80’s Abus and a dozen mixed bag baitcasters (not counting a baker’s two dozen of other reels) and nothing throws a crankbait the same.

Glad to hear the new acquisition is working as advertised!


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## tincanary

Oh boy, Major Craft is coming out with their Finetail trout rods in a glass model sometime in May. The price isn't too bad either, looks to be about $150 to $175 depending on length. If you're using Chrome, it will auto translate Japanese to English. I might have to get one for creek fishing.






New Finetail STREAM GRASS ROD | メジャークラフト｜Major Craft Web


バス 、シーバス、エギング、ショアジギング、フラットフィッシュ、ロック＆ライトゲーム、オフショア、トラウトのロッドメーカー「メジャークラフト」のサイトです。




www.majorcraft.co.jp


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## tincanary

Shimano Calcutta Conquest BFS has entered the chat. I've been squirreling away a little here and there for a bit with my eye on one of these, arguably the finest BFS reel on the market at the moment. The exchange rate between the dollar and yen is really good right now so, I figured it was time. This has to be the smallest round reel I've ever seen. I put the Millionaire in there for comparison purposes.


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## tincanary

My glass rod finally came in a few weeks back, and it's a lot of fun to use. It doesn't handle like the fiberglass bull whips I used in my youth. The backbone is very, very nice. The blank has a nice deep bend and a lightning fast recovery, nice and lightweight too and feels just as sensitive as my carbon and graphite rods. It pitches well and with the flex of the tip, it can send a 1/16 countdown a good distance, further than most think would be possible from a measly 4'10" rod. I'm really liking it, already got it on some browns and had a ball. With BFS finally starting to pick up steam in the states, hopefully we see models like this on shelves here someday.


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## tincanary

A couple years into this JDM gear thing, I've come to some realizations. The most glaring of them is the difference between Japanese trout rods and American trout rods. I’ve never met a Lamiglas, St. Croix, or Loomis that wasn’t every bit of a moderate or slow action even though it’s labeled as fast, or even extra fast. By comparison, the Japanese stream trout rods really are fast, much better for fishing the swift currents and working lures such as small jigs and minnow style baits. The more moderate actions of the US market trout rods better lend themselves to spoon and spinner fishing. I’ve compared the actions of my Major Craft rods to my friend’s St Croix Trout, St Croix Avid, and Loomis GLX that are of a similar length and rating. His bend like wet noodles whereas mine bend mostly at the top quarter of the blank with a very stout backbone. I wouldn’t hesitate to fish steelhead on some of these rods, and even that is pretty common on the other side of the world along with fishing Coho and Cherry salmon.

Second, the Japanese stream trout rods, being that they primarily fall in the 4’ to 5’ range and power ratings of SUL (super ultralight) to L, are about perfect for fishing the small streams and brush choked creeks pretty common here in the eastern US. American trout rods tend to be much longer which makes them antithetical to fishing the small streams of the eastern woodlands. The more reputable manufacturers here do make nice shorter rods, but most are typically 7’ or more. While they do work for many, they can be unwieldy in the undergrowth making it difficult to cast in areas with a lot of overhanging trees and overgrown banks. They are much better suited to the wide open rivers of the west where there is adequate room to cast.

Third, Japanese trout rods tend to be more technique specific than American rods. Where American stream trout rods are sold from a one-size-fits-most perspective, Japanese market rods typically come in models for floating bait, spoons and spinners, and minnow/jig rods. Minnow rods tend to be of fast or extra fast action, spoon/spinner rods more on the moderate-fast side, and bait rods on the slow to moderate side. Salmon and steelhead rods are marketed like that here, but not a single stream trout rod is. 

As far as reels go, even the Japanese have trout specific spinning reels. These trout reels feature shallower spools than their American counterparts and will often come accompanied with a faster retrieve rate. These reels range in price from budget friendly to more higher end offerings, but nearly every spinning reel model sold in Japan also comes in a trout oriented model. Let’s face it, there’s no reason why an ultralight spinning reel should hold a couple of hundred yards worth of 4lb mono. It’s wasteful and also not conducive to long and minimal effort casts. The shallower spools found in the Japanese market reels tend to have a beveled lip to reduce friction and therefore achieve longer casts. Many are available, from the $50 Daiwa Revros 2000S-XH to the $400 Daiwa Luvias Airity 2000S-XH. They are faster reels than their deeper spooled counterparts, perfect for picking up slack in the current. 

Lastly, the lines. US market lines tend to be grossly underrated. In Japan there are standards agreed upon by the manufacturers that lines of a given diameter must break at a certain point. To measure this, they use the denier rating, a unit of measure for the linear mass density of fibers, the mass in grams of 9000 meters of fiber, or in this case, fishing line. Denier ratings provide a true measure of strength for any line that allows for variables in construction materials. This is why the variation in diameters between JDM and USDM lines for a given strength, be it braid or nylon. This is also why most of the JDM lines tend to appear to have a smaller diameter compared to USDM lines for a given strength. There is no standardization for lines sold here, so the manufacturers can pretty much slap any number they want on it. This is why for instance 8lb Big Game tends to be thicker than most other 8lb mono. Based on its diameter of 0.28mm, it would have a rating of 12lb (#3.0 in Japan) if it were sold under the denier rating. 

It has been a lot of fun experimenting with techniques and gear others employ elsewhere. It really opened my eyes to the true lack of specific gear in our market. I'm really enjoying my experience thus far and feel the manufacturers are missing out big on not bringing that gear to America.


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## tincanary

The reel that started it all. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, thinking a honeycomb spool, drag work, and some micro bearings. I might just put it up for sale afterward but not quite sure yet as I've been longing for one of these guys. ABU 2500C.


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## tincanary

This guy came by way of Yahoo Auctions out of Japan, got it far cheaper than I would have on eBay. I went ahead and serviced it, and while I was at it, installed a carbon drag and a drag clicker. Now it clicks as a fish is pulling line. I'm going to hit one of the local spots and give it a whirl this weekend. Daiwa Alphas Air in the 7.2 gear ratio.


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## adam bomb

tincanary said:


> The reel that started it all. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, thinking a honeycomb spool, drag work, and some micro bearings. I might just put it up for sale afterward but not quite sure yet as I've been longing for one of these guys. ABU 2500C.
> 
> View attachment 815597
> 
> View attachment 815598


Well, what’s you end up doing with this one 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


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## tincanary

adam bomb said:


> Well, what’s you end up doing with this one
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


Haven't gotten around to it yet, still sitting on my shelf. It's going to run me about $400 to get it exactly how I want; 4 post driveshaft, Avail trout special spool, ceramic bearings, bearing level wind, pinion bearing, 6.0:1 high speed gear set, double bearing idler gear, and a double bearing level wind.


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## adam bomb

tincanary said:


> Haven't gotten around to it yet, still sitting on my shelf. It's going to run me about $400 to get it exactly how I want; 4 post driveshaft, Avail trout special spool, ceramic bearings, bearing level wind, pinion bearing, 6.0:1 high speed gear set, double bearing idler gear, and a double bearing level wind.


That’ll be nice when you get it finished up 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


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## tincanary

adam bomb said:


> That’ll be nice when you get it finished up
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


It will be, but man is it spendy doing up a 2500C. This is one I did for a customer, the spool weighs just 6 grams.


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## TroutFishingBear

I will be going to Japan this fall again, will be in Tokyo a couple days of a nine day trip. Looking forward to buying some specialty gear. Any recs tincanary?


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## tincanary

TroutFishingBear said:


> I will be going to Japan this fall again, will be in Tokyo a couple days of a nine day trip. Looking forward to buying some specialty gear. Any recs tincanary?


Are you looking for spinning or baitcasting tackle? In Japan, spinning reels with shallow spools are sold for the trout fishermen. Almost every Daiwa and Shimano spinner from the budget priced to the high end comes in shallow spool variants over there for that purpose. Here, we have a one size fits most approach and have light and ultralight reels that hold 200yd+ worth of 4lb lol. Over there, they hold anywhere from 50 to 100yd. 50yd is plenty for fishing trout, I have yet to be spooled or even close to it. 

The trout spinning reels have the letter S in their nomenclature that denotes a shallow spool. For instance, here we have the Daiwa Legalis LT 1000D, while in Japan, they have the Legalis LT 1000D and 1000S. It's the same with Shimano reels; Vanford 1000 and Vanford 1000S. Some also have the SS nomenclature, for super shallow. Super shallow spools are designed for thin braid.

With baitcasting gear, the Daiwa moniker for a finesse baitcaster is Air. Steez Air, Alphas Air, SS Air, Silver Creek Air, and so on. Shimano reels will have the BFS nomenclature, SLX BFS, Calcutta Conquest BFS, Aldebaran BFS, and Scorpion BFS. Abu Revo reels will have BF in their names, for bait finesse and increasingly LTX; LTX-BF8, ALC-BF7, Roxani BF8, Ultracast BF8, Zenon LTX. 

Japanese gear is more purpose built than what we have on this side of the world.


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## CaughtMoreCatfishOnTinder

New BFS set up came in Calcutta conquest BFS with a finetail 4,6’ UL. Super excited to try it out. Waiting for some new inline hooks to come in to replace the Daiichi’s on the plugs and will buy some smaller snap swivels. The details on the rod and reel are unparallel to the stuff here in the US. Almost scared to fish with the set up. Looks like an art piece. Will target some largies and pan fish after work with this guy.


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## tincanary

CaughtMoreCatfishOnTinder said:


> View attachment 835227
> 
> New BFS set up came in Calcutta conquest BFS with a finetail 4,6’ UL. Super excited to try it out. Waiting for some new inline hooks to come in to replace the Daiichi’s on the plugs and will buy some smaller snap swivels. The details on the rod and reel are unparallel to the stuff here in the US. Almost scared to fish with the set up. Looks like an art piece. Will target some largies and pan fish after work with this guy.


You'll have fun. Dump the snap swivels and use plain old snaps, VMC Dou Lock comes in a size 00 which is perfect. That's what I use, they're even locally available. Last time I bought them was at Sportsman's Direct at 16 and Jefferson. I think you can still get them in a 50 pack.


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## tincanary

These two are my babies.

Daiwa Millionaire CT SV paired with a Daiwa Silver Creek Glass Progressive 5'1" L.









Calcutta Conquest BFS with a 4'10" Major Craft Finetail Stream Glass.









I've really fallen in love with glass rods lately, lots of fun to fish and the more lively tip makes flip casting much easier.


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## Shoeman

Shouldn't you be buying diapers and formula?


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## tincanary

Shoeman said:


> Shouldn't you be buying diapers and formula?


No worries, the boy is well fed and still ****ting in diapers lol


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## tincanary

I learned quite a bit from this guy when I first got interest in bait finesse. I picked his brain good lol, he has good English as well and his videos are subtitled so you know what he's saying.


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## tincanary

adam bomb said:


> That’ll be nice when you get it finished up
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


Even better than the 2500C, a 1600C IAR, one of 470 made.

Before









After









Broke it in on some white bass last weekend, casts like a dream. It's easier to learn a reel in the wide open than it is the confines of an overgrown stream.


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## tincanary




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## nighttime

Gezz bud I think you have an addiction Lol. That’s like almost 400$ in parts lol


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## tincanary

nighttime said:


> Gezz bud I think you have an addiction Lol. That’s like almost 400$ in parts lol


Still cheaper than fly fishing lol


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## PunyTrout

Don't feel bad TC, even though I have had a standing moratorium on buying any more fishing rods, I broke down today after finding a 7 foot glass TrueTemper rod rated 6 to 15 lb. Test. It's labled 'Professional Guide model' and says something about having tungsten carbide lol. I couldn't resist it for the magic price of $7 bucks.












Should be a fun rod for all around stream and lake fishing.


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## tincanary

PunyTrout said:


> Don't feel bad TC, even though I have had a standing moratorium on buying any more fishing rods, I broke down today after finding a 7 foot glass TrueTemper rod rated 6 to 15 lb. Test. It's labled 'Professional Guide model' and says something about having tungsten carbide lol. I couldn't resist it for the magic price of $7 bucks.
> 
> 
> View attachment 851005
> 
> 
> 
> Should be a fun rod for all around stream and lake fishing.


That would be a killer skinny water steelhead rod. Tie up some guides and fish it 👍


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## PunyTrout

tincanary said:


> That would be a killer skinny water steelhead rod. Tie up some guides and fish it 👍




I already fished it last fall. It's a great rod. Soft tip with plenty of backbone. It's already landed a brace of Brookies and I have high expectations it should handle most steelhead no problem.


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