As I’ve been spending more of my time fishing the main sections of my favorite river, I figured it’s a perfect opportunity to do the last review of the rods I used the most during “The Shokuryoshi Experiment.”
I purchased this rod a few years back. The reviews and marks this rod had were very influential in my decision. I went back and forth between the 395cm and the 450cm version, and sometimes I wish maybe I had the 450cm, as it’s a length that I would like to add to my collection, but the 395cm is great at what it does.
Appearance
The Zerosum Oni Honryu has a fairly standard color scheme, but it does have it’s own little bit of flair. The only section that has any paint color other than black is the base section. Silver paint spells out “Zerosum” above a red hanko of Masami’s. More silver paint inscribes some kanji, as well as a little illustration of a line and a sakasa kebari that dangle just above where the rod length is labeled - in this case “395.” At the top of the section is a band where you can see the woven fiber of the blank lined with silver stripes on either side of the band. Another silver stripe circumvents the blank near the base, with three smaller ones between this band and the winding check.
The cork on this rod is a little beefier than others in my collection, but the contour of the grip aren’t what I would call “dramatic” by any means. The transitions between the two humps of the gourd-shaped grip are very smooth and fairly subtle.
At the bottom of the handle is the classic rounded cap that Nissin uses on most of their rods. On the other end, if I hadn’t replaced it with a more secure cap, would be the black tip cap that comes with the rod.
The Specs
Length Extended: 395cm/13’
Segments: 8
Length Collapsed: 64cm/25”
Handle Length: 30cm/12”
Weight: 85g/3.0oz
When and Why I Use This Rod
This is one of my go to rods for fishing my favorite river.
I find it to be strong enough to handle whatever size fish I hook into in, in any speed of flows that I’ve encountered so far.
The action seems to be just right in the sense that it’s not too rigid, but not too soft either. I still haven’t hooked into a fish where I felt overwhelmed while using this rod. But, I have definitely overpowered some smaller trout while using this rod.
It may be a heavier rod, but with the right line combination, I find it casts pretty smoothly.
Paired Lines and Flies
I have found that I like to fish either a tapered nylon line that’s about the same length of the rod (maybe even a little longer), or a 3.0 to 3.5 level line that are about the same length of the rod as well. I do think that the rod performs a bit better with a heavier line, and I do find myself struggling with lighter lines when casting this rod at times.
I will usually cast kebari in a size 12 with this rod, but have gone up to a size 8 with no problems. With that said, I will usually use the tapered nylon line for the size 8 flies.
What I Like About This Rod
This rod handles anything (so far). I know I already said it, but that is the main reason I like it. Peace of mind, and confidence in its ability to handle fish.
It’s responsive as well. While the turbulent water often distorts the feedback I feel with the rod, I have no problems getting a strong hookset when a visual cue suggests a fish may have taken the fly.
What Would I Change About The Rod?
Other than maybe trying out the 450cm version of this rod, there is one thing that comes to mind. I have found that I prefer rods with a little thinner grip. There are times when fishing with the Oni Honryu for a while has left my hand feeling fatigued, and I do think it’s due to the diameter of the cork. The same observation has been made when using a few other rods over time. I just find a thinner diameter handle to rest in my hand a little better.
This really is a well crafted rod that seems that it could handle some large fish. I've heard that it was designed more for the American market, but I don't know if that is true. Regardless, it seems to be a good fit for some of the faster moving waters and aggressive fish that you could encounter in those waters.
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