(The Shokuryoshi Experiment)
Ok… So maybe it’s not a trade for me. I’m not a professional angler by any means. I couldn’t say how successful the shokuryoshi were on the water either, but I like to imagine they were much more productive anglers than I am. I guess that’s really why I committed so much of my time to this experiment.
Over the past few articles I’ve covered the pack system that I adopted last year, but I figured I might as well talk about some of the gear that I used in that system. Before I start, I would like to suggest that you read through the previous articles if you haven’t already. You can find links to them below…
Rod Selection
It’s well known that anglers in Japan used bamboo rods until graphite rods really became available and took over the market. With such a light material, and a telescoping design, why wouldn’t you trade in your old rod and move to something more convenient?
With so many rod manufacturers offering a plethora of options, selecting a rod really comes down to preference. From what information I could find, it seems many of the shokuryoshi preferred to use rods with very fast action. Many recreational anglers today like the feel of softer action rods as it adds a little bit more fun to the sport. That’s not to say that’s the way it is for everyone, but I imagine that the rods on the market today definitely have a little more flexibility than the bamboo rods used throughout history.
I definitely fall into the grouping of anglers who prefer rods with a little more flex. I’ve been told that I have a slow cast, and it seems that those slow action rods compliment it. However, over the years I have found that there are some rods with faster actions that I like for certain situations. I have compiled a short list of the four rods that I used over this last year, and the waters and reasons why I like to use each one.
This is my go-to rod for smaller creeks with smaller fish. I find that the action of this rod allows for subtle hook sets when dealing with trout that are mostly under six inches. There have been a few occasions where I have hooked into a fish and the swift current made it a bit more difficult to fight it. I wouldn’t say that I was as worried about breaking the rod, I just felt that I didn’t have great control over the situation.
This rod bridges the gap between smaller streams and more mid-sized waters in my local area. I find the action of this rod to be a little faster than the other rods in this list, but I like to use that to fish a little deeper in the pools. Being sensitive to strikes, I find this is a great rod for subsurface presentations with a kebari.
This rod fits my style for most of the mid-sized waters that I fish. The flex is just about perfect, and allows me to fish closer to the surface or lower in a pool without losing sensitivity for strike detection. It handles well with the size trout I find in these streams.
When I hit a bigger river with faster flows, this is the rod I use. This one casts smoothly and handles fish like a dream. I have yet to hook into a trout that I felt would overpower the rod, even in the currents. The flex of this rod offers great cushion in a fight, but does not lack backbone.
Line Selection
As far as line selection goes, I have a variety of line combinations that covers a good portion of my needs for any given outing. Over time, I’ve found certain lines work better on certain rods or for certain conditions. For this reason, I like to keep two lines on each spool, and my favorite spool for this is The Keeper from TenkaraUSA. I like it because of the ability to store two lines, and because the silicone that divides the two sides also helps keep the lines from unravelling while on the spool. I like to store thicker lines, or lines with less stretch on the side with the “teeth” - and then smaller lines, or ones that need to be stretched as they’re unspooled on the flat side.
I have one spool that I always keep in my main pack, and aside from that, I have a few other spools that I keep a few different combinations of lines on. The idea behind this is that, by having multiple lines on the spool, it allows me to pack one or two spools with enough different casting lines that offer coverage for a range of conditions I may face on the water.
The majority of these combinations include a length of tapered nylon line, and a cut of level line - both at lengths that I find fit my angling style and whichever rod I’m using at the time The spool that lives in my pack full time has the orange Fujino Tapered Nylon Line in 3.6m, and the orange Nissin PALS Oni Level Line in #3 with a small section of sighter material tied into the end - bringing the line to a length around 3.6m.
Some of the other lines that I keep on the various spools are:
Fly Boxes
There are two fly boxes that I will bring with me to go fishing. I have a larger box, the Fishpond Tacky Double Haul, that acts as a storage for all the flies that I tie up. This one also helps keep the smaller fly box that lives in my tenkara fanny pack well-stocked. The smaller box is the Fishpond Tacky Daypack. I keep this one stocked with my confidence patterns, and like to leave open space so that I can change out or add in other patterns from the big box that may be more useful in certain situations or time of season.
Tools and Accessories
As far as tools and accessories go, I try to keep it fairly light. Starting with my forceps, I absolutely love my Loon Outdoors Rogue Quickdraw Forceps. I like to keep them attached to my pack using a Gerber Defender - Compact. I've had mine for several years now and it has never had an issue.
In the front pocket of my pack, I like to keep a few things that I use on occasion. These are my Loon Outdoors Hook Hone, my Lansom Ketchum Release Tool, and a box of Hareline Dubbin Soft Tungsten Tacky Weight.
The last couple items are paired together. I like to keep my Fishpond Swift Current Thermometer attached to the split ring on my DRAGONtail Damo Tenkara Net. I do this for a few reasons. One being that I can drop the net in the water as I set up and get a temperature reading before I make my first cast. Throughout the day, I can also check the temperature after releasing fish, or by holding the net deeper in a pool. In doing this, I also add to the functionality of the net.
If you’ve stuck it out this far, I wanted to say that this post wasn’t meant to serve as an advertisement for every product listed. I just wanted to share the gear and products that I like to use, and those that have helped me over the past year. I hope to revisit a few of the crucial components of my kit and talk more about a few of these products in upcoming articles.