From Passionable Fishing, our Japanese-language journal.

Impressions from handling rods during a visit in April 2020, rather than a report of fishing with them.

I went to the Yamaga area on an errand today. And Yamaga, of course, is home to a well-known rod manufacturer.

I had actually visited last year as well. This time, I was allowed to handle the new Blue Current Type III ajing rods and some Ripple Fisher ajing rods.

A quite extraordinary bend

The Type III 63 was particularly interesting. It feels crisp, yet bends an astonishing amount. A whole new dimension of bending. Anyone who fishes with a jighead alone might find it irresistible.

What an extraordinary curve. Even when the bend reaches right down towards your hands, the rod seems perfectly happy. It is almost acrobatic—a rod practising yoga, perhaps.

It simply bends an unbelievable amount. And yet, from the belly through the butt, it seems completely composed. It might make for a blissfully playful kind of ajing.

Somewhere between our two rods

Of the Ripple Fisher ajing rods, I liked the 65TZ. To me, it sits between two rods we already own: the Blue Current 65TZ and the 34 Advancement 610.

Admittedly, that is quite a gap. Plenty of rods could fit into it, so the question would be exactly where in the middle this one belongs. But let us leave those measurements aside.

This Ripple 65TZ has the softness I associate with the other rods from this maker, while its defining idea is a crisp, taut feel. And yet it still has that softness.

Sorry—that is not a very clear explanation. Anyway, that is how it feels. Whatever “that” means.

Those were the two rods I liked.

Before leaving

As I was about to leave, something occurred to me. We use quite a few of this company’s products, and I had been wondering what sort of person had founded it. This time, I wanted to meet the president.

And out he came. A very pleasant person.

As it happened, I met two company presidents in Yamaga today. The other was a woman running businesses in several different fields.

There is something distinctive about Yamaga.

Related: our experience of matching ester line to different ajing rods.

Originally published on our Japanese-language site, Passionable Fishing, on 7 Apr 2020. Translated for Avantgarde Fishing. These are the author’s personal observations at the time of writing. Product availability and fishing conditions may have changed.
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