From Passionable Fishing, our Japanese-language journal.

In our ajing in very strong current, a reel’s smoothness seemed to get in the way of sensitivity, just a little.

The rod used for the comparison was the VARIVAS 610S. For sensitivity, the other rods we own fall short of it, even if only by small amounts.

This was my wife’s test. The reels were Vanquish, Stella, Luvias and Tatula.

Vanquish and Tatula

In the end, it came down to a contest between the Vanquish and the Tatula.

The Vanquish’s weakness was a subtle one: the very refinement that makes it feel like a premium product.

When extremely delicate fishing was required in that fierce current, this seemed to dull her finest sense of what was happening. With the rather rougher Tatula—pardon the description—she said she could sense the presence of aji passing through.

I had the feeling that, in finishing the Vanquish as a high-end reel, everything had been brought together a little too politely. Some small part of the bustle of the water seemed to be slipping past it.

For fishing a jighead on its own, though, she preferred the Vanquish.

She really does observe things closely. No wonder she catches fish.

Stella, Luvias and the feel of a reel

The Stella did not quite do it for her. The Luvias, she said, also had a silky, almost viscous feel that reduced sensitivity. It does feel good to wind, though. Personally, I like it.

So perhaps even the surface finish of a reel deserves consideration when thinking about sensitivity.

How to put it? Beauty with bare skin, beauty with a little natural makeup, or beauty with full makeup…

The Tatula is not quite that flawless, bare-skinned beauty. I think of it more as a natural beauty with a few freckles: reasonably well put together, and rather good-looking too.

That is the sort of impression I mean. What do you think? I hope it is of some use.

As the original title stresses, these are personal impressions specifically from ajing in very strong current. They are not measured sensitivity ratings or a ranking for every style of fishing.

Originally published on our Japanese-language site, Passionable Fishing, on 29 Apr 2022. 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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