Kiyose - Tanago or Hidden Gem?

by Craig
(Sydney, Australia)

Wet my Kiyose today in a favourite closed in overgrown mountain stream. I bought the 9' model (2.7m) precisely for this use, as the shorter Soyokaze were no longer available. As usual, I was fully prepared to test the rod to breaking and beyond.

After 5 hours of slog with no takes, suddenly three big browns in one pool, all landed in the net, 18 - 22 inch. I kid you not, all big bucks with big hooked jaws. Sorry, no photos, I dropped my camera in the excitement - these were the largest fish I have ever seen in this river that I have fished since the 70's. No fish were overly harmed in the amateurish attempt at taking pics (for the first time, I tried to photo my catch), and swam away fine. And so it was for the camera, it is still swimming somewhere in the bottom of the river. I would think that prices each fish at over $100 (Replacement cost of camera).

However, they were actually priceless. I am pretty sure that I will never catch a fish this size in this tiny stream again. At least I have a witness, who was as gob smacked as I was.

The fish were caught under rod tip on a very short line. I thought the Kiyose would be far too light to manage larger fish, and I couldn't lift the fish in the current for quite a while, but it is actually quite resilient given the way I tried to bend it.

I think the Soyokase would have been better, with its much stronger butt, but the Kiyose is not just for tanago either. The lighter butt and smaller diameter make a big fish fight hard work, but they do work, are a lot of fun to use in the heavily overgrown streams. It's a serious tool, disguised as a toy.

Thanks Chris.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.

Seriously, all the hooks sold on TenkaraBum.com, whether packaged as loose hooks or incorporated into flies, are dangerously sharp. Some have barbs, which make removal from skin, eyes or clothing difficult. Wear eye protection. Wear a broad-brimmed hat. If you fish with or around children, bend down all hook barbs and make sure the children wear eye protection and broad-brimmed hats. Be aware of your back cast so no one gets hooked.

Also, all the rods sold on TenkaraBum.com will conduct electricity. Do not, under any circumstances, fish during a thunder storm. Consider any fishing rod to be a lightning rod! Fishing rods can and do get hit by lightning!