Shimano Kozuka saves day

by Doug
(Bend, Oregon)

I bought the amazingly compact Shimano Kozuka to carry with me mountain biking. Time after time I come across a lively hatch while on a ride. I return the same time, same place the next day with a rod and find nothing. It fits nicely in my Camelback and can be set up in a flash.

It arrived the morning I was heading out to one of our classic rivers. I took my traditional 4 wt., but threw in the new rod in case I got to try it.

When I got out there I found it had just been stocked. Worse yet, everyone knew it had been stocked and the banks were full of so-called fishermen trying to catch some brain dead fish by bumping a nymph off its face. It looked for all the world like the kiddie pool at the sportsman show, except the gear was fancier and the kiddies at least catch something.

I went up stream and found the wild trout in hiding, so I left. On the way home I thought about a little creek on a dirt road with a nice pool under a bridge. I've biked over it 100 times, but never tried to fish there. It is just the type of place a tenkara rod is perfect for. I'd go by and try out the new Shimano rod.

I put on my favorite attractor dry fly (purple haze) and the orange high vis level line. First cast brought up a beautiful little native redband trout. Ten more followed in the next 30 minutes.

The Shimano is a nice rod, not as light and accurate as my Nissin Air Stage, but it feels like it can handle a good sized fish. Most importantly, it is so small and light, that it will always be there when I find some fish are rising.

“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.