Shimano Kozuka Series

by R Hall
(WV)

I have all lengths Chris offers of this model and it is becoming my favorite all purpose Tenkara/Keiryu rod.

The rod has a light and smooth action with a #4 Level line and can easily cast those weighted YUK bugs I like to use in runs and rapids to a size 14 or 14 Killer bug (bugger, Kebari).

A 12 inch fish or even an 8 - 10 is fun on these rods but it really shines with fish in the 16 to +20 inch bracket.

The tips (which are interchangeable on these rods) will definitely control those big boys and especially in fast water. The rod does not ever feel too stiff, at least to me.

I was fishing a well known Virginia spring creek last week and there was basically tunnel cover but this specific run I knew from previous escapades there held some very large generally left alone bows in the high teens to low 20's. I chose to use the Kozuka 30 for this and brought 2 of these guys to the hand. I stay away from this run with a fly rod because there is simply no room to backcast.

They have very resilient/strong tips as I beat the tar out of mine and they never break or give up. I use 4X tippet generally with these rods.

All the rods in this series are exceptional and I generally have at least one or two on my sling pack whenever I go out general trouting; not for headwaters brookies though.

And finally, these things pack down to almost nothing so you can take them anywhere. Kudos to Shimano for the Kozuka!

“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.