Smile maker...

by Dennis
(Kansas City, MO)

Well the weather wasn’t the greatest; a front went through, mid 40’s, cloudy, steady 10mph breeze from the east. But I had to go try my new Daiwa Hinata 5' tanago rod, so I went to the lake with the dock I had planned going to anyway.

One thing I found out right away, cold fingers and tying knots in 2# tippet line can be trying.

All fish caught were the size pictured. Caught 2 or 3 on each of the flies, the first 3 were without the Unibobber and I didn’t know I had a fish on till I lifted the rod. In fact only 2 or 3 of all the fish I caught took the Unibobber under, most just moved it very slowly to the side, if at all. OK, the bare hook was for the cheddar cheese, who knew bluegills liked cheddar cheese – found no worms or crickets in December, imagine that. Sight fishing was with the cheese and that brought 10-15 fish to hand.

The rod, all the sensitivity I have in my Soyokaze I found in the Hinata but more so. It has a bendy tip section that never stops moving with a fish on. Only a couple of the “cold” fish caught made sort runs and I could feel the rod bend further then, it felt like all the way to the handle, not sure of it did but it felt like it. Now the surprise, you know how small “gills turn tight circles when caught, the Soyokaze would register that pull but my 5’ Hinata actually vibrated with each head turn and direction change. I wonder what the Japanese word for “smile maker” would be. Is it spring yet?

Dennis

“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 sharp - or as Daiichi says on their hook packages, 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!