Hirame -ML-3909 -- Review

For some time now I have thought that I would like to try a 13 foot rod that is stiffer than my Tenkara USA Ayu or my Daiwa Sagiri. Although I do like both of these rods, especially the Sagiri, I wanted to try a rod that had a stiffer action so I could throw tighter loops further. Some of the waters I frequent are wide open and subject to a lot of wind. Also, I am experimenting with long furled lines throwing wind resistant flies such as hopper patterns, Madam X, and the Grumpy Frumpy. Although my 5:5 rods will throw these flies, certainly my 6:4 rods will, I wanted to try something different.

Tenkara USA currently doesn't offer a 13 foot rod in a 7:3 action. Daiwa does, but they are expensive and I worry about replacement parts availability (Chris Stewart, Tenkara Bum can get them from Japan). So with this in mind I decided to try the AllFishingBuy Hirame-ML-3909.

I looked for reviews of this rod on the Internet but I could not find a single one. That made me a little cautious, but then again, I have had a good experience with the Kasugo-4209 and there were no review of this either when I bought it. Taking some risk -- taking one for the tenkara community-- I decided to buy it, try it, and review it.

The rod cost is nice at $128.05 and comes in a plastic carton with a rod sock. The rod is very handsome, much better looking in fit and finish than the Kasugo-4209. The overall color theme is carbon black but with tasteful purple color accents on all of the lower segments. The finish is glossy.

From AllFishingBuy

Carbon weave with designation

Transition from carbon weave to color

Winding check

The handle is a reverse half wells and the cork is of moderate quality, but not excellent by any means. I'll talk more about the handle in a minute. The butt cap is metal (? stainless steel, doubtful) with a center hole and has an aggressively knurled edge. The butt cap has a small foam disc to reduce the collapsed segments from rattling. The tip cap is made of wood and is fluted so you can leave the lilian attached to your line when the rod is capped. It is a little loose fitting so it could be lost pretty easily.  My rod weighs only 84.4 gm without the tip plug. That is pretty light for such a long rod (not a light as the Sagiri, but this rod has a cork handle)!

Butt cap (Ignore the foam wrap for a moment.  I'll tell you about it a little further on.)

Tip cap

The lilian is dark maroon and is attached to the tip section with a metal swivel. This is a feature that is usually seen on higher end rods, such as my Daiwa LL41SF.

Tip on the left -- swivel in middle -- lilian on right

Back to the handle. As I mentioned earlier, it is similar to a reverse half wells. The sizing seems a little small, at least for my hand. This smaller size imparts some hand fatigue after hours of steady use. Because of this, I decided to modify my handle to better fit my palm size and make it more to my liking.  I prefer my longer rods to have a butt bulb -- similar to what is found on the Tenkara USA Amago (second generation) and the Daiwa LL41SF. To achieve this design I used RodWrap Grip Wrap to build up the butt end of the handle. Rod Wrap is very thin foam that is lightweight and has a slightly tacky surface. It made the handle of the Hirame-ML-3909 fit my hand much better.

The handle with RodWrap installed

Comparison: left- Daiwa LL41SF, middle-Hirame-ML-3909, right-Tenkara USA Amago

Fishing the Hirame-ML-3909 is very nice. I used it for 4 hours the other day with a 14 foot, #3.5 fluoro level line and also with a 13 foot Tenkara USA furled line. I cast the level line with a #10 kebari and a #14 beadhead UV Prince nymph. I cast a #8 Grumpy Frumpy with the furled line. I used 24 inches of 4X fluoro tippet with the level line and 4 feet of 5X fluoro with the furled.  The Grumpy Frumpy is a large, wind resistant attractor pattern and even despite that the Hirame threw it perfectly.

Beadhead UV Prince Nymph

Grumpy Frumpy

The fish I caught were 12-14 inches. The cutthroats took the UV Prince and the rainbows took the Grumpy Frumpy. No fish were caught on the sakasa kebari flies.

12 inch Cutthroat

Beautiful color!

Another nice cutthroat

A nice rainbow taken on the Grumpy Frumpy

Another, trying to swallow the fly

Conclusion: I like the AllFishingBuy Hirame-ML-3909 7:3 action tenkara rod. It is lightweight, beautifully finished, and has some nice features mainly seen on higher-end rods even though it is only $128.05. I have some suspicion that this rod may be a chinese copy of a Nissin rod, as it looks an awfully lot like other Nissin rods. Replacement segments are readily available from AllFishingBuy and are inexpensive. I don't like the shape of the handle, at least for such a long rod. The handle would be fine on a 10-12 foot rod but for a 13 foot rod I needed something more to grip near the butt end. It was easily modified though (RodWrap seems to be a nice product, by the way). The cork is not high quality, but still it seems a good rod for the reasonable price.

So if you ever wondered what this rod was like, now you know.

AllFishingBuy Hirame-ML-3909 Overview (* poor, ***** excellent)

Ease of purchase                       ***** 

Quality of materials                   ****'

Fit and Finish                            ****'

Physical Characteristics            ***'

Fishability                                 ****'

Overall                                       ****' (4.4 out of 5 stars)

Making a Human Tripod

As I have gotten older, I have become less stable on my feet while wading. This has been a gradual change over the past few years. I used to be young and flexible but now I am older (not really old, just older) and much less flexible. Besides, a few years ago I had back surgery, like so many of my fellow human beings (the lower back is a design flaw for upright, bipedal motion), and since then I have really become more stiff through my lower back.

I have used a wading staff on and off over the years but I use one 98% of the time now. I find that it gives me a lot more stability and makes me feel more confident in the stream. Since my back surgery I really fear falling.

To date I have used three different wading staffs, Two of them are commercial products and one is my own creation. The first is a wading staff from Dan Bailey's of Livingston, MT. It is essentially a Folstaf but with a rubber handle instead of cork. It folds into a leather holster that is carried on your hip. I like that. It can be deployed quickly and it snaps together because of its internal bungee cord. What I don't like about it is that at times it can be difficult getting the segments apart so that it can fit back in the holster. On some days I have had to take it home and work on it before I can pry the sections apart, and even then there were times I wasn't sure it would come apart! I have tried wax, teflon spray, and oil on the section joints all without improvement. A quick Internet search shows that this is a common problem with this staff's design. It has a nice diameter so it is very stable in moving water, however.

Dan Bailey wading staff

The next wading staff that I tried was the Simms wading staff. This is also a folding design, but instead of a bungee running down its core there is a nylon-plastic connector. To deploy the staff you pull it out of its neoprene holster and grasp the sleeve on the upper-most segment. Then while holding the staff handle with your other hand, just straighten the staff. The segments snap and lock into place. This is a nice design in that the segments don't get jammed or stuck together like the Dan Bailey/Folstaf staff can. That said, there is a problem with the Simms wading staff: it is unstable in flowing water. Example: let's say you are wading in thigh high water, trying to cross a section of river to position yourself for an optimal presentation. As you wade into the current you plant the Simms wading staff firmly to aid in increasing your stability. All of a sudden, the wading staff starts to oscillate wildly. This harmonic resonance, due to the water flowing around the shaft of the staff, shakes your hand violently. Now you realize that instead of helping increase your stability, the staff has compromised your stability! This is what I don't like about this wading staff.

Simms wading staff

These first two staffs, that I have mentioned, are made of metal -- aluminum. There are some who say that these staffs impart an unnatural sound as their tips strike the rocks in the river. This sound is reported to scare fish and put them down. I have not see any scientific studies to confirm this, but there may be some truth to it. Therefore, it is argued, mainly by the makers of wooden staffs, that wood staffs are more stealthy.

After using these two staffs, I desired one that was more stable in brisk currents. Also, because of the metal noise issue I wanted a wooden staff. So, having an extra 1.75 inch diameter garden rake handle in the shed I turned it into a wading staff. I wrapped some yellow tennis racket grip ribbon around the top to decrease the varnished wood's slipperiness. I also added a T-piece across the top. This is made of  piece of 2" rake handle. This T-piece allows me to hold the top of the staff in deeper water. I also use it to quickly grab the tenkara line so to bring it to my rod hand. This has greatly decreased the amount of time in hand lining the fish in -- particularly when the fish is larger or the current is fast. The T-piece also lets me grab overhead branches to retrieve my snagged fly.

Upper portion of my wading staff.  Parachute cord used for leash.

T-piece of my staff. The notches are to aid in capturing the line or branches.

My wooden staff is absolutely stable. It doesn't oscillate in the current. I feel very secure when using it as I can put my whole weight on it and it doesn't bend or flinch. Also, it is quiet when it touches the stream bed rocks -- I just left the tip wooden. Now, after long use, the tip has a slightly frayed look. This probably helps it grips the rocks better as well.

My staff looks similar to the wading staff offered by the Pit River Company (Note: as of January 2021, this staff is no longer available). Mine doesn't have a rubber tip or measuring ruler though. That said, my staff was much less expensive!

Is it perfect? No, nothing is. It doesn't fold or collapse for transport. It floats in the stream instead of sinking (this can be an advantage depending on your point of view). But it is the most stable staff I have found to date.

It has become my third leg; I am now a human tripod. I haven't fallen since I started using it, and that was my goal in the first place!

Not a 12' rod stream

I got out of work a little early to day so I decided to hit one of the local small streams. After a brief drive I entered a canyon that contains a small but productive stream. The foliage is dry and brown this time of year. The free-range cows were smelly and annoying but the fishing was pretty good.

It looks open but it is not. You can't see the tree limb just barely over my head!

This stream is really tight in spots. A 12 foot tenkara rod can span the stream from bank to bank, and in 90 percent of the stream you could not cast with it. Because of this, I used the Soyokaze 27SR which comes in at about 9 feet. This rod, combined with a 9 foot, #3 flouro line, is just what is needed to fish this small flow. I love this little rod. It is so much fun to use, and it has a surprising amount of backbone. It is sold as a tanago rod, but it functions as a short tenkara rod very well.  The largest fish today was a little over 12 inches. The rod had no trouble guiding it to my hand. Most of the cutthroats today were 6-8 inches; many were 8-10 inches.

Daiwa Soyokaze 27SR

12+ inch Yellowstone cutthroat

As for the fly, I used a ........ #10 Utah Killer Bug (UKB) -- I know, what a surprise! This fly catches fish on my streams like no other I have used. Even my other favorite, the Soft Hackle Grey sakasa kebari can't keep up with the UKB. I have no idea what the fish take it for, but they really take it! I can tie one in 60 seconds so loosing them to the trees and bushes is no issue. I find it interesting that fish from different areas of the Rocky Mountain west respond to this fly. Again, what they take it for, especially a size 10, is a mystery to me.  Of course, other tenkara anglers have their own favorite flies. I guess that is a way for us to explore other patterns. I just have a problem exploring when I know the UKB will bring me fish!

Here were some other fish from today:

All of these fish were holding in a surprising shallow water. Some were taken in as little as 3-4 inches. Here is one that I snuck up on, just before he saw me a shot downstream.

A 10 inch cutthroat in 4 inches of water -- Do you see him?

As the light began to fade I stopped to enjoy the water rushing around my legs, smell the balsam from the Douglas firs, and listen to the gurgle of the flowing stream.  I then picked up a rock and threw it at a nearby cow!

Beautiful water, but shallow and tight!

Zimmerbuilt Guide Sling -- Review

In my tenkara adventures I have found that I like to carry at least two rods.  Sometimes I get to a portion of the water that is too closed in or the opposite, too open, for my current rod to be effective. Of course, I never had this issue when western fly fishing. I fished all day with the rod that I had strung. Then again, in western fly fishing if I was using my 2wt, 6 ft Orvis Superfine and came into a larger opening or went to larger water I'd just cast farther -- no problem. I would have issues,however, if I was using my 3wt, 10 ft Hardy/Greys XF2 Streamflex for Czech nymphing and then decided to fish a tight, small stream. It is not a small stream rod.

Well, with tenkara, I find myself being challenged as much by the water as by the fish. One of the things that fascinated my about tenkara was the ability to keep most, if not all, of the line off the water. As I began tenkara I quickly learned that not all rods fit all water situations and still keep to that goal. Also, sometimes I just want to fish a different rod.

So with that in mind I began to carry two rods. If I am just getting out of the car and stepping into the river I usually use a modified TrailLite Designs Ebira Plus. On the shoulder strap I have a Zimmerbuilt Strap Pack so I can get to my fly box and tippet without having to spin the Ebira Plus around. I find that this combo lets me carry everything that I need, and an extra rod, without being burdened.

Sometimes, however, I hike into difficult to reach waters, or I plan on staying a longer time and don't want to have to go back to the car for stuff. In that case, I use a Zimmerbuilt Guide Sling. I have used this sling on a number of outings and have come to a point which I feel that I can review it properly. BTW, When I use the sling, I take the Strap Pack off the Ebira Plus and put it on the shoulder strap of the Guide Sling. This transfers my fly box, tippet, nippers, Ty-Rite, floatant all at one time -- easy!

Zimmerbuilt Guide Sling

With the Strap Pack in place

The Guide Sling is is described on Chris Zimmer's website: "Working closely with Rob, ERiK and John of Tenkara Guides LLC out of Salt Lake City, Utah the Tenkara Guide Sling was born. The pack is designed to carry more then enough gear for a day out on the water. The main pack measures 19.5"x10"x3" and weighs oz. The Sling includes a small cuben fiber pocket for keys or a cell phone. The outer pocket is designed to carry 4-5 fly boxes and includes a mesh pocket to store additional spools of line and tippet. There are 2 external rod sleeves that can carry up to 4 rods with  rod tubes or 6 rods without rod tubes. The external rod sleeves can also double as a pocket when you don't need to carry 4 rods. A daisy chain runs up the length of the shoulder strap to attach modular pockets for easy access to fly boxes and tools." That about sums it up in a nut shell.

As it says, there is an outer pouch or pocket that can carry fly boxes, some food, or even a lightweight rain jacket. It has a mesh pocket that is perfect for other tippet or line spools.

Outer pouch with mesh pocket (the spools are in the mesh pocket)

The larger or inner pouch has a small pocket for keys and stuff, but the main compartment is large enough to carry some Chota Hippies, a jacket, or even a hydration bladder -- this is what I use it for.  There is one issue however that the main compartment doesn't have when it comes to using a hydration bladder -- there is no suspension loop. If you use the compartment for your hydration bladder, the heavy filled bladder will just fall into the depended portion of the compartment pulling your drinking tube with it. That is a pain since it pinches off the water flow. To fix it, I made a loop using some thin parachute cord, tied it to the top of the shoulder strap's daisy chain and then slid it through the hydration opening into the main compartment. That way I can hook/suspend my hydration bladder and keep it from getting away from me.

Main compartment with small pocket (hydration loop at top of pocket)

A closer look at the self-made hydration bladder suspension loop

Main compartment with insulated hydration bladder

Drinking tube exiting main compartment.  Parachute cord seen under daisy chain.

The shoulder strap has a nice sturdy daisy chain for adding accouterments, like a Strap Pack or even a Chest Pack.  To help balance and secure the sling on your body, there is a secondary strap that connects the bottom of the pack to the shoulder strap. This secondary strap clips in place and can be adjusted for different body shapes.  This arrangement makes a very secure pack that moves with your body.

Shoulder strap with secondary strap in place

The back of the sling has two elastic topped pockets. There are also four elastic cords. These can be used to secure up to 4 tenkara rods in place. I usually just carry two; I can then use the other pocket for anything else I need -- I usually leave it empty though.  Something to be aware of if you carry rods with the Guide Sling: unlike the Ebira Plus or Ebira Guide, your rods are not protected from getting snagged in bushes or trees. This is not an issue if your are walking in open areas, but if you have to go through heavy brush, willows, thick trees, etc you can catch your rods on their groping branches. I use dacron loops to keep from loosing my tip plugs, but I had to tie the loops tight against the rods to keep the trees from stealing my tip plugs!

Rods in place

Conclusion: I really like the Zimmerbuilt Guide Sling. I find it to be very versatile, well made, user friendly and functional. I would ask Chris to add a hydration bladder loop to the top of the main compartment for those of us who want to keep from dehydrating while fishing, but this loop is easy enough to add yourself.

Handy Pak Net Co. Insta-Net -- Review

I have used a couple of landing nets since beginning my tenkara adventure. I never did get around to buying a Tenkara USA tamo although they are about the most beautiful nets I have ever seen! As of today they are not available on the Tenkara USA website. Hopefully they are just out of stock and will again be available when supplies are replenished. I would like to add one to my collection!

Tenkara USA tamo net

In the meantime I'll tell you about other nets I have used. The first was my regular "western"-style net that I have had for years. It is a robust wooden net that has been faithful. Then I got  and modified an American Tenkara net from Sam Lacina at Nets that Honor the Fish. This is a beautiful net but I didn't like the netting material so I replaced it with Tenkara USA mesh (no longer on their website -- as of the posting of this entry). I use it when I am on larger waters. I love using it with a Smith Creek Net Holster. This great product makes retrieving and re-holstering the net a breeze. It is simple, but very effective (hmmm, just like tenkara!).

Sam Lacina net with replaced mesh

Smith Creek Net Holster

More recently I bought a Ti Tenkara Net from TrailLite Designs. I have the angled version. It is very light and capable, even though the hoop diameter looks smallish. I have netted 18+ inch fish in it without issues. This is my second of these nets. I lost my first one while walking through very heavy brush. I suspect a tree just plucked it out of my belt while I was cursing and flailing around like a mad man :)  Oh, and no, I didn't have it tethered!

Mine has a white mesh

So now we come to it. I just got another net. You guys are probably rolling your eyes (as does my wife), but hey, I am a gear-head. I freely admit it. When I see something that looks intriguing I say to myself: "I gotta try that!".

The net I got is a Insta-Net, Vintage Series from the Handy Pak Net Company of Ashland, PA.  This net has been around in one form or another since the early 1960's, but no new nets were being made in recent years due to the retirement of the previous owner. In January 2011 Andrew Walker purchased the company and started making new nets with the original design and equipment.  The new version has been improved with a stainless steel hoop, so corrosion issues of original nets have been resolved.

I wanted a net that would allow me to move through heavy brush or timber without getting snagged. I know that Chris Stewart of TenkaraBum sells a collapsible net from Daiwa, but I decided to try the Insta-Net because I was curious about how it looked and worked, and I wanted to try the American made product.

My Insta-Net comes with a cherry handle and a leather pouch. The pouch has two slits in the back so it can be slipped over a belt. The net dimensions are 11.5" W x 15" L x 19" D when deployed, but only 5.75" W x 12" L  x 1.75" D when folded.

Compressed: Front view

Back view

I did not like the original netting material that came with the Insta-Net (even though I got the Catch & Release Trout Bag option). So, I replaced the original netting material with a medium sized nylon Measure Net replacement mesh. This net mesh is shallower and has a built-in fish measuring ruler. After unscrewing the Insta-Net handle halves and sliding the metal hoop off the original netting, you reinstall the metal hoop in the handle, tighten the screws and then zipper on the Measure Net replacement netting. To hold the Measure Net in place I drilled a small hole in the wood handle and secured the mesh with a small UV-stable zip tie. This process takes about 10 minutes total.

Deployed with Measure Net in place

Measure Net up close. Read the number at the fish's head and tail, and add them to get the fish's length -- easy!

UV-stable zip tie securing the mesh to the handle

I have now used the Insta-Net quite a few times. I have hiked with it for miles and even descended/ascended a 1000 foot canyon wall with it on my belt. The pouch holds tightly to your side but is not uncomfortable. You really don't even know its there until you need it. The net has not yet to date been snagged by branches (and I have crawled and scraped through some pretty tight, brushy places with it on).

Using the net is easy. Just grasp the handle and pull the net out of the constraining pouch. The compressed stainless steel loop immediately springs into position, forming the net hoop. The zip tie keeps the net from riding forwards up the hoop. The net is large enough to accommodate a very large fish.

This fish measures 6 (head) + 9 (tail) = 15 inches. There is plenty of room for a larger fish.

After releasing the fish, re-constraining the net is also easy, but takes a little practice. Start with the handle in your right hand and the top of the hoop in your left hand. Begin rotating the handle clockwise, while at the same time rotating the top of the hoop counterclockwise. Also bring your two hands towards each other. This will cause the steel loop to form three tight loops but without bending the steel. At this point just push the net and loops back into the pouch. It is now ready to be used again at a moments notice!

To aid in visualizing the re-constraining motion, take a look at this video on YouTube:

 I'd recommend not storing the net in the compressed position while wet. I let mine dry over night before storing it in the pouch.

I like this net so far. It easily goes through brush without getting caught like my first Ti Tenkara Net did. OK, it doesn't look like a tenkara tamo net and it is not nearly as pretty as the Tenkara USA net (of which I really need to get one!) but it is awfully handy when you are in brushy streams.

Wildfires and Wild fish

This week was interesting. I was scheduled to be working but due to some scheduling conflicts I didn't have to work! Believe me, I didn't cry about it. So, with my wife gone to a girls camp with my youngest daughter, I decided to to head to the Tetons and do some fishing.

Over the past week there have been a number of wildfires in central and south central Idaho. These have created a blanket of haze and smoke; sometimes light and other times thick. Wednesday it was thick enough to obscure the Tetons from view.

Smoke obscuring the Tetons

Anyway, I drove up Tuesday night. Instead of sitting around the house I drove a few minutes to Moose Creek. I had fished this creek before but that was earlier in the year and the water was high. I got skunked that day. I did not want that to happen again. I figured that there had to fish in it but I never have found any reports. So, for a hour I wet waded up its beautiful flow. But... nothing. Not a hit, until I caught a 3 inch brook trout. Bummer.

Well, not to have the evening totally wasted, I got back in the car and drove a minute or two to Trail Creek. This stream follows the highway from Victor, over Teton pass, to Jackson, WY. It has yielded fish for me a couple of times before, so I felt confident that I could catch a few before it got too dark.

Once again I wet waded. I pushed my way through the thick willows until I reached the stream. I came to the stream just upstream from a nice hole that was at a bend in the creek. I got down on my knees, extended the rod and flipped the #12 red-butt black kebari into the current. The fly was carried quickly downstream into the pool. Bam! A nice cutthroat rise and hit the fly on the swing. I didn't hook him though. Another pass...nothing. Another, and another...still nothing. Finally, on the 5th pass I hooked a 10 inch cutthroat.

A pool at the stream's bend

A nice 10 incher flopping in the grass

After that I worked my way upstream. The water flow was good. Gin clear, but good flow. I came to another pool a little way upstream and began working the fly. I would cast upstream and then let the fly swing under the bank with the current. Bam! A hit and another nice fish.

Another Trail Creek cutthroat

Finally, working the head of the pool I hooked into a decent brook trout. I don't catch a lot of these in my neck of the woods. In fact, I generally avoid waters that have them in since I hunt cutthroats, but this was a nice little fish.

The brookie

The fly was a black thread with peacock collar and partridge hackle. It had a red wire tag as well. I'll have to keep trying it as it seemed to work well that night.

The fly I used that night. 4X tippet looks huge, doesn't it!

The next day I drove north and fished Bitch Creek. The stream comes out of the west slope of the Tetons and flows about 15 miles until it joins the Teton River. Before it joins the Teton, it enters a very narrow canyon. This makes Bitch Creek an concerted effort to fish. There are very few access points to this river; the one I chose was a 1000 foot descent into the canyon down a steep, slippery gravel slide. There are no switch backs here; straight down (and straight up on the way out -- I think that is where the creek gets its name. You know... because it is such a b*tch to climb out)!

Beginning the descent. The Teton River seen far down below.

Upon reaching the river you enter a narrow canyon that has no real bank. Only the river is at the bottom. I began working my way upstream fishing a hopper-dropper setup. The hopper was a #6 yellow foam body with white rubber legs. The dropper was a #14 bead-head Prince nymph. Tippet was 4X as usual.

At the bottom of the slide.

Entering Bitch Creek canyon

More of the creek...

... and another section

The combo of the hopper-dropper worked great. I caught equal number of fish, Yellowstone cutthroats,  on both files. Most were 10-12 inches. The two largest were 16-18 inches. I broke a rod I was testing, on a 10-12 inch fish no less. I was glad I brought more that one rod!  I caught a few Mountain whitefish as well -- on the Prince, of course. They love that fly.

A 10 incher

16 inch Yellowstone cutthroat

The largest of the day -- 18 incher taken on the Prince

It was a great day. Long. Hot (95 degree on top at my car). The climb out lived up to its name. My thighs are still sore, but what fun!