ONE of the more popular line classes in baitcasting outfits, especially in Queensland, is one that fishes the four to six kilo class. This outfit has stretched a bit more these days to handle up to twenty pound braid. It’s not quite the line class these rods were intended for but, when fished in the right manner, there are a few four to six kilo outfits around that appear to be handling the heavier braid. Most of the guys fishing this are only chasing bass and flathead which, thankfully,become subdued in a short time.
This Rod Builders’ column is not so much about a baitcasting outfit, as a range of new products from the Fuji people that, once again, see them setting the standard in a world full of copies.
Because of the nature of my business and our involvement with the Fuji people, both here in Australia and in Japan, we get to trial a few of the new products, long before they hit the market. This gives us time to try them out and see where they are applicable in the Australian market.
Over many decades, we have seen the style of rod guides change dramatically from the old porcelain ring and brass frame of yesteryear, to today’s top-shelf titanium frame, gold cermet ring. A whole set of these weighs less than one of the old guides.
FUJI’S ALCONITE GUIDE
A new Fuji guide that you will see on rods around the place over the next few months is the Fuji Alconite Guide. This guide ring falls between the Hardloy guide (BSVLG), which you presently see on most estuary and baitcasting rods about the place, and the up-market Silicon Guide.
The Alconite ring itself is much smaller in diameter, so it is lighter. The smaller surface of the ring sees less contact with the line, reducing friction, heat and wear ‘n tear on the line.
The heat-dissipating properties of the Alconite ring are twice that of the Hardloy ring, and 1.8 times its strength. The ring also conducts heat 5.5 times more efficiently than the Hardloy ring, which allows a quick transfer of heat away from the surface of the ring, where the line comes in contact with the ring. The Alconite ring is enclosed in Fuji’s new pressed frame, which is light-weight and also more aerodynamic in its construction.
Overall, they are an impressive guide, suitable for light to medium spin and baitcast rods and certainly ideal for use as stripping guides on a fly rod. The frame and Alconite ring are black in colour.
The guides are available in a double-foot version, sizes 8 - 16 (BLNAG) and single-foot, sizes 7 & 8 (BUNAG). The matching tip comes in sizes 6, 7 & 8 (BFAT). If you need to use larger size guides, then there is the BMNAG range which goes all the way up to a 40mm guide.
With this selection, you can build up some beautiful rods, especially the light to mid-weight spin and baitcaster. Price wise, they fall between that of Hardloy and Silicon.
BUTT GRIPS
Looking at the butt grip section of the rod, cork has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence over the last twelve months, the only problem being that it has been hard to get any decent range, and anything of any quality. Thankfully, we have now got around that problem and have some nice A-grade cork, in a range of lengths and shapes, not just straight and tapered either.
The boys at Jeff Frogley Agencies, the Fuji people here in Australia, have a few beauties. The one we will use on this particular baitcaster is a rear 140mm x 9mm ID. Its body is thicker than that which you will see on most baitcasters, with the centre section swelling out to fit superbly into the palm of your hand. Those with big hands will be especially fond of this grip.
The rear end of this cork is extended to allow the 19mm Fuji butt cap to fit exactly over it and butt up nicely against the main body of the cork. This means no packing of the blank with tape, so the butt cap will fit on with no protruding cork where it meets the butt cap; over time, such protrusions end up chipping away.
At the reel seat end of the cork, there is another small flange that fits into Fuji’s number sixteen trigger reel seat with a 13mm bore. The fit at both ends is precise, and you would not get a better fit if you custom-built the rear grip yourself. It really is good gear to work with. The foregrip follows the same swollen shape and, although only 80mm long, it will suit most baitcast and light spin applications.
While we are on butt assembly, we’ll introduce another new component – the skeleton reel seat. The reel seat is the same standard trigger as you will be familiar with, except for one thing – the recessed section, where your finger sits next to the trigger, has been completely scalloped out to expose the blank. This allows direct contact with the finger onto the blank.
So, what is the big advantage? We use graphite rods to improve, sensitivity, performance and weight reduction; new lines and braid are used to aid feel – so why loose this through a grip or reel seat?
Your finger is now directly on the blank to improve your feel just that bit more and, with the cork grips, which have more feel than eva grips, it doesn’t get much better.
With the blanks that we have been using, quite a few of these components on are the Samurai range, in particular the No. 4 and No. 5 in the baitcast and No. 6 in the light spin. They are one of the better mid-range graphite rods on the market, both in value for money and performance.
SAMURAI NO. 5
I’ve given the recipe we use on the No. 5 Samurai, 4- 6kg baitcaster. You’ll find it a top little stick for estuary and saltwater work and even for a bit of fun outside these areas. It is a six-foot blank with plenty of scope for trimming, if you want to make it shorter.
SAMURAI NO. 5:
Blank: Samurai 005
Butt: 140mm cork
Winch: Fuji Skeleton 16 /11.5
Foregrip: 80mm cork
Cap: Fuji BRC 19mm
Tip: Fuji BFAT 8/2.2
Guides: Fuji Alconite BLNAG: 8-82mm; 8-93mm; 8-105mm; 8-112mm; 10-135mm; 10-150mm; 12-185mm; 16-225mm.
