This kind of goes into the "Long BFS travel rod" category. I ordered another JDM rod earlier in the year, more of a "budget" model, and perhaps targeting a younger crowd -- the Abu Garcia Salty Style STCC 704 LT, four pieces, 7', rated lure weight 2-18g. They come in various colors, and I chose green, well, because
It's another saltwater-rated model, with Fuji Alconite guides. I'd been to the casting pools with it a few times, but before this past weekend hadn't actually fished it yet. Interestingly, the rod is also 2% glass.
Reel was a Daiwa Gekkabijin Air TW, line was Sunline Small Game PE-FG in 8# (PE 0.5) with a 6# fluoro leader. I picked up an aftermarket spool from aliexpress made by some company called KKR Custom Project, which also fits the Alphas Air TW since the two share the same spool size (size/model "T35 new"). I was expecting it to work mainly for short-range casting, but it performed surprisingly well on long casts, too.
The handle isn't cork, and the design is a little garish, but not bad "for the price".
I spent the weekend day-hiking to various lakes. First up an 11000' lake with typical alpine lake brookies. I caught some on hoppers with my Echo Big Water Glass 5wt (8'6" 4-piece).
Then switched to the BFS rod, using various spoons. PIctured are Tsurinoya M14's (2.5g, both red and pink worked well, the brookies were not picky) and a 1/6 oz Thomas Bouyant (probably some copper or red variant).
I headed back down to another lake, more around 10,200'-ish. The afternoon wind was picking up, and a bit of smoke from a fire in the nearby national park was blowing in. The aftermarket spool came with a ceramic hybrid bearing, so I had to notch up the brakes a bit from what I normally use for the stock spool, but was really surprised at how well it behaved, even in a breeze.
Who doesn't love brookies ?
Next day I scrambled up over an 11000'-ish ridge to another lake, around 10400'.
I'd never fished this lake before. The fish seemed to be keying in on midge emergers; not hopper season yet, I guess. I switched from fly to BFS fairly quickly.
The rainbows here were plentiful and well-muscled; a few went airborne and threw the hooks, kind of exciting.
I used much the same lures the whole trip; spoons in the 2.5 - 4.5g range and found the rod loaded well with them.