Post by fluf on Feb 22, 2015 16:18:50 GMT
I'm just back from the local river and warming up with a cup of OXO and thought I'd get this report done.
I wanted to try out the SATO rod and was kindly loaned one by a good friend for this comparison.
The local river is quite productive for greyling and trout using klink & dink, french/czech nymphing and tenkara with nymph in winter and regular Kabari types in summer.
So a test today - 10 foot #3 with small GRHE on dropped and Killer bug on point. And a similar set up on the SATO.
The wind was awkward and downstream with strong gusts. I started with the SATO with a 3.0 level line but the wind just blew it everywhere so I upped it to a 4.5 and shortened it to about 12 foot with a 3 foot leader, using the same flies.
The first hour I swapped tactics regularly as I moved slowly up stream and caught exclusively on the French set up.
But then after resting the swim, warming up and a cuppa, the SATO was the catching set up and I caught steadily.
Then a couple of friends turned up and I gave the 10 foot #3 to one and used only the SATO. We all moved up river at the same pace, sometimes with me in the center or back position, and I'm pleased to say the SATO triumphed, catching just two more fish than the other set ups.
The rod handled both the heavy 4.5 line and fish very well in difficult conditions, and is now on my shopping list for the trout season.
I wanted to try out the SATO rod and was kindly loaned one by a good friend for this comparison.
The local river is quite productive for greyling and trout using klink & dink, french/czech nymphing and tenkara with nymph in winter and regular Kabari types in summer.
So a test today - 10 foot #3 with small GRHE on dropped and Killer bug on point. And a similar set up on the SATO.
The wind was awkward and downstream with strong gusts. I started with the SATO with a 3.0 level line but the wind just blew it everywhere so I upped it to a 4.5 and shortened it to about 12 foot with a 3 foot leader, using the same flies.
The first hour I swapped tactics regularly as I moved slowly up stream and caught exclusively on the French set up.
But then after resting the swim, warming up and a cuppa, the SATO was the catching set up and I caught steadily.
Then a couple of friends turned up and I gave the 10 foot #3 to one and used only the SATO. We all moved up river at the same pace, sometimes with me in the center or back position, and I'm pleased to say the SATO triumphed, catching just two more fish than the other set ups.
The rod handled both the heavy 4.5 line and fish very well in difficult conditions, and is now on my shopping list for the trout season.
