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FAQ - Choosing a Tenkara Rod - Forum

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 Post subject: Counter balance?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:43 am 
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Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:00 am
Posts: 48
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Hi,

I was practicing casting with my Amago and thought that it is slightly tip heavy and thought that it would feel much better in the hand if the end cap had more weight to it. Does anyone else feel the same? Or is this just something that I'll get used to?

btw I was casting with the 13' furled line ie more mass than the level line


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 Post subject: Re: Counter balance?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:44 am 
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Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 5:15 am
Posts: 566
Location: Pittsburgh
you're not alone - I believe the rod may benefit from a larger diameter contoured grip as well as counter balance. As for counter balance I've got some lead-core line that I'm going to wrap around the butt end of the grip next time out. I'll let you know how it works.

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Ebisu, Iwana 11'ft (with additional short handle), Amago, Ito, Ayu II


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 Post subject: Re: Counter balance?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 9:40 am 
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Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:00 am
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Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Anthony wrote:
you're not alone - I believe the rod may benefit from a larger diameter contoured grip as well as counter balance. As for counter balance I've got some lead-core line that I'm going to wrap around the butt end of the grip next time out. I'll let you know how it works.


Smart idea!


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 Post subject: Re: Counter balance?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 10:31 am 
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Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 12:23 pm
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Location: Northern Ca.
I've given it some thought but I feel the noticeable benefit or difference would be minimal. With your hand being the fulcrum point, to counterbalance the rod tip the weight would have to be added behind your hand where your gripping the rod, otherwise your just adding weight to your hand. If you hold the rod at the fore end of the grip, and the weight is at the aft, you would get some benefit. However, the farther you move your hand back toward the butt end of the rod, (which consequently is my preferred grip) the counter balance effect would be lost, and this is when you would want it the most. At this point your just holding a heavier rod all day long.

JD

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 Post subject: Re: Counter balance?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 10:38 am 
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I tend to hold the rod at the very front-end of the grip - so in my case it would help out I think - but I'll test it out.

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Ebisu, Iwana 11'ft (with additional short handle), Amago, Ito, Ayu II


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 Post subject: Re: Counter balance?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 11:01 am 
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Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 12:23 pm
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Location: Northern Ca.
Yeah, that would be the preferred grip in this situation. I'll be interested to hear what think after you give it a try.

My idea was to add weight to the inside of the handle with a plastic sleeve filled with lead, however this internal weight would have to be removed before fully collapsing the rod. Another idea is to add a weight to the threaded cap. A little J-B weld would work well. The down side to this idea is that it might cause excessive wear the the threads or may even crack the rod blank after a hard bump.

Another thing I will add. I'm not sure (but I am pretty sure) what TenkaraUSA's policy is about rod modification. With most manufacturers, altering the rod in any way will void the warranty. I just thought I would throw that out there for the DIY guys and gals.

JD

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 Post subject: Re: Counter balance?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:26 pm 
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My hand tires very quickly casting the Amago. I have been thinking of retrofitting a larger handle with a shape closer to the Iwana, but then Daniel announced that he has been working on a new Amago handle, so I'm going to wait and see what he comes up with and if it will be retrofit table like the Iwana handle sections


Bruce


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 Post subject: Re: Counter balance?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:55 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 12:23 pm
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Location: Northern Ca.
I may be wrong, (certainly wouldn't be the first time) but I doubt if the Amago will get multiple handle options like the Iwana. If it were to go shorter it would just be another 6:4 12'er. The Iwana covers that really well. To go longer it would be one seriously unwieldy rod at 15' and roughly 4oz (give or take).

JD

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 Post subject: Re: Counter balance?
PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:24 am 
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Alright, I know I know it ain't pretty - but it feels great! I used some 1 mm craft foam to build up a contour and then wrapped with Slazenger tennis racket wrap tape. Then on the butt end I wrapped some lead core line. The contoured grip (I know the Amago comes with one now) makes gripping the rod feel much more natural and easy. The counter weight makes for a very easy casting motion.

I need to try it out on the stream though and see how it actually fishes - it may turn out that the counter weight makes the casting stroke a bit wonky - it may make it difficult to get a nice snappy cast with the change in angular momentum that's caused by the counter weight. I'm going to go to the golf store and get some lead foil too make a heavier counter weight. The way it is now it is still not balanced.

The nice thing is that all this is just temporary and easy to change if it doesn't work out on the stream - but so far it feels pretty nice.

If it works out I'll work on making it prettier.


Attachments:
amago handle.JPG
amago handle.JPG [ 229.82 KiB | Viewed 375 times ]

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Ebisu, Iwana 11'ft (with additional short handle), Amago, Ito, Ayu II
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 Post subject: Re: Counter balance?
PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:57 am 
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Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:53 pm
Posts: 192
Location: Colorado
Anthony,
This question may be to late to answer....

Do you have any idea of how many feet of tape you used when you wrapped the handle?

I'm considering ordering some cork tape (posted in the Amago Handle thread) but would like some real world knowledge to estimate with. (Wrapping a single pass with a cloth tape 1" wide I get 3'.)

Thanks.


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