spiral wrapped rods ....

you either get it and dig it ... 

or you do but can't wrap your head around it 

... or you don't and can't and don't really bother, ie you're part of the herd :P

some believe it reduces casting distance ... 

marginal % if any, according to some

distance reduced by much, according to others and ... interestingly, many of these 'others' have not cast a spiral wrapped rod but voiced their 'experience' or 'belief' vociferously

interestingly, again, some of 'these' are in the business .. yes, they're tackle retailers and rod builders

hey, you're hearing this from the horse's mouth so to speak ... i approached many and spoke with them 

the idea intrigued me and i did research .... weeks and months of reading ... on rods, spiral wrapped rods and baitcasting reels

thanks to Uncle Thomas of JDArtac ... who advised and made recommendations ... yours truly have a handful of spiral wrapped rods :D

Thomas Lee , Fisher Fango , Kokming Tan, Extreme Anglers and many others build spiral wrap rods on order

Tackletour covered a wee bit with a nice pic

Rod and Reel Pictures has two nice pix  

Thomas Stroker 

Extreme Anglers

  eupro BC blue salty fighter rod (top left) refitted by Extreme Anglers into a spiral wrap

yellow rod (middle) is the Thomas Stroker

black at bottom right is Extreme Angler's ... bought off a friend precisely because it is a spiral wrap

close up of the refitted salty fighter

recent additions ... a 6' 8-17lb made in china Daiwa Strikeforce refitted into a spiral wrap by Kokming

and a Vicious Anglers rod done by a friend who built a bunch of rods for a group of friends as an experiment ... 's right :D

done with Fuji SK2 split seat ... comfy, light

for those who have never seen or are unacquainted ... they initially thought the rod was twisted round lolololol some were reported to have attempted to set the rod right lolololol

why spiral wrap ? why indeed ... with the final third or two thirds of guides aligned as on a spinning rod, there is little to no twist - compared with a conventional casting rod - when one is fighting a strong fish.

conventional rod users share how their hands or wrists are strained when a hardfighting fish is on the line. some claim the resultant repeated torque or torsional force on the upper sections of the rod gradually weaken it, resulting in eventual breakage.

can't really say since i started off with Unc Thomas' spiral wrapped Thomas Stroker .. have yet to use a conventional rod till today 

as for distance, i achieve better distance with a longer rod ... less brakes ... loosened spool tension ... heavier lures or bait .. lighter lines 

can't say i've seen or experienced line slap ... then again my eyes aren't on outgoing line when casting ... 

feels normal when fighting fish ... whether hooked on a cast or bottom fishing 

yes ... i use low profile and round BCs for bottom fishing as well ... i try to set the rod upright on the rod holder to avoid the rod bending against its own backbone should a fish take the line 

a new friend, Daniel, claims there is immediate and significant difference using a spiral wrapped set up ... "memang tak rasa dia punya pressure" - pacu on the spiral wrapped salty fighter with a starion RBC. Daniel also liked how the drag performed on the starion and plans to get a spiral wrap in the near future. 

there are tons of references and sources online that explain the advantages of spiral wrapped rods quite well ... look 'em up and decide for yourself :)

but be warned ... some can be quite technical

cost depends more on materials than workmanship

some rod builders don't charge much to do up a new blank OR to refit a rod 

some re-use existing guides

some may suggest changing the guides as the different positions may necessitate it

cheap blanks or cheap rods + cheaper guides (as long as can handle braid) + standard TCS/ECS reel seats won't set one back much 

buying pre-loved spiral wrapped BC rods is an alternative ... you spend less or you invest less in a 'branded' SpWr rod ;)

tight lines

P.S. primer reading :P

http://www.newenglandkayakfishing.com/index.php/content/articles/99-spiral-wrapped-rods-no-longer-a-skeptic 

http://www.acidrod.com/acidrods.html 

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewmegabassfx71181x4pg3.html 

http://forums.tackletour.com/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=43522 

http://www.rodbuilding.org/library/SpiralWrapDemo.pdf 

http://www.thehulltruth.com/sportfishing-charters-forum/506068-anyone-using-these-spiral-wrap-jigging-rods.html#b 

anglers' central Aug2014

finally able to spend some leisure time at Anglers Central today 

checked out their rods, some light jigs and assist hooks as well their Jap lures 
some are value buys 
some are investment buys, ie good thing not cheap, pay peanuts get monkeys  
some are for feel good gearheads who wish to have something higher end even though may not fish as much or often or fish well ... like me ! LOLOLOLOL

nice range of MajorCraft (MC) rods catering for both spinning and casting 
a handful of Jackalls, Megabass (MB) and Dobyns rods ... nice selection overall 
i like their UL selection ... trapara and finetail are very nice, light, strong yet flexible enough to launch light/UL lures .. nice backbone 2-4lb, 3-7lb, 2-6lb, 1-4lb ... unfortunately for me or fortunately for my pocket, most are 2-piece rods 

Volkeys are in the RM600+ range while the GoEmotions are in the RM400-RM500+ range depending on rod poundage ... like their L/ML range, 6-14lb ... wish it were longer though   

impressive array of lures to choose from ... MB, Jackall Mudsuckers and Lake Police and myriad other Japanese brands we seldom see 

Evergreen Kaleido Combat Stick Designo Stingray 66

                                                    

Japanese attention to detail ... carbon weave, gold highlights, thoughtful rubber butt cap ... the triggerless handle caught my eye since it is a casting rod with micro guides ... light in hand ... feels strong .... but imagine paying around RM2,000 for a 5-10lb rod @_@


the Dobyns ...


 

nice touch but unusual hookkeeper .. wonder how it stands up to prolonged usage ... the cork butt is a nice touch but not quite practical

love the two tone paint and carbon weave 
well ... for about RM700+ ... i think it's either a love it or hate it :D

the Jackall tranpo comes in two versions one with a cork handle+gold highlights and another with EVA+orange highlights ... most probably to differentiate their poundages

 

just love the attention to detail ... picture does not do the workmanship justice ... nor the pricing lol ... RM1100+ onwards 

and of course it will not be complete without the MB .... 

 super criffhanger .. dat's right ... factory's intentional typo :P 6-12lb

whereas the super eiger is a 6-14lb rod 

just love the carbon cross wrap weave ... pattern is barely discernible in this pic 

both rods about RM1,300-RM1,700

the micro guide trend continues with most of these rods ... aiding in weight reduction and sensitivity but one needs to either be a good knot tier (for those who use leaders) or you're pretty much a mainliner with no leaders

what i'd like to see are factory produced spiral wrap rods ... weight will definitely be reduced with the reduced number of guides used unlike the conventional method which uses more guides

i heard from old timers Daiwa produced spiral wrap rods way back in the 1980s .. wish i could my hands on some. due to extremely poor sales, they stopped production and followed the crowd. only rod builders and anglers do spiral wraps now in addition to other custom jobs.

unfortunately not all rod builders agree on the degree and number of guides from stripper to the first fully right angled guide at the bottom of the rod ... some prefer three, some prefer four; some prefer to angle the guides left and others right. to each their own  

another topic for another day .... 

i deserve better ...

i am not perfect, far from it
a continuous work in progress
even so, i love the Lord Jesus 
i help strangers and friends alike
when friends are in need, we jump to it
i empathise and waterworks are turned on easily 
i am a very selective touchy-feely hugger
there are seasons when my faith is stoked
seasons when my faith is refined in the furnace
my children and fishing are high priorities
outdoorsy yet totally comfortable with books at home
don't need crowds nor drinking mates for mood or atmosphere
sitting quietly with a book 
or breaking out in guffaws with close friends
sitting quietly with friends without need for conversation 
especially with my partner, and to revel in each other's company
fine cuisine is great but hawker food is also cool 
quite often convicted by 1 Chronicles 21:24, 
'it must cost me something" comes into play in many areas
i don't mind 'investing' in many a thing 
even when there is no ROI depending on person/item/issue/subject matter
but i can't stand promise breakers
repeat offenders who think nothing of not keeping their word
& people who change their minds/commitments at their whim and fancy 
while the other party is supposed to or is expected to let things slide
those who take things for granted
the selfish betrayers and traitors
if you can't even respect yourself
i guess i can begin to understand why you can't or don't respect me
and maybe that's why you have no or weak convictions/principles
my partner must be a woman of principle and conviction in the Living Word
my helper believes it is NEVER right to break a promise made to children
an apology + explanation is the least a child can expect if we can't keep our word
externals matter little to me, the heart and spirit are vital to me 
when i love, i love deeply without reservation 
i give my all and i expect the same
i have never played nor engaged in extra-maritals
and i don't intend to ever start
called to serve, i am not a service provider to be used as one wishes
i will no longer come after someone else's mother, brother, your ex(-es) or your anyone else 
other than Jesus
if you can't do something that simple, 
then you have NO business being my partner
even less getting married
i deserve better 

truth vs love/unity ... the Bible's perspective

every so often, even churches and church leaders get a little confused ... ?
due to their mentors, seminary teachings or by their individual or respective perceived callings?
i'd rather not doubt their calling as their understanding of their calling
perhaps more apt to consider application of truth to a certain set of circumstances for the better/greater good of the congregation ... which inevitably calls for judgement calls to be made

which brings us to the question: 
truth OR unity to keep the church together ?
and if it's the latter, how far would one be willing to bend the truth, ignore the truth, twist the truth for the sake of unity ?
does family unity and family practices apply across the board to all other families ?
and if this is the case, what happens to the truth as expounded by the Living Word of God ? 
would this not give rise to double standards, hypocrisy, 'you don't know so much', 'we can't tell you everything for it is personal and confidential', etc etc etc
for the sake of unity, truth is abused ? 
either some people are missing it or i am totally wrong .... 

Family Shepherd seem to have laid it out quite decently with its list of of 9 reasons as to why discernment is necessary and explains how sentimentalism hinders truth

Some sincere Christians ask, “What about love and unity in the body of Christ? Doesn’t the practice of truth circles violate Christ’s appeal and prayer for love and unity among the brethren (John 13:35; 17:21ff)?”

That depends upon what sort of love and unity Christ was appealing for in His church. Human sentimentalism defines love as the warm fuzzies that make us feel good toward another person. Yet God describes agape love as selflessly doing what is best for another person regardless of our feelings. It is agape love that Christ commanded in the body of Christ, not human sentimentalism. And it is unity in truth that Christ prayed for, not unity in error. Even so, someone might argue, when we must draw truth circles that define our levels of fellowship with others, aren’t love and unity more important than truth?

The ecumenist tells us that truth in doctrine and lifestyle must be ignored for the sake of love and unity. Is that what Scripture says? No, the Bible teaches that believers are perfected in unity (John 17:23) as God sanctifies them in the truth (John 17:17; cf. Eph. 4:17). 

First, the Bible proclaims that truth and love are absolutely essential to each other. Scripture tells us that God is love and also that God is truth (1 John 4:16; 1:5-7). These two completely compatible virtues were perfectly and fully manifested in our Lord Jesus Christ (“full of grace and truth” — John 1:14) and, ultimately, in the Cross (2 Cor. 5:21). Someone has said, justice (truth) and mercy (love) kissed at the Cross.

Second, the Bible indicates that truth is prior to love and is thus the highest virtue. Can a person believe that God is love if he does not first believe that God is truth? Of course not, for God’s truth, the Bible, tells us of God’s love. Apart from truth, we would know nothing of love. Truth, then, is prior to love because it declares and defines love. One author has said that truth is the foundation upon which love stands. But doesn’t 1 Cor. 13:13 say that love is the greatest, that all other virtues are subservient to love? Let’s read that verse again: “But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of THESE is love” — that is, the greatest of these three. The greatest of ALL virtues, however, is truth. Look back a few verses to 1 Cor. 13:6. What does it say? Love rejoices in the truth.

Third, the Bible reveals that truth defines love. In truth’s greatest description of love, the love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, truth gives love its boundaries of operation: Love is patient, kind, not jealous, not arrogant, not rude, or selfish, or irritable, or resentful; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Without such boundaries, love will devolve into nothing more than human sentimentalism. It is God’s definition of selfless love (agape), not man’s definition of sentimental love, which must control our ministry and fellowship.

Fourth and finally, the Bible tells us that truth is promoted by love. Biblical love never minimizes truth but rather motivates truth as Paul explains in Eph. 4:15: “speaking the truth in love.” This verse suggests that there are two different ways to speak the truth: either in love (patient, kind, humble, etc. — 1 Cor. 13) or not in love (nagging, harsh, arrogant, etc.).

the article continues with concentric circles of truth ... starting with one big circle for the nation of Israel, reducing in size until it reaches the apostles, as our Lord Jesus had done

we see this all the time with groups and cliques be it at school, at work or especially in politics

but, does maintaining such circles for the sake of congregational unity allow or encourage truth be bent, ignored or twisted for the sake of unity?

does it ever justify the grip on power or reducing accountability or avoiding questions? 

Paul practised what our Lord Jesus did, ie applying circles of truth, "For Paul, friendship could never be an excuse for compromising the purity of God’s truth."

i like to believe by the same token, neither is family an excuse or good enough reason for compromising truth - but how many are able to do so? 
something i personally would prefer not to be tested with ... and if even Paul had disagreements with co-workers, how much more us laity?

and when such disagreements arise, as they inevitably will 
will the parties submit to truth or use 'love' as an excuse to cop out, avoid responsibility and not face the truth?

to be continued ... ?

finally, a shimano BC ...

took a very long time before finally springing for a second hand boxed set
with my friend's help ... took me a few instalments to finally lay me hands on it
weighs/feels about the same as my ABU Inshore .. so the weight doesn't bother me

 behind that spool, the words 'free spool' are etched or stickered onto part of the foot 


i was looking for line to spool it with and dropped by Red Hot on a whim
Sam of Red Hot suggested i try DUEL Hardcore line supposedly designed for multipliers/BCs
can't find this particular line in their product line up though
1 spool is just enough to fill the antares V.2's spool almost to the brim 

 

i'm glad i tried it ... had no idea bout the reel's character 
smooth and fast start up when brakes are totally off
overruns occurred repeatedly until i opted for 3-on, 3-off on the reel's SVS
even so, i consistently achieved similar distances as with a 1-on ABU inshore or 2-on orra inshore using the same lures 
seems to throw lighter lures easier than the ABUs 
... then again, some have learnt to use the ABU Inshore for light luring 
that level ... is way beyond me
despite the antares V.2's saltwater usage, its gear ratio is ill suited for deep divers
great for topwater, shallow cranks, soft plastics and the occasional light (for me, it's <10g, >5g) lure with a suitable rod, of course 
other shimano BCs? 
considering the caenan, old curado, old chronarch, pre-2014 calcutta 100XT, 50XT, pre-2014 conquest 50/100
and a nicely priced used Tatula ... on geng niaga pancing


the zerek amazoniac arachne is a tempting rod with blue accents and an in-between 4-15lb rating instead of the run of the mill ratings 
at less than rm250 it sure is tempting and sure enough, when i returned a week later, it was gone

guess i'm a sucker for blue accents, spiders, exposed carbon weave and xzoga-like python-wrapped blanks ;)