Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu Tenkara
This page is provided for informational purposes only. I no longer import Nissin rods.
The Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu Tenkara rods are remarkably light, well balanced, wood gripped tenkara rods designed by one of the Japanese tenkara masters.
The Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu Tenkara rods were designed by a true master. They are extremely well balanced. The 5:5 models are as smooth as silk when casting and the 6:4 models are firmer than you would expect, suggesting they can handle fish a lot larger than the amago, yamame and iwana they were designed to catch.
The grip is cypress and is naturally non-skid. Someone who is used to the shaped cork grips of most tenkara rods or the thinner grips of seiryu and keiryu rods may be surprised at how well the grip fills your hand. Pick up the rod and wiggle it a bit and you will think that whoever designed this rod knew what he was doing. You will be right. The rod was designed by Hiromichi Fuji, who is one of the true masters of Japanese tenkara. He doesn't have years of experience, he has decades of experience.
Although the 6:4 rod was designed to fish unweighted flies with furled lines, the firm tone actually make it one of the best tenkara rods for fishing weighted nymphs. As Tom Davis wrote in his review of the Air Stage Fujiryu Tenkara 6:4 360 "It's an excellent contact nymphing rod!" And although the rod is stiffer than most tenkara rods, Tom goes on to write "It's the real deal." Read Tom's Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu 360 6:4 review.
In the video that accompanies the review, he states that the rod is "Fantastic" and "Underappreciated." I couldn't agree more.
One of Jason F's little wild browns caught on a Fujiryu 360 5:5The Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu Tenkara 5:5 rods are wonderfully smooth casting rods that are just ideal for modest trout. The 6:4 rods have surprising backbone. At 26 pennies, the Air Stage 6:4 410 could easily be your choice for a honryu tenkara rod for bigger water, longer lines and bigger fish.
I recently received an email asking me to recommend a tenkara rod for fishing panfish poppers. It didn't take much thought to realize that the Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu 6:4 410 would be an excellent choice. The rod is firmer than most tenkara rods, so it can easily handle the extra weight and extra wind resistance of a popper. It can also handle the weight of the Daiwa Floating Line, which is what I would recommend for poppers (level fluorocarbon line would sink as you let the popper sit).
Bass bugs are considerably more wind resistant than panfish poppers, but the Daiwa floating line has enough mass to fish them effectively and the Nissin Air Stage Fuijiryu 6:4 410 has enough backbone to cast them. Not only that, it has the backbone to land pretty good sized bass.
The rod would also be my choice for fishing hoppers or a hopper/dropper on a big western river.
If you wanted one rod for bass and trout, the Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu 6:4 would be a very good choice.
Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu Tenkara Features
In a Google translation, you may see the rod called
"Fuji Flow." That is an incorrect translation. The rod is the Air Stage
Fuji Style. I am sure it refers to Hiromichi Fuji's style of tenkara, but
these are also quite stylish rods. The grip is unfinished cypress - and do
not put your own finish on it. Cypress is naturally non-skid and is remarkably durable (it will last longer than you will). The hard grip is pleasant to hold and provides unmatched sensitivity.
The blank is a wine colored clear coat with
terra cotta accents at the section ends. If you are not in direct sunlight, it is hard to see the wine color of the blank.
A flash photo will pick it up, although just barely.
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The grip screw cap is metal, knurled for ease of removal, domed for comfort and has a hole for ventilation. (Be sure to tighten it before fishing and check it at lunchtime.) Other than the 410 6:4, the rods come with a Fuji KTC-12 cap, which is both more secure and harder to lose than the more common rod plugs. The 410 6:4 rod is equipped with a KTC-16.
On all the Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu rods, the lillian is glued directly onto the rod tip rather than attached with a swivel. The tip section easily passes through the #2 section.
This past year or two, the buzz has been all about other rods, but I am sure tenkara anglers here in the US will appreciate the master's hand evident in this rod. The Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu tenkara rods have been imitated but not equaled.
Model
Length Extended
Length Collapsed
Weight (w/cap)
Weight (w/o cap)
Sections
Tippet*
Pennies
5:5 330
11'0"
20 3/8"
2.9 oz
2.6 oz
8
5X
11
5:5 360
12'3"
20 3/8"
3.0oz
2.7oz
9
5X
12.5
5:5 410
13'7"
20 1/2"
3.5
3.2
10
5X
13
Model
Length Extended
Length Collapsed
Weight (w/cap)
Weight (w/o cap)
Sections
Tippet*
Pennies
6:4 330
10'11"
20 1/2"
2.8 oz
2.5 oz
8
5X
20
6:4 360
12'3"
20 3/8"
3.2oz
2.9oz
9
5X
22
6:4 410
13'7"
20 1/2"
3.6
3.2
10
5X
26|
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“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin
"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662
As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.
Warning:
The hooks are sharp.
The coffee's hot.
The fish are slippery when wet.
Beware of the Dogma
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The grip on John Vetterli's Air Stage Fujiryu, signed by Hiromichi Fuji.Of all the rods I have it is still one of my favorites. Wish you could have seen Fuji san's face light up when I pulled that rod out to go fish with him. He signed the grip for me.
John V, Utah
The Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu 5:5 has quickly become one of my go to rods. In fact, so much, that I haven't fished the Ayu but once! And I probably will not use it much in the future as a 12 foot rod works a lot better in my tight North Jersey creeks. I'd buy another one in a New York minute! No pun intended... I've also caught some really nice Brookies and Browns on the rod this winter!
The rod is truly amazing.
Jason F, New Jersey
I got my new rod today and all I can say is wow. This is my first rod made by a master in Japan and everything you said about rods made in Japan is true. It is a wonderful and beautiful rod. Thank you so much for bringing rods like this to us.
Ken B, Arkansas
Wow! Finally got the Air Stage [6:4 360] out on our local bluegill pond. First cast laid out perfectly straight to the exact point of aim. Fishes dry flies and false casts as well as any fly rod I own. Extremely sensitive, yet sets hooks with authority. I thought the rod too soft for deep weighted nymphs but a dozen big deep bluegills promptly proved me wrong. Even got 3 bass up to 2.5 pounds on the Air Stage. Wow! All my other Tenkara rods just became rod rack queens. I can't wait to get this maestro on a spring creek! Many, many thanks.
Ron I, Texas
Just got back from a 2 night camping, fishing trip in the mountains. The box with the Airstage Fujiryu 6:4 360 was sitting on the table when I walked in the door. After taking care of some of the camping gear I opened the box and took the rod out. I attached my 12' #3 LL to the lilian and went outside for some test casting. The balance of the rod is similar to my Shimano NX which I like very much. It took a couple minutes to warm up to the casting stroke but once I did a smile formed on my face, I now understand that special feel that is hard to put into words. After removing the plastic I was greeted to the aromatic cypress smell and pleasant feel of the handle, I'm still smiling as I write this. Next week I'm headed to the mountains again to camp and fish, this will be my primary rod for the trip and man am I excited for some river time with this gem. Thanks Chris for making this rod available to the US market.
Paul N, Washington
The Nissin rod is the finest piece of fishing kit I've ever used. It was insanely effective at catching trout in the Sierra over the summer. I had so many fantastic days. After 25 years of fly-fishing, I didn't really think it would make that much difference. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.
Jason H, California
Recently I ordered the Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu Tenkara 5:5 410 from your web site. I’m new to the Tenkara thing and started off with a competitor’s mid-grade rod a couple of weeks before “ordering the right thing” from you. The setup of your web site and the rod descriptions/advice offered made picking the right rod a no brainer. I was “shooting in the dark” when I ordered the Nissin’s predecessor. The Nissin is an absolute pleasure to work with….the action is “slick as butter” and I have no problems casting a 15’ floating line terminated with a six foot tippet (three feet 3X and three feet 4X). I landed countless sunfish and bluegill, and one angry bass, during two outings last weekend. As a well-seasoned fly tosser, you just know when you’ve landed on a perfect rig….and this is a perfect rig. Now I have my eye on the Tenryu Furaibo. Anyhow, I couldn’t have gotten here without the comprehensive website you maintain and the rig options you offer. Thank you.
Aaron H, Ohio
Hi, just wanted you to know the Air Stage Fujiryu Tenkara 410 has been a blast so far. Trout season has waned a bit but it's been great for panfish on ponds near me and for river smallies. Just a few days ago on a small pond near me I was having no luck with small jigs on my spin rod for sunfish and I took out the Air Stage and I was getting hits nearly every cast on the killer kebari fly, they smacked that fly hard. I love the tenkara rod since it gives me great options on a trip for minimal weight when spin action slows or becomes impossible.
Charles B, New Jersey