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REVIEW- Yuki Sublime Casting 4.2m HH Rod

REVIEW- Yuki Sublime Casting 4.2m HH Rod

REVIEW- Yuki Sublime Casting 4.2m HH Rod

I have personally owned two Yuki Sublimes for over a year, both of mine are the HH (heavy versions); there are also H (heavy versions)- in this blog I will give a full in-depth review of the rod. Here are a quick run through of the rod specifications:

  • 2 piece
  • 4.2m (14ft) length
  • 515g weight
  • 100-400g casting
  • Spliced tip 
  • Fixed Fuji reel seat
  • Fuji stainless K-WAGs 
  • Black & gold whippings
  • SLHMC- super light high modulus carbon 

First Thoughts-

I first heard about the Sublime when Ben Price did a casting demo and talk through of the rod for Yuki (see the above video)- I was immediately intrigued, continental style characteristics with a traditional two piece design. This lead me to read up more about the rod. The problem at this time was that the rod was only available as a blank and I would've had to get it built, this didn't stop me from researching about the blank. My interest found me reading blogs about the rods being used to catch Bronze Whalers in Namibia, I was blown away by the power this rod seemed to have; I thought I must get my hands on one. I contacted the UK rep' for Yuki, Lindsay Richards, who was more than happy to bring one down for me to have a look at. I was totally shocked at how light the blank was, the sensitivity of the spliced in tip was unbelievable- I immediately thought this would make the perfect match rod. Finally the power the blank displayed under compression was breath-taking, the butt and mid section is capable of compressing a huge load, while the tip retains it's sensitivity. I could see that this rod would be a dream to cast. While I had Lindsay to myself I enquired as to whether Yuki had any plans of doing the Sublime pre-built, he said he'd find out for me- a week or so later I had two pre-built Sublimes on order. It is worth pointing out that the Sublime is available in two versions, a heavy (H) and a heavy-heavy (HH), it is only the HH which is available pre-built- this is the most versatile out of the two regardless.

Casting-

On receiving my rods the first thing I had to do was decide which reels I would pair with them. Although the rod is capable of being used with a multiplier, the configuration it is built in is far better suited to a lightweight fixed spool reel. I ended up pairing my Shimano Technium MgS with them, this set-up weighed dot on 1kg! One of the lightest set-ups I have ever used. The first night I received them I headed straight to the field to give them a proper cast. I started off with a few 'overhead thumps' with a 5oz lead, the low diameter line flew off the reels. I truly could not believe how little effort was required to send the lead a fair old distance- quite easily casting well over 100 yards with this simple technique. I was very happy to find this out, as I often fish treacherous marks were an overhead cast is all that can be performed. 

I decided to change it up, adding a 6oz lead to really load up the blank. Moving on to OTG (off the ground) casts I really put the rod through it's paces. I found that casting OTG allowed the blank to fully load up, right to the butt. Following through from the start position of the cast with a smooth arc which meant the blank compressed in a fully parabolic, fluid, manner. I've found that rods with a spliced tip often struggle to fully compress as they are too 'tippy' which creates a 'J' shape went casting, using an OTG cast eliminated this problem. I believe this style of cast got the greatest results from the rod, as it fully utilised the power stored in the mid and butt section of the blank. 

I performed a few half and full pendulum casts a go with the rod, I found the spliced in tip meant that the rod wasn't really suited to this style of cast. I still achieved good distances, but did not feel comfortable throughout the cast- especially with the reel high due to the fixed reel seat. After having this session on the field I felt that at most venues I would more than likely use an OTG cast, due to it's ease to perform and the results I got on the field. It is worth noting that the rod is rated 100-400g, many continental rods are rated in this style- I personally would rate is 5-7oz plus bait, with it being best suited to 6oz leads; but have- at times- cast an 8oz with ease. 

Fishing-

Over the year I have used the Sublimes at many different marks, targeting a wide array of species. I believe it is best suited to clean to mixed ground due to the soft tip, at times is struggled in strong tides and pulling free of snags. That being said it is a very good all round rod, easily holding it's own at all venues. I particularly enjoyed using the set-up fishing for bass stood in the surf. The lightness of the rod makes it extremely comfortable to have hold of for prolonged periods. The high reel seat kept the reels well clear of the surf too. The spliced in tip shows every single nibble; once you've used the rod a few times you'll get to know exactly what is happening at the business end.

I used the rod for a few matches, the style of rod is perfectly suited to fishing three hooks clipped at range. I caught Rays up-to 8lb, tiny Dabs- the tip showed up all bites! One of the only real downfalls of the rod is when fishing a drop- such as: a dock wall, pier, etc.- when you need to pump larger fish up the wall or use a drop net. Its not a nice sight seeing the tip bent at a near 90 degree angle over the wall, the rods managed it- but it's not something I would recommend.

Overall Thoughts-

If you want a lightweight rod with superb bite detection, that's easy to cast and a dream to fish with then this is the rod for you! The rod truly is a breath of fresh air; completely different to other rods on the market. A traditional 2 piece design with all the benefits and characteristics of a continental. I really can not give this rod enough praise, I absolutely love mine. I believe that it makes a valuable asset to any anglers arsenal. I plan to take mine over to Cape Verde next year a give them a true test to see what they can really handle!
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