Most Popular Rods

The Art of Hera Fishing.

Hera Fishing is the greatest and very popular sport that is allied with the conversation of our fish while enjoy a day stream. Hera rod fishing comes with a real pleasure and joy derived from fishing because it has long been termed an "art". It provides a tremendously wide variety of fishing in freshwater or saltwater. It could be used to catch carp on sweet corn, perch with a worm, and trout on a dry fly, a pike on life bait or catfish on a dead fish. Hera fishing or Herabuna fishing came from the word "Herabuna", one of the Japanese Crucian Carp (Carassius cuvieri), hard fighting fish, a very popular sports fish throughout many places in Japan, China and most of Europe, especially in Russia, Germany and UK.

They usually live in beautiful waters, and the fact that they present the ultimate challenge to get them on the hook makes them all the more interesting add to that a spirited fight on the right tackle and you have an adversary worthy of the attention of any angler. In Japan, it is commonly referred to as Herabuna however its real name is Gengorobuna. There are many reasons for it being called Herabuna, however the most probable is that the top part of the fish is flat therefore resembling a spatula (spatula are called HERA in Japanese). Crucian carp has 3 different kinds, Gold crucian, Silver crucian and Gengoro crucian.

What makes Hera fishing a very popular?
All about Hera rods
How to attach the line to the Hera rod?
How to attach the float to the line?

How to open and close telescopic Hera rod?
If rod sections get stuck
How to land a fish?
Take a good care of your rod

Hera fishing is really good fun and it's popularity has grown immensely in the last few years. One of the reasons for this that it Carp the most general fresh-water fish that inhabits in every place: fishing holes, fishing pods, stagnant areas of rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, etc. They are mostly bottom feeders but can also be found feeding at other levels and, on very sunny days, will take food from the surface.

Crucian Carp are very aggressive feeders, feed on almost anything that lives in freshwater, from leeches to snail eggs, and daphnia to emerging insect life. They will feed by sifting through the bottom silt as they hunt for bloodworms, right up to taking flies from the surface - nothing really escapes a hungry Crucian carp.

The large carp is more nervous, and during the spring spawning season, they come closer to the shore to lay their eggs, and it is a good opportunity to catch the large monster. Catching bigger fish is always a challenge requiring patience and knowledge especially with the light tackle. Of course it's a lot of fun.

The Hera style of fishing can be divided up by the depth fished, bottom fishing (faworite Japanese SOKOZURI style), shallow, midrange or deep fishing. It can also be classified by the type of tackle used, balanced, through, levelled, etc. It is very important to use a correct tackle, hook bait, line, float, rig, etc. to fit the usual conditions. It is a very shy fish and takes the bait very gently. Always match the leader to fit the size of the hooks.
Successful Hera fishing depends on many different factors: season, weather conditions, time of the fishing, temperature of the water, water level, etc. Crucian Carp cannot control their own body temperature, it changes along with the external temperature. They have an air bladder used to control their buoyancy in the water, this why they move around to the most comfortable position for them according to the temperature and air pressure during the day. Crucians are very attuned to changes in the temperature and noise, basically a very wary fish, even the slightest sound in the water will cause them to flee. It is important to be as quiet as possible when setting up for a day of fishing.

There are many different methods of fishing and all of them are a pleasure to use. But one of the best, preferred method for catching any fish, especially crucians is Hera fishing using float, which gives you total control of your tackle, allowing you to use much lighter rigs, provide an extreme level of accuracy.

The Hera rod allows you to place your bait in exactly the spot that you want to fish, it allows you to chum with ground bait or loose particles with highest accuracy. It also allows you to land fish much quicker that with a rod and reel. You can't even imagine the fun you got when gently move the Hera rod against the fish to strike, ship the line to you, swing the fish to hand, unhook, re-bait and place rod back in the water ready for the next fish.

What makes Hera fishing a popular competitive method on fresh or salt water?

Outstanding bait presentation

The short distance between the tip of the Hera rod and the float makes the rig under angler's constant control. Whether holding the float absolutely still on the bottom, moving it left or right with various speeds, slowing it down in a current, or lifting it up and down, there is always a right way to manipulate the hook bait in order to cause to be it attractive to any nearby fish. Even when there is little or no drift the turbulence created by nearby swimming fish can be enough to make the hook bait.

Often you just have to copy nature, use hook bait that matches or imitates native food items living in the water, have the same look, or same moving along the bottom. Like bloodworm often 'shoot' themselves few inches above the bottom before slowly sinking back down. By simply lifting the float up a few inches with the Hera rod, and dropping it back down, the hook bait basically imitates this natural movement.

Extreme accuracy

Using float which gives you total control of your tackle, provides a highest level of accuracy. Because you feed ground bait to attract the fish under the rod tip, the hook is constantly around a small concentrated feeding area, right in front of the fish's mouth! You can place your bait in exactly where you want it, as quietly as possible, to the hard to reach places where reel rod can't.

Using lightest of tackle

A smaller light float rig, a thinner line, and a smaller hook are less visible to the fish, and always produce more bites. Carp very gently nudge the bait, sucking it to test it for hooks - and for that reason the best way to use the tiniest of floats dotted right down to a 1 to 2 millimeter poking above the surface, it is often the only way with the lightest tackle see the slightest most delicate bites from fish.

The simplicity of using Hera rod

How simple it could be: only rod, line, float, weight and hook are used. Tied the line to the rod's tip. Connect a float to the line, put weight between the float and the hook to place the float scale down to the right deep position. That's it, that's all it takes. The next thing to do is bait your hook and cast. You can't even imagine the fun you got when gently move the rod against the fish to strike, ship the line to you, swing the fish to hand, unhook, re-bait and place rod back in the water ready for the next fish.

Challenging, Pleasure, Fan

Hera fishing is much more than fish; it is relaxing and pure pleasure and also escapes from the stress from everyday life, also it's an exciting, competitive challenging sport that gets the heart beating and adrenalin flowing. That's why people like to catch bigger fish - they fight harder than the smaller ones. That's why people tend to use the lightest equipment possible to accentuate the fight, to make it the most entertaining and exciting fight it can give you.
What could be more entertaining than fighting a really big one with the lightest tackle and finally winning the fight? Your Hera rod is bending, the line is gaining, and the fish is flipping and flopping, pulling and running, jumping and swirling. You need good skills, a little luck and a great rod to win that fight, to get as much fun and as many victories as possible.

Widely used

Hera came from the word "Herabuna", Japanese Crucian Carp (Carassius cuvieri), and is used in Japan, China and most of Europe for catching this hard fighting fish and all the species from Carp family species (Family Cyprinidae). Also Hera fishing method provides a tremendously wide variety of fishing and can be used to catch almost all species whether you fishing in freshwater or saltwater, rivers, lakes, ponds or shore, small-stream, fast flowing streams or pocket water. You can use Hera style fishing from the shore or beach, from a boat or canoe, kayak or jet ski, from the pier or float tube, from surf or harbor.

Hera fishing is widely used for Carp on sweet corn, Trout, Salmon or Striped Bass on a fly, a Northern Pike, Walleye, Largemouth Bass or Crappie on life bait, Catfish or American Eel on a dead fish. It does not matter if you use it for Striped Bass or Bluefish from the beach inshore, Smallmouth Bass or Perch with a worm from the beach on a lake, is great to use for any other game fish from any place. With Hera fishing method your catches will improve amazingly. The control that it gives you over your float tackle is superb.

3.6 meters Hera rods
4.5 meters Hera rods

5.4 meters Hera rods
6.3 meters Hera rods

Hera rods are designed to use without a reel. Only rod, line, float, weight and hook are used. Last section has strong braid lilian string connected to the tip. This braid material greatly enhances the sensitivity of the rod that allows the detection of the slightest most delicate bites and smother casting of light float rigs.
The line is tied to the rod at its tip using the overhand knot on the braid lilian material. Add a line stopper, leaving a 1/8 - 1/4 inch tag to stick out, then girth-hitch a small braid loop on the line between the tip and a stopper. Connect a float to the line attaching it with simple rubber stoppers, put weight between the float and the hook to place the float scale down to the right deep position. That's it, that's all it takes. The next thing to do is bait your hook and cast.

Hera rods are the most powerful type of pole rod series. They are finished with chic Japanese traditional "Hera" rod style, known as intermediate painting. Tightly plied high modulus graphite blanks endure even unthinkable hit of carp. Made out of Graphite Carbon they are designed to bring strength sensitivity and flexibility to improve your comfort level. Much of the credit for this must be given to the tackle manufacturers who continue to produce cheaper, lighter, stronger rods each season.
Hera rods are composed of materials, such as natural bamboo and fiber reinforced resin, they composed of a plurality of connected rod blanks as one long fishing rod in a put-over joint manner or a spigot joint manner. The intermediate rod includes a main layer, a weight layer laminated in a certain range in the axial direction as an outer periphery layer of the main layer, and a coating layer laminated on or above the outer periphery of these main layer and weight layer.
The main layer is a layer composed of a laminated prepreg material. Tape-shaped and sheet-shaped prepreg materials in which carbon fiber is impregnated with an epoxy resin can be given as the laminated prepreg material(s). In the tape-shaped prepreg material, the carbon fiber is oriented in the circumferential direction or in the direction that extends at a certain angle relative to the circumferential direction. In the sheet-shaped prepreg material, carbon fiber is oriented in the axial direction.
The weight layer is composed of a prepreg material with high specific gravity, the material in which metal powder such as tungsten is mixed additionally with glass scrim impregnated with an epoxy resin. This prepreg material with high specific gravity has an extent of 500 to 600 g/mm2, and of thickness of 0.100 to 0.150 mm. This material is laminated on the aforementioned main layer in a prescribed axial location. The coating layer is formed by applying a synthetic resin coating material, such as epoxy resin and urethane resin. The stepped difference between the main layer and the weight layer is canceled by this coating layer.

This material may not be the cheapest but it's the most consistent, gap-free prepreg material available and the price premium for its exceptional quality is more than reasonable. Those rods are lightweight and incredibly strong, thanks to a third generation of medium-high-modulus and high strain-rate graphite. Here is an incomplete list of features of those rods:

High-modulus/high-strain graphite reinforced graphite construction for improved sensitivity.
The ultimate in high performance.
Delivers greater strength without sacrificing fishing performance.
Created from blanks with weights up to 20% lighter than comparative models.
Strong, powerful blanks can handle the power to handle trophy fish in a light and tough surf rod.
Lightweight, incredibly strong and easy to cast.

How to attach fishing line to the Hera rod

The line is attached directly to the tip of the rod, using the overhand knot on the braid lilian material connected to the end of the tip. A Guiding Line are used for Hera fishing, usually made of Monofilament or Fluorocarbon, size 0.8 - 1.0mm.

How to attach float to the line

Rubber float stopper, "pipe stopper" is used to keep a float with a guiding line. Every rubber stoper has a certain size that fit with the line.

1. Thread the "pipe stopper" on the main line.
2. While holding the line with your finger, slide the rubber pipe up the line.
3. Slide the pipe up the line.
4. Attach the free moving float cap in between the two pipe stoppers. Make 2cm gap between the two stoppers.
5. Attach the float by sliding tightly the float stem to the free moving float cap. Slowly tighten.

One of the most important and very first thing to do is to workout the water depth and adjust your weights and line to get the float sitting right. The line should be adjusted according to the way the fish are feeding. When Hera fishing bottom style (SOKOZURI) the float must be adjusted so the bait is sitting right on the bottom (the top hook is just touching the bottom).

1. Measure the water depth using the rig, to place fish hook that it is just touching the bottom. Set the depth marker on the line. Make a knot on the main line (make 3-4 turns around the main line). Holding both ends with your hands tightly, slowly tighten the knot.
How to make float depth marker

2. Add sufficient weight (depth measure) so that roughly the bottom area of the float's rod sinks below the water. Adjust the bait mark on the float, the point where the water comes up. When the bait mark shows up above the water means there is no more bait on the hook.
3. Attach some weight to the hook and cast into the water. The float should sinks below the water.
4. Removing some amount of the weight repeatedly cast the float into the water and slowly bringing the float higher until the float bristle just sticks out of the water.
5. Once the float is adjusted properly remove the weight (depth measure); it will leave your hook just sitting on the bottom.

Later while fishing if the bait isn't sitting properly on the bottom and you are only getting nibbles and not any good bites on the line it is good idea to adjust your rig by increasing the length of the line below the float by about 1 cm at a time. Keep doing it until your catch rate and strike rate are increased.
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How to roll sinker around the line

1. Winding tissue paper or cotton thread around fixed part of the weight.
2. Crease with a scissor. The width of the crease is around 1.0mm - 1.5mm.
3. Put guiding fish line in the fold.
4. Fold it closely by your thum to the roll up tightly and to make "Tune Circle". If you do not fold it closely enough it would be flat shape.
5. Roll it on a flat surface. If it look "Flat", roll it on flat surface with pushing of hand hood. It help to shape up.

How to attach swivel to the line and tye on the leader.

1. Pass the line through the eye of the swivel.
Double back and make 5-6 turns around the line.
Pass the end of the line through the first loop, above the eye, and then through the large loop. Draw the knot into shape.
Slide the coils down tight against the eye.
2. Cut extra line.

How to attach line with Haris using a swivel.

To prevent 'Interwined", use smaller swivel. Tie guiding line with swivel by clind knot or uni knot. Then set haris. It is always better to use hook connected with haris first. You need to change the haris constantly to get a better result.
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How to Open Hera Rod.

You should open rod with a special care, always keep control of the rod sections. Hera rods can easily take even very heavy load and don't break while fighting the fish, they are very strong and durable but they need to be handled with cared too. Opening these rods must be done very carefully and gently, no sideway pressure should be applied to the rod. Telescopic Hera rods are very simple to open, but there are a couple of points to keep in mind to simplify the process and avoid damaging the rod:

Remove the plug at the end of the rod and expose the tip of the rod with a lilian string by tilting the rod a little.
Expose the section with the braided string first and attach the line to the tip.
Pull the tip and other sections out sliding each part between the fingers.

Once you're done, shake the rod and see if you can hear any slight click signifying a "crack". If you do that means that one of the sections is not fully extended, identify it and extend it properly.

How to Close Hera Rod.

You should close the rod with a special care, always keep control of the rod sections. Hera rods usually don't break while fighting even very heavy fish but they could break while they are being closed without special care. Closing these rods must be done very carefully and gently, no sideway pressure should be applied to the rod while closing it.

Telescopic rods are closed in the opposite direction, starting with the bottom section and collapsing them all the way to the tip one. It's recommended to hold each section at its thickest point of the section which is near the joint. Once again make sure not to apply any sideway pressure, use fingers, not palms, place the bottom of the rod on a flat level stable surface and push each piece in. Once the section becomes lose it will slide down.
Attention should be paid when drawing in to avoid pulling too forcibly, which may hurt your hand. Draw in the Hera rod from Butt section by turns. If in reverse, the end section may fall into other sections, and maybe cause damage to fishing rod. Bending Hera rod too forcibly or using fishing line when it is in disorder may cause break of fishing rod.

If rod sections get stuck:

Occasionally a section may get stuck. The main cause of it is extending the rod too forcibly. Prevention is better than cure: try do not extend the rod too forcibly, try to keep your rod off the ground at all times to avoid dirt getting into the joints. Wipe it clean with a cloth before taking it down so you don't jam dirt into the joint. If you've been using it in saltwater give it a quick rinse with freshwater as soon after use as you can. Its a good idea to put a protectant like WD-40, Tackle Guard or a silicon lube on the joints.

When sections get stuck try to force the thinner section in by twisting them, hold the anti-sliding place near joints with the fingers and screw and press sections in reverse direction to loosen the joints but again make sure not to use sideway pressure. You might try using rubber pads to increase the grip. Always hold sections with your fingers close to joints.

Have a partner hold one side of the joint while you hold the other and gently twist and press sections without using sideway pressure. Both of you hold sections with your fingers close to joints.

Pour hot water on large side of the joint as close to the joint as you can to rapidly expand it. Then after a few seconds try twisting or pushing the small side of the joint back down. Its best if you can do this under a tap where the water starts off cold then gets progressively warmer over a few seconds as this reduces the risk of stress cracks developing in the joint.
If the hot water technique fails try the next step up. Do the same as above but put ice on the small side of the joint to shrink it. This is easiest if you get some ice from your freezer place it on a cloth or towel and then wrap that around the rod and hold it while you heat the other side with hot water.
Try a penetrating lubricant like WD-40, CRC or Tackle Guard. Leave the joint to soak for an hour or two and then try gently to take the rod down.

If the tip section is stuck, keep the stuck section at the joint, put the bottom of the rod on a flat not-too-hard surface (put towel or other soft material), hold the fixed joints and lightly tap the stuck section against the bottom.
You can try to use a penetrating lubricant like WD-40, CRC or Tackle Guard. Leave the joint to soak for an hour or two and then try gently hold the fixed joints and lightly tap the stuck section against the bottom.

How to land a fish.

Needless to say that landing a small fish is very straightforward with Hera rods, just raise it and slide the fish into the landing net range. Catching bigger fish is always a challenge requiring patience and knowledge especially with the light tackle. Of course it's a lot of fun.

If you believe that you hooked a big fish, don't raise your rod, keep it low at about 45 degrees or even less to avoid breaking tip or top sections. Besides lifting the tip up will make fish fight even harder and to start swimming off at high speed. You should instead lower the rod tip angle, smoothly apply small sideway pressure, follow the movements of the fish, steering it away from the danger areas and trying to bring it from the bottom into open water. There is no need to hurry, take your time, let the fish get thoroughly exhausted, it will eventually come up and takes a gulp of air which is the best opportunity to smoothly slide it into your landing net.

For really big fish make sure to bring the bottom section of the rod up to your head. Play with the fish, let it go from one direction to another, use the rod's flexibility to steer the fish in your desired direction. Making the fish swim around in different directions is the most typical method to tire it before landing it in your net.

Another technique that works with longer rods is to extend the rod all the way out past the fish so that the fish is between you and the tip of the rod. If you apply a little pressure on the line in the direction opposite to where you are, the fish will start struggling and moving towards you which is exactly what you want to happen. You might also keep the tip of the Hera rod right above the fish to achieve the same result. Never point the tip towards to fish, unless you want to give up the fight, because you fill that rod will break.
Try to place yourself and rod as lower as you can against the water or ground. Hold the very end of the rod with two hands together. If you don't bring the rod tip up high, most likely you can lose big big ( line breaks) but at least you save the rod.

Take a good care of your rod.

Having a rod break at the moment need it most is probably the most frustrating experience you can have on a fishing trip.

Rod maintenance has nothing to do with rod breakage. Anglers will always find ways to break their rods, starting from regular (car doors) to very stupid (standing on it) or while fighting a huge fish. What should or should not be done to keep our fishing tackle in good shape and ensure many years of fishing enjoyment?

1. Never lift your catch, always play with the fish and use landing net to land it. Some rods are actually broken while fighting or attempting to land fish when you are holding the rod at too high an angle while applying a heavy load. Never raise your rod high with the large fish, keep your handle angle at about 45 degrees or less. All graphite rods, are at risk of breakage if the rod is "high sticked". When the tip of the rod is raised too high, the weaker tip section bears too much of the load and can easily break.

This is one of the most common causes of breakage and is 100% angler-caused.

Always extend and insert telescopic sections very gently, try do not extend them too forcibly, try to keep it off the ground to avoid dirt getting into the joints. Do not apply any sideway pressure while insrting sections.

Don't remain the fishing rod in the back carriage of car for a long time. The long time sealed and high temperature or very low temperature conditions are harmful for fishing rod.

6. Always pay attention when fishing under or near the high voltage wire because of electrical shock potentiality by high voltage wire and thunder. Carbon fiber is high electricity-conductive material, so it is very dangerous if it touches electrical wire especially when you are close to the water.

10.

You shall gently remove the dirt, any remaining "fish stuff" or salt by towel, soft brush or cloth dipped with a little soap and water, and after it is dry completely, brushes up with car wax or leather. This will make it easier to clean and help preserve the rod's finish. Wiping the rod down with furniture polish after each use is a good way to keep it looking its best.

11.

Always remember to take a good care of your rods and they will work for you for a very long time and will bring you large amount of catches and a huge amount of great emotions. More great emotions - longer and healthier is your life.