BFS Fishing | TG Custom Rods

BFS (BAIT FINESSE SYSTEM)

TG Custom Rods BFS Rods

Utlising the ultra lightweight and lightweight rod blanks available from CRB, I am able to produce you BFS rods of unmatched quality. Lengths from 6' through to 7' in a variety of colours with a maximum line rating of 4lb.
Using lighweight elite guides, in either a traditional casting configuration, or a spiral guide wrap to reduce the number of guides by one or two, produces the perfect casting rod for accuracy and distance when launching lures that weigh less than 2g.
You will need a reel that is specifically designed for BFS fishing to cast such light lures with light 4lb line, and you don't need to pay a lot. You can grab a KastKing Zephyr for around $70 USD or a Johncoo BFS reel for $30 USD off Amazon. Shimano also make a BFS reel.
Prices for a TG Custom Rods BFS rod start at $285 incl GST

Bait Finesse System for Trout

Lure fishing for trout is quite popular in Japan (probably more so than tenkara but less so than keiyru bait fishing). Until fairly recently, it was a game limited to spinning rods and reels. However, the availability of Bait Finesse System reels that can cast lures weighing only 2 grams (1/16 oz) and rods designed for lures as light as 1 gram and lines as light as 1 lb has opened a new genre of fishing: BFS for trout, also called Mountain Stream Bait Finesse.

There is no question that on a small mountain stream, with rocks and eddies and overhanging tree branches, casting accuracy is of paramount importance. Generally, a trout is going to hit your lure on the first cast or not at all. However, if your cast is a bit too far away, he may just follow the lure without hitting it. If it's too close he'll just run for cover. In either case, a second cast is probably a waste of time. Dropping a lure into a small target, and doing so softly, is absolutely critical. There is no point having pinpoint accuracy if your lure lands with a big splash and scares the fish you were trying to catch. Thumbing a BFS reel to stop a cast is far more precise than feathering a spinning reel.