bulldog1935

Every exchange rate is loaded so the currency exchanger makes a percentage on their transaction. They get charged when they turn $ to JY. Some are very fair, and I would consider Digitaka's 4% to be quite fair. Paypal charges them (or you) that much to sell something. Credit card transaction does the same thing (how do you think they make their money), so sounds like Digitaka is breaking even on the currency exchange and sale. If you look at others like ZenMarket, exchange rate fee is closer to 12% (on top of their brokerage fee), which is less than fair - what everyone is taking from them, they almost double it to take from you. If you buy on Hedgehog's Japan/JY site, it's cheaper than buying on their English/US$ site, because their US$ prices are increased to add inflated exchange rate. If you buy in JY, somebody is going to get an exchange rate fee from you, either your buying/shipping broker, paypal, or your credit card. My friend and 20-year Japan broker Masamichi (noppin.com) is closing shop at the end of the year. The man was over-the-top - his exchange rate was fair, his brokerage fee was under 6%. He covered my mistakes, found stock, got questions answered I never could, made extra effort to handle communication and transactions outside of business hours; knew my schedule, and got packing done so I could pay shipping in time to make the day's courier - his English was close enough to perfect, and I always enjoyed our message swaps, including our farewell good wishes the other night. I will miss him. Don't be a biyatch.

I've had a 9' Lamiglas G1000 ML steelhead rod for ten years and miles of fishing - I've always matched it with a large-frame spinning reel, either Tica Libra 3000, or Stradic 4000 with shallow braid spool. I also have a 9' EverGreen UL that I match with medium-frame Twin Power C3000MHG and shallow braid spool. So I'm voting yes on the match with 3000 reel.

The crazy thing, both the Japanese and Chinese have found upscale markets re-issuing reproductions and clones of small-frame Ambassadeur.

It's hard to give a specific recommendation, but @Bigbox99 pointed you in the exact direction. More progressive rod tapers will handle lighter weights and still have big-fish butt-power - this is where the Japanese usually go. More para tapers will cast intermediate weights to greater distance for rod length. The most amazing I own is discontinued Abu (JP) Kurodai Baitfinesse Prototype. I looked up Abu's current Kurodai line, which isn't quite the same rod, and begins at 1/8-oz low end. At the high-$ end ($400) is new release EverGreen Phase PCSC-66L+BF Fieldin' Star. Tariff situation is not too bad for rods. I bought 2 since tariffs kicked in, and paid 20% duty.

A shame the A/E AMO store is closed to US IP address. They make this part in anodized alloy. (w/ replacement thread-locked machine screws). Quite a nice part for $28 and here's the KDW upgrade part on my 2nd SD enjoy the plastic threads and self-tapping steel screws or maybe the ergonomics broke it For everyone else, if you search Press Plate Abu, several $10 examples come up. Shimano is also this easy to swap - you only need to remove the spool - many of the A/E metal press plates even come with the long screwdriver. Daiwa is a booger, because it's the last thing you get to with complete disassembly.

I run full-silicon-nitride spool bearings in most of my salt reels, and they're great, but we've covered the noise of full-zirconia ceramic on many other threads. Zirconia load rating is also 20% lower than steel, SiC, or SiN. Recent prices for silicon nitride on A/E have gone up to $32/ - first time I bought them, they were $12/

Shielded bearings are simply a salt concentration mechanism in spool bearing position in salt reels. They're fine to use for salt drive bearings. I'd say you're over-thinking the wash thing. I'll also never understand the "clean and re-lube" shielded bearing choice. They'll never be quite clean, and they'll never be re-lubed to original condition. (I do get people who remove grease to replace with oil in spool bearings). Fish drive bearings until they're toast or show salt sign, and replace with new CRBB, here Daiwa magseal in mainshaft drive bearing. I've also used orange-seal in this position with no worries. Spool bearings in 8-year salt Super Duty. The magnets have been replaced. The NMB drive bearings are all original.

I run Air HD spool bearings in salt MH reels. Look at it this way - seals = saltwater in, steam out. The salt stays in the bearing. With unshielded bearings, you flush them with a drop of oil after every trip. Shielded bearings are simply a salt concentration mechanism in spool bearing position in salt reels. They're fine to use for salt drive bearings.

@Big Hands I didn't pay quite that much, because SquidMania used to offer any Livre handle + knob combination at discounted price. Just looked back at my invoice - I paid $110. SquidMania now only sells the handles Livre makes for their Mad Crow line. I bought through my Japan broker (of 18 years - 6% brokerage fee, ships combined orders from multiple vendors), who's also closing shop at the end of this year. Tonight he's shipping out my swan-song purchase, a 5'9' Kuramochi Synapse ML rod blade. I wouldn't worry about Livre handle weight - handles and titanium-shell knobs are lighter than stock handles and rubber knobs. 5000 stock rubber knob on left weighs 35 g - Yumeya alloy knob weighs 24 g - didn't weigh tee-handle (but they tend to grab lines in busy kayak lap) - Livre EP37 on right weighs 14 g. What you gain with counter-balanced or double handle is they offset the eccentric weights of rotor, bail and single handle from turning under gravity, which tends to push your hand when it's falling. Balanced handle will turn a 3000 Twin Power into a finesse reel.

I have Ti-frame Torzite on two high-end salt shore finesse spinners, Yamaga Blanks TZ Nano, and EverGreen Sweep Master - amazing how light these 8+ to 9+' rods 73 g 91 g

Daiwa also had the Coronet, made to match a shirt-pocket pen-clip telescope rod.

ahhh - Livre Union counterbalanced handle w/ EF30 knob on Twin Power C3000MHG But if you just like the knob, it swaps into Shimano handle - all compatible aftermarket knobs list Shimano-A.

Note Daiwa US doesn't stock that grease any more https://daiwa.us/products/daiwa-reel-greaser?variant=34634965942409 @txchaser Maybe Daiwa Japan never did: https://www.hedgehog-studio.com/product-list/479 They also recommend different viscosities for drive gears (Grease 300), vs. worm gears and drive bearings (Grease 104).

@king fisher when we were fishing 1/4-oz jigheads and fluoro, 8-9' steelhead rods were go-to, to help keep the heavy weight lifted above the grass. Everyone who borrowed my Loomis GL2 MH spinner wanted to take it home.

I vote for MagZ - should be perfect with that weight range.

Stradic is a salty beast with the same labyrinth seals and bad-boy A/R clutch as Stella (parts interchange).

https://theriffle.blogspot.com/2025/11/martin.html Blog listing from a current Martin thread on FFR forum. Basic, but it shows your reel.

The difference between leader and tippet is the whole Hard leader v. Soft Leader comparison. If you compare Seaguar Gold and Seaguar Blue to tippet, the Gold is very different, and the Blue is almost identical to tippet. You expect tippet to be limp, doesn't need abrasion resistance, does need maximum toughness and knot strength. When fluoro was new, Rio High Strength tippet cost me 30+" Alaska rainbow at knot break (standard Surgeon's knot tippet joint). What good is high strength if your knot breaks with a head shake. Yes, they backed off on high-strength for toughness and knot strength.

This was on 5X FrogHair, and a size 22 thread midge. (and 1918 cane) The YGK leader I buy in Japan is as good as any fly tippet I've ever used. The threadline tradition revived by the late Dave Witlock and Joe Robinson use small-frame Daiwa 700C modified with finger-bail, load their spools with tippet, and make their rods from fly rod blanks. Notice, my buddy Alex didn't butcher his bail.

Depends on how big the water is, and how far away you need to fish - I fish up to 7'5' here longer than 5-1/2' is tough here

Unless it's shouldered to a smaller diameter in the line roller, bushings are bearing size, so buy 2 bearings. The difference between 2 reels could be 2 different drag caps.

p/n 600 is the drag cap If this part is not flat for whatever reason, you won't get uniform drag load over full rotation of drag pay. The entire drag load range is produced by elastic strain in this plastic part - this is the reason drag load only results over a small rotation of the drag knob. The elastic strain acts like a spring, but if the cap is tightened to permanent deformation, it's over. Might check on availability of this part. Here are line roller parts for 30 size, The bearings (9104) should be a standard size - e.g., 740ZZ (same as knob bearings) - check HPR Bearings website or ebay store. If the bearings coming out show anything like rust, throw them away, and clean the metal parts in vinegar + 3 parts water.

Both are modest value. The Millionaire is more of a curiosity than the earlier medium-frame Millionaire series, 5, 5H, 6, 6H. E.g., it's not in the league with small-frame Ambassadeur. Here's the most information you'll find in one place on Milliionaire MM https://reeltalk.orcaonline.org/viewtopic.php?t=19170 The Martin Tuna can that will bring more than its original price is MG-3, which has their helical-spring click-pawl. You can identify MG-3 quickly by its barstock foot. FFR forum is the archive for Martin reels. Unfortunately, with AI-bot bandwith theft, they had to block access using Cloudflare, and only allow views by registered members.

adding a note @redmeansdistortion Every Daiwa I own came with their shielded microbearings for spool bearings (on left)

This short (5-1/2') 5-power IM6 old-school rod blade has a moderate taper and wider light-end than it's rated - 1/2 to 3 oz - it will fish 1/4 oz all day, and you feel it load deep at 1/2 oz. I target my rods in the lower-half of their rating. I don't have 3-oz swimbaits to cast, or fish water where they'd matter, but like it a lot for river-kayak frogger, heavy cover, light swimbaits, and heavier jigs and spinnerbaits than I want to throw on 3-power.