ARES Freed Ayu Nakatsugi

The Freed is Nissin's nakatsugi ayu rod, built as a nakadoshi design that runs the line through the blank rather than outside it. Ayu tomozuri is fished with a live decoy on a long rod, and the inner-line build keeps the main line from catching on the rod during the long, slow work of steering that decoy through a run.

Two rods, 7.70 m and 8.50 m, at 290 g and 330 g, closing to 85 cm. The main line rating is 0.2 to 0.6 号 and the sinker load 0 to 4 号. Both are made in Japan.

Prices are ¥71,000 and ¥80,000 before tax, which places them among the most expensive rods Nissin lists and reflects what a purpose-built ayu rod costs.