Aiko Valkyrja 852M - try it, throw it over!
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I still haven’t figured out what words to start the next article with, so let’s get straight to the point.
Today I want to talk about one very interesting spinning rod that came into my arsenal last season, although towards the end. You can get acquainted with his “cosmetics” by reading the first part of the review at the link: https://aikoland.r. o_odezhke/ Oh, yes, today we are talking about Aiko Valkyrja 852M. This is far from being a budget spinning rod, as you might think; now the TOP segment has become one and a half times more expensive than usual, but it has also increased in quality in approximately the same proportions. I fished pretty well with this stick, and now I’ll tell you about it based on my practice. Throughout the review I will be comparing it in one way or another with former fighters in my arsenal Graphitleader Vivo 842M (255cm, 7-28g) and Hearty Rise Pro Force 812ML (248cm, 6-26g). And there is no need to make a fuss about different price tags, you don’t have to compare them, but I will compare them, I don’t see anything wrong with that.
So, in order. This spinning rod is designed specifically for coastal jig fishing, which means it must have certain qualities - first of all, range, secondly, sensitivity, and thirdly, the ability to reliably detect fish. What we have?
- length: 257 cm;
- test: 9-24 g;
- weight: 136 g;
- line test: 8-14 lb;
- tuning: fast;
- accessories: Kigan 3D ZH.
Length 257 cm - is it a lot or a little? The opinions of experienced fishermen are likely to be divided. In my understanding, this size of a stick for the shore is probably optimal. Modern materials and technologies for the manufacture of spinning rods make it possible to make them long-range at a shorter length than before. This “Valkyrie” throws really far, in its length/test it is definitely one of the best at the moment. You only need to invest in casting with light weights, and from about 10-12 grams, the spinning rod itself already works like a catapult. Yes, the blank is exactly like a catapult, a kind of “charged spring”, it pulled back a little and gave so that you can’t see where the bait landed - it has everything for a good throw. If you compare it with Viva and ProForce, it wins over both. At the lower limit of the test 6-14g + bait it throws further than “ProForce” and almost always further or the same as “Viva”, at the upper limit 16-20g + bait they are comparable to “ProForce”, but it is already consistently ahead of “Viva” by several meters. Thus, her throw is at least as good in some conditions and noticeably better in others. The question of how farther/closer remains open, since I didn’t take precise measurements on the ground, by eye it’s about 5-8 meters.
Test 9-24 grams. Quite convenient for most conditions from the shore, but for those who don’t it is not suitable, there are more/less, fortunately the “Valkyrie” line is quite wide. Since we started talking about the test, it’s appropriate to talk about sensory. It’s also very, very good here, but it’s not cosmic either. As far as I know, the developers indicated the bottom of the test by knocking on the hand, and the top by casting lead with a small bait. What in fact? It's been 6 years on the hard bottom. with a small 2” twister (I’m no less surprised than you) they tap on the hand, although it’s unstable, of course. 8 grams is already better, the knocking is louder and more frequent. With 10 grams, confident work in the hand begins not only on hard, but also on medium bottoms (if not a knock, then a “burp” is felt). 12-14-16-18-20 are the most comfortable weights for fishing; basically, you can fish with your eyes closed and understand what is happening under water. The top of the test is close to the truth, if you beat 20 grams from the heart without any fear, then at 22 grams with a twister of a couple of inches it’s scary at first, but this is only initially, when you get used to it, you can throw it, nothing broke for me in a couple of dozen fishing trips Another thing is that a powerful cast at such a weight is simply not needed, it will not increase the distance anyway, the spinning rod throws itself. 24 with bait only by smooth casting, and only if there is no alternative. The Valkyrie cannot be overloaded; the walls of the form are not “American”.
Aiko Valkyrja 852M – we meet you by clothes.
This fall, Aiko has launched 3 new spinning rods – Asgard, Jannjeta and Valkyrja. Each of the series is radically different from each other; there are sticks for twitching, microjigging, and long-distance shore jigs. Recently I came across “Valkyrie”, to which, in fact, I want to dedicate several publications.
So, Valkyria 852M. With a length of 257 cm, it has a test weight of 9-24 grams. The weight of the rod is 136 grams according to the manufacturer, in fact the scales showed 135 grams. Spinning rod power 8-14 lb. Not only this model, but the entire series as a whole is positioned as long-range coastal spinning rods; before the release of these sticks, there were rumors about their record-breaking range, which interested me greatly as an angler who likes to fish with coastal jigs. And so, having received the long-awaited new product, I quickly went to the pond...
The cover for the spinning rod is classic for Aiko - made in the form of a book with two fastenings. A simple and convenient solution, no complaints.
We take the wand out of the case...Wah! Aiko, is that you? There are no words, just beauty! Fuji skeleton reel seat, made in a combination of black and blue tones, spaced EVA handle, just a sight for sore eyes!
The butt has the Aiko logo, like all the latest spinning rods from this company. The wand amazed me with its beauty, such austere and elegant beauty. I didn’t like the older series of this company because of the “frivolous” design, but “Valkyrie” is probably the first “Aika” that I fell in love with at first sight!
I was very surprised by the design of the rings; it was the first time I saw colored inserts. The rings, by the way, are from Kigan; it’s very interesting that in one rod they used fittings from two companies competing on the market. What is it for? 
I carefully examined each ring, the windings were made carefully, as if it were not Korean, but rather some kind of Japanese. The blank is even, which is also, of course, pleasing.
And even the tulip is anti-overwhelm, small and light? Well, in general, great!
At the junction of the knees the walls of the form are quite thin. Yeah, it’s clear now why we have a little weight. You can’t hit trees with this spinning rod, it’s fraught with...
There are also marks at the junction of the knees for the convenience of connecting them, but as for me, this is an absolutely useless “bauble”, since joining the parts is much easier and more reliable using the rings.
They also didn’t forget about the loop for attaching the bait, however, now it is in an unusual place - where the handle is actually spread apart. Apparently the usual presence of the “hookkeeper” on the butt, accompanied by more frequent breakdowns, they decided to move it here so that the “crunch” would not upset careless anglers. Well...let's see what comes of this...
What's the saying like? “They greet you based on their clothes, but they see you off based on your mind?” “Valkyrie’s” clothes turned out to be very impressive, but what can she do? To make the data objective, I took a couple of very serious competitors for comparison with it - Graphitleader Vivo 842M and Hearty Rise Pro Force 812ML, spinning rods with excellent sensitivity and excellent range, respectively.
So, I try to fish with “Valkyrie” with weights of 10-14-18-20-22 grams. The bottom in the fishing area is between medium and hard in density - it is sand with dense clay areas. 10 grams and a 2-inch twister weighing 2 grams already clearly tap in the hand, 14 grams and the same bait - very clearly, the volume of the bottom rebound, I’m not afraid to say, is very similar to the GL Vivo, maybe only a little less sharp sound. 18 grams? So, I see. Then I wonder what kind of top we have. 20 grams and still the same twister, a total of 22 grams in total, power casting - the bait flies very far, about 80 meters plus/minus. A power throw is comfortable, but 22 grams of power throw is no longer worth it, the stick falls through, which means it is overloaded. A regular 22 gram throw with a 2 inch twister is easy.
So what's the comparison? Yeah! Here's something interesting that turned out to be true. The throwing range of “Valkyrie” is on par with “Pro Force”, and it throws “Viva” a little farther, which means that “Aika” has overtaken the Japanese in this parameter. The sensors for bottom rebound are clearly better than those of the Pro Force, it hits the hand noticeably louder, in this parameter it is very similar to Vivo. In general, I was amazed by the information received when comparing head-to-head. The reel was the same, the place was the same, there was no wind, so the “duel” was very fair. It turns out that Valkyrja has a throw like Pro Force, and a feel close to Vivo? “The star is in shock” (c)…
Unfortunately, the fish did not bite at the testing site and I had to move to the nursery where the pike children live. Naturally, none of them were seriously injured, just think, they pierced their lips...
The type of spinning rod reminded me very much of the Spiker series from Norstream, but with a more lively end. Those. The blank is a spring that has a pronounced catapult effect, which contributes to long-distance casting.
I tried fishing with wobblers. Long, would you say? Yes, nonsense, the spinning rod is perfectly balanced, and at the same time it is light in weight. You can pull the wobblers, but... what they fought for, that’s what they ran into. The skeletal “grip” in combination with such a long one unnecessarily strains the hand; after 2 hours of active tugging, the desire to continue fishing disappeared. Flaw? This would probably be the case if this were a series for wobblers, but for them there is Asgard. Valkyrja, judging by the first impression, is really an excellent tool for shore jigging, but for final conclusions it needs to be fished more and more tightly. So, to be continued!…
Good luck to you and keep your lines tight!
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AikoValkyriaVAL 892M – 267cm, test 12-28g
Valkyria is a new line of rods, joining the Prestige series, from Aiko. The Valkyria line of spinning rods is specifically designed for jig fishing. The type is reminiscent of the already well-known and beloved Arsenal, only in versions for light and medium jig. In this review we will consider AikoValkyriaVAL 892M - 267cm, test 12-28g.
Information about the Valkyria spinning rod line
The AikoValkyria jig series includes four spinning rods with a length of 2.34 m. up to 2.67m. The younger models VAL 782L, VAL 802ML are perfect for working not only with light jigs, but also with lead rigs. The rest of the rods are more oriented towards jig fishing. VAL 782L - 234cm, test 5-16g, e-fast, VAL 802ML - 244cm, test 6-18g, e-fast, VAL 852M - 257cm, test 9-24g, e-fast, VAL 892M - 267cm, test 12- 28g, e-fast,
Characteristics of AikoValkyriaVAL 892M - 267cm, test 12-28g
• length -2.67 m; • test for bait 12-28g; • line test -10-16lb; • rings – Kigan; • system - fast; • weight -140 gr.
Appearance
The spinning rod has a very creative design. The inscriptions of characteristics and the name are made in a beautiful blue color with a cold metallic tint. In addition to the inscriptions, a similar range of colors can be seen on the elements of the reel seat, the winding of the rings and the colors of the inserts of the guide rings. The general style suggests that what you have in your hand is not a spinning rod, but a Valkyrie blade glistening with a cold blue glow! Spinning rods are very recognizable in appearance, while there are no rods on our market with colored inserts of guide rings.
Rings
The latest products from Aiko feature rings from the Korean brand Kigan. The Valkyria blank is equipped with 9 Kigan ZH Blue series anti-flood rings. The first two rings from the reel have two-legged frames, the rest have a low frame and are pressed as much as possible against the blank. The ring inserts are blue - which fits very well into the stylistic concept of this spinning rod.
Lever
The spinning rod handle is made in the form of a spacer, and the reel holder is of a skeletal type. The concept of the handle and the reel holder are aimed at maximizing contact with the rod blank and increasing the sensation of transmitting information to the hand. When gripping the rod, you can place it like the back of your hand or your finger on the blank, which is very important for jig rods. The material of the handle and butt is EVA. Hookkeeper – installed near the butt, this arrangement is also quite new for Aiko rods. The butt, on which the Aiko logo is applied, is made of the optimal size and it is very comfortable to hold on to it with your second hand during power casts.
Tackle balance
The length of the spinning rod and the stated test range allow the use of medium-sized reels. When installing light reels, the spinning rod nods slightly, but even with 2000 reels, a quite good balance is obtained. Action The entire series of Valkyria rods has an e-fast action, which makes this line specialized jig rods. The blank is quite hard and angry, has a decent thickness and diameter at the butt, but at the same time it is very strong. The length of the VAL 892M model is 2.67 m, which will allow you to perform power casts over decent distances, even when fishing from the shore, and they are also perfect for shore jigging in rivers with fast and medium currents. When performing power casts with weights from the middle of the test range, the Valkyries will pleasantly surprise you. The cast is accurate and over very long distances. The e-fast action specified by the manufacturer was confirmed during the first tests; the rod bends starting from the tip with the inclusion of the blank up to a maximum of 1/3 of the entire length. When power casting, a good half of the rod is put into action, because of this, the cast can rightfully be called ejection.
Working with jigs and lead rigs.
Determination of the real test of the rod showed that the test declared by the manufacturer is 12-28g. is correct. Using weights in the stated test range when fishing showed that the most comfortable casting will be from 16g. plus bait, but also with weights of 10 grams. You can work at short distances, in medium flow conditions or with a floating jig. Working with a jig in the upper range is much more informative. Control of wiring with scales from 12 g. is felt in any, even very difficult, weather conditions and in strong currents. Clear control of the bottom when fishing with a jig is one of the most important components, and Valkyrie did not lose face here at all. Evaluating all the characteristics and parameters of the rod, they say that this is truly a jig rod with excellent characteristics in terms of sensitivity and balance.
