/ 
2001: DUO meets Ultimate Fishing
Founded by Masahiro Adachi, DUO was built around a very particular approach to hard lures. The brand attaches great importance to the internal design of its lures: balance, weight placement, stability and swimming consistency. Each model is conceived as a genuine technical tool where the smallest detail influences behavior in the water. This requirement explains DUO's reputation in the world of top-of-the-range lures: precise designs, highly consistent swimming behaviour and particularly meticulous finishing.
2001 marks a major turning point in the history of DUO and Ultimate Fishing. The two companies signed an agreement making Ultimate Fishing DUO's official distributor in Europe. For the young Japanese brand, still little known outside its home market, this was its first real international experience. For its part, Ultimate Fishing took a gamble on an up-and-coming Japanese company, whose design and manufacturing quality was already making a name for itself.
Success was not long in coming. From the very first season, French bass fishing pioneers discovered the Tide Minnow range. The Tide Minnow 135 SR quickly became the model of choice. At the time, this swimming fish possessed a rare quality: it was capable of holding its swim perfectly in powerful currents and breakers, where many other lures would stall. Bass respond immediately. French anglers are begging for more. The collaboration between DUO and Ultimate Fishing is off to a great start, and will become progressively stronger over the years.
The birth of Spearhead Ryuki
In Japan, trout fishing often takes place in mountain rivers with strong currents, where classic swimming fish can quickly lose their stability. To meet these demanding conditions, DUO has developed a new series of lures: Spearhead, a range specifically dedicated to river fishing. The name Spearhead is not chosen at random. In English, it means "spearhead" or "spearhead". The idea is twofold: to evoke both a lure capable of effectively penetrating strong currents, and a model destined to be at the forefront of DUO's trout range. The Ryuki belongs to this family.
The principle is simple: to create a compact minnow capable of remaining stable and controllable in fast currents while retaining a strong ability to trigger reflex attacks.
The Ryuki is based on several design choices:
- a compact, dense body
- a very low center of gravity
- a narrow flap to limit current entry
- precise internal balancing.
The result is a highly responsive lure that perfectly supports fast animation, twitching and jerking in powerful veins of water.
The arrival of Ryuki in Europe
When the Ryuki arrived in Europe via Ultimate Fishing, anglers quickly discovered a lure particularly suited to fast, technical rivers. Its compactness, stability and reactivity make it a formidable tool for provoking trout attacks. It quickly became one of the most popular swimbaits for river trout fishing.
But as is often the case with well-designed lures, anglers are quick to take the Ryuki out of its initial use. Its density, its ability to hold in the current and its nervous swimming action also make it very effective on many other species. Chub, perch, black bass, asp and migratory salmonids all respond very well to this all-purpose lure.
Some sizes are even suitable for sea fishing, particularly for targeting sea bass or pelamids when the fish are chasing small forage fish.
As had been the case a few years earlier with the Tide Minnow for bass fishing, European anglers quickly adopted the Ryuki and integrated it into their practices.
Over the years, the relationship between DUO and Ultimate Fishing has gone far beyond the simple framework of distribution. Regular exchanges between the Japanese and European teams enable us to incorporate feedback from European anglers into the development of certain models and the evolution of the range. When the Ryuki arrived in Europe via Ultimate Fishing, anglers quickly discovered a lure particularly suited to fast, technical rivers.
Its compactness, stability and responsiveness make it a formidable tool for provoking trout attacks. It quickly became one of the most popular swimbaits for river trout fishing. As had been the case a few years earlier with the Tide Minnow for bass fishing, European anglers quickly adopted the Ryuki and integrated it into their practices. Over the years, the relationship between DUO and Ultimate Fishing has gone far beyond mere distribution. Regular exchanges between the Japanese and European teams have enabled us to incorporate feedback from European anglers into the development of certain models and the evolution of the range.
This collaboration includes :
- The development of exclusive colors designed for European waters
- Adapting certain models to specific uses
- A joint reflection on the expectations of European fishermen.
The idea is to blend Japanese expertise in high-end design and manufacturing with a European vision of local fishing conditions. This collaborative approach contributes greatly to the richness and longevity of the Ryuki range.
Demanding manufacturing and a constantly evolving range
Like all DUO lures, the Spearhead Ryuki benefits from a particularly rigorous manufacturing process. The lures are designed in Japan, where the brand directly controls each stage of manufacture to guarantee consistent quality. Each model is developed around a very precise internal balancing system, designed to offer both stability in the current and responsiveness to animation. This architecture enables the Ryuki to maintain a reliable stroke even in powerful veins of water.
The particularly detailed paints and finishes are also part of the brand identity, with colors often inspired by forage fish and natural environments. Since its creation, the Ryuki family has continued to expand to cover more and more fishing situations. Today, the range includes a multitude of sizes âeuros 38, 45, 46, 50, 51, 60, 70, 71, 80, 95 and 110 mm âeuros as well as different declinations adapted to specific uses, such as the SW versions for the sea, the Ryuki Quattro, articulated in several segments, or the brand-new MDSP versions with long bibs.
Despite these changes, the objective remains the same: to preserve the DNA of the Ryuki, a compact, stable, polyvament lure that is extremely effective at triggering reflex attacks.
A modern classic
More than twenty years after DUO and Ultimate Fishing began working together, the Ryuki Spearhead remains one of the most popular swimbaits for river trout fishing. Its simple, effective formula âeuros a compact, stable and extremely reactive lure âeuros has stood the test of time without losing its relevance. Thanks to constant dialogue between DUO's Japanese teams and Ultimate Fishing's European field experience, the range continues to evolve with new sizes, new balances and colors developed specifically for European anglers. Proof that certain lures, when well designed, can become timeless classics.
