Which Tenkara rod should I get??

Hello

I have had the same thought of getting one of these rods.
I had read recently of BPL planning to carry a version of these? Waiting to see what new rod will look like.

Good luck
Jim

Yea I've heard that too, but I don't think they are certain it's going into production. Maybe I should wait a little longer.

-Sid

ooooh, oooooh, I want one….

Hi Sid,

The Ayu is probably the most versatile rod; however it would help if we know what type of fishing you're doing. If you expect to encounter larger fish, then you might want the Ayu. Personally, I prefer the Iwana because it feels a lot lighter in the hand and I mostly fish small streams for trout under 14".

Jason,
The rivers I will fish in will greatly vary in width. This is why I want the most versatile rod. Some will be 20 feet wide, some will be 40 feet wide (or more).

-Sid

Apparently, the Ebisu is right in the middle with regards to length, action, and weight. This is according to the Tenkara website.

Hi Sid,
Yes, but the actions are nearly identical. I would still go with the extra length of the Ayu if you plan to fish rivers up to 40 feet just to give you a little extra reach (sometimes that extra foot makes a difference). But I think you would be happy with either rod. But, the cool thing about the Ebisu is that it has a red pine handle.

I suppose the extra foot of the Ayu would probably come in handy. Right now it's between the Ayu and the Iwana for me. I like how light the Iwana is.

I really want to hear some more input from people who have these rods.

-Sid

I have the Ayu and the Iwana both. Personally, I like the slightly longer and slower Ayu just slightly better!

Seriously, I don't think you'll go wrong with either, but I prefer the Ayu's action more myself. But I've always had a fond spot in my heart for slower action rods. The extra foot in length works for me too – with no reel, getting the fly closer is not a problem, but that extra bit of length occasionally helps.

notoriousGRT owns Kamame and uses it primarily on mountain rivers. It is beefier than some other models, which is good for fish 15-20". A lighter Tenkara will of course be more fun on smaller water bodies with smaller fish, but with a "heavy" Tenkara like the Kamame, it is still a very very delicate rod compared even to the most tradtionally flexing conventional fly rod so small fish are still interesting, and delicate presentation is still part of the deal.