Which Tenkara Rod?

[Megan P]

I haven't heard many good things about the Patagonia Tenkara set up (which I get a pro deal on so that's a shame)

Anyone heard of Tenkara Rod Co? How are they?

What's everyone recommend? I have a nice fly rod so I don't really want to put a bunch of money into a tenkara set up but I would love to give it a try.

[Andrew F]

No experience with Tenkara Rod Co here. I've been fishing a Fountainhead Stone Fly 11' for about a year and have been very happy. The price is right and the quality is just fine. I'd buy another one if I was in the market for a second rod.

[M G]

At least once a month someone sells a Tenkara setup on here. Just keep an eye out or put a WTB ad and you'll find one. Tenkara Bum also has a used buy and sell section. I bought my first rod there and then sold that one on here and bought another model here. Very easy and usually a fair deal.

[Megan P]

Ohhh the price is DEFINITELY right.

Good to know. THANKS!

[Jeffrey Wong]

I did just that (read) and found reviews of Tenkara Rod co's two rods, see http://www.tenkaratalk.com written by Jason Klass. Jason liked both rods (Teton and Sawtooth) but didn't find much difference between them.

Yes, the Fountainhead Caddis and Stonefly rods have good reviews, too. http://www.tenkarabum.com/caddis-fly-rods.html Rods start at $60.

Also, Badger Tenkara has rods or packages starting at $85. http://castingaround.anthonynaples.com/2014/03/badger-tenkara-classic-tenkara-rod

Good reviews on Tenkaratimes rods at http://www.tenkaratalk.com, but delivers from UK which takes awhile. ~$108 for 1st Step rod package. Rod alone ~$95

Great information and good rods at tenkarabum.com. Some rods are out of stock. Shimotsuke Tenkara Starter Kit with 3.3m rod – $134 Quick delivery. Nissin Prosquare 390 6:4 reviewed by Jason.

TenkaraUSA.com, whose rods Jason also reviewed.

No guarantee that you'll fall in love with rods that someone reviewed, but you'll have some idea what to expect. I have no connection to any vendor other than as a customer.

Jeff

[Adam Klags]

Where are you going to do most of your fishing? The kind of rod is DEFINITELY going to depend on that. If you're out in the high sierra, or other mountain lakes and larger rivers or streams with NO overhanging branches, then you should shoot for a 12-13" rod, IMHO. If you are fishing tight streams and overhang is a big issue, you should consider a tanago rod or one of the Tenkara Rod Co 8' cascade rods. Check out tenkarabum.com for the most information and selection of different rods other than the ones you buy direct, like TUSA or Patagonia, Orvis, etc. Avoid the Orvis or Patagonia setups. I LOVE my tenkara USA 12' rod, I bought it early on and its great. My favorite rod is a shorter and smaller rod made by Daiwa – the soyokaze 24sr, at just under 8 feet. Its a great rod for the smaller fish. I tend to carry both rods unless I know I'll be in a wide open body of water with no trees or overhang. When things get SUPER tight, I will be using a new 6' tanago rod, the kiyotaki 18. Its MUCH stiffer than the other rods and fished larger fish with less rod flex. Feel free to PM me if you want, I do a lot of Tenkara fishing and too much gear research :)

[Megan P]

Thanks Jeffery for all the good info and links. I really appreciate it.

Adam: Definitely up in the high sierra where there are rarely trees on the lakeshore. I def think I'm going to get on of those Tenkara Co rods just bc it comes with a case which is great for backpacking.

I'm wondering if I'm going to like Tenkara or hate it coming from fly fishing. I just went to the library in SF, which is ALWAYS an experience of it's own, and picked up the Yvon Chouinard Tenkara book.

[Jeffrey Wong]

The T Rod Company case looks like carbon fiber = light!

Some say the collapsed rod provides sufficient protection for the thinner rod segments, but others may counter that the rod isn't a cat stove which you can replace for <$0.50. I carried mine without a hard case–it came without one and I took care when hiking or setting down the pack–I never sit on my pack. I like a fishing kit (rod line flies nipper fly-box) that weighs <5 oz.

FWIW, I never flyfished before getting a T rod. My last trip, I didn't catch anything and frankly, didn't want to as the incoming tide had brought in steelhead–one, about 20" long, breached the surface. It would have overwhelmed my rod! Casting practice kept me plenty happy.

[Greg Mihalik]

Fluorescent tube protector, 1.25"OD (the small one), 4' long, with chair leg caps for the ends.
$2 at Home Depot. Cut with a utility knife. Add a little tape to the tube for a tight fitting cap.

This one is 16" long and weighs under an ounce.
One that is 22" long weighs 1.15 ounces.

[Greg Mihalik]

"I just went to the library in SF, which is ALWAYS an experience of it's own, and picked up the Yvon Chouinard Tenkara book."

If you mean "Simple Fly Fishing: Techniques for Tenkara and Rod and Reel" you will be heading down the wrong path when it comes to tenkara. It is simplified fly fishing, not tenkara.

You would be far better off visiting TenkaraUSA to read about basic setup and to watch excellent videos.

[Megan P]

Thanks greg! Headed there now!

[Greg Mihalik]

BTW, TenkaraUSA is located in Boulder, and there are semi-regular tenkara-fests on Boulder Creek.

[Megan P]

I'm heading to boulder next week so I'll have to go check it out!

[Adam Klags]

Hey just realized I never followed up on your post… definitely agreed with Greg here, don't use the Patagonia book as a place to start. Its good to know that it exists, but what that rod and book teach is not really Tenkara.

Here is a list of resources for you, and forgive me if I leave any out, I'm going from memory here instead of my blog role:

Tenkarabum.com – Chris Stewart
Tenkara USA – Daniel Galhardo
Tenkara-Fisher.com – Adam Trahan
Jason Klass' blog
Anthony Naples' blog
Chris Kuhlow – the north river blog (Kiwi is a kebari master in the USA, brought some of his flies to Japan and the japanese guys used them and caught fish.)

There are MANY more you can find and I know I've left some out here, but this should be a good place to start.

Tenkara is ever-evolving, but the key is to recognize where its benefits are and to fish in places where you are going to gain from fishing tenkara. Overall, its about smaller mountain streams that have a decent gradient, not about fishing slow and meandering rivers for larger fish.

Use the longest rod you possibly can, with a VERY sensitive rod-tip. This allows you to feel what's going on in the water, but still have plenty of backbone on your rod.

Focus on the water… reading the pockets and the stream, learning where the fish are going to be hiding, and how to walk a stream. (IE stay out of the water as much as you can and remember that this is like hunting… you have to creep up, not kick rocks and water around when you're near the stream, the fish will be spooked and you'll catch nothing.)

I spend a huge amount of time on my knees, so having knee pads is a plus. Learn about wet wading instead of waders for most of the season, especially when the air is warm.

Don't use a very long line to start. There is plenty of debate on this, but if you want to learn quickly, use a line that is no longer than your rod, plus about 3 feet of tippet. I prefer a line shorter than my rod, with tippet ending a foot longer than the rod is. Less line = ability to use longer rod in tighter spots, no line on the water, ever! Your hit rate will increase a TON following this simple "formula."

Anyway, this is my two cents, other people fish differently. Plus, ignore my previous post here about the shorter rods… after using them all fall I went back to "regular" length tenkara rods… longer is better! Stiffer is not better, even though you may land bigger fish. I had no problem landing bigger fish on the less stiff rods, so what seems sensible in theory doesn't always apply to reality perfectly :)

[Megan P]

Hey Adam!

Thanks so much! This is ALLL great information. After fly fishing my whole life I bought myself a tankara rod and I'm just trying to get the hang of it. Planning on taking it on the JMT this summer so I need to get my practice in :-) It's quite different from fly fishing.

Thanks again for all the great advice, I appreciate it!

[Adam Klags]

Great! Get some practice, have some fun, all will be right in the world.

BTW you may have to disregard my advice for short lines while you're in the high sierra… as a previous western fly fisher you'll certainly be aware of drag and all that from the line… and yet you'll need a longer line to get out to the "shelf" on some of those lakes in the high sierra where the depth begins and where likely you won't want to/cannot wade deep into… that shelf/dropoff into the deep is where most of the fish seem to be trolling for food!

Once you've practiced and gotten good with the rod, it should be no issue to throw a long line. But don't forget, when you are doing this, even though you're using a Tenkara rod, some would argue this is not "tenkara." You're just lake fishing with a Tenkara rod :)

Its all part of the fun, you don't have to have an opinion or take "sides" on what "tenkara is." You can use the rods really widely, way moreso than most people would think… but you'll likely notice the huge increase in hits and fish-catching when fishing the smaller streams that run out of or into those lakes, as well as the cascading mountain streams with plunge-pool after plunge pool. Tenkara really "wins" in that environment over a western setup. But on a lake, sometimes I do ache for my old rod and reel, even I can admit it :)

You'll also be surprised at how large a fish a "small and light" tenkara rod can land. There's lots of backbone there. And as long as you know not to let the arc of the rod get too tight, which you likely do because you're not new to fishing, you'll have no issues landing or breaking the tippet instead of the rod on any "monsters" you manage to hook. Have fun in the high sierra, I'm super-jealous and hope to get out there from the northeast to hike some time soon!

[Justin Miller]

What are the general thoughts of two TenkaraUSA telescoping rods (or any brand telescoping)…Sato/Rhodo…as a starter rod. Well apart from the expense.

I have never fly fished but my interst in Tenkara has been tickeled over the past few years of reading trip reports on here and checking out some of the info on TenkaraBum and TenkaraUSA. This would be quite a change from the standard reel and tackle that I'm accustomed to. As noted above, beyond having multiple rods sized to your sources is ideal, but I really can't commit to any standard fishing source as most of my trips in a given year are all over the place. Allowing to easily vary the length of one rod seemed like a decent option for multiple locations.

Although, I wonder if this would be a bad way to start in terms of learning the feel of a tenkara rod…possibly adjusting the length too often and not getting the fell of just one size initially.

[Yuri R]

I would suggest getting a 13ft fixed length rod.

Here is why – weight (telescoping ones are heavier), fixed length can be "made shorter" by holding them in the upper part of the handle, they are less complex and cheaper.

Why 13ft? 12 ft is fine for smaller streams with more brush or overhead branches, but in the open you want as much reach as possible. For an all-arounder I would get a 13ft.

Picking rod is half the task though. If you get wrong type and length of the line – you may have difficult time casting. I recommend furled lines for beginners as they are generally easier to cast.

[Greg Mihalik]

"I recommend furled lines for beginners as they are generally easier to cast."

Furled lines may be easier to cast, but harder to keep off the water which 1) makes strike detection more difficult, 2) are harder to clear of a wind or bad-cast tangle, 3) can spook the fish as they drift over, 4) drip water which can spook fish.

And they aren't exactly "cut to fit" like a "level line". Nor can you add to them if you want another 3' for a particular situation.

A 30 meter spool of level line at TenkaraBum.com is $23 with shipping, and can be cut into 7 or 8 lines, so you can test/experience line length to find the optimal for you. A single furled line is $20+S&H.

Get your skills up, then consider a furled line. They Are smooth.

I'd say begin with a "level line". Start with a #3.5 If you need a more weighted line just move into a #4 or #4.5. Once you settle into a weight and length for your type of fishing, you can try a furled line at that length to see if there is any big-picture benefit to you. (Be sure to buy a "snarl free" version like the Spectra lines offered at TUSA .)

[Justin Miller]

Yuri and Greg, thank you both

[Adam Klags]

Greg, I totally agree that level lines are ultimately the way to go in Tenkara for most circumstances… but especially when starting out or when casting dry flies with lots of wind resistance, they add a lot to accuracy in casting.

"Furled lines may be easier to cast, but harder to keep off the water…"

This confused me, because unless one is fishing lakes and intentionally throwing 20-30 or more feet of line, (which is really hard to do with level line, especially if there's any wind and if one is using a stiffer rod) there will never be any leader or line on the water… only tippet.

For example, if one's rod is, say, 13 feet long, and one were to use a 12 foot leader with 3 feet of tippet, one would have an almost perfect triangle between you, your rod/line/the water… the only thing that would ever be on the water is one's tippet, right?

If you have any line on the water in a river, I'd argue, IMHO, that you aren't taking any advantage of what the Tenkara style of fishing has to offer. I'm sure you know this already and I hope I don't sound silly spelling it out like that.

"1) makes strike detection more difficult,"

How does having line on the water make strike detection more difficult?

"2) are harder to clear of a wind or bad-cast tangle,"

In my experience they don't tangle in wind nearly as much as lighter lines do, and since they're made of furled lines, they do untie really easily unless you pulled really hard on a snag WHILE tangled.

"3) can spook the fish as they drift over"

DEFINITELY agree here, but more as you cast over since you shouldn't have any line on the water :)

"4) drip water which can spook fish."

True, although I've never had this issue since the line isn't usually wet or on the water.

"They aren't exactly cut to fit like a level line."

This is true, but you can order them in any size for $13-$20 each depending on your choices and source… I'd be happy to point you to a few sources if you're curious, I have bought them as short as 6' and as long as 12' since most of the rods I have are 13.5 feet and shorter. This makes them more expensive. But if you only have one fixed-length rod, you only need one furled leader.

"Nor can you add to them if you want another 3' for a particular situation."

You definitely can, by using some level line, just as you would with a western setup.

Best level lines I found were in Japan, they are way more visible than most of what we have here…. and we can't get those same ones easily here, but I am fully a proponent of using level lines.

Even though we may disagree on some of the specifics, likely because we fish Tenkara differently, I too think every Tenkara fisher should have level line in the bag when fishing.

I've never used a 4.5 so maybe those can throw dries and act a bit more like furled leaders.

Either way, both work, although usually for different fishing situations.

I tend to use the furled leaders on windier days and when fishing dries, to get the line to cut through the wind the way I need in order to cast, and in order for the line to "make up" for the difference in the wind resistance of fluffy dries.

Other days I reach for level line, and almost ALWAYS use it when fishing sub-surface, in case I do want to get a bit more sloppy with my form or change the length of line more easily.

Anyway, tight lines and I hope you're catching fish already! Our season just opened here in NY a few days ago.

(edited to clarify a bad sentence.)

[Greg Mihalik]

"How does having line on the water make strike detection more difficult? "

Tenkara is traditionally casting a wet into moving water. Dry flys are obviously a different story. I'm no purist. I fish to catch fish and favor wets, nymphs, terrestials, and almost never cast drys, so that is a major discriminator when selecting gear. With that in mind –

When you are tightly connected to your fly (no slack in the line or the tippet) you will know immediately when a fish takes your fly. And often the the fish will hook itself.

With any slack in the rig, fish will take and spit the fly in about 1/2 second and you will never know it. Under water videos of a pro anglers showed that 70% of the "takes" went undetected with a slack line.

With line drifting on the water you lose that a tight connection to a fly, and hence tactile strike detection.

[Adam Klags]

Ah, ok I see what you're saying. totally agreed.

Although also I'd point out that when I'm doing it right, there's no line on the water regardless of the type of line I've got, be it furled leader or level line.

The only thing I let touch the water when I'm paying good attention is the tippet and fly.

Do you get the impression that "traditional tenkara" is only wet flies? I have seen that mostly to be the case, but I'm not sure it is. (I'm no purist either :)

[Greg Mihalik]

I'm glad to hear furled lines can be kept off the water. Not so with many of the first lines out there. They would soak/hold, get heavy and sag. It wasn't pretty.

"Fly and tippet Only" in the water almost assures a tight line.

Who really knows what "traditional tenkara" Was? I certainly don't.

But if you look at the initial offerings of TUSA (who really mainstreamed tenkara) they were all reverse hackle wets. The videos always showed the same. Initialy most of the bandwagon fly tiers followed suit. Daniel was very much into the origins and fishing style of Japanese tenkara. It took about 4 years before there was an image of Dr. Ishigaki with a beadhead.

Now anything goes, depending on the water, the fish and the feed. Which, IMHO, is a good thing. Do what works in your neck of the woods.

[Adam Klags]

Greg you made me chuckle.

I saw it when I was in Japan just recently…

Some anglers I was lucky enough to fish with (who joked and laughed to not mention it to us back here) had a few bead heads in the box too.

Personally I think its better to fish a kebari that isn't as heavy because it will likely float in the same part of the water column as an actual nymph or terrestrial that fell into the water… if you sink it too fast, it better sink literally in front of the fish or it won't appear to be food to them. Who knows though, because obviously bead heads work.

We were there during some rain and the water levels changed considerably but we didn't need bead heads, regular kebari worked just fine. It was interesting. I really want to go back in the summer one time.

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