Tenkara Rod Options...

[Buddy Sanders]

When I returned from Colorado this fall, I posted a report on my 'adapted' Tenkara style fishing with an inexpensive crappie pole.

It worked, but it's obviously not ideal. The rod was too heavy and didn't have the delicacy of a true Tenkara rod. Perhaps the whole panfish pole idea is a bust, but there must be some other options out there....

I browsed the All Fishing site posted under the 'Tenkara on a Shoestring' thread. Better options there, but still pricey.

Anyone know of any other 'brands' of this type of rod available?

Also, on the All Fishing site, they list some other types of poles...the 18 footers look promising, but they aren't in their 'Tenkara' section....will they work or are they too heavy of an action? For my use, I think a longer rod would be better....

What other 'options' are out there for those of us who see Tenkara as something intrigueing and maybe worth trying but not something worth expending a lot of cash on, at least until we see if it works for our fishing?

Buddy

[narcodog]

What type of fishing do you want to do?

[pszy22]

I currently offer a line of 98% carbon rods on my website -
http://www.tenkaraflyfish.webs.com/

Over the course of the next two weeks, I will also be offering a line of composite rods in the $45-$50 price range.

[CM_Stewart]

Buddy,

I think you'd find that the rods pszy22 posted the link for are better than the rods on the All Fishing Buy site, and the prices are about the same. There are other brands available, but if you think the Tenkara USA rods are too expensive, and the All Fishing Buy rods still pricey, there's no point in even discussing them, as they are considerably more expensive than the Tenkara USA rods.

You've tried a panfish pole, pszy22 has tried at least one panfish pole, I've tried 7 panfish poles now. The All Fishing Buy 18' rods could be used for tenkara, but your panfish pole "could be used for tenkara" too. I know a guy who has one, and likes it, but he doesn't call the fishing he does with it tenkara, because it really isn't. I could tell you that not all panfish poles are the same, but I think I'll just say that none of them are what I would call acceptable substitutes for tenkara rods. I think you've come to the point where if you want the delicacy of a true tenkara rod you're going to have to "buy the good toilet paper."

[pszy22]

I would add that anyone who is doing some "comparison" shopping for a tenkara rod should take a look at Chris' excellent site -

http://www.tenkarabum.com

Chris has spent alot of time doing excellent reviews of the currently available tenkara rods on the market.

[JohnScott]

I would add that anyone who is doing some "comparison" shopping for a tenkara rod should take a look at Chris' excellent site -

http://www.tenkarabum.com

Chris has spent alot of time doing excellent reviews of the currently available tenkara rods on the market.

... I'll second that thought.

John

[Buddy Sanders]

Thanks guys.

I know I at least have some options.

As for the type of fishing I'm planning this rod for, it will be for nymphing in rivers with heavily weighted flies with and without an indicator. The chance of me actually putting a dry fly on such a set up is statistically nil. Although I may use it for some smallmouth bass poppers in lakes (I've located a population of smaller smallmouth bass that would be within reach from shore and tons of fun on such a rig).

The allure of this type of rod for me is the reach, control, and the simplicity. That's why I'm thinking a longer 'pole' rather than the pure Tenkara rod might work better for me.

I realize what I'm looking to do is not 'Tenkara' in it's pure form. What I tried last summer worked, the rod was just to darn heavy.

Thanks again.

Buddy

[JohnScott]

With TenkaraUSA's medium and slower action rods, the 12' Iwana and the 13' Ayu, I have fished smaller nymphs several times with and without an indicator or trailing a dry fly. Those rods handle small nymphs like size 14 and 16 bh pheasant tails and the smallest thingamabobber just fine.

With the Iwana, I also fished a fairly heavy nymph - about a size 12 with a huge bh - with no indicator a couple times and had no problems.

With the Iwana, I fished a heavily weighted ( 25 wraps of .025 non lead wire ) size 6 4XL stonefly nymph - ONCE. That rig worked, in that I caught a very nice cuttbow with it, but it was not really castable. The cast, more of a big slow lob, was more laughable than anything. I got the fly in the water, but accuracy was clearly lacking. Considering I was using a thread furled line / leader and 5X tippet, it wasn't all that bad.

I didn't nymph with TenkaraUSA's faster action Yamame the one day that I tried it. But it does seem to me that that rod, with a beefier line / leader and larger tippet, would most likely cast / fish that big stonefly nymph reasonably well. The problem would be with the heavier tippet - if you hung up on something and had to pull free without being able to actually pull on the line rather than the rod, you would possibly break the tip of the rod.

If we have some open water around here the next few days, I'll try to get the Yamame for a day and see how it does with that big stonefly nymph fished off TenkaraUSA's furled line and maybe a floating ( 5 wt running ) line with heavier tippet, likely a 3X fluoro with a very short piece of 5X tippet to protect the rod.

John

[CM_Stewart]

John,

The tip of the Yamame is still pretty soft. If I was planning on fishing a heavily weighted nymph, my tenkara rod of choice would be the Backpacking Light Hane, which is noticeable stiffer than even the Yamame.

Buddy,

Given what you want to do, a non-tenkara pole might actually be the best choice.

[narcodog]

For nymphs I am very pleased with my 11ft Iwana. It is very easy to work the nymph triggering strikes. To me the 13ft Ayu is a little soft for big nymphs but works great with drys and wets.
The Iwana although stiffer than the Ayu it is very sensitive.