Do any of you use your tenkara rods when it is below freezing? I'd also like to know if you've ever had a joint freeze and what you did to solve the problem. Also is there any way to prevent the problem?
Tenkara in Below Freezing Temperatures?
Do any of you use your tenkara rods when it is below freezing? I'd also like to know if you've ever had a joint freeze and what you did to solve the problem. Also is there any way to prevent the problem?
Senior Member & Sponsor
I don't but I know a number of people have. Most do not report any joint freezing. One guy who did reported that he put the frozen joint in his mouth and that thawed it enough to collapse the rod. I suspect that one of the hand warmer packets that you might want to have anyway would probably work better. I don't think it is a big enough problem, and any of the things you could do to try to prevent it might have even worse unintended consequences, so I would just carry a hand warmer packet and not worry about it.
Tenkara Bum
I have used my Tenkara in freezing weather many times, in snow and rain and have yet had the sections freeze together. I am careful not to dunk he rod in such weather.
Freezing Weather??? What dat?
Aloha,
Stan
LOL LOL LOL
Sorry, the devil made me do it!
I did last year, but fishing was very slow. Traditional tenkara techniques are not as effective, so dead-drifting midges (if necessary with a mini strike indicator) might be the name of the game. Haven't had any issues with freezing sections but would agree that you probably shouldn't dunk the rod. Line of choice would be level or a hand-tied line, not a furled line that can absorb water (and freeze).
I have found that nymph fishing in the winter is the best. The fly can be worked much better at the depths that the fish are in. Some weight had to be used but it was very effective. It also out fished all three of my fishing partners on every outing. For the most part I have put my western rods away for the winter.
Senior Member & Sponsor
Did you find that you needed so much weight that casting was no longer smooth? I don't fish with weighted nymphs much any more, but I think if you go small enough (18?) you could even use a tungsten bead to get the density needed to sink quickly, particularly with a thin tippet, and still not make the cast too clunky.
Tenkara Bum
I just use enough weight to get the fly sinking. I have cast some big WB's that made for a clunky cast but that was when I was just fooling around. If I use a beaded fly it's with a size smaller that called for tung. bead. Otherwise I use re-moveable non-lead green eggs. A little weight allows me to dance the fly in the water column more easily then just dead drifting.
I've taken my tenkara rods out several times now in below freezing temps and have had no problems with sections sticking. I also like that I don't have to deal with iced up guides; I hate that on my conventional fly rods. Thus far the trout have been very co-operative when I'm out with my tenkara gear. I very seldom go home skunked and usually catch my limit or more.
You might wear surgical gloves (the kind you buy by the box at a pharmacy) under your fingerless gloves. You'll know how warm they are keeping your fingers when you discover how cold one of your fingers is from having snagged the tip of its glove. I don't know if the effectiveness of those flimsy little gloves is protection from wind, water, or both -- but they sure work, and it takes only about two flies to get used to tying knots with them.
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