Best tenkara rod?

[thinhorn_AK]

I swore I’d never buy one of these, it always seemed like some weird hipster thing like riding a fixed gear bike.

I’m going on a trip though where I’ll have a chance to fish some very small water and from what I’m gathering, tenkara is the way to go given the small creeks and the hiking involved to get there.

What brands/models should I be looking at? I’ve only ever handled one one time and the guy who owned it said the tip section was extremely breakable and he’d had to replace it half a dozen times, I’d rather not have to deal with that.

Thanks!

 

[Ferrulewax]

So many brands now. Tenkara USA is always popular, I purchased my wife a dragontail tenkara mizuchi rod and have been pretty happy with it thus far. An extra tip section is 7$ for peace of mind. Most people into tenkara will tell you that the Japanses stuff is objectively better, but the USA brands are much easier to deal with and support their products pretty well.

Any idea about the size water and size fish you are planning to target? The triple zoom rods are nice for a little more versatility.

 

[IDVortex]

That would be a great rod for backpacking.... I might have to look into one.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

So many brands now. Tenkara USA is always popular, I purchased my wife a dragontail tenkara mizuchi rod and have been pretty happy with it thus far. An extra tip section is 7$ for peace of mind. Most people into tenkara will tell you that the Japanses stuff is objectively better, but the USA brands are much easier to deal with and support their products pretty well.

Any idea about the size water and size fish you are planning to target? The triple zoom rods are nice for a little more versatility.

It’s looking like the trout will be like 5-7” small pools maybe 20 feet across, really small water.

 

[Ferrulewax]

It’s looking like the trout will be like 5-7” small pools maybe 20 feet across, really small water.

Open western streams, or pretty brushed? I just ask because you can get away with a much longer rod in the west vs the east due to brush. I would give a good look at the Dragontail Mitzuchi, or mutant. Might also consider the tenkara USA Sato/Rhodo depending on the amount of brush.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Open western streams, or pretty brushed? I just ask because you can get away with a much longer rod in the west vs the east due to brush. I would give a good look at the Dragontail Mitzuchi, or mutant. Might also consider the tenkara USA Sato/Rhodo depending on the amount of brush.

This will be sort of closed in jungle so I think I need a short one.

 

[Ferrulewax]

This will be sort of closed in jungle so I think I need a short one.

Dragontail Mizuchi is what I would go with. Extends from 7.8' to 11.1', price isn't terrible and gives you some adjustability if the stream opens up. I don't do a lot of tenkara fishing, but the one we have hasn't given us any issues with smokies brook trout and rhododendron cramped streams.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Dragontail Mizuchi is what I would go with. Extends from 7.8' to 11.1', price isn't terrible and gives you some adjustability if the stream opens up. I don't do a lot of tenkara fishing, but the one we have hasn't given us any issues with smokies brook trout and rhododendron cramped streams.

View attachment 785757

Thanks I’ll check that out. That trout in your picture is about what I’m expecting.

 

[flathead#2]

I have one I ordered from TenkaraBum.
Cool little rod, super packable.
I think it weighs 1 ounce and maybe 8ft.
I dont remember the model but it's been discontinued.
Broke a tip once and they still had some spare parts.
Love catching bluegill using black ant flies.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Don't forget your granola. I contemplated tenkara for creek fishing but ultimately went with a 5ft 1 weight rod. I felt silly putting 50 yards of backing on a tiny little reel at first but when I hooked into a 22 inch rainbow on a small stream where I had previously only caught 12 inch brookies I was glad to have it. Im fairly certain I would not have landed it on a Tenkara setup.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Don't forget your granola. I contemplated tenkara for creek fishing but ultimately went with a 5ft 1 weight rod. I felt silly putting 50 yards of backing on a tiny little reel at first but when I hooked into a 22 inch rainbow on a small stream where I had previously only caught 12 inch brookies I was glad to have it. Im fairly certain I would not have landed it on a Tenkara setup.

View attachment 785983

I’m thinking of getting dreadlocks and putting them up into a man bun type thing. Also I’m going to start wearing like 25 friendship bracelets on each wrist.

Who makes that 1 weight rod?

 

[Flyjunky]

When someone walks into our shop and asks for a tenkara I say “sorry, we don’t carry those, we’re a fly shop”.

 

[WyldGoose]

Been using a Dragontail Mizuchi on our little mountain streams for the last 4 years or so, it’s been great. Highly recommend.

 

[3forks]

I don’t know much about Tenkara, but since the OP has a good sense of humor about this, I’ll add this:

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Who makes that 1 weight rod?

I'm not sure it's a custom rod I bought used about 8 years ago. This is the only writing on it.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I'm not sure it's a custom rod I bought used about 8 years ago. This is the only writing on it.

I see echo makes a 2 weight for like 200 bucks, Galvan also makes a 2t reel, That might be an option.

 

[Flyjunky]

One of my favorite stickers on my coffee cup….

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

@thinhorn_AK I brought a Tenkara on my bighorn hunt last year and was is the most amazing trout fishing I'd ever experienced. The rod sucked. Everything broke on it. On a small stream, if you snag on the other side, you are out of luck unless you wade/swim out to the end of the rod.. I so wish I would have had a real setup.
I purchased a Redington Zero 2/3 reel and a Redington Trailblazer 6 piece 3 weight rod. This is the only setup I'll bring if I want to actually catch anything again.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

@thinhorn_AK I brought a Tenkara on my bighorn hunt last year and was is the most amazing trout fishing I'd ever experienced. The rod sucked. Everything broke on it. On a small stream, if you snag on the other side, you are out of luck unless you wade/swim out to the end of the rod.. I so wish I would have had a real setup.
I purchased a Redington Zero 2/3 reel and a Redington Trailblazer 6 piece 3 weight rod. This is the only setup I'll bring if I want to actually catch anything again.

I’m starting to lean more towards something like that. I’ve sort of thought trnkara had far too many draw backs for awhile now.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

I’m starting to lean more towards something like that. I’ve sort of thought trnkara had far too many draw backs for awhile now.

In theory they sound great. In practice they fall short imo.