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  #1  
Old 06-20-2017, 04:44 PM
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millsboy79 millsboy79 is offline
 
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Question Any Tenkara fishermen out there??

I have been thinking that a Tenkara rod would make at least a good back up for fishing the smaller mountain streams and might just be fun to try.

I am wondering how many members we have here that uses them or at least has used one?

Seems unlike most things there isn't as huge of a big difference in prices. Seems like the Higher end rod set up is around $200.00 where the cheaper ones you can find for around $80. At most we are talking $150.00 difference. unlike conventional fly rods where the difference can be over $1000.00

I can only assume that like almost everything else, you get what you pay for but with only $150.00 in the difference between the best and the worst how much different can they really be? Obviously the difference would be in the quality of the blank but when you do not need line speed or tight loops how much does that really matter?

If you have one please let me know the brand and how you like it, if you compared it to any other tenkara rods and how much you actually use it.

I would like to find one of those unsung heroes brands where you really get the value for the dollar ... HAHAHA Does ECHO make a Tenkara rod??

Thanks for the help.
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  #2  
Old 06-20-2017, 05:40 PM
Altaboy Altaboy is offline
 
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I started using a Tenkera rod last season on small streams. I love it because it's really quick to set up and it takes up very little space on my motor bike. I bought the TFO and have peen pleased with it. The TFO also comes with a spare tip
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  #3  
Old 06-20-2017, 06:21 PM
fishman fishman is offline
 
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I tried one last year and was surprised how far it casts
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Old 06-20-2017, 07:32 PM
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Stryker2 Stryker2 is offline
 
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Default Tenkara Rods

I got one a couple of years ago, from a Canadian company "Tenkara Outfitters" I got a Dragon Tail Shadowfire 360 about $125. and I was very impressed with the company. I had a breakage (don't lend your rod!) and they were really great about sending me a replacement piece with a link to a how to video. It's a nice rod I just haven't had much of a chance to use a lot.
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Old 06-20-2017, 09:55 PM
commieboy commieboy is offline
 
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I bought an $8 carp rod off of Aliexpress. It's like a Tenkara but it's a bit stiff. I used a section of old 5 weight line and it works exactly how I want it to. 2 metres long, collapses to 40 cm.

My first fish on it was a stocked rainbow and it was a ton of fun. I don't think I'll bother buying a real tenkara... this suits my purpose and is more than fun enough.
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Old 06-21-2017, 07:04 PM
slingshotz slingshotz is offline
 
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I have a Tenkara Ayu that I used for a few years ago on small streams. It's really fun but one of the drawbacks is that due to it's length it can get tangled in trees easier when you are walking the streams.

If you are fishing streams with little foliage around, it's awesome fun. I've been meaning to get it out again this year once the waters lower.

It is surprising what you can land with it, we landed a fairly large sea run brown when we used it in Iceland but was tricky as you need to run up and down the stream depending on how the fish wants to run since the drag is essentially you lol.
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Old 06-25-2017, 07:56 AM
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millsboy79 millsboy79 is offline
 
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Surprised there are not more people trying it out. Sounds like a lot of fun.

I am hoping to teach myself how to do it with the left hand to give the right elbow a break.

I mean I can't just give up fishing.
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  #8  
Old 06-25-2017, 08:29 AM
professori professori is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by millsboy79 View Post
I am hoping to teach myself how to do it with the left hand to give the right elbow a break.

I mean I can't just give up fishing.
If you're looking for elbow relief, seriously look at a spey or switch. Saved my arm 12 years ago and allowed it to rehab to the point it no longer is an issue in my single-hand fishing.
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  #9  
Old 06-26-2017, 11:01 AM
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millsboy79 millsboy79 is offline
 
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Have a switch rod in the mail I bought on the spey pages classifieds. But that is not suites for mountain streams like tenkara would be.
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Old 06-26-2017, 01:40 PM
A-Baum A-Baum is offline
 
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I bought an 8' Cascade Tenkara rod from Tenkara Rod Company out of Idaho, USA. I bought it for fishing small, tight trout streams.

I HATE it. I absolutely hate it and I'm selling it immediately. While it does set up pretty quickly, it is really a pain in the ass to move from spot to spot on the water. You have 15' or so of line/tippet coming out of the top of the rod and nowhere to go with it if you just want to move up 25m or 50m upstream. So you kind of fold it over on itself a few times so it isn't dragging or catching tree limbs or bushes as you walk up. Well when you get to your spot you have to be extremely careful to let go of and unfold the line right or it knots up. I suppose you could hand wind it on the spool each time you move but that wastes considerable time.

Also, the set length of line really limits your fishing. Instead of being able to cast up into a pool, you have to get much closer and risk spooking the fish. I know that can be sporting for some people, but I like being able to fish a long pool from bottom to top in succession without moving and risking spooking the fish.

Other than taking the tenkara setup on a work trip or motorbike as mentioned below, or some other reason you would be extremely limited in the gear you bring, I don't see a single scenario where Tenkara has any advantage over rod/reel fly fishing. It was fun to try and I landed a few brook trout but I just don't see the point.
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Old 06-26-2017, 02:25 PM
cranky cranky is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A-Baum View Post
I bought an 8' Cascade Tenkara rod from Tenkara Rod Company out of Idaho, USA. I bought it for fishing small, tight trout streams.

I HATE it. I absolutely hate it and I'm selling it immediately. While it does set up pretty quickly, it is really a pain in the ass to move from spot to spot on the water. You have 15' or so of line/tippet coming out of the top of the rod and nowhere to go with it if you just want to move up 25m or 50m upstream. So you kind of fold it over on itself a few times so it isn't dragging or catching tree limbs or bushes as you walk up. Well when you get to your spot you have to be extremely careful to let go of and unfold the line right or it knots up. I suppose you could hand wind it on the spool each time you move but that wastes considerable time.

Also, the set length of line really limits your fishing. Instead of being able to cast up into a pool, you have to get much closer and risk spooking the fish. I know that can be sporting for some people, but I like being able to fish a long pool from bottom to top in succession without moving and risking spooking the fish.

Other than taking the tenkara setup on a work trip or motorbike as mentioned below, or some other reason you would be extremely limited in the gear you bring, I don't see a single scenario where Tenkara has any advantage over rod/reel fly fishing. It was fun to try and I landed a few brook trout but I just don't see the point.
I had probably one of the first Tenkara USA rods in Candada (it was a 12ft Iwana) when Daniel Galardo first started importing them into US/Canada.

Im same as A-Baum there a bit of fun till novelty wears off which it did fairly fast. I had all the same troubles as above and then some.
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  #12  
Old 06-27-2017, 05:32 PM
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millsboy79 millsboy79 is offline
 
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Has anyone used one from a belly boat?
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  #13  
Old 06-28-2017, 01:04 PM
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millsboy79 millsboy79 is offline
 
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If anyone I have not contacted already has one they would be willing to sell. Please feel free to send me a pm with what you have and what you would like for it.
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  #14  
Old 06-28-2017, 09:09 PM
JDC JDC is offline
 
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I have fished a tenkara for the past five years. I think most people try to fish it in water that is too big for what it is designed for. Under the right conditions it can be amazingly effective at picking apart a small stream, but it definitely has its limits.
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Old 06-29-2017, 07:52 AM
A-Baum A-Baum is offline
 
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I have fished it in bigger waters as well as small native brookie streams in eastern US with tight canopies and lots of brush. I just can't find a single advantage tenkara has over rod/reel with the exception of packing it on a motorcycle or carry on luggage.
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  #16  
Old 06-29-2017, 07:53 AM
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millsboy79 millsboy79 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A-Baum View Post
I have fished it in bigger waters as well as small native brookie streams in eastern US with tight canopies and lots of brush. I just can't find a single advantage tenkara has over rod/reel with the exception of packing it on a motorcycle or carry on luggage.
Wonder why someone does not make a telescopic fly rod with a reel seat and some guides hahaha
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Old 06-29-2017, 08:26 AM
commieboy commieboy is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by millsboy79 View Post
Wonder why someone does not make a telescopic fly rod with a reel seat and some guides hahaha
it's been done already.
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Old 06-29-2017, 08:30 AM
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millsboy79 millsboy79 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by commieboy View Post
it's been done already.
Couldn't have been done well or the bigger brands would have also done it.
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Old 06-29-2017, 04:06 PM
professori professori is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by millsboy79 View Post
Couldn't have been done well or the bigger brands would have also done it.
Go check Walmart. You should have no trouble finding one. Although not a flyrod, they have been around for 50+ years. The biggest problem is there is no way to properly space the guides (only one guide at the tip of each section).
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Old 06-29-2017, 04:17 PM
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millsboy79 millsboy79 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by professori View Post
Go check Walmart. You should have no trouble finding one. Although not a flyrod, they have been around for 50+ years. The biggest problem is there is no way to properly space the guides (only one guide at the tip of each section).
Am specifically talking about high quality telescopic fly rod.
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Old 06-29-2017, 06:07 PM
professori professori is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by millsboy79 View Post
Am specifically talking about high quality telescopic fly rod.
You'll never see it. Guide placement is not possible on any telescopic rod unless it is at the tip of each section.
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  #22  
Old 06-30-2017, 04:56 PM
kilgoretrout kilgoretrout is offline
 
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Thumbs up Small packable rod for motorcycles or backpacking

Quote:
Originally Posted by A-Baum View Post
I have fished it in bigger waters as well as small native brookie streams in eastern US with tight canopies and lots of brush. I just can't find a single advantage tenkara has over rod/reel with the exception of packing it on a motorcycle or carry on luggage.
Check out the CGR flyrods from Cabelas USA 2 or 3 wt 6 foot 3 piece rods on sale now for 59.95 US funds Hard to beat for those brushy little creeks and small enough at 25 inches to fit in a day pack
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  #23  
Old 06-30-2017, 05:10 PM
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millsboy79 millsboy79 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kilgoretrout View Post
Check out the CGR flyrods from Cabelas USA 2 or 3 wt 6 foot 3 piece rods on sale now for 59.95 US funds Hard to beat for those brushy little creeks and small enough at 25 inches to fit in a day pack
I have no way to order from the US site ... plus am interested in tenkara not a standard fly rod ... I already have a 3wt TFO Finesse, but thanks for the suggestion.

Just curious about new toys.
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  #24  
Old 01-31-2018, 07:14 AM
HIGHLANDER HUNTING HIGHLANDER HUNTING is offline
 
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Default for mountain lakes?

I've been thinking of getting one for mountain lakes, for cutthroat. Has anyone tried them for this application? I like the idea of the pack-ability of them.

Cheers
John

https://highlanderhunting.com
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  #25  
Old 01-31-2018, 10:45 AM
chainman chainman is offline
 
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Have had one for 4 years or so, works quite well for appropriately sized streams, and lakeshores. Great for backpacking, and forces a person to really think about what they need to bring fishing. I don't see myself going back to reel fly fishing anytime soon.

Also, there are a number of variants (rod lengths and actions) on Tenkara rods, so buy the one for the streams that you fish the most. Tenkara Rod Co. and Tenkara USA rods are not great examples of Tenkara rods, but, like flyfishing, there's a lot of different rods, and everyone has their own preferences.

http://www.tenkarabum.com/tenkara-rods.html
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  #26  
Old 01-31-2018, 10:21 PM
Pikebreath Pikebreath is offline
 
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The reason Tenkara hasn't really taken off has been pointed that already,,, anything you can do with a Tenkara rod you can also do with a regular fly rod (plus a whole lot more).

You really don't have to put a reel on your fly rod,,, 30 years ago before anyone here had even heard of Tenkara, I forgot my reel on a several mile hike up Pelican Creek in Yellowstone Park. I tied 15 feet of tippet on my rod and fished away catching lots of fat 14 " - 17" cutts!!!

A 4 piece 9 foot fly rod packs down as short as any Tenkara rod...

Tenkara seems to be an attempt by the fly rod makers to create a new market where none really existed to boost sales in a stagnant marketplace.
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  #27  
Old 01-31-2018, 10:24 PM
Pikebreath Pikebreath is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by millsboy79 View Post
Wonder why someone does not make a telescopic fly rod with a reel seat and some guides hahaha
No need,,,, multi piece fly rods travel just as short.
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  #28  
Old 01-31-2018, 10:37 PM
Pikebreath Pikebreath is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chainman View Post
Have had one for 4 years or so, works quite well for appropriately sized streams, and lakeshores. Great for backpacking, and forces a person to really think about what they need to bring fishing. I don't see myself going back to reel fly fishing anytime soon.

http://www.tenkarabum.com/tenkara-rods.html
If you really want to go minimalist,,, just pack a spool of tippet, a few flies,,,,, and a swiss army knife and make yourself a extra long wiener stick for a rod.
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  #29  
Old 02-01-2018, 08:21 AM
Troutmonk Troutmonk is offline
 
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I have a 8'6" rod that is a collab between Patagonia and TFO. I love it. Forget about minimalism or any Asianphile tendencies the rod is just better at catching fish in certain applications. There is no fly-line presence at all so really picky trout will willingly take a fly presented with tenkara where they might not take on a traditional rod.

Traditional is even the wrong term because tenkara has just as long if not longer history than western fly rods. I still use rods with reels but tenkara can be an interesting new tool in the tool box. I would say talk with the folks at tenkara outfitters https://www.tenkaraoutfitters.ca/.

They are super knowledgeable and nice. If you have your eye on small water fishing ask them about the new smaller dragon tail rod they are bringing in.

good luck
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  #30  
Old 02-02-2018, 04:37 PM
ShortsideK ShortsideK is offline
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Not that would admit it. Hahahaha!
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