Tenkara Fly Rod

[Out4Trout]

So . . . I have been considering adding a new weapon to my fly fishing arsenal.

Sitting around this morning thinking about spring fishing and how much I enjoy small streams and brook trout. I was considering getting a new 3 weight to add to my collection or possibly even a 2 weight when I came across the Tenkara Rods.

Has anyone used them on small streams? They seem kind of long to be moving around in tight cover but searching the web, many folks seem to be doing it. Im also not sure how much I would like not having a reel. I mean I dont really use it in the small streams that I often fish but do like to pull a fish to the net using the line vs just lifting up the rod. I am very interested but at the same time unsure if this would be enjoyable and thought asking for advice from fellow fishermen who have done it might help me make my decision.

Thanks in advance.

 

[rrt]

A couple of years ago, I tied a hunk of fly line with a 9' leader to an old cane pole. I had read of Tenkara fly-fishing and figured this would be about the same. I caught some fish that day, but I certainly preferred my regular small-stream rod and gear.

Anyhow, IMO, Tenkara is just a gimmick type of fishing, since I could do it with an ancient cane pole. I think I'd stick with my regular gear or spend the money on a nice small-stream outfit, as you say, a 2- or 3-wt. outfit.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[SteveG]

It's a gimmick, and having a fixed length of line would most likely be a hindrance on small tight streams. I imagine the worst part would be not having the ability to roll cast.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Some guys like it.
Imo it just simply isn't as useful as conventional gear on larger rivers with big fish.
For your application, It should be fine. Even still, I'd go conventional. Resale is easier for one reason but there are many.

Either way, enjoy whatever you purchase.

 

[BrookTroutLover]

I have fished my favorite tiny stream all three ways- with light fly rod, Tenkara, and a cane pole. The latter two are not the same, despite frequent comments from doubters and skeptics. No more so than a mountain bike and a Harley are the same. I enjoy the Tenkara method, but alternate with my regular gear depending on my mood and conditions. It is a relatively inexpensive set up and I would encourage you to give Tenkara a try. I have had days where I slayed them on the Tenkara rod with a small olive soft hackle (my 90% of the time Tenkara fly) and other days where I really needed the broader options that come with a reel and fly line.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Perhaps you can explain in detail what make them different

 

[redietz]

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
Perhaps you can explain in detail what make them different

For starters, tenkara involves actual casting -- loading the rod on the back cast, and unloading it on the forward. 30 foot casts are easily achievable. I don't find the process to be a bit different than what I'm doing with my 10' graphite western rod when fishing wets upstream (i.e. with a fixed amount of line out) other than I have an extra 2 feet of rod and it's much lighter.

I'm not a huge fan of Tenkara (I think out of about 100 trips this year I used it twice) but it can be a fun and efficient way of catching fish, especially in a small stream (although the owner of Blue Ribbon Flies out in West Yellowstone famously fished the the Madison frequently with tenkara.)

As for "resale value", the cost of the whole setup very inexpensive compared to western tackle -- everything you need is about $100.

And I can't see ever parting with my tenkara rod. In fact, if the current weather conditions don't lift soon, I'll be using it in a few days -- no guides to freeze.

 

[Bamboozle]

Out4Trout:

I Tenkara fish almost exclusively during the winter, including right up the road from you at Hickory Run & Hawk Runs.

Biggest advantage this time of year is no icing of guides.

Another advantage on small streams with rocky outcroppings is ability to thread the fly between the rocks with the long rod.

Unlike a regular long fly rod, a Tenkara line weighs almost nothing and is attached to the tip so keeping it off the water (as you are supposed to) is much easier to do than with a conventional fly rod/ line.

Also, a Tenkara rod is designed to work with a line that light so you can feel the cast & fish as opposed to a conventional rod which typically won’t feel loaded unless you have 30 feet of the right line past the tip-top. Overloading that same rod defeats the purpose even further.

Trust me when I say that if you have never cast or fished a Tenkara rod and only approximated a Tenkara set-up, you can’t really appreciate the difference.

Disadvantages are the fixed line length which can be a pain if you want a longer cast BUT it just forces you sneak up and to be stealthier. Remember, the techniques was designed for small streams, not small rivers.

Another hassle can be line storage, especially when moving from place to place although it seems to be more of a pain when you first get started. After a while, you get used to not having a reel, which is about useless on small stream anyway.

The overall rod length can be a problem, especially on tight streams, some of which are too tight for Tenkara however, Tenkara USA makes a couple of “zoom” rods (Rhodo, Sato) that can be adjusted to three different lengths. They are a HUGE advantage on tight creeks like Hickory Run.

Despite people that don’t Tenkara fish and feel compelled to bash it, it is legal fly-fishing in PA and can be a load of fun and a lot simpler and cheaper than a conventional set-up. I wouldn’t give up my regular fly rods, especially on bigger water however there are a couple of places I fish where I prefer a Tenkara rod over the sweetest 7’ 3wt I own.

If you are interested, TRY before you buy. There is almost a 100% chance that Tenkara USA and/or Mossy Creek Fly Shop (a Tenkara USA dealer) will be at the Lancaster Fly Fishing Show. Go and take a rod to the casting pond before you commit.

Good luck!

 

[bigjohn58]

I really don't understand why someone would want to limit themself so much. Just seems like the trendy hipster thing to do these days.

 

[troutbert]

Out4Trout wrote:
So . . . I have been considering adding a new weapon to my fly fishing arsenal.

Sitting around this morning thinking about spring fishing and how much I enjoy small streams and brook trout. I was considering getting a new 3 weight to add to my collection or possibly even a 2 weight when I came across the Tenkara Rods.

Has anyone used them on small streams? They seem kind of long to be moving around in tight cover but searching the web, many folks seem to be doing it. Im also not sure how much I would like not having a reel. I mean I dont really use it in the small streams that I often fish but do like to pull a fish to the net using the line vs just lifting up the rod. I am very interested but at the same time unsure if this would be enjoyable and thought asking for advice from fellow fishermen who have done it might help me make my decision.

Thanks in advance.

Are you interested in getting the best rod for fishing brook trout streams?

Or are you interested in buying a Tenkara rod?

You could do both.

A 7 1/2 4 wt, or something close to that, is optimal for fishing these small streams. Something in the range of 7 ft 3 wt to 8 ft 5 wt.

And if you want a Tenkara rod, go for it. There will be some brookie streams where that will work fine. But there are many places where it would not work well.

Tenkara rods are typically about 12 feet long, I think. Many of these streams have limited casting room, both to the side and overhead, because of branches of trees and shrubs.

 

[moon1284]

I think you can break it down this way. If you fish and think to yourself I wish I didn't have this stupid reel and my rod was twice as long get a tenkara. If you never thought that, you're probably fine with normal fly fishing gear.

What is a "western setup". West of what? Fly fishing was invented in the western hemisphere
..

 

[afishinado]

Tenkara advantages:

- Folds up (telescopes) into the handle (12" +/-) for easy carrying

- (Some models) can be extended to various lengths

- No reel to mess with

- Your buddies will laugh at you


Tenkara disadvantages:

- rod, especially tip, very thin and fragile

- limited casting / fishing distance

- (Most models) longer than most conventional rods > difficultly fishing in tight areas

- A bit of a pain to wrap/wind up and store line to move to another spot

- Big fish will break line or break rod

- Your buddies will laugh at you

 

[Fredrick]

Anyone got some good tenkara memes .

 

[afishinado]

^ did I mention..."your buddies will laugh at you?"

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Lol nvm

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

.

 

[JackM]

When venturing into the woods, I carry a spool of 6X tippet and a size 12 hook. No rod or reel, just tippet and a hook. I fashion a rod out of a hickory switch and use feathers found along the trail to be fastened with the tippet to the hook. I can survive with just this.

 

[tomitrout]

When venturing into the woods, I carry a spool of 6X tippet and a size 12 hook. No rod or reel, just tippet and a hook. I fashion a rod out of a hickory switch and use feathers found along the trail to be fastened with the tippet to the hook. I can survive with just this.

Great way to fish Rickett's Glen....just sayin'

 

[afishinado]

JackM wrote:
When venturing into the woods, I carry a spool of 6X tippet and a size 12 hook. No rod or reel, just tippet and a hook. I fashion a rod out of a hickory switch and use feathers found along the trail to be fastened with the tippet to the hook. I can survive with just this.

My buddy had an idea like this ^ one time. We took our rods and equipment, but no flies > just some bare hooks and a fly-tying bobbin with thread. We foraged around along the stream for materials to tie a fly.

I found a thin vine that I used for the body, a few stands of tippet for the tail, and tied in birch bark for a wing. I used my forceps as a vise to hold the hook, and my nippers to cut the thread. I caught two fish! Fun stuff.

 

[Out4Trout]

Thank you all for the information. I think I will add one to my weapons for next spring. To me fishing is fishing and I dont care if you use a twig and thread, a cane pole with a bobber, a spinning rod or a fly rod or any other method you guys can dream up. Fishing is fishing and sometimes I think we loose sight of the reason we do it in the 1st place.

I appreciate all the information and if you see me on the stream . . . laugh at me : )