The Middle River Group, LLC

fly fishing, conservation and politics.

tenkara rods

Tenkara Rod Round Up

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Three years ago Tenkara USA bravely stepped into the industry spotlight and brought tenkara to the fly fishing industry’s annual trade show, IFTD. Since then a number of rods have appeared on the market and this year Tenkara USA, Patagonia and Tenkara Rod company all had space at IFTD.

When I started guiding tenkara trips the number of tenkara rods available in the US was pretty limited. Today, not so much.

Mostly because my clients regularly ask the question, “How many tenkara rods are there on the market?” I decided to pull a list together of the various tenkara rods currently available in the U.S. that I am aware of.

As I get a chance to try different rods, I’ll post a review.

In all likelihood I will miss someone, if I do please let me know and I’ll add you to the list.

Here is my current list (Mark 1, Mod 3 087614):

26AUG14 1030:  Thanks to Rick for pointing out the links snafu!!!

Creative Craftsmanship

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One of the things I really like about the tenkara community is how creative it is. Here are three FOUR good examples (See below for a recent addition).

trying to get creative...

Check out the moose antler tenkara line holder at The North River: The Magnificent Moose. This little beauty holds the line and a fly and has the inherent rustic charm of the moose antler. Hopefully Kiwi will resume his carving hobby and put a few on the market.

The second example is from My Leaky Waders: Do it Yourself Tenkara Line and Case: Go Furl Yourself. David took the “roll you own” or in this case “furl your own” challenge and produced his own line. He really showed his creative chops with the line case! Check it out. I have been working on some level line ideas and I am going to try his idea out.

Last but not least is from Tenkara USA via Angling Trade: Tenkara USA Updates Product Line for 2012. There are four notable items.

First an expandable rod: “the Ito is a rod that can be fished as a 13ft long rod or a 14ft 7inches long.”

How about going in the other direction and shortening the rod? “We have decided to play a bit with the telescopic functionality of tenkara rods, where segments collapse into one another and can easily be removed or replaced. For 2012 we have decided to offer an add-on option to our customers looking for a shorter tenkara rod.”

They reworked the traditional tenkara furled line. “We have greatly improved our traditional tenkara lines for 2012, making them more supple, easier to cast and importantly tweaking their design so they don’t “recoil” back when freed from a snag.

The tenkara nets are wonders of craftmanship. “We have improved the design of our original tenkara nets and added a new size to the lineup: now available in 9inches or 10.5 inches diameter.”

NEW 02/16/12: Take a look at this exquisite Tenkara fly box that Joel from A Year On The Fly recently completed. Check it out at My New Tenkara Box and wish him luck on his tenkara adventures!

Tenkara is gaining a following because of things like this. There is a rich history of creation and innovation in the fly-fishing segment of fishing and Tenkara is part of that history. Now it is showing how it adds to the fly-fishing in the future.