# Tenkara



## pipes530 (Apr 17, 2009)

OK,........ anyone out there have any opinions, experience, or just a good story about a "Tenkara Rod". Dont know much except they're used in Japan & no reel required. Kinda neat but looking for some further info......Thanks


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

pipes530 said:


> OK,........ anyone out there have any opinions, experience, or just a good story about a "Tenkara Rod". Dont know much except they're used in Japan & no reel required. Kinda neat but looking for some further info......Thanks


I met a guy on the river Saturday fishing Tenkara, and he was having a great time. Casts like a fly rod - though not as far - and no reel. Truly a drift-free presentation. Totally cool for the right application.


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## Rockyraccoon (Jun 19, 2012)

They also cover soft hackles and emergering lift presentations very well. I have a few clients that like to use them and are deadly with them during a hatch.


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## flyhooker (Apr 12, 2013)

I've never done tenkara, I'm just curious why its so good for emergers and soft hackles?


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## Drewhop (Aug 6, 2008)

I picked up a tenkara pole. I should be getting out this weekend. Sunday/Monday.


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## Rockyraccoon (Jun 19, 2012)

flyhooker said:


> I've never done tenkara, I'm just curious why its so good for emergers and soft hackles?


Soft hackles and emergers are typically fished with a down stream presentation. The reason being, you want these flies to sink after the cast, then swim off the bottom during the prsentation. This action mimics hatching and emergering insects making their accent to the surface. Of course this isn't the only way to fish emergers or soft hackles.....but it is highly effective.

Tenkara rods work well for a variety of applications. Deep nymphing is one application that they work well with. Also, the soft hackle/emergers I mentioned. The lenght of the rod and leader allow you to present your flies on a down and accross pattern, lower the rod toward the water as the fly sinks a bit, then start pulsing the rod up on short bumps to swim the fly toward the surface. Strikes are often hard and self hooking.


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## sevenx (Apr 21, 2005)

Check out Mad River Outfitters. They are heavy on Tenkara and have all the gear in stock. They also know how its done and are great to talk to about it.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

it was just getting popular about 10 years ago and I guided a guy on the Mad from Japan who was telling me all about it, no he didnt bring his rod with him but explained it to me very detailed. he was obviously a master of it and basically told me it was designed or best used in fast descending mountain streams with tons of pocket water where you could place and plunk flies in all the right lies, for smaller fish, said most guys were using 1-3 KG test he didnt think the Mad would be a good setup for it if you were a good nymphing guys who could get where he wanted without spooking fish. but said there are tons of diehards who used it everywhere they went. I often wondered what would happen if you hooked in a 20+" on it and found yourself scrambling downstream to save from busting him off, LOl

No I never tried it but it definately looks to have its place and from someone who has done a ton of small stream brookie fishing with a 9 or 10 ft rod, its not a whole lot different then that. LOL

Good luck and Id love to hear how you do....

Salmonid


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

Salmonid said:


> I often wondered what would happen if you hooked in a 20+" on it and found yourself scrambling downstream to save from busting him off, LOl
> 
> No I never tried it but it definately looks to have its place and from someone who has done a ton of small stream brookie fishing with a 9 or 10 ft rod, its not a whole lot different then that. LOL
> 
> ...


I was wondering that too!lol Whoever catches a 20+ inch anything on a tenkara should automatically be the next OGF angler of the year!

I imagine it would be great on small streams for brookies, but ones that are very open. From my experiences in PA for brookies, I don't think a tenkara would do well. The longest I go would is 8.5ft and that can be pushing it in some scenarios. I usually fish with my 7ft 11in or 6.5 footer though, just way to many trees to get caught in and the need for bow and arrow casts and the like.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

They are much better fish fighting tools than you would expect. If you can keep the rod bent with their length they are giant shock absorbers and very good at slowing large fish down (within reason). One of my first trips with one I hooked about a 30in grass carp and expected a very short fight, but ended up landed the fish pretty quickly, just kept the rod low and walked him around a bit.

Tenkara has been good fun on the mad for high stick nymphing and dries, they can handle alot more than I expected. I originally thought it would just be a brookie rod, now I am using them for lots of things just to see what I can do. ...Steelhead? get the gymshoes and start running I want to try it


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

riverKing said:


> They are much better fish fighting tools than you would expect. If you can keep the rod bent with their length they are giant shock absorbers and very good at slowing large fish down (within reason). One of my first trips with one I hooked about a 30in grass carp and expected a very short fight, but ended up landed the fish pretty quickly, just kept the rod low and walked him around a bit.
> 
> Tenkara has been good fun on the mad for high stick nymphing and dries, they can handle alot more than I expected. I originally thought it would just be a brookie rod, now I am using them for lots of things just to see what I can do. ...Steelhead? get the gymshoes and start running I want to try it


Dude I'm going to have you throwing a 000wt before the end of summer.


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## Drewhop (Aug 6, 2008)

Might as well bump this.

I purchased a Ebay Tenkara rod not wanting to spend several hundred dollars to attempt something I may not even enjoy.

I also started fly tying a couple months ago just looking for a new hobby. 
I went out yesterday to a local pond that is way over fished but it has plenty of room to cast. Saw 5 or 6 groups of people no one seemed to be really having any luck.

Since I have never cast a fly rod or ever touched a tenkara rod I went in completely unprepared other then watching some youtube videos.

After 10 minutes of casting to an area that I could see bottom of pond and obviously had no fish I decided I was confident enough in my casting I would move close to a few overhangs on the pond and try to catch some fish for real this time.
I walk to my new spot and I find couple small bass trolling back and forth watching me walk along pond. Just joking I figure I will toss the fly in front of them just to see what happens. I toss the Killer Bug fly that I hand tied and it lands about 3 foot past the fish, it shoots over and snags onto fly and I now realize I have never landed a fish with a tenkara rod or a fly rod so I have no idea what I am doing.
After a minute of akward motions on moving my tenkara rod I land the fish. Unhook my small bass and toss him back. Next cast I catch another small bass. 
Finally I hook a large bluegill that put up a exciting fight. The blue gill really liked the Killer Bug fly cause he swallowed it. 

My intentions on this whole fishing trip were to just see if I could actually cast. As well as try out my own fly. I only brought one fly when I left and in 15 minutes I caught 3 fish as I watched all other people fishing around the pond catching nothing.

What I experienced was that when moving locations the 9 foot pole mixed with another 9-11 feet of long can be a pain to try and transport. I wrapped the fishing line around my hand closed up the rod and transport was much easier. 

With the really really lightweight line and a lightweight fly with a headwind it was hard to get line to extend its full length. It could be my lack of experience but I felt a small weight near the wet fly would have solved most of my problems or even proper casting technique cause I still have no idea if I was doing it right..

Sorry for the long reply but I had a blast. I have less then 100 bucks in my entire tenkara setup and in 15 minutes I think I already got my moneys worth.


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