tenkara

[Mike Way]

Has anybody messed around with this tenkara stuff? Im mostly wondering about the rods how is the action do the fish put up a good fight? Alot of the area that I flyfish for gills is close to shore so the short line length isnt an issue and I know the flies will work because theyre all basicly soft hackles and those are usualy killers.

[Joe Angelucci]

Jim

Just have fun. If I can make a suggestion, try fishing the pole with 2# test and a #12 dry fly. The connection with the fish is amazing and if the harmonics are right the line with actually vibrate and sing. Blew me away the first time I heard a line sing. 

[Joe Angelucci]

Entry level Tenkara Poles run about $55.00 to about $250.00 for very high end poles. All depends on what you want and the type of fish you are catching. I've seen Japanese Telescopic poles / cane poles sell for up to US 2,000.00 depending on what your fishing. Not sure of elitist vs child's play since both poles are used for some very advanced applications today. 

Funny thing is both methods were used 300 - 400 hundred years ago  by local people to put food on the table and money into the families pocket.

[Stan Wright]

When you think of the cost of a western style fly rod, rod, reel, line, backing, and leader as compared to a tenkara rod it's not to bad.  Most good flyrods start around $300.

[Stan Wright]

Mike, that's how I started and I still have 8 or 10 nice "combo" rods.  The problem is, I started guiding... taking fly fishermen for peacock bass. That first year a fly shop owner / guide of many years gave me some advice.  "If your going to be a flyfishing guide, your going to have to have some good fly rods. Not super expensive $700 or $800 rods, but there are some good rods in the $300 + range.  Fly fishermen who spend the money for a guide will expect good equipment because that's what they use.  Those people who have the $100 combo outfits will be really impressed when they get a good quality rod in their hands. If you want to be a guide, you need to have good equipment."

There are guide programs offered by some rod manufacturers where professional guides and lodges can purchase rods for about 1/2 price.  They want to get their rods into the hands of potential customers... and having guides use their gear is a good way to do that.  That's the good news. The bad news is that their cheapest rods are $400.  LOL   Now if I have 2 boats and say 2 anglers in each boat... add to that back up rods because rods do break. Now multiply that by 8wt rods for bonefish and 5wt and 6wt rods for the peacock bass... We won't even get into the spinning and bait casting rods and reels, OK? LOL  I have found over the years that good rods and reels (read expensive) will last a lot longer that not so expensive stuff.  One of our $150 - $200 spinning reels for instance will last about a year.  It is used and abused every day.  Those $29.95 reels didn't last a month.

I guess what I'm saying is that for the casual fisherman, the $100 flyrod combo is way more than enough.  It's an excellent first step to fly fishing.  You get a lot for your money.  But if you cast a rod for 8 hours, day in and day out, even one ounce of weight will make a huge difference.  When that bonefish or salmon takes out 100 yards of line on it's first run... you better have one of those $300 fly reels, or you'll experience what it's like to see a reel explode in a smoking, hot greece flying, that you'll be lucky to find enough parts to take back to BassPro.  LOL

I can't wait to see the smile on your face when you put down your croppy rod and pick up a tenkara rod... when your ready.

[Tony Livingston]

There are many legal ways and techniques to catch a fish. All of which are welcome here at BBG.  Just because we each may have a favorite system, or style of fishing, doesn't give us the right to demean another's preferences.

Stating an opinion is fine....provided that it's done with tolerance and respect.

 

[Jim Gronaw]

Indeed, Tony. I know so little about Tenkara that I can't make any comment on it other than it's similar comparisons to pole and line fishing, which is still popular in many parts of the south east US for different panfish species.I am excited about using the 13 footer I got. But for several of the begining fishing classes I teach, it is exactly that...a telescoping pole with 6 lb test and a hook/bobber/bait setup to get youngsters started fishing, hopefully for a life time.

Dosen't get much simpler than that...and it works!

[Stan Wright]

We all started like that.  Switch cane we cut down in the bottom or a store-bought cane pole if we were lucky. String, hook, bobber, worm or grasshopper.  It don't get no better than that...  60 years seem like only yesterday... Many happy memories. :)

[Joe Angelucci]

Some times we just need to remember our roots. Rods and reels have only been used for the last 300 - 400 hundred years. Now fly fishing fixed line ( wink , wink) has been recorded for at least the last 2,000 years.

[Ralph King]

I received my TenkaraUSA 12' Iwana rod outfit yesterday, ordered from Orvis Atlanta. Hopefully I'll be on the water in the next few days, seeing how this rod works. Posts to follow. 

[Joe Angelucci]

Ralph

Have fun. Did you get the line . If not you can use 12# fluorocarbon line. It's the same as #3 tenkara level  line. 

[Ralph King]

I got both lines, level & furled. It sure is nice, I'm looking forward to fishing with it in the next few days!

[Joe Angelucci]

Ralph

Furled line is going to cast like butter. Casting is a simple 12:00 - 02:00