Honestly as my style and use habits change, so does/will my quiver.
I am pondering parting with my Air Stage(s) currently. I’m simply head over heels with my Seiryu-X 35.
My (new-to-me) Soyokaze 27 is pretty freaking amazing too.
I am no longer enjoying 7X tippet lol. I think these two rods will cover 90% of my fishing.
I need something bigger and stronger than my 3.5/3.6m rods (still shopping), and then I need to get something really small for the TINY streams. Might just pick up a Kiyotaki 180 since they are basically free they’re so cheap.
I wish I could find a Soyokaze 160 or 210. Or maybe somebody will put out a rod in 2017 that would fill this niche.
The tenkara USA sato was my first rod. I love that thing…and fish it mostly at full extention.
I sort of feel it must be hard these days to keep things fresh with new products.
I just bought the suntech GM 53. I am digging it.
It could be that I am either lucky or just really able to adapt to any rod’s strengths and characteristics.
Regarding Grips…
I do like cork as a preference, but do not mind using a corkless handle.
It could be argued that having direct contact with the blank is a good thing.
Two of my rods are handle-less.
for those who are interested in modifying corkless rods…the surfcasting folk have used xflock and other shrink tube to customize the grips. The nice thing the stuff will shrink to whatever form or taper the blank is.
You can either use it by itself or build up a form underneath…with rope, cork tape, or whatever.
here is a thread that has some info. Paco grip is a spaced cork tape spiral with a shrink tube over it…
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Really interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing.
I would love to see the Ebisu brought back. I haven’t seen one but I have heard they
are really sweet. I also would like to see the old hat design brought back and the
Yuzo Sebata shirt become available again. Since I’m a newbie I didn’t get a chance
to purchase any of these. A small rod would also be nice, 270-290-310 3-way zoom rod.
Then why not just get a Nissin AS Fujiryu instead? Since it still exists and is a great rod.
Thanks for the info Peder. :- )
In regardes to the small rod- the Rhodo is that range basically.
I prefer the Nissin Pro Spec 320 2-way over the Rhodo though… lighter, cheaper, made in japan, and better looking IMO.
Do you recommend the 6:4 or the 7:3 Pro Spec 320 by Nissin?
I have had almost all four of the Pro Specs.
I still have the 320 7:3 (my wife stole it from me lol). Recently sold the 360 6:4. Sold the 320 6:4 a long time ago.
The 320 7:3 has an amazing balance to it, casts just about any line I’ve thrown on it, almost any fly as well. It is a superbly capable rod. It is fun with fish from 3" bluegills to 18" rainbows.
The 320 6:4 is VERY deep-bending. Flexes all the way to the bottom/grip cap. Especially at the 270 length, it’s like a 4:6 rod almost hahahaha. I landed a few stocker brookies and rainbows in the 10-12" range with it, and it was a struggle. In still water it’s fine, but it is a strange rod. I did not like the feel, it seemed heavy for how “soft” it is.
I later bought the 360 6:4, for a song, thinking i wouldn’t like it. Wound up being an awesome rod. At the 320 length, it’s basically 5:5 and very neutral feel in hand. Full extension it’s wonderful. Still a slow rod, still not good with big/heavy flies, but it is capable of landing bigger fish than many would believe.
I bet the 360 7:3 is a monster.
I am convinced the Nissin Pro Spec 2-ways are the best value rods in tenkara.
Thanks Chris for all the info. This sounds like the rod for me to get.
I appreciate your help.
OTOH, the Tenkara-USA Rhodo would come with their fantastic/unmatched warranty. A friend of mine landed a ginormous wild rainbow on a tiny stream in N. GA this weekend with his Rhodo. Last time I fished with him, he broke his rhodo while freeing it from a tangle in… some Rhodo branches. T-USA was super cool about sending him replacement part(s).
I am a huuuuuuge fan of the Pro Spec though.
One of the interesting things about these rods is that at their shorter length, they basically move down a “section” on the flex scale… the 6:4 model becomes a 5:5, and the 7:3 is a slow 6:4. All models I’ve fished are excellent with level line. My 6:4’s loved 2.0 Nissin Oni line.
This sounds awesome. I’m going to order one tomorrow from Tenkara Bum. I saw it
on their website. Thanks again for your help and guidance.
If anyone is looking for a Rhodo I am selling mine
You can always add it to the Marketplace! Three rods have been sold there in 4 days!
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Kookagee,
The Pro Spec 320 rods are out of stock and I probably will not reorder. Chris L and I have very different views of the rod. Most of the 320 7:3 rods rattled at the shorter setting. Nissin just didn’t get the zoom function quite right, also I never felt the bend profile was right for the rod length. They were fine at the longer length, but not at the shorter length (either the 6:4 or the 7:3), which was one of the primary reasons I went ahead with the GM Suikei Keiryu Special 27. You might want to check with someone who has fished both rods for a comparison. I don’t know if Tom Davis has fished the Pro Spec 320, but I’d look on Teton Tenkara first. If you decide you want one anyway I will certainly order on for you, but it is not a rod I would recommend.
wow really? that is too bad to hear. Of the three Pro Specs i’ve had, none seemed “off” in any way.
People’s preference of rod grip type, or material is interesting. I have seen Japanese Tenkara blogs wherein people were modify rods. In some cases they made the grip longer than factory issue, built up the diameter they liked with cork tape, and sometimes over wrapped that with leather.
I have never seen a Tenryū Tenkara fūraibō rod, (天龍テンカラ 風来坊竿) The cork grip looks high quality. Yet they sell an optional cowhide leather grip tape for their rods. I have no way to know how popular it is. Popular enough I guess that Tenryū continues to offer it.
[Peder, you might want to add this to the resource list]
http://fishing.tenryu-magna.com/ayu/furaibo.html
The Chairman of Tenryū doesn’t appear to use it in this video posted 2.5 years ago. Sorry I don’t recall his name.
天龍会長釣行記 Tenryū Chairman Fishing trip record.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hfykHEhv5U
Personally I prefer some kind of grip over a bare blank with a textured finish. I’m fine with cork or foam. And have one rod with a wood grip. I kind of like it, but because it is shorter than the grip on other rods I have it just feels different aside from being shorter.
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Great video @dwalker. I had forgotten about that one.
I think the Tenryu rods are the best-looking around. I like the uniform grip shape, not tapered or humped any.
The grip on the Daiwa Minomushi rods look very close to being cylindrical. With that review found by tokoroki34, where in they recommended it at twice the price, if the lengths available were suitable. Are you going to take the guinea pig leap and order one?
You might have liked the grip on the discontinued ダイワテンカラ DSG 竿 Daiwa Tenkara DSG rods, but they were high priced rods, their top premium tenkara rod when they were available. Maybe not “more better” enough for the price.
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