Thanks for letting us know, Chris.
Thanks for chiming in Chris, I was just going to mention you in this post.
I received a response from the company:
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your E-mail.
“nidaime tenkara gen 240” is on sale.
But I am sorry to say that product “nidaime tenkara gen 240” is out of stock
now, and the next arrival is not decided too.
In addition, we do not export to the United States.
I appreciate your understanding.
Thank you.
Ohashi gyogu co., Ltd
I guess I will put Tenkara-ya on the case and see what he can turn up.
Apologies for not reading all the responses here first so perhaps you already got this info. IMHO 270 cm is about the shortest length I have seen where the rod, in my feel, is enjoyable to cast. Below that and for tight canopy fishing you really will be bow and arrow casting or various types of lobs or pendulums. So if you feel you need a shorter rod for your places and you enjoy that scenario then get the length rod that works and it will be stiff/tip flex for sure which is what you need.
If you are curious to tickle the itch on the Oni Type III and the $s work for you personally I highly recommend it. It is a rod that is a real joy to cast and you will for sure notice the difference.
I didn’t take detailed notes but went out this morning with no wind and no overhead obstacles to compare my Watershed 300 at 265 but choked up to 240 (the grip’s design makes this effective), and the Mizuchi zx340 at 240 with about an 8 foot #3 line and 1m of tippet. I had fished the Mizuchi earlier this week but mainly at the 292 length. I haven’t cast the Watershed 300 since Sept 19th.
I could feel the Watershed loading with good tactile feedback but the rod above the grip is about 21 cm longer so is there going to be more flex for that alone besides the difference in the rods’ actions? Within a couple of minutes accuracy with a 6" paper plate was pretty good.
I could detect the Mizuchi loading much less. After getting the timing down it had slightly more consistent accuracy perhaps because there is less tip oscillation?
Dr Tom has said overhead casting the Mizuchi at the 240 cm length “takes practice, and practice is encouraged”. I want to get in a lot more practice and fishing time with both rods.
The Tenkara Times Watershed 300Z is a great rod and, as I have said before, is greatly overlooked in the tenkara world. It loads really well even with a short level line. But because of its flex characteristics it may not be the best small stream rod for every situation. I love mine, but only for small brook trout in relatively moderate water flows. I have hooked into fish in the 14-16 inch range in fast flowing small streams and I couldn’t control the fight. Other anglers might have been able to, but not me. So, I still use the 300Z, but I match it to the water and fish. But I agree, it does cast a short, light level line well. It’s a really great little rod.
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I caught an 18 in. large mouth bass on the 320 6:4 Royal Stage without any problems and then caught a 19 in. brown trout 2 weeks later on the same rod. I love my 320 Royal Stage. It was my first Japanese rod that I purchased from Dragontail Tenkara. I’m happy that you like yours.
That rod is fantastic. I am surprised it does not have more of a following.
The first time I casted a royal stage it was a 360. I was blown away how instantly I had more precision without practicing with the rod. Wow.
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@tvdavisid, Do you still have your Shimotsuke Tenkara Gen 240? If so, does it say where it was made? I was under the impression that it was made in Japan. It appears that the 2nd Gen are made in China.
I do still have my original Gen 240. There is no “Made in” label on the rod. I don’t have the carton with me, but I’ll check the next time get home and get back to you.
I have a Gen 240 I got from Chris Stewart a couple of years ago and the box says “made in China”. I got it for my Granddaughter for when she is big enough to go trout fishing. She turns 6 Sunday and I’m hoping to take her out this year.
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Thanks David. I guess I was mistaken about it being made in Japan. I ordered one anyway. Something I can bang around on low branches and also teach my son how to cast with.
Interested in the Gen 240 as well. My 4 year old has been practicing with my Sato, but has come close to snapping the tip. I think a shorter, thinner handled rod would be nice for her to use, to potentially catch her first fish with this summer. Like that its also currently cheap.
When I clicked on the Amazon.co.jp link in TenkaraOdyssey’s post, it took me to a Gen 240 product. When I translated the page to English, the rod title was called “Fishsuri Samui 2nd Generation Tentai Source 240”.
Was this a translation error and is this rod actually the Shimotsuke Tenkara Gen 240?
Also, is the second generation model the same as the original?
Thanks!
Jason
It is confusing. It seems like every site has a different name for it. I made my assumption based on the box. The rods look alike as well. Compare the box in the Amazon.jp link with the box that @tvdavisid has in his review.
The contacted the company a couple months ago and they said the gen 2 had some changes but they didn’t say what.
The only hesitation I have with using it to teach a child is I don’t know if it is easy to get replacement parts. But at $50 and change shipped from Japan I think I would just order a new one. I may even get the 270 just for the heck of it.
Choosing a short (240 cm or less) rod can be a challenging task. You have to find one that fits your situation and needs (water gradient, trout size, casting space, casting style and expectations, etc). Each thin blue line is different, and what works for me in eastern Idaho may not work for anglers in Oregon or Appalachia. Here are my thoughts on why I chose the equipment and techniques I do for my small creeks:
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Interesting turn of events…
I ordered my Shimotsuke Tenkara 2nd Gen 240 from Amazon.jp on Monday 5/11. The estimated delivery date was 5/20. It shipped yesterday morning and arrived this afternoon. Things I am ordering from Amazon here in the U.S. are taking longer to get to me.
One problem however. I opened the box and extended the rod, the second section was broken. Needless to say I was bummed and annoyed. I immediately opened a chat with Amazon.jp customer service. They refunded my money and told me I could re-order. They also gave me a 300 yen credit (just a few bucks but hey, they didn’t have to do it). And in addition, because of current conditions, they told me I didn’t need to ship the broken one back. I will re-order and have spare sections for all but section 2. If the new one ships as fast as the first I will still have it before the original ship date.
Not bad for $56 shipped! [Correction, $53 after the credit]
Nice. I am reaaly curious on that rod. Please follow up with a review. That one is a new design or second generation model right?
That’s impressive…breaking the handle section! I have broken a couple tip sections on Japanese rods (operator error), but didn’t think the 30’ish amount was unreasonable, including shipping. That’s certainly a little more than the $17 + shipping that it cost me for TUSA repair parts, but after the 3rd time my Hane broke, I decided it was no longer a bargain. Those were during hook sets and fighting a small fish, which is also when my Ito broke. I never had any issues with the Sato/Rhodo though. I guess it comes down to the fact that those rods feel downright utilitarian next to my Japanese rods and I’ve never had a Japanese rod break on me during a hooksets or fighting (“normal” use). It also depends on perspective. A typical premium western fly rod will cost about $60-$90 to fix depending on the brand even with a “lifetime warranty”, plus you have to ship the entire rod and then wait 6-8 week typically.
With the “cheap repair parts” logic, maybe I should be driving beater vehicles rather than something I REALLY enjoy? Lol.
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Hi Everyone! I’m new to the forum and tenkara (about 6 months in). I absolutely love to bow and arrow cast, and wanted to find out if anyone else opts for this, even when they don’t necessarily have to (ie there is enough room for a standard cast). A bit of context: I practiced a lot getting comfortable with overhand casts of 3-3.5 LL, roughly rod length with 3’ of tippet, and feel confident when casting now. But, the waters I fish, and the best lies within them, often have low-hanging and dense canopy (I switched recently to a Mizuchi rod, which has helped tremendously), so I was forced early on to resort to the bow and arrow cast. As I kept trying new, but still small, streams, I kept finding myself in a similar situation: to hit the spot I wanted, I needed to do a bow and arrow. I found it effective (it catches fish!) and over time got so comfortable with it that I now find myself actually using it in situations where I wouldn’t strictly need to, but find it still helps (for example, if there’s a breeze, the B&A cast gives me such a tight loop I can easily cut through wind and still hit my target precisely). And lastly, of course, I avoid the tangles and snags that come with overhand casting in many waters. I’m at the point now where I am cutting my level line lengths to actually improve by B&A casts. I find holding the fly directly, as opposed to holding any of the tippet, really helps improve accuracy and even control over presentation (eg having the fly hit the water column hard for a fast sink, or more gently for calmer waters). So, for my Mizuchi, where I usually B&A cast at the 9.6’ length, but also sometime at the 11’ length, I’m using a shorter length of line (about 8’, with 3’ of tippet) in order to keep my fly close enough the the rod handle where I can grasp it in my fingers and not have to pull it way back behind my head at any length. I guess my question is: am I alone in loving the B&A cast, not just as a method of last resort, but as a consistent tool to use in many situations? Does anyone else actually gear up their lines specifically for better B&A casts? Thanks!
Ok, so if it’s heresy to prefer Chinese rods over Japanese rods, then I must be a double secret heretic for preferring a western rod for really tight fishing. 6’6” rod length, fiberglass, and casts just the leader with ease. Cost $49 at Cabelas on sale. Made in China. Has caught bass to 3 pounds in a small pond, so plenty tough for bitty creek trout.
One thing I notice about the waters that Japanese tentara anglers fish, is that they seem to be to be much more open than a lot of what’s available to me locally for salmonid fishing. As in there is a fairly nearby creek that holds buttloads of fish, but seems to only be fishable by dapping. Not that I’m necessarily opposed to that, as one of my most memorable experiences was targeting Bonneville cutts in Nevada, using just the top two sections of a 10’ western rod, with about 3’ of tippet tied to the eye. There was no room to get the fish any other way. Literally crawling into position, sight fishing for a single 6-8” fish at a time. Good stuff, but not even bow and arrow casting… An Air Stage Hakubai 180 would probably be perfect for that spot though, lantern style.
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Distin, I am also a big fan of the B&A Cast and often use it where I really do not have to use it, mostly because you do not have to move the rod to cast. Moving the rod to cast frightens a lot of fish in tight quarters. And I also like carrying cut down lines for doing the B&A casting. Here is a tip that might help: In stead of gripping the fly, grip your line at the Tippet to Line Knot and pull it up right in front of your eye to sight your target spot. You can just let the 2 - 3 foot long tippet and fly hang right in front of you. I have been doing this for years now and I have not hooked myself yet. On the videos of anglers doing the B&A cast, you often see a lot of them lift the line hand and try to help the cast a long, which is not necessary and spoils the cast’s accuracy. Just let the knot go, and the fly will follow in behind the line, often to a full line and tippet extension. You do not have to wait until you go fishing to practice this, you can do it in your apartment or in your backyard. Preferably, with a junk fly with the point of the hook removed.
Here is a TRC video on doing the B&A Cast: The Bow and Arrow Cast
By shortening the line to where the fly hangs down in front of you in stead of it hanging behind your head, you eliminate the chance of hooking yourself but, keep an eye on the wind conditions just in case. The way you sight down the line is the way an archer sights down the arrow shaft in shooting a Bow and Arrow…Karl.