If you could only have ten tenkara rods, what would they be? I’m hoping to see if there are
a lot of differences or similarities within the community.
This’ll be a lot of speculation on my part, i’m not sure if i’ve fished 10. I’m probably around that number now…
Daiwa Seiryu-X 35 is my current favorite toy so it’s on the list for sure.
Daiwa Soyokaze 27SR
Nissin Zerosum Oni Honryu 395
Oni Type III
Tenryu TF39TA would be my backpacking sweetheart
Nissin Pocket Mini 2.7m
Nissin Pocket Mini 3.05m
Nissin Pocket Mini 3.6m
Nissin Pocket Mini 3.9m
for number 10 i think something goofy like a Shimotsuke Oikawa 290, or maybe Nissin Fine Mode Nagare 330
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10 is an awful lot of rods.
I’d say:
Oni Type III
Oni Type 1
Oni Nissin 395
Suntech Keiryu 27
Suntech Kurenai 30
Daiwa LL36SF
Maybe a Gamakatsu Ryokei 360 or 390
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I suspect that perhaps one day I may own ten…but see a collection of that size or larger to be born out of curiosity and definitely not neccesity.
I have a short amount of experience to draw on. Surely opinions will change over time…but today I enjoy fishing traditional tenkara flies and bead headed versions.
If we define tenkara as fishing for trout 3-18" in streams 3-20’ wide…it really reduces the list of must haves.
With that in mind all one needs is one all-round rod or two rods specific to application. …one for delivering weighed flies…one for unweighed.
I mostly fish with one all-round rod. The two other rods i own serve as backup and length variations.
Sato
Rhodo
Tenkara bump 36
I do have curiosity about the oni type I.
Are there better rods out there?
Sure…I bet there are…but they are not going to help me catch more fish. Catching more fish can not be solved in a purchase. Consider how tenkara was founded using bamboo rods…the nuances of modern graphite rods become trivial.
I own three other rods. Bigger water rods and rods for larger fish. Just more toys to play around with.
For me the joy is the intimacy and the setting of catching trout in the small stream. The tools are much less important. I would have just as much fun with a willow branch.
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I’ll keep mine at 5 because I don’t ever foresee ever owning 10:
Suntech GM Suikei Keiryu Special 39
Suntech GM Suikei Keiryu Special 44
Nissan Zerosum 7:3 360
Daiwa Sagiri 39MC
Tenryu Furaibo TF39TA
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Spoken like a guy in Texas who fishes big water!
Personally, I highly doubt that I’ll ever own 10; though I won’t say never. I treat fishing like I do many other things in life; I take a lot of time to research and find what will be a great fit for me and I stick with that. Quality always precedes quantity.
In the case of fishing, I have/want rods for three specific fishing scenarios, which comprises 95% of the water within a maximum of three hour drive.
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Very small streams 2’-5’ (60-150cm) wide and rarely deeper than 2’ (60cm) with small 3"-10" (7.5-25cm) wild trout
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Small to medium streams 5’-15’ (1.5m - 4.5m) wide and anywhere from 0.5’ - 4’ (15cm - 120cm) deep with small to medium trout, often wild and stocked
-
Rivers 25’ - 60’ (7.5 - 18m) wide and anywhere from 1’ - 12’ (25cm - 3.6m) or more deep with mostly stocked and the occasional wild trout that are small to large
-
If I’m desperate, I’ll also head to the pond about 1 mile (2km) from my house for panfish and small mouth bass
So that’s actually four scenarios, but I don’t feel the need for anything different at the pond.
This is what I have or will have shortly:
Shimano LLS33
Tanuki 275
Suntech FM-X Keiryu 45 & 54
Suntech GM Suikei Keiryu Special 39
Nissin Royal Stage 3.6m
The following are ones I’m really curious to try, just to see if I’d like them, but I don’t want them all. One of those situations where I wish I could try before I buy.
Daiwa Expert Tenkara LLS 36
Daiwa Seiryu X 45
Nissin Zerosum 3.6m
Gamakatsu Ryokei 390
Nissin Air Stage Fujiryu 3.6m
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Thank you Chris. :- )
Peder,
Thank you. I see that there are some overlaps and a few specific favorites. This
is indeed very interesting. There are a lot of rods I would like to try out
and try to determine which I feel the most comfortable with as far as length,
feel, and flexibility. Thank you all for your input and experience. Since I have little
to none in the experience department this is a big help to me and I hope other beginning
tenkara anglers…
Sincerely,
Mike Kookagee ><))))))*>
Thank you Ruff and others for your help and advice. All is greatly appreciated.
I for sure don’t think I’ll ever own 10 rods at the same time.
I think 6 is probably the most I could likely own consecutively.
Chris,
I have two rods presently. Both rods came from Peder. I purchased a Nissin 270 cm and
he was also very kind in sending me a 13 ft (290cm) Kugaso (I may have spelled this incorrectly?)
I guess there is kindness to old school teachers after all. :- ) All of you have really been great helping me
and generous with giving me direction in this new sport. Otherwise, I would be floundering about not
having a clue. I still have a long way to go but the journey will be awesome.
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It’s a 390, but hey, who’s counting - right! Haha. Glad you’re happy with them.
Sorry about that. I meant 390 cm. I’m losing it. Thank you again
Peder.
I can squeeze those sizes in most streams as long as they aren’t too overgrown. There was one stream I tried to fish last September in New Mexico but it was just too overgrown for me. Even if I had a shorter length rod, I don’t think I would have stuck to it.
Peder, when I was fishing the Valles Caldera which have very narrow streams, 2 to 5 feet, I had the best luck using my Sagiri 39 with 11 feet of level line and about 2 feet of tippet.
Rob, that’s pretty amazing. How was tree and other cover over the stream?
If you’ve ever seen some of @tvdavisid 's videos on YT, several of the streams he fishes have similar growth to mine (though they look drastically different) and have heavy cover. The 275 I have will sometimes be tight to use.
Zero trees. It’s all open grasslands with grass lining the bank. Hardest part was casting directly in the center so as not to snag the grass. The banks are undercut and that’s where the trout hide.
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That’s beautiful and nothing like where I fish. Seems like it would be a fun challenge. I see why the Sagiri would be perfect for that location.
That looks amazing, I would love to fish a stream like that.