This is a beautiful stream.
R Ruff, you and I probably have similar taste in rod and line if you cut your teeth on streams like that…
My quiver is 9 rods at this moment. I often have a Sakura Seki Rei or a Kongo but those are rods that get moved to someone that wants one.
So this is my quiver, my personal rods that I use.
Tenkara USA: Ito, Sato and Rhodo
Nissin: Mini V3 2.7, 3.6 and 4.5
Nissin: Zerosum 3.2, 3.6, 4.5 and Zerosum Oni Honryu 4.5
Tenkara USA rods get the home stream workout. I have different streams for each. I really really like the ITO, it’s the oldest rod in my quiver (I use the new version of the Ito) followed up by the Sato which is like my swiss army knife of rods. The Rhodo is excellent for bushwacking.
The Nissin Mini V3 are my travel rods. If I get on a plane, this is the kit I take. They are the rods I explore with.
The Zerosum rods get used now and then for certain streams and situations. I often use the 4.5 for winter fishing in town. The 3.2m is a magic rod and the 3.6m is an all around rod, not specifically suited for any of my fishing, it’s just a great example of a light line tenkara rod that I enjoy.
The Oni Honryu rod is for Marble Canyon and the big rainbows of the Colorado River.
I have a couple of one off rods, an 8m two hand for large fish and a bait rod, both are Shimano but I do not consider them tenkara rods.
I was given an old Sakura rod by Yuzo Sebata, it is a fantastic rod that I’ve yet to write a story about. It looks like a bamboo wazu rod but it is graphite and fiberglass, amazing. And it is about 30 years old and his personal tenkara rod from that time.
So I have 9 in my active quiver.
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Interesting to revisit this thread 6+ months later.
I have grown as a fisherman, I think. I am now fishing longer rods all around, even on smaller water.
I still don’t know if I could reasonably build a list of 10 rods, but I’ll try:
Oni Type III
Oni Honryu 395
Daiwa Seiryu-X 35
Tenryu TF39TA
Pocket Mini 2.7
Suntech GM27
Fine Mode Nagare 540 2-way for some interesting long reach+small fish fun
That new Karasu looks and sounds very impressive, but we will see when they start getting in peoples’ hands
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I have both the Sato and the Oni type 1 and they are very similar in feel and casting. I you own the Sato then the Oni 1 will just be a more expensive version in my opinion and not only mine, I think Jason Klass or Tom Davis in one of their reviews said the same thing. Plus the Oni replacement parts are $46.00 for the first two sections compared to $17.00 for the first three sections of the Sato. Alton
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Thanks for the info.
The specs are a lot different though. I am surprised by the comparison.
I tried to find the Tom or Jason’s comparison but was unable to locate it. Can you forward it to me?
I am in a holding pattern anyway at this point, and have plenty of rods.
Maybe I should get more rods… I only have two 
I am interested in a zoom rod, the only thing about the Sato that puts me off is how it apparently comes up short on the given measurements. Is this the case with all copies? I fish a 390 normally so think I may notice the difference.
Other than that always considering one of the Tenkara bum travellers.
That comparison must’ve come from Jason, because I did not compare the Sato to the Oni type I. The Oni is a much higher quality rod with considerably better balance and overall action, particularly with a light level line. I do agree, however, that the replacement parts are more expensive than for the Sato. There’s nothing overtly wrong with the Sato, but it’s just not in the same class as the Oni type I, IMO.
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10 cm or three inches might be hard to detect I would suspect that other attributes would be more noticeable than 3 inches.
I love the sato. That thing takes a beating and is also a very nice rod.
It is so robust that I would say it is value is in both that…and how well it fishes.
I have whacked that thing so hard so many times where I thought it would break but it hasn’t.
It is a rod I would take to war.
In terms of zoom rods. I like them, but will mostly fish them at full extension. I like both the rhodo and the sato better at full extension. I fish the suntech gm at full, but it casts better at the first and second length.
The idea behind zoom is pretty cool, but in practice its value may be questionable. I do use it often to get it into tighter spots, but I am starting to get my line length dialed in, where changing rod length messes with my accuracy. Really changing 10 inches is not a huge shift in reach or clearance…so dropping from the third to the first length really starts to make a line length change necessary.
In my mind…the utility is in…a one rod sort of mentality. Like when backpacking or hiking you might only pick one to bring. Thus TB sells the GM series as a travel rod. The second, I will usually drop my rod length to the lowest setting when moving spots. Taking 2 feet off a rod can make navigation easier.
I love my suntech GM but would not consider it to have the same durability as the sato. I have not broken anything on it, but the tip diameter is much thicker on the sato than the GM I would suspect that the GM 39…aka…Tenkara bum traveller might be equally as thin as my gm 53 if not thinner.
It is not to knock the suntech rods and they do have slightly different casting attributes that plenty people prefer, but durability is also a concern. The only rod I have ever busted was a suntech brand and I accidentally treated it like my Sato…and gave it a yank on a snag.
I do love my GM 53. that series is awesome. I would consider it a slightly more delicate caster. So what you may trade off in durability you might gain in enjoyment.
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Always a trade off as such! Thanks for that insight.
I am trying to keep my rod selection as minimal as possible really. I am happy with my TRY 390. I started with their 1st step 360 and that’s what I currently have.
My most local river is quite tight indeed and raising the rod tip vertically to land a fish is hard in most places to I tend towards using a short 6ft 6 3wt. I do miss all things Tenkara when using this though.
Maybe just opting for a substantially shorter rod, something in the 300cm mark to couple up with my 390 as a two rod set up would be ideal. But then… when it comes to packing for a long work trip, 4 weeks on the road across 3 continents each with stellar fishing then what would I pack. The 390 is great but can get caught up in less open water…
Maybe its the 300 for home, a zoom rod for travelling, the 390 for more open water at home… I’ll be at 10 soon haha.
look at the rhodo…that thing drops down to 270.
It is somewhat acrobatic…but you can fish full extension and drop down to 270 to land.
I have done this with zooms. Often its documented that guys will fish at the short extension but go longer for the landing leverage…but there is utility in the inverse direction as well.
I personally find fishing those tight quarters a lost battle and avoid them. More often then not I miss a hookset and the fly ends up in a tree…hahhahahaha. Often my on the water objective is to release stress not to generate.
Here is the e-mail, but they both differ in their views of the rods. Jason thinks the rods are similar while Tom wrote me and said the Oni 1 is a much more premium rod than the Sato. I will be posting my Oni 1 soon on the marketplace if my wrists doesn’t heal. I will be asking $240, but that includes two of the first two tip sections that run about $46.00 a piece. Tenkara USA Releases Two New Rods for 2014 | Tenkara Talk
Thanks…
Thats a great deal. If I could afford to jump on it, I would. A buddy of mine offered to sell me his, but the timing is just off. Maybe in the year 2000 I can pull the trigger.
I really like zoom rods. I have a Rhodo and also previously had the Suntech that is now the “traveler” rod. I like the fact that you can fish different parts of a piece of water by lengthening the rod and not having to move your feet. I often zoom in and out while fishing the same pool. I do agree that the zoom rods don’t cast as well for me as single length rods.
If I was looking at the Sato vs. the Traveler, I would absolutely get the Sato. I had some major issues with the Suntech falling apart on me (lillian glue joint failed on two different tip sections), and I can say that the Rhodo is a tank that will take serious abuse.
You won’t regret that choice. One of my favorite rods. I have the version before it became the traveler in the 390cm size. It’s often what I grab when exploring unknown waters. It can handle nearly any size trout that I regularly encounter. When at the 320cm length, if needed, I can sit on my knees and fish tons of complex and crowded streams. I usually fish mine with 3.5m of level line and adjust the length of my tippet depending on my situation.
https://esoterictackle.co.uk/tenkara/157-strooan-zoom-tenkara-rod-0700729930830.html
Have you considered the Esoteric Tackle Tenkara rods -
They do a Stroan zoom which has had good reviews. I think @tvdavisid reviewed it in his Teton Tenkara blog.
I used to own a couple of the other Esoteric rods and can vouch for their quality. Only reason I sold them was because I have changed my whole approach to ‘Tenkara’ or Fixed Line fly fishing. I now only use 4 Shimotsuke Kiyotaki rods in different lengths as they all compact to 15” and allow me to carry tackle concealed in a rucksack where ever I go, either walking or by public transport. I also prefer the handle set-up as I find the non-cork/composite handle more sensitive, but that is just personal preference.
However I do like the sound of the TenkaraBum rods, in fact any that @CM_Stewart sells. Buying from him is rather like a kid in a Candy store - lost for choice😀
I couldn’t find any Tom Davis review of the Strooan triple zoom rod, but I did find a review by Jason Klass on Tenkaratalk from a couple of years ago.
http://tenkaratalk.com/2016/11/esoteric-tackle-strooan-zoom-tenkara-rod/
And Esoteric Tackle’s introduction video from two years ago.
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David,
Jason did the review (as you found out). I’ve never reviewed that rod (that’s why you couldn’t find it).
-Tom
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Oops! Sorry Tom I remember seeing a review but got my reviewers mixed up. Put it down to my age😀
Suntech kurenai HM30R
Oni type I & III (even though i haven’t received them yet…i just know)
Tenryu Furaibo 39 & 39TA
Oni Honryu 450
Traveler 27
Soon to be Hakuabi 240 when Tenbum gets them in (I just love chasing tiny brookies)
Daiwa Expert LT H44 when i chase big boys
Sawanabori 53
That Hakuabi 240 looks interesting. I wasn’t familiar with it. I have an Anglo Kowasa which is a bit longer, may be nice to have something even shorter since the Kowasa is sometimes even a bit too long. I love how small the Kowasa packs down, with that and the TF39TA I can fish a wide variety of water with very little carry weight and bulk.
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