One of the most common questions I’m contacted about is how to choose a tenkara rod. “What rod should I get or what length tenkara rod should I buy? The answer to that question lies in how you intend to use the rod. The waters you plan to fish and the species you plan to target. Just like regular fly rods, tenkara rods vary broadly and the type or size of rod you choose relates to what you’ll be using the rod for.
In conventional fly fishing, you wouldn’t use your 3wt to go steelhead fishing. And you probably wouldn’t use a spey rod on a pond or a 12wt fly rod on a mid-size trout river. Picking the right tool for your fishing “job”. will translate into greater ease, comfort and success. Can you use a sledgehammer on a finishing nail? Sure. Can you saw a 2×4 with a nail file. Probably. It just might take you an extremely long time. So not efficient at all. Likewise, with your tenkara rod. While there are a lot of difference between different rods, let just talk length. Is a short or long rod better and what are the pros and cons of each?
When I began fishing tenkara, way back in the day, a 12ft tenkara rod was not considered long. Twelve feet was more typically a baseline of where they started, then went up from there – 13ft, 14ft, 15ft….18ft on up. Since you traditionally paired a tenkara rod with a short, tight line, a long rod was seen as a benefit and desirable. Length allowed you to reach fish. It allowed you to extend over rocks and reach over back eddies or seams without your line touching the water and getting sucked or dragging into strong currents which is a real challenge with a regular fly rod.
A long rod also gives you more leverage to stop and hold fish, especially on a fixed setup. A fly rod or tenkara rod, is essentially a lever. A longer lever gives you a greater mechanical advantage to lift or fight a fish. You are able to apply more force with less effort – no different than trying to lift something very heavy with a long crowbar, verses and very short one. You get more bang for your buck with a long one.
Another benefit of a long rod’s reach when line is kept off the surface of the water is an increase in sensitivity. Line on the water creates surface tension and friction. Both of these adverse forces decrease tactile feedback from your rod and diminish its sensitivity. This can have an impact on the speed of your hook set, and not for the better.
Even with line on the water, just the increase in leverage alone that a longer rod provides, is undeniable and an absolute benefit when fighting larger more powerful fish. If targeting smaller trout in tight water, a long rod can be a hindrance and the added power and strength you get from a long lever may not be as important as maneuverability, particularly when fishing in tight places. This is when a short tenkara rod become beneficial.
Short rods, regardless of the type, flex or material, are simply shorter levers, so will not have as much power as a longer rod. If you’re targeting wild cutthroat, greenbacks, small rainbows, etc. power may not be an essential part of your fishing requirements. If you fish small streams and creeks where fast seams and back currents are non-existent or a non-issue, then again, having a very long reach may be less important. Tight streams with overhead tree growth can become a nightmare for the tenkara angler using a very long rod. Casting will become impossible and even setting a hook without smacking your rod into brush and branches will be difficult, let alone landing a fish since you have no room to draw your rod back far enough to take hold of your line. I have lived through this experience and left the river feeling grateful that I somehow avoided broking my 13.5ft tenkara rod.
Although there are ways to work within this scenario, (such as pairing a long rod with an extremely short line – at least the length of your rod), it certainly isn’t ideal and can make a simple tenkara outing, a day filled with frustration or worse, a rod than needs repairing. Thinking through your tenkara fishing goals will help you make the best rod choice. What about a happy medium? Does one exit?
Yes. There are plenty of tenkara rods that provide enough leverage to manage hefty fish in the 20-24″ range that are available in manageable lengths. Some of these rods have zoom features that allow you to fish the rod at two or sometimes even three different lengths. Zoom features not only change the length of the rod but typically change the feel, flex and action of the rod too. In their shortest position, zoom rods are faster and stiffer. As you extend the additional sections, zoom rods not only become longer but also “flexier”, and slower. Where they have their deepest bend along the entire length of the rod will also be impacted and will change the flex profile of the rod. Understanding this helps the tenkara angler “tweak” his or her casting stroke to adapt to the variances in the zoom rod’s flex.
Short or long? That is often the question. But it doesn’t have to be a difficult question to answer. Both types of rods have their pros and cons. Both types of rods offer benefits, and both types of rods have drawbacks. The real question to ask is “How do I intend to use my tenkara rod?” Do I need a lot of leverage and power? Will I be casting long lines in bigger water? Will I be targeting big fish in small water? Will my fishing outings be spent squeezing through brush and maneuvering around lower hanging branches? Am I going after hardy browns and fat rainbows or 6″ greenbacks? These are the more critical questions to ask yourself before making a decision on what type of tenkara rod to purchase.
To learn more about How to choose a Tenkara Rod, check out this article which you may find helpful. Finally, ask questions. At Zen Tenkara we are always happy to discuss your tenkara goals and give you suggestions and guidance on which rod might best suite your personal fishing.