Cheap Tenkara Rod Review

The ultimate cheap tenkara rod in action on Straight Fork and Soco Creek in Cherokee, NC. I bought an $8 metal tenkara (link below) to use on small trout streams and compare it to my much more expensive carbon fiber tenkara rod from TenkaraUSA. Funny.... the line on this tenkara rod cost more than the rod!

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[UtahJenks]

Great video and thank you for sharing it! I've been fly fishing for over twenty five years. And I love these little rods. I have four daughters that I desperately want to get the fly fishing bug. So far two out of four have it. As I pondered over how to get the two kids that are not so interested on board, a light bulb went off and I knew using Tenkara type poles would take the confusion over line management out of the equation. Not wanting to lose any more expensive gear, I bought four of these exact rods. Turns out this was the ideal way to lure them in to our sport. I live in the mountains of Utah so we get out regularly. None of the rods have broken yet, knock on bamboo/wood. And before we took them out I took the butt cap off and applied a coat of candle wax on all parts that would be in the high friction zone. I believe that alleviated any of the sections from locking together. We haven't landed any trout more than four pounds yet and the rods did exceptionally well with the big boys. However I must note that we are very much a catch and release family but more importantly I instill in them that having the correct ethos and being outstanding stewards of the outdoors trumps everything else in every situation. The larger fish that were hooked on these rods were played for a long time as you can imagine. That being said, they ended up being lunch and dinner as it was the most ethical choice after trying to revive them. I explained to the kids how this particular river is stocked to the rim so don't feel bad, feel proud that you made the best decision and thank the fish as well as our creator for the unexpected harvest. Not long ago, I stopped two rangers and they were nice enough to take the time to talk with us and offer some education. They asked us to take a few for dinner each time we come as it is overstocked in this particular area for all of the vacationers that visit. I will be buying the longer versions of these rods this week. I never thought I would say this when I purchased the originals but "I cant recommend these rods enough for someone trying to get kids into the outdoors or if backcountry tiny stream fishing is your thing". Just make sure they treat the delicate rod with great care, especially with a fish on that weighs over half a pound. Oh and our nets are extendable to four feet and that is crucial with these yellow toothpicks.

[kantill]

I have a cheap one from amazon, it says it's made of carbon fiber. It only costs me 5 bucks. I use it for small creeks and coverts. I like that it's small enough to keep in my backpack and cheap enough if it was to break I wouldn't care. I have caught many of pan fryers size trout with it. Over all one of my most used fishing gear.

[retnav]

No experience with that type of gear, but am wondering if it would collapse easier if held vertical (large diameter at the bottom of course). Maybe (just guessing) the sections tend to bottom-out and the ends catch on each other internally when held horizontally.

Nice location and scenery!

[LiborJess]

Hi very nice video, but Japanese tenk has a specific tip of the tip (lilian) and the rod is missing. Otherwise good

[cretudavid]

Just bought one for nearly 1$ and 50 cents 😂

[panchovillasmith]

Any suggestions for cheap fishing lines?

[dkat]

Just getting into Tenkara so this rod is perfect if it don't work out I'm not loosing a lot of money....

[jamesaritchie]

I would call that a real Tenkara rod, either. Why don't you buy the real thing and try it. You won't get one for eight dollars, though. Good, real Tenkara rods start around sixty to seventy dollars, and go up from there. Somewhere around a hundred and twenty dollars is probably the best compromise. Not cheap, maybe, but not very expensive, either, at least when compared to some of the bass rod, fly rods, or surf rods on the market.

[FishFinder]

Sometimes the cheapest gear ends up being the best. I also have a kayak DIY channel... enjoying yours so far

[carlosandreblatt]

I use to apply some candle wax to the rod joints (just a tiny bit) to prevent segments from getting stuck.
Nice vid!

[MethodFeeder]

Nice video my friend ! Flysofishing Subscribe

[fishkeepercole]

I've only watched the intro and Im already hooked! New subscriber right here! I love the enthusiasm you have, it makes the video much more enjoyable.

[ernieflynn]

Good review, I bought this rod and o did have one break in a tree. However I have caught a good number of fish on them and they have got me going on tenkara fishing f and I like it. But hey you get what you pay for right?

[WanderingFromKansas]

I'm still looking forward to the next cheap tenkara review!

[somuchtovideo]

My kids fished with this rod in 2017.  They loved it and caught tons of small trout in small streams with no issues.  I bought more for my grandkids.

[mitchwilliams]

I've had the same rod for a couple of weeks now, got it to see what tenkara was all about and now don't really see a need for one of a higher price. I haven't encountered any problems collapsing mine.

[terrancejones]

Steve, love the rod and added some modification. Hard to beat the $7.79 price tag and so far held up to good size panfish. Never had the jamming problems. Also got the $15 rod on Amazon. Looks nicer but have not used it yet.

[tenkaraintheiowadriftless]

“...where I can use my “real” fly rod...” I hope when you said this you weren’t inferring tenkara isn’t real fly fishing.

[SarahsCarryOn]

This is awesome I watch another YouTuber that uses theSe

[fernandi]

*Well I have to say, he nailed it and had a blast as he caught fish after fish. I tried it as well and fell in love with the simplistic elegance of it all! So much so, as soon as I got home I ordered one for myself! The minimalism of the whole experience is compelling. I get lost in the motion of picking up my fly and laying it down, plus, the rig is so feather light I can do it for hours without a break. There are times when fishing tight, small streams, that I don't even waste any energy bringing my overpriced fly rods and only bring my Tenkara. If you are an experienced fly fisherman or someone just looking to get into fly fishing you owe it to yourself to experience Tenkara. You won't regret a minute of it!*