Choosing a Tenkara Rod

---

So far as I can tell, there are four considerations that must be taken into account when choosing a Tenkara rod.

1) What length rod do you need?

2) What action do you want on your rod?

3) What is your budget?

4) Aesthetics, or, what do you want the rod to look and feel like?

Let's take a look at these considerations, one by one.

First, the length of your rod. Shorter rods are often lighter, which makes them easier to carry over long distances. It also makes them more comfortable for casting on long days of fishing. Shorter rods are also easier to maneuver on streams and rivers lined with trees. I suggest starting off with a Tenkara rod that is ten or twelve feet unless you are already an avid fly fisherman with plans to hit big open water.

Second, rod action. Rod action refers to how much bend there is in your Tenkara rod, and also how far down your rod the bend travels. You are often going to read about three types of rod actions:

7:3 action, also known as a tip-flex rod. The idea is that the 30% of the rod near the tip flexes more than the bottom 70%.

6:4 action, also known as a mid-flex rod. This is what most people are expecting to feel when they set a hook; not too hard, and not too soft.

5:5 action, also known as a full-flex rod. These rods have the most bend along the entire length of the rod and as a result, the softest action.

Having said all this, the rod-action ratings given by manufacturers are just approximations. A Japanese 6:4 rod from Daiwa will not flex exactly the same way as an Indonesian 6:4 rod from Daiwa. If you start to compare actions from different manufacturers, you will find even larger variations in flex. Rod-action ratings are more 'feel' than science.

Third, what is your budget? Japanese rods are sometimes more expensive than Chinese rods. There are reasons for this. Japanese rods are often, frankly, exquisite. They tend to be lightweight, strong, and remarkably well-crafted. Some - not all - rods from countries other than Japan lack the level of craftsmanship found in Japanese rods.

That being said, not all Japanese rods are expensive. For example, the Kongo Yamasemi Tenkara Rod from Sakura is less than $200.00, and it's made by a small Japanese company that has been crafting beautiful fishing rods since 1888. 

Fourth, aesthetics. Once you know how long you want your rod to be and what flex action you are looking for, go find a rod that looks and feels good to you and buy it. Aesthetics are important. You have to touch the handle, so it might as well be cork or cypress. You have to look at it while you are fishing so it might as well be visually appealing. There are options, so do yourself a favor and avoid the distraction of an ugly rod with a synthetic handle. You can thank me later.

Fish on!