Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Tenkara Rod Co....The New Kid On the Block

Nice brookie taken with a  Tenkara Rod Co. rod
 When it comes to fishing I have never thought of myself as a "gear junkie" but I came to the realization the other day that I am certainly on the path to becoming one.  I began fishing with a small yellow spin rod at the age of 6 or 7.  I had that rod for many years and until I came across tenkara I had only acquired two more spin rods.  One was for fresh water and the other for salt water.  Since I discovered tenkara I would say 95% of my fishing has been with tenkara rods or using tenkara the method.  My first tenkara rod was a Tenkara USA 12' Yamame. Since then I have picked up a number of rods from TUSA and Chris Stewart the "TenkaraBum."  Each and everyone fills a specific niche in the various bodies of water I fish.  These would include small mountain streams, ponds and tidal salt water marshes.  I never planned on becoming a tenkara gear junkie but it just happened.  I guess being a gear junkie means I probably do spend a fair amount of time keeping my eye on what's new in the tenkara world

The Sawtooth
The Teton
When it comes to books and fishing gear I generally am the guy who judges a book by it's cover (albeit...very carefully).  Though many new companies have sprung up selling tenkara rods and gear, I have stuck with Tenkara USA and TenkaraBum for various reasons.  I am not going to knock any of these new companies because it would be unfair to judge them without having tested and tried them out on the water.  But to be honest, none have really jumped out at me.  That is until recently.  I came across several blog posts regarding a new company called Tenkara Rod Co.  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1135127166/tenkara-rod-co-a-simple-way-to-fish?ref=live.
Though I haven't yet had the chance to test one of these rods out I do like the "book cover" I see.  You can learn more about this new company by going to the link above.  It looks like they will initially be offering the two rods pictured above. Both the Teton and Sawtooth are 12' rods and have beautiful designs.  The Sawtooth has an action index of 5:5, for those who prefer a softer rod, while the Teton has one of 6:4 for a little more stiffness.  Hopefully after I get a chance to test one or both of their rods I will be able to add The Tenkara Rod Co. to the list of trusted tenkara rod dealers whose rods I carry with me on the water every time I go fishing. In the meantime, it will be fun to follow the progress of this new company and see how they grow.


2 comments:

  1. Chris, I got my sawtooth rod from the company tonight. I do like the look, but it feels a little heavier than I would expect for a 5:5 rod. I you would ever like to give it a try, let me know and I would be happy to lend it over to you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the offer Archaeologyknits...but hold on to it. the days left for good fishing this summer are rapidly winding down. Give it a good test drive and let others know what you think of it. The Guys at Tenkara Rod Co. mentioned they may want me to review one personally. Though I appreciate the offer.

    ReplyDelete