I have the Sawtooth rod setup from Tenkara Rod Co. and enjoy it immensely. One of the hidden benefits is setup time. A friend of mine uses a traditional fly rod, and he is constantly befuddled by how quickly I am setup and casting, vs. the time it takes to put his fly rod/reel combination together. Being ultralight, I am also far more likely to bring this with me on a multi-day hike than something more bulky. Thanks to @ULFlyfish for the great poll, and for anyone who hasn't tried it, Tenkara is a fun intro to fly fishing!
Tenkara is a flyfishing technique that reportedly has been practiced in Japan for centuries. It is relatively new to North America. It utilizes a telescoping ultralight rod but no reel. The line and tippet (that attaches to the fly) are attached directly to the rod tip. The technique focuses on triggering a feeding response in the fish rather than on "matching the hatch" so the selection of flies relied on is much smaller than for traditional flyfishing. It is a super easy way to get into ultralight flyfishing and is perfect for ponds, small lakes and in particular for streams that hold trout, smallmouth or largemouth bass and of course panfish. I love it because it is compact, ultralight and quick to set-up and breakdown so you can be fishing (or back to hiking) in a minute or two. If you've enjoyed Tenkara yourself, please add to the discussion!
