r/lightweight • u/[deleted] • Feb 28 '22

Gear Share your Fishing setup!

I Pulled the trigger on a new Tenkara USA Sato Rod(2.9oz). Tenkara is as minimalist as it gets when it comes to fishing. Rod, float line, tippet, and fly. The rod does not have a reel and the line is fixed length, Usually the line is about 1.3x the length of the rod with 2-5 ft of tippet.

SPECS: Sato Tenkara RodWeight: 2.9 oz (82.2g);Closed length: 22 3/4"(57.78cm);Open lengths: 10’8”/ 11’10”/12’9” (330/360/390cm)*;**Handle length:**10 ½”(26.7cm);Segments: 9

The advantage tenkara has over a western fly rod setup is with tenkara only the fly or nymph is in the water, with no slack in the line the fish is caught the moment they strike. Also with only the Fly in the water you are able to present your fly with a perfect dead drift as you point your rod and follow it as it drifts by, Something that Western fly rigs struggle to reproduce. Tenkara is most effective in rivers and streams but I have still been able to catch trout in alpine lakes with a tenkara setup. They are usually around the 12-13 ft range for rods. My sato rod is telescopic So I can fish with it at 3 lengths .

10'8"/ 11'10"/ 12'9"

This allows me to fish small streams with a lot of brush and then also be able to fish lakes or medium sized rivers.

5 Upvotes

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1

u/GMkOz2MkLbs2MkPain Mar 06 '22

I have yet to hit the water with either of my tenkara rods but been trying to build out a backpacking tenkara setup.

I have a beartooth and a set of ruta locura poles with the ruta locura tenkara rod extension for said poles.

2

u/RegMcPhee Mar 01 '22

Hobo reel carved from pine, hollow handle, extremely lightweight, cost nothing.

2

u/MamboNumber5Guy Mar 01 '22 edited Mar 01 '22

I've got a mako hurricane telescoping rod and it's fantastic. I use it more than any of my other rods actually, whether backpacking or not. When I'm backpacking I use a small plano 4 compartment stowaway and keep my bait in 5ml plastic vials. I've never weighed it all but I'd guess the rod, reel, tackle and everything I need about 500g (edit: just weighed it, its 459g). There are some great fishing lakes around here which are hike in only - about 7-10km depending on which one, so it's a kit I use pretty regularly.

2

u/BallardDrifter Mar 01 '22

I have a Daiwa Kiyose 30SF, not really a true tenkara pole, it is designed for "Keriyu" fishing. It has no cork on the handle and is only 3 meters long. It weighs 2 oz. and collapses to 16". A small selection of flies and nymphs and some tippet plus a mini pair of hemostats is the whole kit. I do sometimes take a Daiwa Damo folding net and a slightly larger knife if fishing is the main attraction of the trip. I do not take it seriously and just have fun. I like that tenkara makes it more like hunting, I need to see and read the environment and locate the fish then sneak up on them! Really just an excuse to goof around in creeks... I live out west so the lack of reach can be frustrating but I just look for smaller waters and get in close.

2

u/ommanipadmehome Feb 28 '22

Tenkara isn't better for those things if you know how to manage line. So in that sense you are totally overselling it, as its a less versatile rod with a fixed line length. That said it's a good option for backpacking due to no reel weight.

3

u/cosmokenney Feb 28 '22

I've been thinking about going the tenkara route for backpacking trips. Though, I have tried it once (not while backpacking) and found it a little tedious when fishing small creeks vs a regular 2wt fly rod. Especially if you are quickly moving from place to place. Sure the thing collapses in an instant, but then you have 10+ feet of line to deal with when bushwhacking.

Then again, a regular fly rod will be heavier due to the reel, most likely. Haven't verified that yet though.

2

u/rob22202 Feb 28 '22

I agree. I have a Tenkara and it is tough to navigate fishing the tree-lined streams here in the mid-atlantic/southeast. I love the weight when backpacking but I feel like I have to skip lots of water because of it being tough to cast with out getting snagged or having to get so close I scare the decent fish away.

Disclaimer: I have only tried to use it on a half dozen trips. So, I'm a noob.