Tenkara Tanuki XL-1 -- review

A few weeks ago I received a new rod from Tenkara Tanuki. Labeled the XL-1, it is a rod that has been anticipated by the tenkara community for some time. Luong Tam, owner of Tenkara Tanuki, is not shy about letting us know what he's up to, and because of this, his projects are followed with excitement.

Here is what Luong says about his new rod: "Tanuki XL-1 Project - From US to Italy

Tanuki XL-1 is considered to be a long tenkara rod with the length of 405 cm (13’4”). The main benefits of Tanuki XL-1 are it casts like a good 360 (12’ rod) and fish-on is like Tanuki 325. The main challenges of making long tenkara rod are better ergonomics, casting accuracy and handling the fish like a shorter rod.

Using a lighter and softer rod would put less pressure on fisher’s wrist. In order to build a light rod, I need to use higher module carbon fiber. Higher module carbon fiber is lighter and stiffer than lower module one. The challenge is to make it softer with higher module carbon fiber. I asked myself, “Can I have a softer feeling rod with higher module carbon?”. I want to push the boundary a little bit on Tanuki XL-1. I took the initial Tanuki XL (395 cm) to the Oni School in summer, 2016. I have received mostly negative feedbacks like, “It is too soft and lacks Tanuki characteristics”.

I built several new prototypes that are a notch softer than Tanuki 425 rods and extended the length of 395 cm to 405 cm, then took those rods on the road with me to the Tenkara Jam in North Carolina. After months of endless testing on fly fishing trade shows and other fishing related events here in the US and Italy. The results were overwhelming positive. I am surprised to learn that European fishers like a little softer prototype than US fishers."

Luong loaned me the black version of the XL-1 and I was able to put it to the test.

The rod came in a clear plastic rod tube along with a red fabric sleeve. The rod is very handsome. It is dark charcoal in color, with the rod designation a rich, deep red. The finish is glossy. There are a couple of red color accents and gold bands on some, but not all of the segments, as well.

The handle is EVA foam; red "camo" pattern on this rod. It has a subtle camel shape and is very comfortable to hold. The handle is 28.5 cm long.

The tip plug is anodized metal, has the Tanuki "swimming fish" logo on it, and has a length of extra lilian material to discourage it from being lost so easily. The insert is plastic and fits snuggly into the rod blank. The butt cap is gold anodized metal. It has a coin slot and knurling to aid in its removal. It also has a small air hole.

The lilian is red, and is moderately thick. It is attached to the tip segment with a perfectly executed glue joint. The rod can be completely disassembled for cleaning and drying.

Here are some measurements:

Fully extended: 402 cm
Fully nested: 63.5 cm
Weight (without tip plug): 72.4 g
CCS: 16 pennies
RFI: 3.9
Rotational moment: 5.6

Casting the rod is a real pleasure. The rod is so light and well balanced, with such an impressive rotational moment for a 400+ cm rod, that it feels as if there is no swing weight at all. The action is relaxed and smooth. There is no appreciable tip over shoot or oscillation noticed. Both linear and rotational dampening are excellent.

I fished the rod a number of times. I mainly used a 390 cm #2.5 fluorocarbon level line with 3 feet of tippet. I could place the fly anywhere I wanted it to go, and place the fly first on the water on every cast. That right there is a testament to the quality of this rod. The fish I caught were "standard" sized western trout -- 8-12 inches.

The only issues I had with the rod was due to its "soft" RFI I did loose a few fish when they jumped. I think this was due to the soft hook set. This was pretty infrequent, however.

Here is a brief video of me fishing the rod. The first scene has the sun angle just right so you can see the cast in its full arc, as well as seeing the flight of the line. Notice that the line never touches the water; the fly lands first on each cast.





Conclusion: I really like this rod!  The Tanuki XL-1 is a beautiful rod and performs wonderfully. It is a joy to fish and would be a prized addition to any tenkara anglers rod quiver. With its light weight and perfect balance, it can be fished for hours without arm fatigue, or without even noticing it's there! It feels like a natural extension of your casting arm.  I just might have to pick one up for myself!

Disclaimer: My opinion regarding this rod is just that, my opinion. Your opinion may differ.  Also, your rod may not have the same length, issues, or functionality as my rod. There are variations between rods, even in the same production run. No description can fully tell you how a rod feels or fishes. For this, you must personally hold, cast, and fish the rod then make up your own mind. 
I was loaned this rod by Tenkara Tanuki  but liking it so much, I purchased it after the review. 

TenkaraBum Tactical Nymphing Sighter -- I'm a believer!

I've been using sighters ever since I started tenkara in late 2011/early 2012. I've experimented with different materials and colors, as well as color combinations. What works for me, on my waters and with my eyes is 6-8 inches of green Amnesia 8-10 lb tied to the end of an orange Hi-Vis fluorocarbon level line.

This has worked for me for years, and I was reluctant to try any thing new. But with the release of TenkaraBum's Tactical Nymphing Sighter earlier this year I was in a quandary.  I wanted to try it, but I didn't want to spend the money. I already had the Amnesia, and, I must admit, the Tactical Sighter was spendy for how much you got. Also, I wasn't sure it would be better than what I was already using.

Shamelessly stolen from TenkaraBum (please pardon me, Chris!)

Well, a few months ago I broke down and bought some. I didn't know what size to buy, so I bought the 0.010".  I was impressed with how it felt, but it was too narrow of diameter for me to see it! I then bought some 0.011" hoping it would be better for my eyes. I was not disappointed!

The material is much more supple than Amnesia making it easier to tie to the fluorocarbon level line and it has much, much less hinging effect when casting. I was amazed! I've been using it on my #2.5 lines and I have really grown to like it!

As far as the colors, they are bright. The green is brighter than Amnesia green. The red is about the same. As far as the white, it doesn't work for me. The vast majority of my streams are modest to high gradient and there is a lot of white water. The white of the Tactical Nymphing Sighter just blends right in. I can't see it for the life of me -- sun in front, sun overhead, sun behind, cloudy day, morning, midday, evening -- it doesn't matter. White doesn't work on my streams (I haven't tried it on slow moving water with lots of foliage in the background) -- at least with my eyes. What does work for me is the green.

For tenkara I still use an orange Hi-Vis level line, but I tie to it the green section of the Tactical Nymphing Sighter only. I tie it so the there is one of the black sections between the orange of the level line and the green sighter. To the end of the sighter I tie on a tippet ring.

For my clear keiryu lines I use the whole Tactical Nymphing Sighter -- white, red, green, white.

So there you have it --  I really like this sighter. I wish it didn't cost so much (especially since I only use the green portion of the sighter) and I wish it came in a 0.012" diameter as well. But it's much better than Amnesia IMO, so it's worth it!

DRAGONtail Talon Tenkara Rod -- review

DRAGONtail Tenkara recently released a new rod designed to be even more compact and mobile than their other tenkara rods. This new offering is called the Talon, and is a great addition to their tenkara rod line up. Brent Auger of DRAGONtail offered to loan me one of the rods to test out. I, of course, said yes and put the rod to the test.

The Talon is a compact rod that is overall dark charcoal in color, matte in finish, but with some dark blue accents on some of the segments.

The handle is black EVA foam and is camel shaped. The curves are subtle and the rod is easy to hold in many different configurations.

The butt cap is blue anodized metal, has an air hole and coin slot. The tip plug is wooden with rubber insert.

The lilian is dark brown, and attached to the to tip section via a well done micro swivel. The rod can be completely disassembled for drying and cleaning.

Here are some measurements:

Fully extended: 332 cm
Nested: 43.5 cm
Weight (without tip cap):75.9 g
CCS: 18 pennies
RFI: 5.4

The Talon is advertised as a great rod for backpacking, due to it's compact nested length. I, therefore, decided to take it on a hike and fish it in a small back country stream.

I fished the Talon with a nine foot #3.5 level fluorocarbon line. It cast this line very easily, and I'm sure that the Talon could cast a #3 line or a heavier furled just as well. The action is smooth and ever so slightly tip flex.

I caught typical size trout from the back country stream. Both cutthroats and brookies were hooked and landed. Since they were small, the Talon had no issues subduing them. It also did a great job of keeping them out of the underwater snags, due to its quick response time.

Conclusion: I like this rod. It is a nice addition to the DRAGONtail line up and would be a great rod for hiking, biking, fishing a small stream, or just has to have as a back up rod. It's got a very nice action and excellent balance. If you need a 3.3 m rod, check this one out!

Disclaimer: My opinion regarding this rod is just that, my opinion. Your opinion may differ.  Also, your rod may not have the same length, issues, or functionality as my rod. There are variations between rods, even in the same production run. No description can fully tell you how a rod feels or fishes. For this, you must personally hold, cast, and fish the rod then make up your own mind. 
I receive advertising revenue from DRAGONtail Tenkara, but this does not imply a favorable review of their products. I was loaned this rod and returned it after the review.

August 14, 2017

I fished a small mountain stream that I really like. It has challenging terrain, the fish are good sized for the water, and the area is beautiful.  I haven't been able to fish it this year due to the high water levels. Believe or not, run off has just started to slow. Yes, we had a lot of snow this past winter.

I caught browns and rainbows. It was fun fighting them in a 6-8 foot wide stream with a 7 foot line.

Here are some of the fish:

Wild Trout with No Place to Fight them

I recently fished a mountain stream that was new to me. It has wild, native cutthroat trout but its high gradient and generous flows make it difficult to fish. If you do hook one of the trout it is hard to fight them as there is no place to steer the fish to calmer water.

I found wading to be a challenge, but landing the trout to be an even greater challenge. I did land a few 14 inchers, but I lost one 16+ inch cutthroat because he immediately went down stream, through some rapids, and into a log jam. What I nice fish; bummer I couldn't steer him out of the hazards.

I took some video of my fishing. Here it is:

Discover Tenkara Karasu 400 -- review

I recently reviewed the very nice Karasu 360 tenkara rod from Discover Tenkara. I like that rod very much, and so I was very excited to get in the mail its big brother, the Karasu 400. I've had it for a little while and had a chance to fish with it along side comparable rods.

For the sake of brevity I'll not be describing the rod, as it looks exactly like a beefier version of the Karasu 360.  Only the rod designation is different -- reflecting the 400 cm  length.

Here are some of my measurements:

Fully nested: 56 cm
Fully extended: 405 cm
Weight (without tip plug): 98 g
CCS: 21 pennies
RFI: 5.2
Rotational Moment: 7

Without tip plug

RFI comparison chart (click to enlarge)

I fished the rod on a mountain stream of moderate gradient. I used a #3 level line that, with tippet, was equal to the extended length of the rod. I used unweighted sakasa kebari as well as beadhead nymphs. I caught trout, browns and rainbows, in the 10-12 inch range.  For comparison, I fished it alongside (same line and flies) the Suntech Suikei TenkaraBum 40 tenkara rod. I chose this rod because it is of the same advertised length and, like the Karasu, was designed by a non-Japanese tenkara angler (but with input from Japanese rod consultants), and is made and marketed in Japan and worldwide. I thought it would be the perfect comparison for the Karasu.

For comparison, here are my measurements for the TB40:

Fully collapsed: 60 cm
Fully extended: 399.5 cm
Weight (without tip plug): 72.2 g
CCS: 19 pennies
RFI: 4.75
Rotational Moment: 5.5

I found the Karasu 400 to be a very nice rod. I really like its overall action and flex profile. The RFI is perfect for my style of tenkara. However, it's noticeably heavier than the TB40. The weight may be an issue for someone like me who has had issues with lateral epicondylitis, AKA, tennis elbow. But more importantly, the Karasu is noticeably more tip heavy than the TB40, despite its good overall balance. With a rotational moment of 7 it has more inertia or swing weight than the TB40, which has a rotational moment of only 5.5. Any number over 6 and the rod feels tip heavy; the larger the number, the more tip heavy. Likewise, the larger the number also means more stress on your forearm and more chance of micro-tears being induced in the extensor tendon with repeated use.

Linear and rotational dampening is quite good for the Karasu 400, but it takes longer to settle down than the TB40. I wanted to make sure I was seeing this correctly (as dampening seems to be a large part of Discover Tenkara's selling point for this rod) so I got some independent, impartial observers to help. They both agreed that the dampening was faster with the TB40. The Karasu still dampens quite quickly, however.

Both rods cast beautifully, with finesse and precision. Both rods handled unweighted and weighted flies equally well. Both rods exhibit the paragon of quality fit, finish and manufacturing expertise. And both rods easily handled any and all of the trout that I caught (but I certainly didn't catch any "monsters"). In short, both rods, the Karasu 400 being the topic of this review, are excellent rods.

I don't know how either rod handles trout over 18 inches in fast current flow, as I didn't catch any the days I had the Karasu. I'm sure that the Karasu 400 would be up to the challenge, however.

Conclusion: This is a very nice rod. I will say that the heavier weight and higher rotational moment are deal breakers for me -- as I has already stated that my arm would not be able to take hours of fishing with the Karasu 400. But as for you, I think the Karasu 400 is a very nice rod that deserves consideration if you're looking for a 400 cm tenkara rod. I personally like the Karasu 360 better; it dampens better than the 400 and it's (of course) lighter.

Have I bit the bullet and laid down the cash for either of the Karasu rods? No. I have other rods that are just as good IMO. Maybe some day after the rod gets a second generation tweak to make it lighter and less tip heavy -- we'll see. I'm a sucker for a well designed/made tenkara rod.

Think the Karasu 400 is the right rod for you, or you want to prove me wrong in my assessment of the rod? Then buy one . I'm pretty sure you'll be happy with this rod.

Disclaimer: My opinion regarding this rod is just that, my opinion. Your opinion may differ.  Also, your rod may not have the same length, issues, or functionality as my rod. There are variations between rods, even in the same production run. No description can fully tell you how a rod feels or fishes. For this, you must personally hold, cast, and fish the rod then make up your own mind. 
I received no revenue or enticement from Discover Tenkara for a favorable review of their products. I was loaned the Karasu 400 and returned it after this review.

Something to Watch For....

This week I had the chance to visit Brent and Brandon at DRAGONtail Tenkara. I had a wonderful time visiting with them and hearing how things are going in their world. We talked rods, lines, and other tenkara related topics and it was good to hear that tenkara just keeps growing and growing.

They've got some exciting new products coming up the last part of this year and the first of next. I was able to get my hands on a few of those items, and I can say that they are pretty exciting. Of course, I can't tell you what they are, but I was impressed. Stay tuned...

I also did a little fishing this week. Here is a video of one of the streams I fished.





I'll try to put together another video or two soon. Cheers,