It seems that tenkara goes through cycles just like traditional fly fishing. Not to many years ago, pack rods were all the rage, then the fervor died down for a while. But once again, the clammer for pack rods has resurfaced.
To answer the appetite for pack rods, Dragontail Tenkara is releasing the Kaida zx320. Kaida means "little dragon" and it appears that this little rod will be just the thing for many people. Like the Dragontail FoxFIRE zx280, the Kaida is a carbon-glass composite rod, but unlike the FoxFIRE, the Kaida's glass is incorporated into the carbon using a different technique. This process is so special that Brent and Brandon from Dragontail wouldn't tell me how it was done. They told me some things, but I have to take that information to my grave. Needless to say, it appears Dragontail has cracked the once challenging carbon-glass composite mystery!
The Kaida is a single zoom rod pack rod, with fishable lengths of 285 and 320 cm. The rod's overall coloration is carbon black and the finish is matte. The handle section has a turquoise accent where the brand label is place. There are small accent bands on the tipward sections of the upper segments.
The handle is cork with a camel or gourd shape reminiscent of the FoxFIRE. The handle length is 23 cm. A ring of cork composite is placed at the tip and butt positions of the handle.
The tip plug is wood with a rubber insert. The butt cap is black nylon plastic, is knurled, and has a coin slot. No decompression hole is present. A universal tip cap is also provided.
The lilian is red, and is attached to the tip section with a micro-swivel. The glue joint is executed well and so the entire rod can be disassembled for cleaning and drying.
Here are my measurements:
Nested (with tip cap): 45.5 cm (17.9")
Extended: 285 cm (9' 4") / 317 cm (10' 4.8")
Weight (without tip cap): 70.2 g (2.5 oz)
CCS: 14 / 16 pennies
RFI: 4.9 / 5
Casting the Kaida pack rod is a joy. The rod has an RFI that I prefer (right around 5) and the action is smooth and unlabored. I used a #3 level line from 8 to 14 feet, and the rod cast these lines effortlessly. There is no overshoot or tip oscillation. Dampening is very good. Balance is excellent, as you would expect from a short rod. Basically, it's a fun little rod!
The Kaida is less whippy than the fully extended FoxFIRE. Even though the Kaida is a carbon-glass composite rod, it fundamentally acts more like a carbon fiber rod than a glass rod, given how the glass is incorporated into the rod blank.
I didn't get a chance to fish the Kaida, because all of my small creeks are frozen over. But I look forward to fishing this rod when the appropriate water becomes available. I know just the creeks to try it on!
Conclusion: I like this rod! Although I don't need a compact tenkara rod (most tenkara rods are compact enough for my needs), I can see where someone would want an even more compact rod to take in their car, backpack, bike, on walks, etc. Most compact tenkara rods are either way too stiff to be fun, or way to fragile to be useful, but the Kaida zx320 pack rod is neither. Its flex action is excellent, and with an RFI of 5 it will handle fish better than a softer rod. With its proprietary carbon-glass composite, the Kaida bridges that stiff carbon and whippy glass frontier with a breakthrough pack tenkara rod design that any blueline tenkara angler would enjoy owning!
Note: As of publication, the Kaida zx320 is in pre-production and is not yet available for purchase. The release date is anticipated to be the summer of 2022. Contact Brent at DRAGONtail for further details and updates.
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 borrowed the rod from DRAGONtail Tenkara for the review, and returned it after the review. I have no formal affiliation with DRAGONtail Tenkara, and there was no expectation of a positive review.
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