New Tenkara Importer

[bark-eater]

Allfishingbuy.com will be selling Tenkara rods this spring. I called the owner an asked if he could get some from Japan. And he said yes: http://www.allfishingbuy.com/Tenkara-Rods.htm

[adam]

I've seen many of his telescopic offerings on eBay and then you posted the link. I looked around and saw that he had a place for tenkara but no poles...

Glad you asked as I am interested in other poles from Japan.

I enjoy being able to make choices.

Thanks.

[LMarshall]

This looks interesting, that site seems to have a lot of choices for telescopic rods, inexpensive too. I'm curious how they'll price their tenkara rods, the 28ft (8.6m) telescopic carbon pole is only $93.57 :shock: Being a cyclist and fly fisherman I've gotten used to the idea that quality carbon gear comes at steep a premium.

Anybody know the story on this business? Are they a US based importer of Japanese gear, or a Japanese business catering to the international anglophone market?

[CM_Stewart]

From poking around on his site, it looks like it's a small family business.

It will be interesting to see what he gets in, though from his return policy it seems if you buy something you have to decide whether you like it before you even unwrap it, let alone use it for a while, and I didn't see anything about a breakage guarantee. Returns and replacements cost money, so maybe that's one way he can offer low prices. I don't think he or Daniel are getting rich off of this - or even trying to - so I would guess in both cases you pretty much are going to get what you pay for.

[LMarshall]

I'd be a little wary of that return policy, but at least most of his stuff is cheap enough that most customers can probably absorb the loss if a product doesn't work out for them (although it sucks for anyone when that happens, buyer beware).

I don't think he or Daniel are getting rich off of this - or even trying to - so I would guess in both cases you pretty much are going to get what you pay for.

My thoughts as well. It takes a lot of carbon fiber to make a 28ft rod; that price just strikes me as far too low for a quality piece of carbon gear of that size, but you never know, I'm not a materials scientist. Although I'd imagine that manufacturing carbon fishing rods is less complicated than carbon bicycle components, and probably doesn't require the same materials (grade, modulus of fibers, resins, etc.).

[bark-eater]

All these poles come from somewhere. I've seen no mention of who manufactures the Tenkara poles. For those who own them, Is there a manufacturers name on the poles? I have a cousin who is fluent in Japanese. If I can get a manufacturers name for the Allfishingbuy poles a 6 pack and googlejapan might shed some light on what we call quality. I don't know what a life time warranty is really worth. If you could buy 2 poles for $150 or one with a warranty I would put my $75 down. Up around a 2:3 cost ratio I might lean towards the warranty. just speculation of course.

[adam]

Korea and Japan market and mass produce carbon graphite rods.

The Koreans have been doing this for many years, I know, I've seen them at trade shows selling to big names in the fly fishing industry, I was an insider at the time.

The guy who made the OCLV carbon fiber bike that Lance used to win so many times, taught me to snowsurf back in the late 70's and the boards he made back then were foam core, p-tex bottom, shaped, 70's, a snow surfboard but like today's modern snowboards.

But I agree, the Tenkarausa.com rod is not all that expensive compared to other "tools"

*snicker*

Even at 75% mark up, the price is palatable compared to high end graphite fly rods.

I support Daniel by buying his products.

Anyway, I am working with a gentlemen to find a premium Tenkara rod independent of Tenkarausa or the link above.


It is a part of me to find the best equipment and learn from it in everything that I do, hang gliding, racing, fishing, computers, people.

[dynamicron]

first off, hello! my first post on this forum.

i am not a fisherman, but am very much looking forward to becoming one. tenkara had me intrigued the first time i read about it....mountain streams...backpacking...catching fish...eating well...how beautiful would that be?

$140+ at tenkarausa is a decent deterrent for impulsive purchases (which might be a good thing). don't get me wrong, i think it is great what daniel is doing with tenkarausa, and, as far as i can tell, their rods are lovely. but an expense like that i really have to sit on. would like to see options from different merchants.

i am certainly interested in the results of adam's endeavor into the tenkara supply world as well as the prices of the rods at allfishingbuy. by the way, how do the allfishingbuy 12ft carbon fiber rods (http://www.allfishingbuy.com/Fishing-Pole-3.6.htm) differ from their tenkara rods (apart from the grip)?

currently i am trying to find out were i could actually go to give my future tenkara rod a 'spin' for its money. despite my hiking here in san diego county i cannot really tell where i could go to fish tenkara style. i know lakes in the area but streams? will certainly pay more attention to the water level in creeks now that i have small stream fishing on my radar. any tips on how to go about finding such streams? what resources should i use?

thanks and cheers!

[CM_Stewart]

bark-eater,

The only name visible on the Tenkara USA rods is Tenkara USA. I'm sure the rods are made for them (they don't own their own factory), but that is the same situation for many if not most of the name brand fly rods. Adam can fill us in more, but my impression is that very few of the name brand fly rods actually make their own rods - and on the ones that don't, you'll never see the name of the company that actually made the rods.

dynamicron,

To find some streams in your area and to give a tenkara rod a spin, why not register on the Tenkara USA forum. There a quite a few California anglers (not sure what part of California) and from time to time they try to put together a group to go fishing. http://www.tenkarausa.com/forum/

I can't answer your question on how the allfishingbuy 12' rods are different from the Tenkara USA rods. It looks like allfishingbuy has 12 or 14 different 12' models, including the "hera" rods. I would assume they are all different from each other (otherwise, why carry more than one model?) just as the three different 12' Tenkara USA rods are quite a bit different from each other. I only know one person who has both a Tenkara USA rod and an allfishingbuy rod (one of the hera rods) and the allfishingbuy rod was considerably stiffer. Of course, the hera rods are designed to catch crucian carp which are considerably larger than the small Japanese trout that tenkara rods were designed for.

Don't discount the importance of the grip, though. I have fished with a cheap rod that did not have a cork grip, and after a day of casting it like I would a tenkara rod ended up with a blister. I don't know if you would have the same problem with one of allfishingbuy's carbon pole rods, but that type of rod was not designed for repeated one-handed casting (keiryu fishing uses a two-handed cast). Allfishingbuy now has a picture of a tenkara rod on it's site http://www.allfishingbuy.com/Tenkara-Rods.htm, and it has a tenkara-style grip. If you want to try one of their rods for tenkara fishing, I would certainly recommend you get their tenkara rod rather than one of their other rods (carbon pole rods or hera rods).

[adam]

Great answer.

You will learn from his words, always ring true.