cm_stewart,

thanks for the suggestion with the tenkarausa forum. i actually had already registered with them a week or two before i found smallstreams. i should make myself visible there as well i suppose--have only been reading up so far. it is good to get some opinion outside of the tenkarausa fan base, though. i do not mean that in any disrespectful way towards the good people on there!! it is just nice to get some outside opinion.

wondering what the collapsed length of a 12' allfishingbuy tenkara rod will be. web site states 60-120 cm which gives us at least 23.6". hmm... collapsed length is of interest to me since i intend to take the rod backpacking. not as much as to opt for the bachpackinglight hane, though (should it be ever available again).

adam, may i ask how your search for "a premium Tenkara rod independent of Tenkarausa" is coming along? were you successful?

cheers!