A new tenkara rod from Daiwa is set to be released in March of 2023. Called the Expert, the rod has a crossover design with the handle having maximum exposure of the rod blank, to increase sensitivity.
According to Daiwa (using Deepl translate):
“In tenkara fishing, where anglers repeatedly make hundreds of casts a day, the feel of the grip is an important factor in determining the success of the catch. This is why we created a tenkara rod with a separate grip structure that changes the concept of tenkara rods and dramatically improves adaptability to all hand sizes, casting techniques, and lines used. The separate grip section provides a much greater number of gripping points than conventional grips. This allows anglers to freely change the position of the grip according to the fishing point during the fishing trip. The lineup includes the LL model with a body tone that is ideal for level lines and the LT model with a tip tone that is ideal for level and tapered lines.”
The Daiwa Expert will have many of the same features that make other Daiwa tenkara rods so amazing, but also some newer technologies. These include:
Here are the specifications, as released by Daiwa:
With its novel handle design and newer carbon technology, the Daiwa Expert Tenkara may be the rod you’ve been looking for! For more information and to purchase, contact you’re favorite Japanese rod importer. If you decide to purchase one, please let us know at Tenkara Angler, as we would love to have your take on this novel, new tenkara rod!
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I’m sure it’s a great rod, but I’m skeptical of the handle design. I don’t like the fact that it restricts your grip to what the’ve predetermined is the best point to balance the rod. It seems gimmicky to me–another of the many fads we’ve all seen come and go.
Remember that rod Shakespeare used to make where you could change the stiffness of the rod by twisting a dial on the butt end of the handle? Or, what about “integrated” fly reels? Sage tried it. It flopped. And then there are rods like Arctic Silver that have a weird cutout in the handle to allow the blank to more freely flex through it?
None of these ideas have (or will) survive because they’re superfluous gimmicks. That being said, I think this handle design might actually stick. It’s already a common design in spinning and casting rods. Pick up any Bass Pro Shops catalog and many of the rods will look like this. It’s a familiar form in fishing pop culture, so I could see it catching on in tenkara as well.
One thing that surprised me though was the price. Upon first look, I expected it to be $300+ USD. But it’s priced in a similar range as many higher-quality Chinese models! I’m curious enough about it that for $200, I might be willing to give it a try. Who knows, it’s possible that the handle just happens to suit me perfectly. But I’m still on the fence. It’s a only minor curiosity so I’ll wait to see other’s reviews first. I’d love to be wrong on this one.
Still, I can’t get over the fact that it looks like a “flipp’n stick” to me. If Jimmy Houston fished tenkara, this is the rod he’d use (with a #2/0 chartreuse rubber-leg Amano Kebari).
I own and have owned several Daiwa Tenkara and seiryu rods. They are made in China but were all very high quality and very reasonable prices. I’m surprised more people don’t fish them. The handle design on this new rod would not work for me as I use more than one hand position depending on the situation.
I see 3-4 typical hand positions built in. As opposed to 4-5 on full handles rods.
I’ve never owned a Daiwa. To those familiar with them… Do their rods have a common feel to them? Soft, medium of fast flex? Penny range?
Unfortunately, I was unable to figure out two things from the review – sometimes I am overwhelmed by numbers. At 11’8″ (I think), is the LT-36 rated at 6:4 or 7:3? Is there a penny rating for that same rod? And yes, the handle looks like my G. Loomis and St. Croix rod handles. Interesting. I too, wonder how that will feel, as I tend to move my hand up and down the cork as I feel the need doing the course of an outing.
This isn’t a review as much as it is an announcement. The specs and images are from Daiwa. We have not put hands on this rod (yet).
New video about the rod released by Daiwa today. The angler seems to be mainly holding the rod by the top grip. Also interesting to see that part of the butt section seems to be hexagonal in shape….
I like the design but feel like the fighting butt section is writing a check that the rest of the rod cant cash. if it was a 15 ft 7:3 to 8:2 rod it would be a killer big fir rod, not only because its ability to add another hand placement but also for casting it like a spey rod. I own a Wasatch daikyu t-hunter in the 8:2 and it was so exhausting to cast that I did just this, made a custom butt end section and magically my casting became less labored and more accurate! I’m all about it!
I purchased the rod, an LT36, and received it today. Great looking rod and my hand positions feel just as comfortable with this rod as the more conventional cork handles on my other tenkara rods. I assume the open section between the two cork sections might increase sensitivity if holding the rod with the end in your palm. Downside is I’m a tenkara newbie and can’t offer much more than that at this time. I’ll be attending the Wisconsin tenkara camp out this spring and may be able to offer some comments after that.
Harry