Last year Tenkara USA introduced the Satoki, a big water, big fish zoom rod. This year they’re going in the complete opposite direction, introducing a small stream, single length rod called the Ukiyo. Oh, and did I mention it’s blue and doesn’t have a cork or foam grip?
According to Tenkara USA: “The Ukiyo is an ultra-compact small stream tenkara rod. Measuring just under 15 inches when collapsed, with a weight of under 2 ounces. The extended length of 9’9″ (300cm) and light action make it a joy to fish. A first for any of our rods, the Ukiyo has a “swell” grip which helps make it the most sensitive rod in our line up.”
I’d also like to add that the modern translation of Ukiyo is actually interesting. The term is used to refer to a state of mind emphasizing living in the moment, detached from the difficulties of life. I think we all look for that place mentally while fishing, so it’s clear to see that Tenkara USA envisions this as a fun rod and a tool for anglers to use to escape the everyday.
YouTube Rod Report
Unboxing & First Impressions
I had little to no intel on what this rod was before I received the demo sample of the Ukiyo, so I was very surprised about what I found when I opened the box. It’s a pretty large departure for Tenkara USA to offer a tenkara rod without a cork or foam grip. In fact, those that have been around tenkara in the United States for some time may even recall the debates if one could classify a rod as a “tenkara rod” if it did not have a cork or foam grip. (Page through a few Japanese rod catalogs – example Nissin & Shimano – and you’ll see why).
Regardless of whether you’d personally consider this a tenkara or a seiryu rod, the Ukiyo is beautifully executed cosmetically, in typical Tenkara USA fashion.
The Ukiyo comes with a standard Tenkara USA rod tube and stretchy rod sock. It has a gorgeous, high gloss navy blue paint job on all segments (less the top two which are black). You’ll find three silver accent bands toward the top of each navy segment (except the grip). There are also some fun graphics featuring a kebari and a trout. (I think they put them on the wrong sides though as the trout appears upside down when you orient the rod to read the remainder of the text on the handle section – hopefully they tweak that in future production runs).
Moving to the bottom of the Ukiyo, the “swell” grip is striped in a lighter tonal color, and has a bit of a texture to it to give it additional traction in one’s hand. That texture extends about 7 inches up the bottom section, giving the angler plenty of real estate to grab. The grip may be a bit narrow for some, but it’s fairly typical of rods designed in this cork/foam-free fashion.
The Ukiyo’s end cap is black nylon plastic with knurled edges to help in removal. It does have a foam insert to dampen the contact of the sections upon collapsing the rod. I did not see a decompression hole, but this end cap has Tenkara USA’s patented tip cap storage for those that like to use that feature. Speaking of the tip cap, the Ukiyo came with two, each with a wooden top, rubber body, and loop of lillian running through.
Last, but not least, the Ukiyo’s tip has a length of red, pre-knotted lillian that is of more than adequate length. As with other Tenkara USA rods it is glued directly to the carbon fiber and does not have a swivel. Since the lillian comes from the factory knotted, it cannot be fully disassembled for cleaning and drying. The knot will not pass through the 2nd or 3rd section from the tip. For those that place value on full disassembly, I’m certain the knot in the lillian could be untied with a needle, bodkin, or similar tool.
Measurables
Tenkara USA provides some measurables on the rod, however I prefer to take my own, simply to see how accurate the are in comparison. I would say in this case that the specs printed on the Ukiyo are fairly honest. My measurements are in the chart below.
I also took measurements such as Common Cents and Rod Flex Index in order to give you an idea of how the rod might feel, or compare to others of similar length. While Tenkara USA has moved away from using the 5:5, 6:4, 7:3 ratings in their product descriptions, I found the Ukiyo to have a 20 penny common cents score, which would give it an RFI of 6.7, making it a fast, tip flex rod (7:3) when fished. I’ve also taken a photo that shows the flex profile under weight against a blank background in my garage.
As a comparison, other “300cm” rods with similar flex ratings on Tom’s RFI Chart are the Gamakatsu Multiflex Suimu 4.0 (at it’s shortest length), and the Daiwa Soyokaze 31SR.
| Characteristic | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Sections | 10 |
| Fully Extended Length | 297 cm / 9.7 feet |
| Nested Length (with cap) | 38 cm / 14.96 inches |
| Swell Grip Length (Approximate) | 18 cm / 7.1 inches |
| Swell Grip Circumference | 8.5 cm / 3.3 inches |
| Weight (without cap) | 54 g / 1.9 ounces |
| CCS | 20 pennies |
| RFI | 6.7 / 7:3 Fast Tip Flex |
Performance
I was apprehensive when I first saw the Tenkara USA Ukiyo. I don’t generally enjoy fishing with rods that don’t have fully formed cork or foam (or even wood) grips. Typically rods with handle sections such as this are a bit too thin to be comfortable and kind of detract from my fishing. I could not say that about the Ukiyo.
Not only is the Ukiyo ridiculously light in hand, but it feels good in hand too. The texture and circumference of the “swell” grip in no way draws attention away from one’s fishing experience. I fished the Ukiyo on two separate outings, first on a small blue line for wild rainbow trout, then on a somewhat larger (but still tight) stream for stocked browns, rainbows, and brookies. It handled both situations with flying colors.
The stiffer, tip flex profile is ideal for quick hooksets in intimate quarters. You don’t want too slow a rod in those situations as you may find yourself hooksetting into streamside canopy. Additionally, this rod is extremely sensitive and casts very tight loops. It has just enough backbone to make small fish fun, yet easily handle medium trout. I have not caught anything over 14″ on the Ukiyo yet, but I believe it could handle a larger fish easily.
I spent my time fishing a 12-foot 3.0 level line, casting mostly unweighted flies. However, I did switch to beadheads for some of the stocked fish. It cast the unweighted flies easily, and did as good a job with nymphs as any other tenkara rod would.
How Do I Get One?
At the time of publishing this article, the Tenkara USA Ukiyo small stream tenkara rod should now be available for purchase, carrying an MSRP of $190. This seems like it will be a very popular rod, so if you’re interested, I’d recommend visiting Tenkara USA’s website to learn more and make your purchase.
Conclusion
So Tenkara USA kind of blindsided me with the release of the Ukiyo. I certainly wasn’t expecting this to be their new rod offering for 2023. It’s not what I’d call a traditional Tenkara USA sort of rod, featuring no zoom, no cork or foam grip, and a colorful exterior. But that’s not a negative. What it does have should be a compelling package for a small stream angler. The Ukiyo is super light, extremely versatile, and packs down small. If you enjoy fishing Tenkara USA rods in intimate environments, the Ukiyo small stream tenkara rod is definitely one you’ll want to take a look at.
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