“Our small suite of Tenkara rods are handmade in Melbourne, Australia and tested individually by our Mirna Mora experts. Through passion and extensive trialing, the result is a robust system for recreational fishing that focuses on simplicity and of course fun!“
Tenkara, or more precisely the use of tenkara gear, has become increasingly popular around the world over the past decade. At this point in tenkara history, there are more anglers who use tenkara rods outside of Japan than there are inside. Many, if not most of these non-Japanese anglers don’t practice traditional Japanese tenkara, but rather, they have adopted Japanese tenkara techniques and have implemented them to fit their local fish and aquatic environments. Whereas traditional Japanese tenkara was developed as a highly efficient way of commercially harvesting salmonid species in mountain streams, most tenkara anglers worldwide don’t have readily available mountain streams or salmonid species. Therefore, they use tenkara gear in non-traditional ways, yet find it answers pretty well for their situations.
One of these angling environments in Australia. While there are mountain streams and salmonid species in Australia, geographically there are more non-mountain/non-trout angling opportunities. And while traditional Japanese rods may answer for some situations, these rods are often too easily over powered or broken when catching Australia’s fish. Enter Mirna Mora.
Mirna Mora started after Colin Perkovic had experiences with tenkara techniques, many good, some less so. Colin states, “I had started Tenkara fishing some 7 years ago and was loving it on small streams for trout – its traditional home. The results were amazing. On one trip I broke a tip and the trip was over. A major manufacturer offered no assistance. Chris, TenkaraBum ended up helping source the part, sent the part, but the part didn’t fit even though it was the correct part. A second rod broke. Took friends away (not amazing fisherman), their rods broke before we fished- 5 hour drive there and back waste of time and $$. Decided to do some research and figured that a robust rod made from experience would be better that a super grade 99% carbon rod that may be a little brittle.”
He also states that he fished with high end tenkara rods and concluded that the rods available on the market had superior actions though anglers caught less fish due to the cautious nature brought on by the expense and wall thickness of a high end carbon rod. With a more robust rod you cast more and into trickier areas, such as logs, blackberries, under cuttings, etc… where the bigger fish are.
Mirna Mora rods are non-traditional, meaning they are more robust in design and non-telescoping. They are designed to catch a large variety of salmonid and non-salmonid species and hold up to the challenges of those fish their environs. Their eleven foot model is called the Marbi. It is their most popular rod, and is designed to be an all rounder. They state that it is great to use on streams, estuaries, flats and beaches. They also state that the rod has a very strong backbone for the photo-worthy catches, yet is light enough to enjoy targeting smaller species.
Description
The Marbi comes in a beautiful executed perforated neoprene rod sleeve. It also has a fabric rod sleeve with compartments for each of the rod sections. The rod is made of five sections. These sections are joined together with a sleeve ferrule, like a conventional western fly rod. The overall coloration is green and the finish is semi gloss. Cosmetic adornments are rare and those that exist are functional. There are three copper bands on the handle section of the rod. The lower two are reference markers for the tip of your index finger. The upper one is for measuring fish. It is 34 cm (13.4 in.) from the top of the handle and 51 cm (20 in.) from the handle butt. The rod designation is very spartan, stating the name of the rod and the length (in feet) with hand written paint pen lettering.
The handle is very good quality cork and is cylindrical with a tapered tip. It is short at 16.5 cm (6.5 in.). The diameter is somewhat small compared to most tenkara rods, but is on par with Tenryu rods.
Because of the unconventional design, there is no tip plug or butt cap. Rather, the butt of the handle is adorned with a copper disk bearing the company logo.
The lilian is white, long and feels to be of a different (more slippery) material than common lilian material. I can’t tell how it is attached to the tip section, as there is a short section of heat shrink tubing overlying the lilian-tip section joint.
Measurements
| Characteristic | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Collapsed | 71.5 cm (28 in.) |
| Extended | 337 cm (11 ft. 0.6 in.) |
| Sections | 5 |
| Handle Length | 16.5 cm (6.5 in.) |
| Weight | 83.5 g (2.9 oz.) |
| CCS | 30 pennies |
| RFI | 8.9/ 8:2 Very Fast, Minimal Flex |
| Rotational Moment | 7.5 |
Performance
The Marbi would be considered a stiff action tenkara rod. Although the website states the rod action is soft/medium taper, to me the Marbi feels stiff, like a carbon fiber “western” rod without the line guides. Its action is more stiff than most tenkara rods, particularly having a very stiff tip section. By the RFI numbers, it’s close in stiffness to the DRAGONtail HellBender in its 340 cm length, but the HellBender has softer T1 and T2 sections making it feel more responsive (see the 10 Penny Bend Profile image).
I cast the Marbi using a 13 foot #3 fluorocarbon level line and I had a lot of difficulty getting the line to straighten. Try as I might, the line was just too under weighted for this rod. Changing to a similar length PVC line, my casts were much better. I would think this shouldn’t be too surprising, as I previously stated that I feel the rod acts like a western rod without guides. Never the less, the PVC line shot out straight and true.
I felt that the rod was heavy in my hand, and because most of its mass is towards the tip of the rod, felt rather tip heavy. To evaluate this, I measured its rotational moment at 7.5, which is rather high for an 11 foot rod. I suspect the tip heaviness, and the overall weight of the rod, is due to its robust design. This rod is designed to handle many different species of fish, fresh and salt water.
Conclusion
The Mirna Mora Marbi 11 is an interesting rod. It’s definitely not designed to be a traditional Japanese tenkara rod, rather, it’s designed to be used for multi-species fixed line fishing and be able to stand up to the rigors of powerful fish. While not a level line tenkara rod, it does well with a PVC line and this makes sense, given its intended quarry. So, if you are one of the non-traditional fixed-line anglers and are looking for a well built, powerful rod, take a look at the Marbi 11 or other offerings by Mirna Mora. They just might be what you’re looking for.
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 was sent the rod from Mirna Mora. I have no formal affiliation with Mirna Mora Pty Ltd and there was no expectation of a positive review.
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