Down But Not Out – Outstanding Discontinued Tenkara Rods

Often times in our consumer driven world, we focus on the next rod being released. I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to consumerism, having bought way too many rods over the years. I’ve justified these purchases by saying to myself that I needed to get some test data on the rods, but when in fact I really didn’t need the rods in the first place, already having perfectly good rods in my quiver.

But I’m a gearhead. I like testing and fishing with different rods. I also like to see what’s “new” with any given rod release. But I must admit that most of the time I’m underwhelmed and find that the rods I already have are just as good. I have found over the years that in the world of tenkara there are very few purple cows.

One thing I have noticed, though, is the energy and excitement created when a company leaks that it has a new rod coming. You’d think by the numbers of people signing up that no rods have been available up to that point. Anglers sign up before they know anything about the rod, even its retail price. I guess the allure of a new rod model is stronger than the knowledge that they likely already have a rod that covers their needs. New and unknown seems to trump old and proven.

Some tenkara companies have kept certain models of rods around for many years and have not felt the need to replace them. Yet others seem to release one or more new rods every year. Maybe some companies just like designing and releasing rods, or they like to keep their customers intrigued, always chasing the next new thing.

But there is one hitch about older rods, particularly rods that are out of production, and that is available parts. From my experience, US tenkara companies have been really good about keeping parts available for their discontinued rods. Japanese companies, however, are a different story. Japanese consumer laws dictate that replacement parts should be available for five years after discontinuing a certain rod, but I have run into examples where despite the rod being out of production for only a couple years, spare parts are no where to be found. Maybe it’s that I’m not in Japan nor speak Japanese, but the proxies that I use can’t find the parts either.

I understand the desire to have spare parts available, but I’m going to argue that spare parts are mostly for those just getting into tenkara. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb with the following statement. I think that as a person gains more experience, and proper experience at that, that they need spare parts less and less. They will get to a point where breaking a rod becomes such a rare event that they don’t even worry if spare parts are available. In these cases, old rods are just fine and the angler is comfortable using them, having the skills and knowledge that breaking them is highly unlikely.

So, I would like to list a few rods that I think are worth the risk of considering if they ever come up on the used market. Yes, spare parts may not be available, but with proper technique and appropriate use, these rods will last forever and give you an authentic tenkara experience. They also just might be better than many of the new rods being introduced today.

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Daiwa

Daiwa is a rod company that I haven’t quite figured out. They have introduced and then discontinued more top quality tenkara rods than most other companies have had models of tenkara rods. It seems that Daiwa goes through spells of rod introduction, only to discontinue the rod after just a few years. That’s a shame, as Daiwa has had some really great tenkara rods in the past. Any of these rods are wonderful finds on the used rod market.

Enshou LL and LT S-F

These rods are some of my absolute favorite. They are lightweight and well balanced (particularly the LL rods), and are remarkably robust. The LT rods have been labeled by some anglers as some of the best larger fish tenkara rods ever built. I love their handle length and shape (in fact, they have the perfect handle design, in my opinion). Their actions are smooth and powerful. I think they are even better than the rods that replaced them (Expert Tenkara line).

Expert Tenkara L LL45M

I’m not a huge fan of the Expert Tenkara line of Daiwa rods (especially the newer split handle versions), as I think the Enshou S-F rods were better. But one Expert rod that stands out is the Expert L LL45M. The first L stands for long (long nested length) and the LL stands for level line. The M stands for multi-length (this rod is a “zoom” rod). This rod can be fished at 4.0 meters and 4.5 meters. It has a smooth casting action and yet can handle nice sized trout in fast water. This rod is a hard rod to find on the used market as no one wants to sell theirs, but it’s worth it if you can find one.

Master Tenkara L LL and L LT36

These rods are some of the best tenkara rods made by any company, in my opinion. Their collapsed length is long, but that gives them an amazingly smooth and responsive action. They are incredibly lightweight and well balanced. In a nut shell, they are everything that a modern traditional tenkara rod should be and make most other 360 cm tenkara rods feel heavy and sluggish. They are very expensive, however, but man are they worth it. I like the L LT36 action better than the L LL36, but both are superb.

Sagiri 39MC and 45MC

These rods are not tenkara rods, but are seiryu rods. They are amazing rods that are very lightweight and have beautiful actions. They are such amazing rods that they have a cult-like following, and the angler who once owned but then sold one of these rods usually regrets that transaction (I am one of those anglers). I found the 39MC to be the most amazing rod of the two. Being a “zoom” rod, it can be fished at 340 and 390 cm. While most multi-length rods feel tip heavy at the longer length, the 39MC did not. It seemed to defy the laws of physics. I wish that more of the newer rods being released now days were like the Sagiri 39MC!

Soyokaze 27SR

The Soyokaze 27SR is a tanago rod, not a tenkara rod. But it has proven itself time and time again that it can handle trout into the upper teens in length. This rod is really hard to find, but in the early days of tenkara in the US, the Soyokaze 27SR had quite a following. It’s a wonderful small stream rod with a smooth, yet powerful action. It’s still one of my go-to rods when fishing overgrown streams and creeks and when a multi-length rod is not required.

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Shimotsuke

Ten and Mai

Shimotsuke generally makes entry level tenkara rods, but at one time they did make two premium rods. Called the Ten and Mai, both rods were beautifully made and had aesthetics second to none. Both rods had a smooth, slower casting action and each had a relatively high percentage of glass in the blanks. I have the Ten and at the 380 cm length, it is one of my favorite finesse rods. While designed for use with furled lines, I’ve always used the Ten with a level line and it does just fine.

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Nissin

Air Stage Honryu 380 and 450

These rods were just recently discontinued by Nissin after being in production for many years. They are absolutely fantastic rods with very smooth casting actions and plenty of reserve power to handle fish larger than you’d expect. I’m not sure why they were discontinued, but I suspect that it might have had something to do with their long nested length. It seems that most tenkara anglers prefer very short nested rods, so maybe their sale numbers were low. In my experience, rods that have long collapsed lengths are the most smooth casting and fighting rods. They are something to be experienced!

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Shimano

Mainstream ZE

When I entered the tenkara world in 2012, this was the rod that Dr. Ishigaki was fishing. Being the rod that introduced the “zoom” concept, it could be fished at 4.0 and 4.5 meters. It had a relatively fast action but it wasn’t a stiff rod by any means. Like some other rods of its day, it had a long nested length, but again, that helped make its casting stroke very smooth. It was much lighter and better balanced than the Tenkara USA Ito, another zoom rod available around the same time, making it easier to cast all day.

LLS36NX

I owned this rod for a while back in 2014. I should have never sold it. It is unlike the rods that Shimano produces nowadays, in that it was faster in action. I found the LLS36NX to have excellent fit and finish (like all Shimano rods) and with its faster action, it made a really good nymphing rod. Again, this rod is hard to find on the used market, as those who own it don’t want to sell it.

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Tenkara USA

Ebisu

Tenkara USA has discontinued a few rods over the years, such as the Iwana 9′ (handle), Iwana 11′, Ayu, Ayu II, and Yamame. I’ve owned most of them and found them to be nice, but heavier and less refined than Japanese rods of the same era. But one that I really enjoyed was the Ebisu. Not to be confused with the current rod of the same name, I’m talking about pine handle version that was available around 2012. Originally released as a 6:4 version, it was rebranded more accurately as a 5:5 and re-released. Again, it’s a little heavier and whippier than Japanese tenkara rods of its vintage, but it’s still a fun rod to fish and my favorite Tenkara USA rod. If you’re into vintage Tenkara USA rods, this one is one to look for.

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Tenkara Tanuki

XL-1

This is my favorite Tanuki rod, but it has unfortunately been discontinued and updated to Tanuki’s more modern style. The newer version is a completely different rod. The original XL-1 is an amazing rod and one of the few 4+ meter rods that is lightweight and superbly balanced. It is the one rod that is closest to the Oni Type 1 in balance and action, yet is a little more robust. The XL-1 has a smooth casting action and handles a light level line beautifully. I understand the desire to update materials and aesthetics, but I think it unfortunate that this rod has now been put out to pasture. It’s a real gem.

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Discover Tenkara

Karasu

Although I’m not exactly sure if it’s truly out of production, but the Karasu has not been available for a few years. Originally available in 360 and 400 cm lengths, this tenkara rod is one of the best ever produced. Well balanced with a responsive action, it easily handles level lines in all types of conditions. Significant research and testing went into the making of the Karasu. Of the two lengths, I feel that the 360 cm version is the real gem of the two.

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Other Thoughts

DRAGONtail Tenkara has had some nice rods that have been discontinued as well, but I feel their newer rods are much improved. Still, if you own one of their discontinued rods, you can rest assured that they still provide support.

So, where do you find discontinued tenkara rods? eBay is the most common place in the US, as is the Tenkara Trading Post Facebook Group. A source from Japan is Tackle Berry. There are a other websites but they can be somewhat cumbersome to navigate if you don’t read Japanese. I’ve had the best results from the three sites I previously mentioned.

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Conclusion

In a sport where chasing the latest and greatest appears to be the norm, I invite you to not overlook some of the outstanding tenkara rods from years past. They may not have spare parts available, but with good technique and proper use they can give years of reliable performance and tenkara joy. Just because a rod is new doesn’t make it better than what came before. Tenkara is reported to be over 400 years old. Using an out of production rod will fit right in to its history and still catch you plenty of fish!

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