The first tenkara rod I ever purchased was a Tenkara USA Yamame. This was one of the earlier models offered when the company first introduced tenkara to the United States. I bought mine secondhand through a classified ad. I’m not usually sentimental about gear, but this rod marked the beginning of a whole new journey for me. Now, the rod lives on a wall, stuck in a an old fishing creel, in a bedroom of our family cabin. Someday, I may take it down and cast it again. For now, it serves as a reminder of how I’ve evolved as a tenkara angler—and how tenkara itself has evolved along with me.
The Disposable Nature of Gear
We live in a world where products continue to be increasingly disposable. Maybe this is just me wearing my old-man pants and grumbling about how “they don’t make things to last like they used to.” Of course, no rod lasts forever. We all learn (sometimes the hard way) to be gentler with our gear. Even then, accidents happen. We find ourselves snagging a tip in low hanging branches, closing a rod in a car door, or, in my case, discovering that a rod isn’t a great way to break a fall on slippery rocks. These accidents usually happen when we aren’t paying enough attention to what we are doing. Slowing down and thinking before you act is a major lesson in tenkara angling.
Thank Goodness for Replaceable Sections
One of the great advantages of tenkara rods is that the good manufacturers offer replacement sections. So, if a rod segment snaps, we can usually find a replacement. That is, provided the company is still in business and hasn’t discontinued the model. As long as parts are available, we get to experience a sigh of relief when a replacement section arrives in the mail.
But what do we do when a rod is discontinued?
The tenkara rod market has reached a point where there have been companies that have come and gone. Unfortunately, even some of the truly great rod companies have gone. Others though are thriving. We see and get excited about each new model they release. But in the process of adding to their models, this often means retiring older models. The upside is that we get to try exciting, improved designs. The downside is that the parts for those rods are also discontinued. Leaving many of us hesitant to use our favorite rods for fear of breaking them and not being able to get parts.
Cheap Rods vs. Quality Brands
Let’s talk for one moment about cheap rods. Off-brand and no-name rods have found their way into the marketplace of tenkara rods. Unfortunately, these ultra-cheap tenkara rods don’t really measure up to well-designed ones by name brand companies. This has complicated things. For a beginner new to tenkara, they may seem like a tempting way to try the sport without a big investment. However, their poor design often leads to a disappointing first experience.
To be fully sarcastic… By the generic nature of these rods, what they lack in nuance, delicate casting and quality manufacturing, they make up for in the low price point they sell for. Don’t expect to find replacement parts sold separately. You might as well buy a whole new rod.
I recommend though that you just spend your money on a good one. A well-made rod offers finesse, design elements, higher quality manufacturing, and better performance. For those just starting in tenkara, I would tell you to take the plunge into a quality rod. Once you’ve used one, there’s no going back and you can count on some level of customer service when you do break a segment of a rod. You WILL break a tip at some point.
Improved Designs Will Put Older Rods Off the Market
I don’t believe tenkara companies are intentionally making rods obsolete. To my knowledge, our well-known manufacturers don’t engage in “planned obsolescence.” What we’re seeing is simply a growing market that’s still evolving. This really isn’t any different than any other product that has parts. For instance, cars. When a car model is no longer manufactured there are companies who specialize in making aftermarket parts. Unfortunately, this just isn’t practical for the tenkara rod market.
Advice for Keeping Your Rods Around Longer
Here are a few ways to ensure your favorite rods remain usable for years to come:
1. Buy Extra Tips in Advance. When you purchase a rod, consider buying a few extra tips. They’re relatively affordable, and the tip is the most vulnerable part. If you learn that a rod is being discontinued, picking up a backup model can also be a smart move. You can use one rod and keep the other for spare parts.
2. Support Companies That Make Quality Rods. Some fantastic rod companies have failed simply because they couldn’t stay profitable. When we invest in well-made rods from reputable companies, we help keep them in business—ensuring they can continue offering replacement parts. If you truly connect with a specific rod, it’s worth supporting the brand that made it.
3. Look for Used Models Online. Sites like eBay and Facebook tenkara marketplace groups often have discontinued rods for sale. You can often find them for surprisingly affordable prices. I’ve jumped at the chance to get extra rods of models I love. Whichever is in the best condition can be used and the other one kept for parts.
4. Use Social Media to Find Spare Parts. Many of us have rods with missing tips or broken lower sections—rods we can’t fish with but don’t want to throw away. Maybe we have just moved on to other models? For whatever reason we have these extra rods just sitting around collecting dust. Our old rods can be someone’s discontinued rod’s salvation.
5. Label your extra segments. I have found recently that I have about a half dozen tip sets that I don’t know what rods they go to. I am now having to go through my rods and see what fits and what doesn’t. This will help you later when you go looking for a segment in a panic to see if you have a replacement.
While writing this article I realized that while there were Facebook groups for selling all things tenkara, what we really didn’t have was a group specifically dedicated to selling gently used rods, and rod parts. So I created a group called “Segments”.
Keeping our rods alive and working is a smart way to be ecologically minded. How many rods and parts have been lost to the landfills at this point? Imagine if those parts could be assembled back into working rods.
I believe that this new Facebook group could at least slow down the elimination of discontinued rods while also maybe preserving the designs for posterity. I hope you will join the group today and begin posting the extra rods and rod parts you have collected over the years. Maybe you have a rod that has been discontinued, and you can’t get the replacement segment you need anymore? Just make a “Seeking” post. Maybe someone out there will have that segment you need to get your rod working again and keep it out of the landfill.
I also hope that the group will allow people who love the rods to also share their insights into “franken-fixing” rods. That is, to find rod parts that are “close enough” to work as replacements.
Final Thoughts
Tenkara has grown so much in the U.S. over the past decade. With that growth, we’ve seen new opportunities, but also new challenges. While there’s no perfect solution, we can still be a little proactive and maybe stock up on parts. We all know that the most frequent broken segments are the top three of any rod. Stocking up on some extra tip sets is a good investment.
I want to also suggest that you stop buying cheapy rods and instead invest in good rods from quality rod manufacturers. By supporting these companies, we keep tenkara thriving. While I am here, and just in case these companies are reading this… Slow down a little on the new models of rods. Watch what rods are selling best and promote those. Maybe you could also consider how you can include an extra tip set with every rod sold. I know I would pay a little more for this and I am sure that others would see the value in this too.
Dennis Vander Houwen is an early adopter of tenkara, he lives and fishes all over Colorado. For more information on living simply or approaching a richer life with fewer things check out his blog, Tenkara Path, where you can also support his tenkara lifestyle by purchasing one of his amazing, handmade tenkara line spool, fly keepers. Learn more about Tenkara Lifestyles here.
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