Tenkara USA recently sent me a sample of their new pack rod, the Tenkara USA Yama. I took the opportunity to unbox, measure, and fish it a few weeks before it hit the market. The video and longform article below are a summary of my thoughts on Tenkara USA’s latest rod.
Per Tenkara USA: “Optimized for mountain stream adventures, the Yama is an excellent rod for almost any typical mountain stream. It’s the perfect ultralight rod for classical tenkara angling. Our most portable 11″ rod, the Yama is as capable a fishing tool as it is easy to carry…”
YouTube Rod Report
Unboxing & First Impressions
Continuing the trend Tenkara USA started with the Ukiyo of offering single length pack rods with “swell” or “self” grips, the first thing one notices when getting their hands on the Yama is that it doesn’t have 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.
Regardless of whether you’d personally consider this a tenkara or a seiryu rod, the Yama is a very clean rod cosmetically, with a matte black (or perhaps charcoal) finish that fades up into lighter, silver sections as the rod is extended. It has a very silver & black “Raiders” feel to it. Honestly, it looks like a slightly longer Ukiyo in almost every single way (except the paint job).
The Yama comes with a standard Tenkara USA rod tube and stretchy rod sock. As mentioned, it has a matte black/charcoal paint job on all segments (less the top two which are shiny black). You’ll find three silver accent bands toward the top of each segment (except the grip & tip).
Moving to the bottom of the Yama, the “swell” grip has a bit of a texture to it to give it additional traction in one’s hand. That texture extends about 7.5 inches up the bottom section, making it easy to hold without fear of slipping when wet. There are also some tastefully minimalist fishing graphics featuring a kebari and a trout on the grip section down by the end cap.
The Yama’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. As such, the Yama came with two tip caps, each with a faux wood top, rubber body, and loop of lillian running through.
Last, but not least, the Yama’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 section from the tip. For those like Tom Davis that place value on full disassembly, please take note of that.
Measurables
I always I prefer to take my own measurements, simply to see how accurate the are in comparison to the published manufacturer specifications.
I would say in this case that the specs printed on the Yama are fairly consistent, although I was surprised to see it come in a bit shorter (328 cm) than advertised. My measurements are in the chart below.
| Characteristic | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Sections | 10 |
| Fully Extended Length | 328 cm / 10.75 feet |
| Nested Length (with cap) | 41 cm / 16 inches |
| Swell Grip Length (Approximate) | 19 cm / 7.5 inches |
| Swell Grip Circumference | 7.6 cm / 3.0 inches |
| Weight (without cap) | 56 g / 2.0 ounces |
| CCS | 24 pennies |
| RFI | 7.3 / 7:3 Fast Tip Flex |
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 Yama to have a 24 penny common cents score, which would give it an RFI of 7.3, 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 “320 – 330cm” rods with similar flex ratings on Tom’s RFI Chart are the Tenkara USA Satoki (7.4 RFI at it’s shortest length) and the Suntech Fieldmaster 320 (7.5 RFI). A more direct comparison might be to its little brother, the Tenkara USA Ukiyo (20 pennies, 6.7 RFI), which is a bit shorter, but similarly a tip flex rod.
Performance
The translation of Yama is fitting; “mountain”. To me, tenkara rods have always been tools designed to fish within mountain streamscapes. Will the Yama live up to it’s name? I recently took it to the mountains of North Georgia to find out.
I found the Yama a bit of an interesting of a rod to cast. It delivered any fly I chose to cast briskly and accurately, but required a fast tempo in the casting stroke. Most 11 foot rods I fish are a bit slower in action, so it took me a little bit to adjust my muscle memory. But once I did, I felt like I was shooting my flies like laser beams (making a Star Wars inspired “pew-pew” noise in my head with each cast).
I spent my time fishing roughly a 12-foot 3.0 level line, using a mix of both weighted and unweighted flies. The unweighted Hot Spot Futsu was truly effortless to cast, while both the beadheaded Honryu & Road Kone kebari casted acceptably. They would have probably benefitted from a slightly heavier line, as with most beadheads, there was a bit of a hitch in the cast as the ultralight line unfurled on the forward cast. This is not a negative of the rod, more symptomatic of the fly. In the end, I could generally place my flies wherever I wanted, which is all you can really ask for.
Conversely, while I didn’t measure rotational moment (it’s unconventional to do so on shorter rods), I noticed some tip oscillation following my casts. The stiffer rod paired with the wiggly tip It made the action of casting feel a bit more noticeable than some other rods in this length class. Admittedly, it’s a difficult phenomenon to describe in words. You just have to feel it.
The applied texture on the “swell grip” was plenty, um… grippy and generally fit in hand well. The grip circumference is a bit smaller than cork or foam handled rods, and I did feel that more as the day went on, particularly as I wanted to “choke up” on the rod slightly to fish some tighter spots. I’m not one that personally cares for this grip trend being adopted by pack & pocket rod makers such as Tenkara Tanuki, Tenkara Rod Co., and in this case Tenkara USA. Again, a personal preference, you may love this style of grip. Experiences may vary.
I wish I could say I caught big fish with the Yama, but I did not. Instead, I ended up catching a variety of fish, with this chub pictured below the first fish landed. I ended up catching about a dozen more chub, before I gained enough elevation to start consistently catching both rainbow and brown trout. The Yama is a very sensitive rod and I was not only able to feel my weighted flies tick rocks as they drifted by, but the haptic feedback from a fish was pretty awesome. Even these smaller fish were quite easy to strike detect on the Yama. It reminded me a lot of fishing with the Tenkara USA Ukiyo.
Conclusion
It appears Tenkara USA has now jumped in with both feet when it comes to producing these popular pack rods, first with the Ukiyo in Fall of 2023 and now the Yama in Fall of 2025. The Yama definitely checks a lot of boxes for a tenkara angler seeking a single length 330cm class rod – a shorter collapsed length than most, an attractive cosmetics package, fast & accurate casting, high levels of sensitivity, and that killer Tenkara USA warranty and customer service. However objectively, it lacks a few “creature comforts” I personally enjoy in some other 330cm class rods such as a slightly more moderate flex profile, a cork or foam grip, and a bit less tip oscillation.
I think in closing, the best way to describe the Tenkara USA Yama it is that it’s a longer, and slightly larger brother to the Tenkara USA Ukiyo that happens to have a far less flashy paint job. Tenkara anglers that enjoy fishing the Ukiyo should absolutely love the Yama. I even think those that fish (or are considering) the Tenkara USA Hane could find the Yama a bit more of an attractive option as a much lighter pack rod that is virtually the same size both extended or collapsed. On the whole, I enjoyed fishing with the Yama in this setting, and think many of you would too.
How Do I Get One?
At the time of publishing this article, the Tenkara USA Yama tenkara rod should now be available for purchase, carrying an MSRP of $200. I’d recommend visiting Tenkara USA’s website to learn more and make your purchase.
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Thanks for the review Michael!
These stats leave me conflicted. Given the preview I expected a similar RFI and weighting as the Rhodo and dialogue from TenkaraUSA’s advertising points it towards that rod. But you’re referencing the Satoki with data to back it up!
Good to point out the Hane as a parallel to the Yama. I’d argue the Hane is one of TUSA weakest rods, so while an improvement to the Hane doesn’t appeal to me, it may appeal to others. Nevertheless, I’m disappointed and expected an action on the lower end of 7:3 or 6:4.
I’m grateful for reviews like these. They truly empower buyers to make informed decisions.
Happy you enjoyed the review! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
I always ask folks to take the RFI numbers for what they are, just a frame of reference to provide context. They won’t define how the rod feels in your hand while fishing it. While it has similar numbers to a collapsed Satoki, it feels much different. Likely because it’s lighter and not housing multiple sections. The best comparable is probably the Ukiyo.
Excellent review, Mike! It’s very useful information and expertly done!
This was truly and excellent review. I’d already ordered mine, and with shipping delays outside the control of Tenkara USA, only recently received it.
My checks confirmed all of your measurements. A very thorough and accurate review.
My first impressions were:
1 The tip section seemed rather robust – on measuring I was right, it is 0.98mm at the Lilian whereas the Iwana and many other rods are 0.76 or thinner – doesn’t sound like much, but means the Lilian is the thicker sort, making if difficult to reinsert the tip section once removed (I’ve untied the knot).
2 my main quibble is that the rod feels tip heavy – it is definitely an RFI greater than 7. You measured 7.3 which I confirmed. Whereas the original 11ft Iwana is wonderfully light (RFI 6.3). the Yama is lighter than the Iwana but the RFI (and rotational moment) are just at or over the point where you notice the tip weight.
3 Notwithstanding this, the Yama does cast fluorocarbon level lines from 2 to 3 号 very smoothly. But it is a stiffer rod and tip action – I suspected along with the higher RFI the added joints (10 sections cf Iwanas 8 sections) would result in an increased stiffness. A CCP and bend profile confirmed this. It’s not bad, just that I prefer the softer action and profile of the Iwana , or indeed, the shorter Ukiyo. Mind you, I often use seiryu rods, so have a preference for low RFI softer action rods
4 the handle section is perfectly fine – as I use keiryu and seiryu rods most often, I actually prefer a corkless grip. I prefer smaller diameter handles, and found the handle to be just a fractionally larger than I’d like but I’ll get used to it (my current rods are 1-2mm less in diameter where my middle finger goes around).
It’s a really good rod in a specific niche. I’m surprised that the team chose to go for a stiffer design, they’d been trending to softer rods, and I’d have preferred a softer action, but it does suit a use with weighted flies in mountain streams – ie it’s a great option for euro nymphing with, possibly this was the market segment being sought.
Finally – the stiffer action is still smooth so casting is easy, it’s very packable, and it does indeed have backbone when needed to control and land feisty rainbows.
Craig – Thanks for validating the review. Always good to see someone else have a similar experience and that I’m not crazy. Overall, I too prefer a softer rod, at least in that size class. When last I spoke to the Tenkara USA folks, I was nudging them to try to make a non-zoom version of the Rhodo. That’s personally my favorite TUSA rod, it’s already super light, thin diameter, and I was thinking if they removed some of the bulges around the zoom joints, they might end up with an even lighter and fuller flex version. I don’t think they were inclined on taking me up on that idea, but that’s the rod I want. LOL!