Patagonia Tenkara Kit – #Tenkara review

If you spend time in the lightweight backpacking or fly fishing communities, you’ve probably heard of Tenkara. This traditional, Japanese “simple flyfishing” method has been growing immensely in popularity in North America, so much so that Patagonia has brought out their own answer to this by partnering with Temple Fork Outfitters and producing a complete Tenkara kit, designed to give you the gear and instructions to get out and enjoy the magic of fly fishing in mountain streams and lakes.

Patagonia sent me a setup with their 10’ 6” collapsible Tenkara rod to try and test. Let’s look at what’s included and then see what I thought about it. Oh, and take a look at this video of a whirlwind Tenkara backpacking trip I did with the Patagonia setup earlier this year.

 

Features

• Patagonia branded Temple Forks Outfitters 10’ 6” collapsible Tenakara Rod (also available in X length)
  • Weight: 2.5 oz
  • Length: 10’ 6”
  • Compacted length: 20.5”
  • Flor grade cork handle
  • Line keeper
  • Spare tip and second section
• Accessories
  • Rod sock (carrying case) with line holder
  • 32’+ Level-floating .027” PVC coated mono core
  • Pre-looped 7.5’ 3x tapered leader
  • Box of one dozen soft-hackle flies hand tied by the Montana Fly Company, three of each pattern: Mormon Girl, Pheasant Tail, Peacock, and Hare’s Ear; all flies tied on #12 hooks
  • Quick setup guide
• Book: Simple Fly Fishing: Techniques for Tenkara and Rod & Reel
• MSRP: $279.85

The original Tenkara method involved horse hair lines and bamboo cane rods, no reel (the line is fastened to the tip of the telescoping rod) and small streams. Fast forward to today and you’ll see that the setup by Patagonia (and Temple Fork Outfitters) differs from that setup, and is more in the vein of modern Tenkara setups offered by other companies.

The Tenkara method is ideal for smaller streams, with its 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock casting, collapsible rod and fixed length, furled line. We won’t focus too much on the method itself in this review, we have a post by Jason Klass on What is Tenkara Fishing? if you’re interested in that.

So, What do we think of Patagonia’s answer to Tenkara?

The 10’ 6” rod is a great length for the beginner Tenkara fisher. The quality rod construction allows for simple extension and collapsing. The extra tip and second section is a nice addition for Tenkara rods, which are incredibly lightweight (2.5 oz), but fortunately I have not needed it.

The rod itself although not astounding in performance serves its purpose well. Experience fly fishers won’t be impressed with the action, but it doesn’t get in the way of presenting the fly or pulling in your typical catch.

Yvon Chouinard added a line holder that you can see I left attached where it is (rather than screw into the base of the rod like recommended for those who desire to take advantage of it). It’s a nice addition and many will find it very useful. I didn’t find it necessary as I could take down the setup and use the line holder on the rod sock.

Patagonia worked with Cortland to develop a PVC mono core floating line specifically for this setup. Typically Tenkara lines are wound lines. This more closely resembles western fly fishing lines, which means different knots for attaching the line to the tip and a heavier cast. If you’re used to the typical western fly fishing methods you’ll feel more at home with this setup, while taking advantage of the simplicity and portability of the collapsible rod and reel-lessness.

Patagonia included a very long (over 32 feet) tenkara line, which I quickly realized was to allow the user to setup two different lines. They recommend a 20 foot line for typical use and 12 for smaller streams. Casting with more than a 20 foot length of the mono core becomes a challenge.

The included box of 12 soft hackle flies should provide you with enough option to entice the fish if you get the presentation correct. It’s a mixture of Mormon Girl, Pheasant Tail, Peacock, and Hare’s Ear flies tied on #12 hooks. While none of these were the traditional reverse hackle flies that are a hallmark of Tenkara, they performed as expected while out in the mountains. You may want to add other flies to the mix, as all do.

 

The velvet rod sock is everything you’d expect from a rod sock, with the addition of a built in line holder. It will bend if you wind the line tightly around it, but it springs back into shape while fishing. It’s a nice feature for those who don’t want to spend a few dollars on a line holder.

The Simple Fly Fishing book was put together by Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia and enthusiastic fly fisherman), Craig Mathews and Mauro Mazzo, and includes paintings by James Prosek and other photos. Its purpose is to explain fly fishing with a Tenkara slant. It isn’t strictly focused on the techniques unique to Tenkara, but it is a great coffee table book that explains technique and knots and is a pretty, artsy page turner that is easy to read and understand for experienced and beginning fishers alike.

Marketed for a straightforward out-of-box experience, this would make a great gift set with everything you need and a book to get lost in when you can’t get out on the fly. The MSRP is high (at $280), and a kit could be put together for a lower price.

 

In Conclusion

The Patagonia Tenkara Kit offers everything you’ll need to make your entrance into fly fishing. While not strictly “traditional” as far as Tenkara goes, it is a fully functioning kit that you can slide into your backpack (sans book) and take to that mountain stream or lake for a relaxing and simple Tenkara experience. You can’t beat the easy and simplicity of Tenkara, and one thing is sure, Patagonia’s entrance into this market signals Tenkara coming to the mainstream. If you take the time to learn how to use the kit, with a bit of practice you’ll experience success and understand why Tenkara is growing in popularity.