Testing the Cheapest Tenkara Kit on Amazon & AliExpress (Tenkara Fly Fishing) 

I have this exact Tenkara set! I’m not a “tenkara” guy, I’ve never used a high end tenkara rod so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I really like fishing it! I like to take it along on backpacking trips just for variety, along with my collapsable spinning rod. It’s so light and packable it’s well worth taking along. We don’t really have trout in Illinois, but these work well for panfish as well as small creek chubs or bass. Maybe someday I’ll upgrade, but this Capella package is perfect for the casual tenkara guy, like me. If you’re a rod snob, yeah you won’t like it, but if you’re a rod snob you wouldn’t buy a budget set off Amazon anyway ;) like all my gear, I get what I can afford, upgrade it as I go and take care of it, I prefer being able to get out and use it more than having really high end stuff. I will add, even as a noob I could tell the accessories were junk… I replaced all the flies but I did hold on to the fly case because it is supper light weight AND it fits inside the rod tube, which is big enough to also hold my spinning rod (without the reel) and a small bag of fishing gear, which is nice to have it all together and safe inside the tube when strapping it to my pack. I also replaced the line and tippet, because I know just enough about fly fishing to know that stuff has a shelf life and there was no date on the spool. I did save the line that came with it to keep as a spare, because budget.

This video was filled with carefully chosen statements. LOL The best one was "the rod is surprisingly not terrible". haha😄😄

I got this kit today. Got a bunch of blue gill in my local lake. Lots of fun. I don’t have anything to compare it to, but as a beginner, I thinks it’s a good rod. Any tankara is better than no tankara 🤷‍♂️.

Thank you for honestly reviewing items and not sparing feelings for free stuff.

Great video and commentary. I have been watching your videos recently and I am becoming very interested in trying this out. Your observations regarding this kit are very helpful and have encouraged me to take a little more time and invest properly. Thanks and keep fishing.

I have yet to take the plunge on tenkara fishing, but these videos are helping me understand how it all works.

The only furled line that I have liked is the Tenkara USA lines. They don’t coil up on themselves. That being said, I fish mainly level lines too! Thanks for taking us along!👍🏻🇺🇸

Good info as always. I think I recognize that spot from your Adventure Know-how site. I’ve been looking at everything on the map.

The adage "you get what you pay for" is always true, sometimes by degrees but always true. I have 2 Tenkara rods and 2 Keiryu rods, all expensive and all wonderful. The difference with quality rods is it enhances the experience. Thanks again for another video that reinforces this fact.

I'm a noob but when I got into tenkara I ordered a leader from I believe it was appalachian furled leader co or something like that and somewhere I was told to use line wax .. it works ok but definitely better with wax also with the cheap Flys it pays to add head cement to the knot it helps them not fall apart

Thank you for making these videos! Do you have a video about the best beginner setup?

Thank you for another very helpful review. Like many tenkara anglers, I started with the “bargain” rods and slowly came to realize they really weren’t bargains after all. Still usable, but require more effort to achieve a decent cast. What a neat stream that is!

Thanks for your honest feedback. I think if your going to try something, you really want the best experience possible. I would shoot for the best rod I could afford afford, to get that experience.

This is better than many major-brand rods

I picked up a goture myself, similar to the Breeze. Didn't want to invest too much before I knew whether it was for me or not.

I also have the Goture Capella and am very happy with it. I also own much more expensive rods but the Capella isn't much worse in my opinion.

I conventional fly fished before I got a tenkara rod. I tried the level line and just couldn't get the hang of it. I switched to the ferrelled leader and was a lot easier. Your point about tress is spot on though, it sucks to get them out of a tree and if you pull to hard it will ruin the leader. Good video dude.

Gorgeous place.

Thank you 😊

Jealous. It's 10*F here and I'm impatiently waiting for a 30*F day to get out there. Incidentally I make my own furled lines. Some tapered some not. I personally like them but I agree casting with them is a different activity from level line casting. I find casting slower and with a little follow through using the weight of the line in my cast I can get good accurate casts with minimal effort. And I can kinda roll cast in tight spots without getting hung up. My small streams are thick with tree cover. Love your videos for the locations/scenery and the information. 🤜🤛

Your gear is as good as you treat it so it doesn't matter if it's cheap or top of the line. If you treat it good and maintain it then is the best gear in the world.

Like yourself I’m not a fan of furled lines. I like 3.5 or 4.0 level lines. I’m trying this Japanese tapered 11’ fly line. It is thin but seems to work real well. I also just got some level fly line thin but not like level nylon lines. It seems to work to. I will continue trying them out. Problem is when you go to reorder you can’t find them and or they are back ordered. I have worked out a way to attach a looped fly line backing to one end instead of the slip loop. And I attach my leader to the other end. If it needs to be replaced I cut the fly line at my knot and retie. Yes you loose a little bit but when too much is removed just make a new fly line. 👍🤣😂

I've been using furled line and maybe that's my problem. Level line feels so stiff to me. Maybe I don't have the right gear. 😕 good review and nice fishing Tristan. Tight lines!

I tested it. Good quality and balance.

What a breathtaking area!!! :-)

For someone who doesn't want to spend more money until they know they will use a tenkara rod, this is a good rod. Plus it comes in a full kit! It may not be a real tenkara rod (not sure what that would be? Traditional tenkara rods were made from bamboo. They weren't originally made of graphite!) You caught fish on it? Some pretty nice brook trout! So it does work!

My daughter bought me a Tenkara USA rod a couple years ago I was busy working never got to used it. I just retired and looking forward to learn to fish with this type rod. I'm looking for a fishing backpack that I can attach my Tenkara rod to and carry some tackle what type backpack do you carry. I wish you would do some instructional type videos just for us beginners, setting up rod, casting in open areas as well as the small enclosed creeks, I think you call it a bow an arrow cast, what kind of water to look for.

Maybe the top 3 rods.

Furled lines (that actually float) IMO are only good for dries. Level lines are just better for traditional tenkara.

I find it humorous how everybody keeps calling the company Gochure when it's spelled Goture there's on ch in the name. I have the Red Fox and Breeze. They're not really tenkara Rods, so glad to see they make a tenkara rod now, I'll have to get one and try it out. Thanks for all your videos.

i just got a cheep rod off ali i used a leader i got for my fly pole 9 1/2 foot 5x with a fly clip on the end it works .ya thay sent me a string like you got gets hevy when wet stuff gets stuck on it .with the fly line leader its 1 pice tapers down works for me

I'm pretty impressed with most of Goture's stuff, I have a couple surf rods from them that are absolutely fantastic, a couple keiryu rods that are fairly nice for 20 bucks, and a fishing paddleboard that I LOVE. So far I haven't actually been disappointed by the stuff they make, so long as you stay away from obviously cheap-looking crap.

yup i bought some flys last year that did that, unraveled after only a couple of small fish,, well the best thing i could tell if you buy cheap rods what do you expect

I wanted to try tenkara, so I decided to just get a B&M crappie 3 piece 10ft rod. I ended up loving the fun factor behind catching upwards to 24" trout. Now, I'm in search for my first actual tenkara rod. The trout I'm fishing for, are anywhere between 12-30", anywhere between calm to rougher waters. May I ask, which rod for a budget of $100 would you recommend? Any help is welcomed, including constructive criticism. Thank you!!

I busted my best St. Croix Trout (series) rod yesterday evening. Really stupid DUH Moment. That's 2 St Cs I've busted. And swore I won't spend a hundred + on another rod. At least not til next time!. Absolutely quality alters the experience!!! The Connection is different. The fight is....wait. you know all this... 😁. I prefer Quality. Like your channels. Fishing Colorado near Yuma, kinda thought you'd hit Quartzsite. That would have been outstanding and very unlike your usual Adventures. Crowds. Hahaaa... You handled a tough position easily. You maintained your Integrity and was Honest. And more gentle then I would have been.

That was a very interesting review. Have you ever tried balancing a tankara rod? I'm not trying to justify the rod from your review. I'm just curious about the physics. If we add an additional weight of 1-5 grams to the bottom of the rod, do you think it could help balance it? Do you think weight balancing could revive the rod from your review?

I don't have $90 or more to spend on a rod, so I ordered one of the cheaper Goture rods (under $30). It'll be here tomorrow, hopefully I'll be able to take it out right away. I've already DIY'd up a line for it.

I'm watching your videos to learn how to use a tenkara rod to catch crappie, brim, and bluegills from my pond. You said you have a lot of tenkara rods. Have you thought about selling some on here or doing a giveaway? I noticed that tenkara rods are expensive, so I need a deal.

You filmed this October 2022? I knew you had some magic up your sleeve 😉🤣

that many sections its gonna be stiffer than a rod with fewer longer sections.. I use a Goture (I don't know any better) and it's 'o.k.'

Cheap kits are in a way good for the sport just to get a feel for this style fishing .If it feels like something that you could get into then sure you crank it up a notch to better equipment. I think most folks realize spindling $30 $40 on a kit is going to be a little wanky but at least it gets something in there hand to try out without spending over a $150 just to find out its not for them.

It looks like it woulld be a good rod for heavy bass flys like popping bugs, sliders, and big steamers. It looks too stiff for trout fishing.

So what's a great Tenkara rod?

This is CA right? Is this south of the town of that starts with a B or north? I was fishing directly east of that town and all the brush was taller than me. Dont know where I need to go to get access that good...

I was really about to buy it, then said to myself "what am i doing?". 😂 Will take some parts out of one of my old japanese carbon rods (7m-8m) and will make a tenkara rod, just to live the experience. 😂

Would it help to wax a furled line like a bow string? I'm thinking about trying this, and I'm looking at this kit as a starter. If I keep going I know I'll upgrade almost immediately. This looks like it would be very enjoyable. Great video for a curious observer that's thinking of getting into this. Thank you for sharing this with us. I'm kind of pumped to try this now.

Where was this creek? Looks almost like the Owens in California or near mammoth?

Just got the Breeze in 16' the other day and I find it surprisingly terrible 🤣 The shorter ones are very different I think. It's always a gamble with these cheap rods...

How does this compare to the goture breeze?

October 2021, right?

Really action 6:4 ? Or more hard with an action 7:3?

I keep seeing these, I don't understand how they work, there's no reel? just a length of line?

Level lines are the best in every situation. The line makers sell twice as many weight forwards. Oh well it's a happy problem. How do you land a 30" trout in a Tenkara.

though I appreciate your input on this rod. you make fishing Tenkara sound like its not very much fun unless you have spent alot of money on the rod.. I get it ,Your some what of an expert Tenkara guy. Just do yourself and the rest of us just starting out. sound a little less like a Tenkara snob .tell us how to make it better these are tough times we need the best bdget set up that works. After all if we are going to spend tons of money on this stuff we would probably just buy a normal fly rod. By the way I fished this way when I was a kid and we made our own out of a willow.

Is it durable tho or it breaks easy?

What would be your recommendation for a beginner? I don't want to spend a small fortune for a rod when I don't get to fish very often.

I wish you would have showed how to put it all together

When conditions make it difficult to detect a strike use a dry dropper set up. The dry is your indicator, and it's nice when they take the dry. While I appreciate your reviews, you can't compare inexpensive rods to very expensive rods, or stiff to soft. Review the rod without comparing to other rods, or saying it's not a good rod and let the viewer decide based on the characteristics you point out and cost. Also if using a 7-3 rod you should be reviewing it in a stream that has 14" and larger fish and some current. I'm surprised you prefer the level line with such a stiff rod, the furled line, especially when wet should have been loading that rod nicely. That particular stream I would be reviewing/fishing a Seiryu rod. Nice video thanks.

I have a 18 foot 5 wheght but idk the name of it my grandfather gave it to me about 5 years ago and he had it for 45 years

8:10 that's what she said!

Do you have a book for streams in Idaho?

So what IS the first Tenkara rod you would reach for?

hi there nice videos tell me if you hook a large fish and it runs is there elastic somewhere in the mix colin uk

I could tell the way the larger fish was fighting that rod just bruted him in. I have seen cheap fly rods that would not cast straight. I think it has to do with the workmanship of the scrim. When they load, they tend to not track straight and will go totally stupid when unloading. There is an old saying that you cannot buy a good golf game but I don't think that holds true with fly rods. With proper technique of course, a good rod can make all the difference in accuracy and presentation. I have a long lifetime of experience fly fishing but don't know squat about Tenkara. Before my new rod comes in I have to do some serious research. I am sure some methods and techniques I use fly fishing are most like blasphemy in Tenkara.

That happens when you're Spoiled with T600+ carbon rods

today on A---express $71.00

Give a Ferrari owner a Hyundai to test and he'll tell you it's crap. It will get you from A to B but it is no Ferrari. You can catch fish with this rod, but it is definitely not like a high end rod. As for me, I have never fly fished and don't own a tenkara rod... I have purchased this one (before seeing this, d'oh!) So I'll see how I go... At least I know I can upgrade the line to make it better if don't like the one it came with. Thanks for the vid... Although I watched it a week too late🤣

now try going many days and days 4 hours at a time of no fish 😂

Boop

if you still have and don't like ill buy from you

not cheap at all for what it is, a stick

Dude you’re totally biased. It’s so damn obvious bro.

I've been fishing my whole life, some of the BEST fishing rods I've ever owned and still have today (decades old) were the cheapest rods and reels available.😅 They may not "feel nice" but I'll be damned if they haven't been more durable than *all* of the dozens of $100-$600 rods I've owned and broken (while in use)