Tenkara Trauma (Sharing a Life Lesson)

[letumgo]

I received a new Tenkara rod for Christmas and went out this morning to test it out for the first time. Unfortunately, I managed to snap the tip off the rod, before I had even managed to get the line on it for the first time. As I was trying to attach the furled leader to the lilian, I hear this small "plink" noice, indicating that I had snapped the end clean off, while tightening the loop connection. Argh!

Here is a photo of the broken tip:



I came home, and called TenkaraUSA and they promised to promptly ship me a new replacement tip, at no charge. The gentleman I spoke with explained what I had probably done wrong. So I figured I would make this post to share the lessons I learned this morning (the hard way).

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO:
If your a Tenkara newby, I highly recommend watching this video of Tenkara knots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnkkOogQlLk

LESSONS LEARNED:
Lesson One - My first rooky mistake was removing the small gray-green loop at the end of the furled line. I thought it was scrap. It turns out, the soft grey-green loop is an important piece of the system, used for joining the furled leader to the lillian. The line is one of TenkaraUSA's 13 foot furled leader. When I opened the package, the leader had a grey-green loop on the end, which I thought was simply a piece of scrap. I removed this loop and tried to mount the leader over the lillian, using the loop at the end of the furled leader. Unfortunately, the loop had been treated with some sort of head cement, making the loop stiff. The gray-green loop, is intended to form a soft junction between the lillian and the furled line. The soft loop should have been used instead of the loop at the end of the furled leader.

Lesson Two - My second rooky mistake was letting a couple inches of the rod stick out when mounting the leader to the end. Apparently, the right way to do it is to only let the red end of the lillian hang out the end of the rod. You should hold your thumb over the end of the rod, with only the soft lillian projecting. Then open the soft gray-green junction loop on the leader and slip it over the end of the lillian. Then gently snug the loop closed over the lillian, until the loop slides up against the loop at the end of the lillian.

Key lesson - Keep you thumb in place, preventing the tip of the rod from sliding out.






Hopefully this post will help someone else avoid the same mistakes I made. Looks like I've got a lot to learn about tenkara.

[Mataura mayfly]

Damn, I can just imagine the anticipation...... and the disappointment.

Now, seems to me it might be easy to have a printed out A4 sheet, similar to your above "how to" included with each new rod that leaves the shop floor, as I am willing to bet you are not the first to make the mistake..... and possibly not the last (although thanks to this post, perhaps the last within the forum )

If it is any consolation, I have seen a fellow do the same to a standard fly rod when stringing up to start the day. Standing a normal fly rod upright, threading the line through and pulling it directly down has the same result of tip loading and the "plink" or "crack" noise that can sicken to the stomach.

Hope the replacement tip arrives smartly and you are on the water enjoying a new method of soft hackle fishing....... smiling again.

[tie2fish]

This post will no doubt prevent more than one reader from suffering a similar fate. Thank you, Ray, for documenting your misfortune and explaining the best way to keep it from happening. Please keep us advised of your fishing results when the new rod arrives.

[William Anderson]

Ouch!

Thanks for the heads up. I use mine so little that it seems like a new experience when I get it out. This would have been me sooner or later. Glad they were so prompt to fix you up. And congrats on the cool new gear.

w

[Jerry G]

That is a bummer and I can only imagine the lump I would have in my throat after having that experience. On a much lighter note, you certainly have well manufactured nails.

Regards, Jerry

[letumgo]

Jerry - I got a good laugh out of your comment. Funny!

[Jerry G]

Well Ray it was an honest attempt at humor. Now how in the world manicured became manufactured I have no idea. This was one of my first attempts at sending a note via a Kindle Fire I received for Christmas. I had better start reading my messages before I submit them.

Regards, Jerry

[letumgo]

You have now experienced "auto correct" first hand. I have the same issue when posting from my iPad or iPod. Apple thinks they know exactly what word I wanted to use. Makes for some interesting substitutions sometimes.

[narcodog]

I have broken two tips, one while demo'ing it to my TU Chapter. It occurred while collapsing it. The second was just a few weeks ago. I really don't know how it broke, well maybe I do but it would take a week of typing to explain it.

I also bought myself a new Rhodo for Christmas, I love Santa.

[letumgo]

The Rhodo looks like a nice rod. Let us know how you like it.