The Most Expensive Rod I Own: The Yari by Tenkara Rod Co. (Initial Review/Impressions)

I recently bought and received the Yari by Tenkara Rod Co. At $275 plus shipping, it is officially the most expensive of the 12 or 13 tenkara rods I own. But is it any good?
LINKS
** The green UV yarn: flytyingyarn.com/collections/...
** Tenryu Furaibo at Tenkara Bum: www.tenkarabum.com/tenryu-fur...
DATE FILMED: August 2021
LOCATION: Idaho
GEAR USED
** SEE MORE INFO ABOUT MY FLIES AND GEAR HERE: tenkaraaddict.com/gear/​​​​​​
** ROD: TRC Yari
** LINES: 12-foot level line (#3.5) with a few feet of tippet
** FLY: Size 12 UV green kebari
** NET: Medium Measure Net with rubberized net bag
OTHER LINKS
** Instagram (@TenkaraAddict): / tenkaraaddict​​​​​​
** My main KZbin channel (SUVRVing): / suvrving​​​​​​
** My other store: KamchatkaGear.com​​​​​​
#tenkara​​​​​​ #fishing​​​​​​ #flyfishing

[@TenkaraAddict]

Sorry for some of the audio weirdness in recent videos (if you've noticed). I'm having some issues with the GoPro and the external microphone, and I'm waiting for the new one to come out in a month or two. Thanks for bearing with me. -Tristan

[@Yetimai50]

I have their Teton Zoom and really like it. They have been great when i broke a tip and sent the replacement out quickly. I really like their hybrid fly lines

[@joshuarogers4428]

Their crossbreed line is amazing!

[@chrisreichel4068]

My TRC Beartooth is pretty much my best friend. I have had nothing but amazing customer service experiences with them. Since they are active weekly on KZbin, what about a collab? Maybe bury the hatchet? Cuddle puddle? Cage match?

[@michaelsmith7193]

Thank you for another good, candid review. I have one of their shorter rods - it is indeed stiff, but it has proven to be quite useful on smaller streams. Speaking of streams, it looks like you’ve found yet another gem!

[@caleshtcincredibles]

I have followed your channel for awhile and really enjoy it . I have never tried or owned a Tenkara rod but your video today convinced me I should give it try and this rod won't break the bank. Order placed can't wait to try it out ! Cheers !

[@josephplott5541]

Thank you for another great video. I likewise did the Yari off Kickstarter but have not been able to use it yet. Thanks again for making my Saturday ritual of grabbing a coffee and watching your videos. Fish on!

[@elsewhere9167]

Great video... I appreciate you sharing your experience with TRC... love the channel!

[@nealcallinan2372]

Always appreciate your videos Tristan. Everyone’s experiences are unique and different. Sorry to hear about your bad ones with TRC. For me, they have always been very responsive and helpful putting the customer first. Great company from my perspective! Keep on fishin’!

[@stevewalcott9546]

Thanks for reviewing this rod! I was really jonesing for it but couldn’t justify the cost at the time. I really enjoy their videos and I own one of their heavy duty rods for salmon. What a great stream this is! Thx for sharing!

[@EvilBlonde1]

Tristan, Thank you for identifying the subspecies in this video.. means the world to me. Finished my fourth Utah Slam this week.. Thinking about the Wyoming Slam and that fine spotted Cutthroat for next spring.. I can't make a decision on my first entry Tenkara rod.. been watching your videos for a very long time and enjoy your reviews on the different rods.. will make a choice this fall.

[@tuckerstewart5138]

I’ve had really good luck with the TRC. Really good service, rod is really good quality for what it is. This rod looks awesome, I’m not going to buy it but I’m glad you did!

[@tenkaraintheiowadriftless]

Always appreciate your unvarnished reviews.

[@ben6193]

Did wonder about this one, thanks for the vid man 👍

[@jessejohnson8095]

I love my TRC rods...I have a few. Great customer service normally, too. I had the exact experience you did though with the kickstart of the Teton Zoom...delayed MONTHS with little to no communication on updates, reasons for delays, etc. I love your videos, too...when I'm at home, but especially now being deployed to the desert...they are like being transported back home for 15 minutes at a time. Thank you!

[@TenkaraAddict]

It's just weird. Like how hard is it to send an email to update the Kickstarter backers? So much effort, time, and money spent to make a rod, and they fumble it when it comes to something so simple.

[@MrJara1018]

I appreciate the candor on your experience . I definitely got the itch to grab one of those Tenkara Rod Co. rods.

[@darrylhunt1]

Great video, Thanks for sharing.

[@superdeluxesmell]

What a beautiful little river. I’ve never fished with any Tenkara Rod Co products but I greatly enjoy watching their videos on here. They seem like cool guys. But then again, cool guys often don’t run the most efficient, customer centred businesses. 😬😂

[@kc195556]

I enjoyed this stream. Since it's not too far from you, I'd like to see more videos from it.

[@tnfishing9089]

Awesome video man!!

[@yoopermann7942]

i think that would be an ideal zoom rod 8-11-13 foot, now that would be an excellent rod for the waters i fish,, this creek looked like it was fun to fish

[@aksaraksar5781]

I have a couple of their rods I like them. I bought the Yuri had the same issue with the kickstarter thing really wanted the rod for a trip but it didn’t show up in time. Other than that they have been good to me. Sent me a tip when I messed mine up.

[@geneg5870]

Tenkara Rod Co is my jam.....I own 3 of them, lol.

[@nolyplayz4052]

Same

[@TenkaraAddict]

Awesome. Fish with what works well for you 👍 Thanks for watching.

[@geneg5870]

@@TenkaraAddict fish on brother 👍🎣 Love your videos and I'm super jealous of your fishing areas🌄 great stuff....

[@arthururban8340]

I own a Rocky rod. It is a bit stiff but it launches streamers like a cannon. Big bass are handled well with the rod. fwiw

[@ianjones6910]

Another great video. It seemed to me those finespotted cutts were pretty aggressive on the take - is that the right impression? I mention that because I was in Colorado last month, and I caught a fair amount of Rio Grande cutts - I definitely had to slow down my reaction time, because the takes were so deliberate. Of course, the stream I was fishing was mostly in a meadow, so it was much slower than this freestone stream you fished - that might be a big factor. BTW, if you ever want a location for Rios, let me know.

[@rphilip2768]

Great video - thank you for your unbiased review on the rod. Appreciated. Love the stream too.

[@tuddrussell]

I found that my Tenkara rod Co. rods were well built but very stiff. I ended up giving mine to a friend in Japan who taught me how to fly fish cast in Shinjuku at the LL Bean store in a alley / road next to the building.

[@stevensad38]

Thanks for another great video. What a shame the handle is as it is. makes the rod look amateurish or unfinished don't you think.

[@michaelshuman3319]

Great video , as usual !! Question ; I thought that you weren't supposed to handle a trout with your hands , even if you wet them ? Thanks & keep up the great fishin'

[@jeffkilduff4211]

Hey Tristan, have you ever fished Townslley Lake in Yosemite? I hear there are golden trout there but cannot find a lot of info about it.

[@juanitagreenspan5412]

Enjoyable video.

[@carlosandreblatt]

My perception is that TRC at the beginning was seling me too rods with a nicer look . they were pretty expensive broomsticks. in the last years they seem to have evolved and put a lot more effort in rod design

[@JamesJReid]

awesome creek

[@flyfishingchannel]

Nice one!

[@tbaylo4034]

I have a few of their rods and like them so far. I’ve purchased them through Expert Voice so I haven’t paid full price for any of them.

[@Droptineful]

Great video! 👍🏻🇺🇸

[@awaken77]

I think this rod is based on Tenryu Furaibo TF39 design (which is good, because Tenryu making good rods). The color is the same, butt cap and lillian is the same, the handle looks the same too. Only lenght is slightly shorter (3,6m vs 3,9m)

[@douglasbiesecker]

Tenkara rod co is a bit pricey, but compared to tenkara usa this rod is only $25 more than their basic models and its made in Japan...

[@chunkylover54]

my problem with companies like tenkara rod co and other companies that pop up everywhere online is their prices seem to be higher. I really don't feel like i should be paying for advertising. the same goes for just about any company. my wife called some hvac company she saw on a commercial and their prices were about 2-3x higher than any other quote we got.

[@arthururban8340]

I wish someone would figure out how to accentuate the line twitch on video when a fish strikes. you know, how the NHL used to make the puck glow orange. would be very informative to see how subtle some takes are.

[@arictelian]

Felt like the criticism of Tenkara Rod Co was fair. They have dropped the ball with communication on kickstarters in the past. This one was no different. So now that the TRC fans have a taste of Japanese craftsmanahip, will the sales of TRC's chinese rods go up? 🤷🏽‍♂️ Personally, this would inspire me to purchase more Japanese rods. Cheers Tristan. A fair review.

[@marklund4836]

Where can we get that net at?

[@robertperman8967]

Sweet

[@tylerbelnap8987]

I'm genuinely interested to hear why you don't like Tenkara Rod Co. Is it based on your experience with the Kickstarter? I'm looking to buy another rod and I'm wondering if I should look elsewhere?

[@realsafoxmulder]

Does their lifetime warranty cover breakage like Orvis?

[@ReversePeople]

“Hook” us up with the details on TRC, please. Very interested to know what else went down with you and them (other than the lackluster Kickstarter experience). Thanks in advance.

[@FlagrareUnbound]

They have a rod now that has a 10.5 to 12 ft adjusting length. If your interested mind doing another review.

[@terryfletcher6465]

How do you attach the line without a reel?

[@tuckerstewart5138]

The tip of the rod has string attached to it, then you tie your line into that string.

[@LeoSnow900]

Afternoon, have you ever fished with a Zerosum Nissin 620 Model? Its a very nice rod, made in Japan, that is about $320. There arent any reviews of this rod, at least that I've found in english and I think would make great content.

[@TenkaraAddict]

Nope, never heard of a Zerosum 620.

[@LeoSnow900]

@@TenkaraAddict If you look for 'ZEROSUM KEIKYOKU-WAZA Hard 6214' on Google it should come up on a Japanese website titled Plat. Its a great site for Japan only tackle, rods and reels. Im going to fish this rod tomorrow and will come back with a small review for you. Its a beautifully crafted rod at 20' so its meant for 'big water' applications like rivers and large creeks.

[@LeoSnow900]

​ @Tenkara Addict The rod fished very nicely. Im not sure of the bend profile but I would guess around 7:3-6:4. It is a very different feel (not bad just different, and I like it) from a traditional Tenkara around 12-14', but it takes some getting used to as it takes two hands to cast more effectivly but is very worth a try. Ill need to spend more time fishing it to get a really good feel for casting and landing a fish, unfortunatly I didnt get a chance to feel how it works when catching/landing a fish as I got skunked.

[@michaeltichonuk2176]

On the Snake. Beautiful scenery. Great weather. New rod. Outstanding fish'n and catch'n. Jeesshhh...didja have to pinch yourself? 😁.

[@TenkaraAddict]

This was near the Snake but not on it. But had a great time, for sure!

[@matt9108]

I've had no issues at all with Tenkara Rod Co. Could you share why you feel so negatively about them? I have two of their rods, Yari and Beartooth, and they are wonderful.

[@michaelcapurso]

Personally I have had great experiences with TRC, including when I broke a tip section which they replaced at no cost to me. Yes they are showmen/salesmen, nothing wrong with that. That being said you spent way too much time bashing the brand, with no context as to why you dislike the company. I really would have liked to purchased that rod, however could not justify the cost as it would not have filled a gap in my current Tenkara rod collection.

[@TenkaraAddict]

I mentioned twice in a 20+ minute video that I didn't like the company. If that's too much time, I don't know what to tell you. Thanks for watching.

[@michaelcapurso]

@@TenkaraAddict Hmm...I'd say five to 6 within the video.You have a fair amount of followers. When I publicly bash a company I tell people why, or don't mention it at all. Just my worthless two cents.

[@smthcrmnal26]

@@TenkaraAddict I would like to hear more about what main issues you have with TRC.

[@sugriv3405]

#HappySaturday 😍😍

[@samsongausch5814]

My issue with their rods has always been that the fit and finish was absolutely terrible, the rods looked like they had been through years of hell out of the box, they fished well enough, but I expect more attention to detail and cosmetic durability in that price range. I do love their lines though.

[@ricktoddy1216]

Do you fish with barbless hooks?

[@jackrinderer7916]

Yes he does

[@jasonwooden]

Every Tenkara fly I've seen is barbless.

[@arachnoskull6311]

I like DRAGONtail more then Tenkara Rod Co when it comes to Replacement Parts.

[@tenkarapondfishing4611]

Hi Tristan. Very nice video. Re the $275 rod, I'm just gonna flatly state this. As someone who has always believed in paying more for quality, even if it means I get to own less stuff but the stuff I own is very high quality...I have to say that I will never pay that kind of money for a Tenkara rod. Nor will I pony up $800 or more for a Sage, Orvis, G Loomis, or Scott fly rod. I think I can tell quality when I'm holding it or fishing it, and while my $85 Dragontail Shadowfire 365 may not turn heads in the elite rod world, and it's true I've never even held an elite rod like the one you're testing so maybe I just don't know what I'm talking about, but for those of us who aren't wealthy....I'm wondering, just how much better than the Shadowfire does it have to be?? If I were to think it was ok to spend $275 on a Tenkara rod, I could never have spent the $300 or so I just spent getting started on tying my own flies. By being happy enough with a rod like the Shadowfire, I can do other very different things in fly fishing in general.

[@chunkylover54]

im the same way with my hobbies. I go for quality but when things get really expensive there doesn't seem to be a huge step up other than perhaps it meets some niche need.

[@arictelian]

Find someone who has a quality Japanese rod and ask to cast it or even fish with it. You'll feel it immediately. The difference is astounding. 7 years I cast a Chinese rod, then aquired my first Japanese rod. I'll never go back. 😁

[@johnsmalldridge6356]

Sometimes a great casting rod does not make good hook sets or does not land fish well.

[@TenkaraAddict]

This seemed to do all of them well

[@robertperman8967]

It seems to me that line handling after the hook up could be a problem!!

[@iliveinthewoods]

😒 "..I'm not a patient man." 😂

[@royramdeen8864]

Don't know why people do kick starters?

[@torrey8261]

I have had a couple of Tenkara Rod Co rods and found them a bit stiff and heavy for my style. Their prices seem a bit high also. However, I think they fill that segment of the industry for people that love flashy social media companies and loud rockstars. We need companies for every segment for tenkara to keep going and I do like their crazy videos.

[@oak8728]

Well said all around

[@eristicfreethinker2098]

The law of diminishing marginal returns applies to Tenkara rods just like everything else.

[@peteredwards1528]

About £270 GBP, way out of my price range

[@Stubby0266]

Rod looks heavy.

[@nolyplayz4052]

Wasn’t a very good review very bias and bashful on something that you liked how it felt but didn’t like the company

[@TenkaraAddict]

Shrug. You are free to feel that way. Of course my videos on my channel are going to reflect my experiences.

[@rianm8999]

Why aren't you a fan of the company ?

[@TenkaraAddict]

They have minimal interaction with the broader tenkara community. Their rods are overpriced. I've had bad experiences with both their customer service and when interacting with their founders through email. Not a company I want to support when I can help it.

[@rianm8999]

@@TenkaraAddict Any companies you would recommend?

[@davemeduna700]

you kept complaining about their rods but yet you bought one. HUH?

[@David-gld]

Actually he said that this was the first TRC rod he ever fished with. He said they had a reputation for being too stiff. He complained about the customer service and rightly so.

[@dg9388]

I just started watching some tenkara videos within the last few days. I came across one from tenkara rod Co. Where it was supposed to compare and contrast cane poles with their poles. It was a complete shit show of a video where they just came off as pretentious twats. I don't know if I will ever try out tenkara, but I can guarantee to never use any of their products.