About Zen Tenkara
Zen Tenkara is a Colorado company founded in 2012 by Karin Miller, who took up tenkara after relocating from South Florida and built a business designing, making and selling tenkara rods, lines and accessories. The brand's stated aim is gear that keeps tenkara's simplicity while extending what a fixed-line rod can do, and much of its range is pointed at larger fish and bigger water than the Japanese tradition covers, including saltwater species. Every rod is listed with a Fly Rod Approximate Equivalency (FRAE), the conventional fly-rod line weight it fishes like, alongside its flex ratio.
The seven rods run from the 6'10" Hachi (1.5 oz, FRAE 2 to 3 wt) through the tri-zoom Suzume (7.7' to 10.8', 3 wt), which won the Fly Fishing Show Consumer Choice Award for best tenkara rod, and the 12 ft all-purpose Zako (5 wt), to the big-water rods: the Suimenka (6 wt), a dual-tip rod whose nymphing and dry-fly tips give two actions and four lengths; the 13'6" Sagi (7 wt), which also casts PVC fly lines; the 13' / 15' Taka zoom (7 to 8 wt, 7:3 flex); and the Kyojin II Spey (8 wt), a two-handed 12 ft rod with a 15.75 in handle for carp, salmon and surf. All ship with a spare tip, sock and carbon-fiber travel case.
Zen is the only tenkara maker selling an interchangeable Performance Tip that fits five of the seven rods (all but the Hachi and Kyojin) and quickens their action for nymphing, wind or heavier rigs. Rods sell direct from the company's own store, with lessons and a starter kit built around the Zako.
What Zen Tenkara is known for
The Zako is the all-purpose 12 ft rod and the Suzume tri-zoom the award-winning small-stream rod; the Taka, Sagi and Kyojin II Spey push tenkara toward salmon, redfish and saltwater fish on up to 16 lb test. The brand is known for its FRAE fly-weight ratings, the interchangeable Performance Tip that gives two actions from one rod, the dual-tip Suimenka, and for spey-style two-handed tenkara. Prices run $211 to $310 with a spare tip, sock and carbon-fiber case included. In this catalog it sits with Tenkara USA, DRAGONtail Tenkara and Wasatch Tenkara Rods.