HANE™ 10ft10in (330cm)

I especially enjoy fishing with my grandchildren and they are getting quite adept with tenkara mostly for panfish but are happy with anything they catch.

Waiting to use my new tenkara equipment after the holidays.

Well built and performs as described.

First, I've caught at least one fish each time I've been out. The first two outings were to a tailwater with twice normal flow rates. I felt a faint nibble, lifted the tip, and my first fish, a 3" brown, flew from the river and landed by my feet. I've never sensed a fish's presence like that, nor set so promptly. The next was hiding behind a bowling ball sized rock at the head of a long riffle. I thought the fly was snagged, but when I moved the rod tip back and forth I found a small brown. Number three was hiding deep among large rocks on a high volume and flow rate day. I drifted the fly (Idaho Killer Kebari (shrimp pink dub) close to shore. It streaked from its holding place. Finally, yesterday, I took the Hane to Big Cottonwood creek, a mostly shaded stretch through tall Spruce trees and Dogwood bushes. It was my 2nd time fishing BCC (first w tenkara) I knew where I had surprised fish last time. I hid behind a clump of weeds, and cast downstream landing the fly just above another clump of grass. It drifted around the bend, and another small brown took the fly. I caught all four fish on an Idaho Killer Kebari (3 shrimp pink, 1 black/white wool yarn).

So, two days on a river with room for an overhead cast, and one on a creek with room for bow-and-arrow casts from the bank and overhead casts when wading and fishing upstream. I lost several flies yesterday to those spruce. I screwed up several nice runs by aggressively casting to the very edge of the overhanging shrubs (and hooking them, and having to wade through the good water to retrieve my fly, again). Large housefly-like bugs made their presence known.

Despite the challenges to my patience, the Hane performed well. My first times out I collapsed it when moving to different spots on the river. Yesterday I made it through the brush with it extended. I haven't broken it! The tip is fine. The lilian is intact. I used a 1.5x length level line I made with a Nissin 3.5 level line on BCC. Next time, maybe 1.1x there. The rod casts well, provides adequate reach, and fits in my DaKine snowboarding backpack. I carry almost nothing for four hours of fishing. It takes a minute to get what I need from my car and head downriver. I've practiced with a 2.5x length level line and it handles that well too (but not for BCC). I like the Hane. I haven't used my fly fishing rig(s) since it arrived. It's cool, new, tiny, light, and unlike with my conventional gear, knock on wood, I haven't been skunked yet: I'm 65, 1/2 way through my 3rd year of fly fishing, and I'm often skunked. I've tied a few dozen flies for use with the Hane and I've caught everything on the wet flies I tied. This is so cool.

My wife says this is too heavy for her- I'd like to investigate either repairing/replacing her Rhodo tenkara rod -