Storing Your Tenkara Rod
One useful feature of Tenkara rods is that they’re incredibly portable and easy to store. Unlike virtually all other types of fly rods, all of the pieces of your Tenkara rod are stored in the butt section. This makes Tenkara rods a great option for backpacking trips, hiking excursions, and adventures when maximizing space is a priority.
Even so, there are a couple things to keep in mind when cleaning and storing your Tenkara rod to make sure it stays in perfect shape for your next trip out on the water.
How to Properly Store Your Tenkara Rod
Storing your Tenkara rod is extremely simple. To break down the rod, you just need to retract all of the sections back into the butt section. The best way to do this is to start with the thickest section of the rod and work upwards from there. This will ensure you don’t damage the tip section and that the rod will fit into the butt section the way it’s designed to.
Once you’ve retracted the rod pieces into the butt section, put the plug in the rod to hold all the sections in place and you’re done! Your Tenkara rod is ready to put away until the next time you’re ready to use it. Before you do this, though, it’s normally a good idea to clean your rod.
Wild Water Tenkara rods also have a cloth bag and a case. It's always a good idea to keep the rod in there for protection.
Cleaning Your Tenkara Rod
Cleaning your Tenkara rod is a very important step to making sure it stays in good shape. If water and debris get on your rod and you don’t clean them off after fishing, they can sit in the butt section of your rod and damage the finish of all of your rod pieces. Water that’s left to sit for awhile can also smell bad (ever had that happen to your waders? It’s a similar process here).
To clean your Tenkara rod, all you need to do is get a cloth with some warm water, wipe it down, and then wipe it again with a dry cloth to make sure the moisture is removed. Many anglers don’t do this every time they fish, but it’s a good precautionary step to make sure your rod is always in perfect shape.
Cleaning and storing your Tenkara rod is really simple, and it’s yet another aspect of Tenkara fishing that makes it an excellent option for so many fly fishermen.
