11' Iwana Rod ReviewIwana rod review: The 11' Iwana is the lightest rod that Tenkara USA sells, at 2.5 ounces, and also their shortest. It is quite misleading to compare a 2.5 ounce tenkara rod with a 2.5 ounce fly rod. To the fly rod you would have to add the weight of a reel, 80 or 90 feet of fly line and maybe a hundred yards or more of backing. With a tenkara rod, it's pretty much just the rod (the tenkara line weighs almost nothing). For that matter, the 11' Iwana seems to weigh almost nothing. In their description of the Iwana rod, Tenkara USA says "If you are going to streams where 12 inch trout are trophies this is the rod." On the one hand, I completely agree with that statement. I think the 11' Iwana is the ideal tenkara rod if you are fishing for wild brook trout, or golden trout, or the greenback cutthroat trout in Rocky Mountain National Park. It really does not take a big fish to put a very satisfying bend in the rod.
The rod's action is wonderful: light and crisp. The 11' Iwana will cast a very light line, quite comparable to the Ayu. My recommendation would be an 11' TenkaraBum light Hand Tied Tapered Line line, which is a quite a bit lighter than the 3.5 Tenkara USA line and more visible than even their new line.
11' Iwana tenkara rod
I got my 11' Iwana to fish small streams for wild brook trout, but most of the streams I fish are not really that tight. Since I generally fish the longest rod I can get away with, I don't fish it as often as I do my Ayu, but I really love this rod. The 6:4 action gives you pinpoint casts, and it is just the rod for dancing a CDC & Elk across pocket water. It will also do very well with a Sakasa Kebari or a Killer Bug. A small bucktail like a Mickey Finn or Edson Tiger (twitched, not stripped) would do nicely with both the rod and the brookies. Really, any of your favorite brook trout flies should do nicely. I know anglers who go bluegill fishing with a 12' Iwana, and say that panfish poppers cast just fine. I think the 12' model has just enough more backbone than the 11 footer that the longer rod is indeed a good (maybe great) panfish rod. (Although I must say the Sakasa Kebari is at least as effective as a panfish popper on bluegills, and much more of a pleasure to cast.) The 11' Iwana is a bit short for pond fishing, and certainly a bit soft for fishing where the next cast may hook a 4 pound bass. If you are considering tenkara, the 11' Iwana would be a great choice if the streams you fish are too tight for a longer rod, or if there is enough pocket water and riffles so that with stealthy wading you can fish close. One thing that really doesn't get enough mention is that if you have kids that are just about the age to get started fly fishing, this is an absolutely fabulous rod to start them with. It is not too heavy or too long for them, and not having to deal with a reel and excess line makes fishing a lot more fun for them. Catching more fish, which they're almost certain to do with a tenkara rod, only adds to their enjoyment. Careful, though, it will almost immediately become "their" rod, and you'll have to buy one for yourself if you want to get in on the fun. If the Tenkara USA Iwana had been named for a US fish rather than a Japanese fish, I'm sure this rod would be named the "Brookie." 
Rick Setina's tenkara brookie
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