Suntech TenkaraBum 33 (LT)

The Suntech TenkaraBum 33 should have been called the Suntech TenkaraBum 33 LT.

There's a Joni Mitchel song from 1970 with the lyrics "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." With respect to the TenkaraBum 33, I'd change that to say "you don't know what you've got 'til you've had it for a while." The TenkaraBum 33 was initially conceived as a rod that would fish weighted nymphs well and could handle larger fish coming from smaller streams. It does both of those things well, but if I knew then what I know now, I would have given the rod a different name.

I should have taken a page out of Daiwa's playbook, and called the rod the Suntech TenkaraBum 33 LT.  Daiwa's LT designation for tenkara rods means the rod is suited to both level and tapered lines.  Because the TenkaraBum 33 is a firmer rod than the TenkaraBum 36 or the TenkaraBum 40, it would be a much better choice for people who prefer to use tapered lines, most of which are heavier than level lines.

It will do well with any of the tapered lines generally available to tenkara anglers, whether the knotless nylon Fujino lines, the twisted fluorocarbon Nissin PALS SP Pro or the furled lines available from a number of small companies. It will also be a better choice for people who prefer to use a size 4 level line

The Suntech TenkaraBum 33 shares a design philosophy with the TenkaraBum 36 but it is not just the 36 with one less section. It is a different rod constructed on a different blank with a slightly different design goal. The goal for the TenkaraBum 36 was for an all-around rod for how American tenkara anglers fish (with weighted nymphs and with dry flies in addition to the unweighted wets used in Japan).

Smaller Streams

The design goal for the Suntech TenkaraBum 33 was a rod for streams that are a bit too small for the TenkaraBum 36 and for fish that are too large for the Suntech Kurenai HM33R (the predecessor to the current Kurenai II AR 33F). As it turned out, the rod can handle much larger fish than I had expected. Take a look at the rainbow that Paul A caught, and the brown that File-Critical (I suspect not his real name) caught at the bottom of the column to the right.

It is a firmer, faster rod than the TenkaraBum 36 with a different bend profile (a bit more tip flex than the 36 but with a firmer midsection). It is still a very sensitive rod and you will feel every head shake from a 6" brookie or a 4" creek chub, which you would expect to catch in small streams.

It is always a bit surprising to see Tom Davis catching 13-14" fish in  small mountain streams. That may be more common in the west, but it is not unheard of elsewhere. I have caught 17" trout in the New York City suburbs in streams for which the TenkaraBum 33 would be the ideal length.

This fat 17" rainbow was caught with the Suntech TenkaraBum 33 prototype in a stream where I had to watch my casts so I wouldn't snag branches on the far side. Thinking back, most of the larger fish I have taken in smaller streams were holding under a low tree branch. On narrow streams with low tree branches, even with a slingshot cast, a longer rod would be a bit too long.

Pinpoint Casts

Although casting accuracy is always important, the smaller the stream the more important it is. The eddies and seams to which you are casting are smaller, and they are closer to the streamside bushes and branches. A faster rod with a taper that can deliver a slightly heavier line will give you better accuracy - particularly if there is even a hint of a breeze.

Weighted Nymphs

As with the TenkaraBum 36, the Suntech TenkaraBum 33 is a rod for anglers who want to fish nymphs and dries as well as unweighted wet flies. For years I had recommended the Daiwa Kiyose 33SF for nymphing, but it was a bit stiff for fishing dries and unweighted wets.

The TenkaraBum 33 is stiff enough in the midsection to get good hook sets with even heavy nymphs, but the tip sections are softer than those on the Kiyose 33 SF or the very similar Daiwa Keiryu-X 33. That makes the TenkaraBum 33 a much better rod than the Keiryu-X 33 for fishing unweighted flies.

Actually, the softer tip sections make the TenkaraBum 33 better than either of those rods for nymphing, too. Over the last few years I have learned much more about how sensitive trout are to line tension. In a nutshell, when tight line nymphing, you will feel more takes with a stiff rod, but by the time you can react, many of the fish will have spit out the nymph. You'll feel the tap but there's no fish there when you try to set the hook.

With a rod that has softer tip sections, you won't feel as many hits, but you will see the line twitch or stop. Just as you won't feel the hits, the trout won't feel the tension. You'll have a better hook-up ratio because you'll know the fish is there before it knows you're there.

Using a slightly heavier line will ensure a bit of line sag, which is an excellent strike indicator. You will see the line straighten before you feel a hit - and before the fish feels the tension. Thus, while the rod will cast either a 3.5 or 4 line well, I would recommend the 4 when fishing nymphs.

The slightly firmer bend profile actually makes the TenkaraBum 33 a better nymphing rod than the TenkaraBum 36, too. It is a foot shorter, but for close in tight line nymphing, you may be hard pressed to find a better rod. I would urge you to consider the TenkaraBum 33 if you enjoy tight line nymphing.

If the water is more than knee deep, with moderately fast current and a broken rather than a glassy surface, fishing deep with a short, tight line can be quite effective. The TenkaraBum 33 is truly excellent for that. The brown above was caught in water that was too deep for hippers and the rainbow was caught in fast water. Both were caught with a TenkaraBum 33 using a line, rod tip to hook, that was more than a foot shorter than the rod and with enough weight to get to the bottom quickly.

On second thought, instead of calling it the TenkaraBum 33 LT, I should have called it the TenkaraBum 33 TL. That would cover two bases: (1) The ability of the rod to work well with a Tapered Line or a size 4 Level line, and (2) the ability of the rod to work extremely well as a Tight Line nymphing rod.

All the rods have been painted already and all the package labels have been printed, but the Suntech TenkaraBum 33 TL would have been a great name.

On third thought, after seeing the photos of Paul A's massive rainbow and File-Critical's huge brown, perhaps LT really would be better. You know, the LT really stands for Leviathan Tamer ;-).

Wind

[Update 4/28/2025]  It is amazing how sometimes an idea will pop into your head, seemingly out of nowhere. I just did the final pre-shipping quality check on a few rods that are going into the mail today, and happened to pick up a TenkaraBum 33 right after a Kurenai II AR 33F. The contrast was striking. I immediately thought of a comment that John Vetterli of the Salt Lake City based Tenkara Guides once made, that the line to use with a particular rod is the one that loads it the best. My next thought was that the TenkaraBum 33 is the rod I should have had with me at the Oni School in 2018.

The obverse of John's comment, of course, is that the rod to use with a particular line is the one that casts it the best. On a couple days during the 2018 Oni School, we fished in a strong wind with gusts up to 45 mph. If you are at home, days like that are the days you stay home and tie flies. If you are halfway across the country on a fishing trip, you go fishing anyway.

The only rod I'd brought to the river the first day of the gale force gusts was a full flex 3.9m rod. It couldn't handle the combination of the wind and the size 4.5 line that Oni had lent me. The size 3.5 line I had to go with the rod wasn't nearly heavy enough for the conditions. What you are trying to accomplish should determine the line you choose, and the line you choose should determine the rod you use. Sometimes you need delicacy, sometimes anything but.

If I'd had my TenkaraBum 33 with me, the size 4.5 line would have been no problem, and the rod could have generated the power and line speed to make effective casts (during the brief lulls, of course). I would have been able to fish instead of flail.

If it is often breezy where you fish, bring a rod that can stand up to a breeze (and a line to match).

Suntech TenkaraBum 33 Features

The foam grip, grip screw cap, and tip plug are the same for the TenkaraBum 33, TenkaraBum 36 and TenkaraBum 40. The blanks are all different, though, so none of the sections are interchangeable with the TenkaraBum 36 or TenkaraBum 40 sections.

The grip is hard EVA foam, which provides an excellent nonskid grip (and is less expensive than cork, allowing the money to go toward a higher quality blank). The grip screw cap is knurled for easy tightening and removal, and rounded for comfort. The tip plug fits quite snugly and will not fall out when you least expect it. Because of the tight fit, do not insert the tip plug when the line is attached. The tip section has Suntech's signature "Lillian Spin" swivel, which does help to reduce line twist and which easily passes through the second section.

All TenkaraBum tenkara rods are made in Japan.

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