Tenkara Rod Co. Backpacker and Sawtooth Review: Two Packable Fixed-Line Rods

Introduction

Tenkara is a Japanese style of fixed-line fishing that reduces the sport to a long telescoping rod, a length of line attached at the tip, and a fly. It developed as a lightweight, portable way for anglers to reach fish high in the mountains, and it still makes the most sense for exactly that kind of water.

Two rods from Tenkara Rod Co. bring that idea to modern backcountry trips. The Backpacker is the adjustable one, designed to adapt to whatever water you find. The Sawtooth is the shorter, simpler option for tight streams. Both are carbon, both weigh roughly the same, and both pack down small enough to disappear into a hiking pack.

How a Tenkara Setup Works

There is no reel and no running line to manage. The line attaches to the tip of the rod, joined by a short thread connection, and a small line holder near the grip stores the line when the rod is not in use. Because the line lives at the tip, you never really handle it while fishing.

Setup is a matter of unravelling the line, then extending the rod one section at a time so each section locks into place. Casting is a compact motion with very little hand travel rather than the long stroke most people associate with fly fishing.

The trade-off is distance. With a line roughly the same length as the rod, casts top out around 30 feet. On a small creek that is more than enough; on open water it is a genuine limitation, and it is the main reason to think about which length you actually need.

What Comes in the Kit

Neither rod is sold as a bare blank. The Backpacker kit arrives with the rod, the line, flies, a line holder and tippet, which is the material that connects the line to the fly. The Sawtooth is offered as a similar complete setup. Protective tubes are also available for carrying the rods when you would rather not leave them loose in a pack.

Both rods use carbon construction, which is what keeps them around 2.8 ounces each, roughly the weight of an average headlamp. That is the detail that matters most for backpacking, where every item has to justify its place.

Tenkara Rod Co. Backpacker: The Adjustable Option

The Backpacker is built for anglers who do not yet know what kind of water they will end up standing in. It is a triple-zoom rod that fishes at three lengths, approximately 10 feet 10 inches, 11 feet 10 inches and 12 feet 10 inches, and extends to about 14 feet at full length. One rod can handle a brushy creek, then reach further out on a slightly more open stretch.

It weighs around 2.8 ounces and, despite being the longer rod of the two, packs down smaller. The complete kit is priced at $295.

Tenkara Rod Co. Sawtooth: The Shorter Mid-Length Rod

The Sawtooth is the mid-length option at roughly 10.5 feet. It collapses to about 20 inches, which is short enough to slide into a daypack or a side pocket, and it weighs around 2.8 ounces. The setup is priced at $195.

Its shorter length suits small creeks and tight cover, where placing a fly precisely matters more than casting far. On a mountain lake or a wider river, where you would want to reach further out, the extra length of the Backpacker is the more useful choice.

Casting and Packing Down in Practice

Casting is a short, repeatable motion. Let the fly drift back toward you with the current, then lift and cast again. Because the line is close to the same length as the rod, landing a fish does not involve reeling at all: you hold the rod back behind you and the fish comes up to your feet, where you can net it.

Breaking down is just as quick. Hook the fly onto the line holder, wrap the line around it, then collapse the rod one section at a time. The whole routine takes around 30 seconds, after which the rod can be carried in hand or dropped into a pack for the hike out.

Who These Rods Suit

These are not replacements for a spinning or fly setup on big water, and they are not trying to be. They suit hikers, backpackers and campers who want a fishing option that adds only a few ounces to a pack and asks very little in the way of gear knowledge.

Anyone who has walked into a fly shop, seen the wall of tackle and turned around again will find this approach far simpler to start with: rod, line, fly, and that is essentially the whole system. Experienced anglers get something different out of it, which is a setup with almost nothing to manage and nothing to untangle.

Overall Buying Advice

Choose the Backpacker if you want one rod that covers the widest range of situations. The three fishing lengths let it adapt to tight water and slightly more open water on the same trip, and it still packs down small. The kit price is $295, which is the higher of the two.

Choose the Sawtooth if your fishing happens mostly on small streams and you would rather spend less. It packs down to about 20 inches, weighs the same as the Backpacker, and the setup is $195.

Either way, the value is in the package rather than the rod alone. Line, flies, line holder and tippet are included, so there is nothing else to assemble before a first trip. With identical weight and similar packability, the decision comes down to whether you want adjustable length or the lower price.

Conclusion

The Backpacker and the Sawtooth solve the same problem in two different ways. If versatility matters more than cost, the adjustable Backpacker is the more flexible tool. If you mostly fish small creeks and want the simplest, least expensive way in, the Sawtooth is the straightforward pick. Both are light enough to carry without thinking about it, which is exactly the point.