Customer Reviews
I own several Tenkara rods but was looking for a small, compact rod I could leave in my small hiking pack to use in the small streams I generally encounter while hiking. The Compa specs matched what I was looking for so I gave Rocky MTN a try. I couldn’t wait for the snow to melt in the mountains so I took it out to a local lake to try it with some panfish. Casted size 12 and 16 nymphs and unweighted kebaris with 7’ and 9’ level lines, size 3 and 3.5, 7’ and 9’ furled lines, and an 8’ PVC line. It casts all the lines well but I preferred the rod with 3 or 3.5 level lines. Caught a lot of small (4”) bass, small perch, small crappie, 6”-8” trout, and hooked into a 20” trout. I don’t think this rod was made for a 20” fish, and I didn’t intend it for such, but it handled it just fine, although it was a heck of a fight, and a lot of fun. I’m impressed with the rod, it’s incredibly light, packs down really small, casts the lines well, and can handle bigger fish if necessary. The ZimmerBuilt pack seems well made and durable. Perfect size to keep everything you need for an impromptu trip in one place. This is a really fun little rod and is exactly what I wanted in a hiking/really small stream rod.
There's no reason not to have this rod with you everywhere you go. The super soft action make it deadly accurate for bow/slingshot casts in tight areas. This is without a doubt my favorite rod for tiny flies.. #18-#22 flies that have no weight to them. The action is predictable/intuitive enough, and the overall length short enough that I was teaching my 8 and 9 year old daughters how to cast with it. I love the colors. The turquoise and coral are reminiscent of the representation of the sea and the land in native southwestern jewelry. I love this little rod. It's always setup and ready to go so I can fish at the most inappropriate of times and get side eyed by the jealous. What a solid addition to a fantastic lineup of rods. Also - the care kit with the Zimmerbilt fanny pack. No brainer. You're ready to fish out of the box. Beautiful stickers, handwritten thank you, great customer support.