DRAGONtail Shadowfire 365 12' Tenkara Fly Fishing Rod

A great rod for the money.

Unboxed it, assembled by internet instructions, fished for 30 min behind house, no bites, no fish.However, I love the rod and look forward to kentara fishing for bluegills on my river. Spring will seem like forever.

The rod was great but I did not like the line. I bought a different line that works better. I also bought some Payette paste so the short red piece of line next to the leader would float.

I know a lot of people that say this is a great starter Tenkara Rod. But I would like to say that “This is a great Tenkara Rod period.” You can spend more money and save another half ounce in weight but I really don’t see how it’s worth it. It’s a great casting Rod that comes with everything you need to get started. It gets the fly where you want it quickly without spooking the fish. The Rod and the two carrying case’s are of good quality and value. You really can’t go wrong with this set.

Great Tenkara Rod! I,ve had it a few weeks now and have caught numerous Brown and Rainbow Trout with it on the Upper Owens in the Eastern Sierra. I have used Tenkara flies, tiny dry flies, and weighted nymphs and it handles them all well. Now I go for my Tenkara rod 1st when fishing and my standard fly rods second.

ADDENDUM: After writing this I saw that others had contacted DragonTail so decided I would try that before returning. Brent there took my call and said they would send out the replacement part 2 day shipment in time for my backpacking trip (yea, get to try it and not have to switch to heavier rod!). Great thing is that he/DragonTail took full responsibility and is making it work for me. He said that it was likely a factory issue, which happens sometimes, and even that I appreciated simply the honesty as I am 100% sure I did nothing to the rod. So review below stands, but count me happy for the customer service. If this one breaks, I'll jump back on with addendum #2 but it appears all will work out in the end.I am so disappointed.  I have decided to try Tenkara fishing after more than 50 years of fly fishing. Seems like a really fun new way to experience time on the water catching fish. Plus, I am heading out for a 11-day backpacking trip and how fun, I thought, to be able to minimize my weight by not taking a reel.I selected the Shadowfire after a ton of research. Super excited!When the rod showed up I set it up for a quick 30 min of practice on a local stream. I caught a trout (tiny but still a trout!) and all was good with the world because with only with 30 min available I was able to achieve my goal of always catching a fish on the first day with a new rod = super good karma!That day I set the rod up and took it down just like all the video say on YouTube, extending and retracting each section from the base section.Today, I went out and to try the rod for a full morning of fishing. When I slid out the top section--again using the method instructed--to top section came out in two pieces! It was cut totally in half. I have no idea how this happened, but am just so sad about it.  Because of the $ and effort put into the rod, because of the doubt I now feel about if these rods can be trusted, and especially because I don't have the rod for my backpacking trip.So I am returning the rod for a refund and reporting my experience in case it can help others, or help the manufacturer fix some issue they are having. Doggone it! This is hardly a health issue or something of actual importance, but from a straight going-fishing standpoint, bummer.Good luck with your Shadowfire if you go this route.  I think I will try another Tenkara rod, but with another company.

Great all around rod for streams, creeks, and small to medium sized rivers. Great for the waters in the foothills and mountains of Colorado.For me the best part of this rod is the minimalistic approach one takes while fishing it. I take a hip pack with some flies, nippers, a spool of level line, and tippet just in case. I like a landing net too. No reel, no waders, no vest. It simplifies the process so you can focus on the fish. In two minutes you are ready to go.Twelve feet seems large for a rod designed for smaller waters, but it's the size you want. The fit and finish is awesome. The materials are solid and flexible. It feels the nibbles and fights well. Great rod that gets you in the water and catching fish at a heck of a value.Most of the techniques and maneuvers used while tenkara fishing are intuitive. The Shadow fire can do them all.Blending tenkara with western styles is easy too. Euronymphingg? Skating dries? Tandem rigs? Check. This rod is a great entry into the style and mindset of tenkara yet capable enough for anglers of all skill levels.I purchased this rod after spending the spring with the dragontail talon (10.6ft). I figured I needed a bit more reach. And the extra length helps. I've purchased a few dragontail products and like them for what I'm fishing. Great company.

This is my first experience with Tenkara and I love it! Bought this for backpacking and just took it out for the first time on a weeklong trip. Fits perfectly in my pack and is so lightweight that I'll carry it as standard gear from now on anytime I'm near water. I landed sunfish and small spotted bass on it no problem. It handles them very well and I'm super satisfied with the purchase. I can't wait for cooler weather and trout! Two things that I would like to see: clip on line winders as standard gear in the package and not an additional purchase / a nylon adjustable sling for carrying the tube on your body as you fish and move about (think arrow quiver style here). I bent over a running spring to fill my water bottle and the tube rolled into the stream with my pole inside. The fact that it floats and that I had trekking poles to reach out with were the only things that saved me from an unplanned swim. I've also hooked a large mouth bass in the 1lb range and the pole handled great. Enough for this review...I'm going fishing!

I bought this to catch small saltwater bait fish off a boat dock using a sabiki rig. It works well for this purpose. Also very compact when not using it.