DRAGONtail Hellbender Zoom Big Fish Tenkara Fly Fishing Rod

Finally got to take this out for the first time today. Didnt catch anything. But thats typical for where I went. So this review wont cover how well it performs catching fish.The fit and finnish on this looks amazing. From the rod tube, the sock and the rod itself. Flawless. The rod tube and cap fit perfectly. No slop or looseness. The stock arrived with no snags or runs. The Hellbender has no scratches or marks and the color scheme is beautiful in person. Extended it feels like a 1 piece rod.Had a lot of issues casting at first. But this is my first time using a Tenkara rod. Not sure if the furled line and flies are supposed to sink or float. Never used a furled line on my fly rods. But after an hour I was getting some beautiful delicate casts and presentations. Minus how badly I mangled up the tippet, or should I say got a ton of wind knots.The only flaw I can even think of is the tube could be just a hair wider or the sock be made of a little bit thinner material. You can turn the tube upside down with rod and sock inside and they wont come out without a struggle.Tenkara will not replace my conventional fly fishing. But the Hellbender is definitely going to be a welcomed addition to my fishing arsenal.**update**Took this to the mountain lake i trout fish at. No room to back cast. So typically I either wade, or roll cast from shore. I'm able to cast this normally with no problems. The delicate casts got a lot more attention than normal. Caught several Browns and Rainbows missed twice as much just starting off. Can't wait to see how this handles when the pressure is off this lake

I was looking for a tenkara rod that I could use in warmwater for bluegill and the occasional bass. I typically used a three and five weight standard fly rod when chasing these. The Hellbender has picked up and taken over this role now. The advantage it has in a kayak is that I can cast it one handed leaving the other hand free for paddling the kayak. I'm using the Bushi line it came with and it can cast a size 10 popping bug with a size 12 nymph tied behind it on a dropper rig no problem. I suspect it could cast heavier flies than that but I haven't stretched it that far yet. Great rod and tube, loads of simple fun the way fishing was when I was a kid.

I use it for Smallmouth bass in midwestern rivers, creeks and streams. In addition to casting flies, I use it to cast plastic lures to 3.5" long on up to 1/12 oz jigheads. Tippet strength goes to 6-pound-test (2x, .009 in). The waters range from flows of 50cfs to 1000cfs. The fish can run to 20". In smaller waters or close casting uses I use the rod at the 11-foot range. For longer cast or regular water I use it at 13'. I like that versatility. The rod performs well once fish have been hooked. So far, there have been no issues. Sometimes that is the best report.

I will start off with Amazon decided to send me a returned rod that someone clearly abused. It looked like they flicked it open like a baton and then smashed it back together to return it. Please, when you open a Tenkara rod, pull it out carefully one section at a time starting with the tippet.I rang up Dragontail and they had it sorted within a few minutes, and I was fishing in two days. I waited a bit to write this to get a good feel for the rod, and it fits its role perfectly. It is a beefy rod, a bit heavier than a lightweight Tenkara rod, but not so heavy that it weights you down after a few hours of fishing. This thing is still sensitive enough to fish for sunnies with, albeit a good hook set will cause some of the smaller ones to go airborne. I threw some larger Muddler Minnows and Wooly Buggers on it and started dropping them into the holes of weeds and went for bigger bass, and the rod was perfect for it. You can feel a good thunk from the bass and it gives a good fight. The length and balance fits larger (12"+) fish battles, and the quality of the rod is great for the cost.The only downside, if you can call it that, is the extended length gets some getting used to. On that same note, the length also helped me in a few situations in deeper wading water, with the height of the rod tip on the backstroke, I wasn't snagging behind me on the taller grass, just in front of me with the trees. As a starter rod for those who are a bit more 'aggressive' with the rod, I would recommend this one. Even if the rod isn't the premium quality that some people look for, the customer service is.

My new favorite way to fish. This rod handles sizable fish very well! Don't worry about a fixed line costing you good sized fish, it handles them so softly it will protect your leader. I show this off to people like its one of my children. If you are looking for a Tenkara rod to fish for panfish, bass, or trout and you don't want to spend $500 this is what you are looking for.

An excellent package, and an excellent transaction. Couldn't have asked for more.You can see plenty of good reviews of the rod and kit, but for me the real enjoyment was in the simplicity of the fishing experience.I arrived at a neighborhood lake, attached line, extended rod, cast, and had fish on - elapsed time, less than two minutes.In 30 minutes of fun I caught more than 15 fish, mostly small, but on such a light, responsive rod, every one is fun.Well worth the money!

I love it! I caught countless trout with this rod in North Carolina during the winter of 2016. Easy to use, easy to set up, easy to carry. I really enjoyed fishing with it on the New River and the Watauga River, as well as many other creeks around Boone, NC

I'm new to Tenkara but the DRAGONtail HELLbender is the best fishing rod I have ever used in my 34 years of life! It's easy and even my 7 year old son can cast and catch fish with it. Quality of the rod it excellent and very professional. If you'd debating on whether or not you should get this... DO IT! YOU WON'T REGRET IT AT ALL!!