There are plenty of ways to break a rod!

October 2025

By Zane Jacobs

It seems inevitable that with any type of fishing your line will find a branch. It could be the limb of a mighty tree or the twig of an overhanging shrub, but find it you will. The immediate reaction for most people is a sudden jolt with the rod, as if to set the hook deep into this foliage foe.

When wielding a tenkara rod I must advise against such actions. Although tenkara rods show impressive strength against the struggles of fish, the rods are exceptionally fragile when faced with perpendicular forces.

Stream side foliage is always ready to grab your line. Photo by Jimmy Jacobs.

It is true that a broken rod is not the end of the world, but it can be the end of your day if you don’t have a backup. In most cases tenkara rods aren’t very expensive to fix. Most of the purveyors of tenkara rods offer replacement sections.

For the companies with their own websites, it is a mere few clicks to find the part needed. Just pick your piece and wait for shipping. If you happen to buy a Chinese made rod from a Japanese company on eBay, you aren’t likely to find replacement sections easily, if at all. Ask me how I know.

I have broken more rods in more ways than I care to admit. It does afford me the opportunity to make some recommendations on how to avoid calamity.

Keep a watch out for pets. The clamping force of a cat’s jaws is more than enough to free the tip from the rest of your rod.

When securing your line to the lillian, hold only the lillian and not the rod tip or micro-swivel. A light pull at an odd angle can easily relieve you of your rod tip.

Beware of overhead obstacles. Hitting a structure with any part of your rod can cause micro fractures. These fractures can lead to full breaks when setting the hook. You don’t want to end up chasing your line and half of a rod upstream.

In the event that you do lasso a stick still attached to a tree, I would recommend against using your rod to free your fly. The best technique I have found starts with collapsing your rod. Grabbing hold of your line to pull can help minimize rod damage. If you find yourself in need of both hands, setting your rod down is a good option.

Concerning that situation, it is best to pay attention to where you step. You don’t want to step directly on your Shimotsuke Tenkara Gen 240. If you choose to keep your rod in hand, don’t squeeze too hard because you lost your balance. You might get that fly back, but I’d rather have a fully functional rod.

As long as you keep your wits about you and pay attention to your surroundings, you should get to keep all of the original parts of your rod. Every one of my rod breaks came from getting too comfortable doing the wrong things. All it takes is for the wrong action to work once for it to feel like the right action. Even if the correct way is a little more difficult, it will be worth it for your wallet, and for the extra time you get to fish afterwards.