Buyer’s Guide: Best New Gear of 2023 (April 1st Edition)

It seems like every year, there are so many new innovations in tenkara and fly fishing gear it’s hard to keep up. This year is no exception, with several leading manufacturers coming strong out of the gate with a raft of breakthrough designs employing the latest cutting-edge technologies and gynecological philosophies.

It can literally take more than several minutes of scouring the net to sift through all the new offerings, so to narrow it down, I’ve compiled my top 5 picks for the best new gear of 2023. Enjoy!

 

1. Bluetooth-Enabled Flies

From industry leader Umpqua comes a new series of bluetooth capable flies allowing the user to control the fly’s action in the water remotely. With 5 modes: fluttering, skating, dead drift, diving, and hovering, the accompanying free app gives the angler the ability to create the most lifelike presentations without having to rely upon traditional means such as mending line, or having skill. Currently, Umpqua only offers the feature in its fresh water lineup but plans to expand the series to include saltwater flies some time in 2024.
MRSP: $95 USD
App Price: Free (€0.00)
App Compatibility: iOS, Android, Windows 3.1

See the line of currently available patterns here.

 

2. Infini-Zoom 120-Position Tenkara Rod

Ever wish you could dial in your zoom rod to a more precise length? Well Daiwa has heard the call and has created the world’s first 120-stage tenkara rod. Most zoom rods only telescope out to two or three different lengths, but now, you can dial in the exact length you need in 2-inch increments up to a max of 20 feet until you get the exact length you need for any situation. Let’s face it, sometimes, a 14′ 2″ rod just won’t cut it and you really need a 14′ 4″ rod to get the job done. Now, no fish is to close or too far. When every inch matters, you need an Infini-Zoom!

Action: 6:4
Closed Length: 8″
Open Length: 10″ – 12″ – 14″ – 16″ – 18″ – 20″ – 22″ – 24″ – 26″ – 28″ – 30″ – 32″ – 34″ – 36″ – 38″ – 40″ – 42″ – 44″ – 46″ – 48″ – 50″ – 52″ – 54″ -56″ – 58″ – 60″ – 62″ – 64″ – 66″ – 68″ – 70″ – 72″ – 74″ – 76″ – 78″ – 80″ – 82″ – 84″ – 86″ – 88″ – “90” – 92″ – 94″ – 96″ – 98″ – 100″ – 102″ – 104″ – 106″ – 108″ – 110″ – 112″ – 114″ – 116″ – 118″ – 120″ – 122″ – 124″ – 126″ – 128″ – 130″ – 132″ – 134″ – 136″ – 138″ – 140″ – 142″ – 144″ – 146″ – 148″ – 150″ – 152″ – 154″ – 156″ – 158″ – 160″ – 162″ – 164″ – 166″ – 168″ – 170″ – 172″ – 174″ – 176″ – 178″ – 180″ – 182″ – 184″ – 186″ – 188″ – 190″ – 192″ – 194″ – 196″ – 198″ – 200″ – 202″ – 204″ – 206″ – 208″ – 210″ – 212″ – 214″ – 216″ – 218″ – 220″ – 222″ – 224″ – 226″ – 228″ – 230″ – 232″ – 234″ – 236″ – 238″ – 240″
Number of Segments: 121
Weight: 4.2 lbs. (1.905e+12 nanograms)
MSRP: $275 USD (87,901.91 Sri Lankan Rupees)

Learn more or purchase the Infini-Zoom on the Daiwa website.

 

3. Left-Handed Tenkara Line Spools

Leave it to the cottage industry to fill in a long-neglected niche in the market. Most of the big-name manufactures such as Meiho and Nissin produce thousands of tenkara spools per year–and not one of them for left-handed anglers! Luckily the Tenkara Path Etsy shop has introduced their new Hirikiki spools (左利き) to save the day for literally dozens of tenkara southpaws! Handcrafted from gorgeous endangered hardwoods and finished with a deep, rich stain, these are the perfect gift for the lefty in your life and make a great stocking stuffer!

Diameter: 4.0″ (0.15840 miles)
Weight: 1.0 oz. (0.32000 tons)
MRSP: $44.99888887 USD
Visit the Tenkara Path Etsy Store for more info.

 

4. Invisitippet

For the ultimate in stealth, Rio has developed Invisitippet, an ultra-thin tippet made of a proprietary material that promises 100% invisibility in the water and significantly reduces knot size. When the fish are hyper-spooky or keying in on tiny midges or zooplankton, you’ll be glad you have a spool of Invisitippet with you. It’s so thin, it makes 7X look like a suspension cable from the Golden Gate Bridge. According to the company’s tagline, “The fish won’t even know it’s there. Neither will you”.

Diameter: 48X
Length: 30m (3.171e-15 Light Years)
Breaking Strength: 0.00000007 lbs. (gentle breeze)
Material: ???
MSRP: $36 USD (5,022.00 Icelandic Krona)

Get your Invisitippet on the Wapsi website and use promo code WHERETHEHELLISMYTIPPET for 15% off at checkout.

 

5. Scented Flies

“The Beach” by Wapsi

This year, Wapsi offers a real game changer in fly design: scented flies! Available in a range of fresh and saltwater patterns, each fly is individually scented with a designer fragrance appropriate to its corresponding natural. There is the Black Licorice Hellgrammite, Butterscotch March Brown, Green Apple Caddis, Chocolate Clouser, Hickory-Smoked Stonefly, and “The Beach”, a Crazy Charlie pattern developed in collaboration with Calvin Klein for bonefish and permit. The company guarantees the scents will last for at least 25 fish, but can be re-applied by using a small dropper bottle of the corresponding scent (sold separately).
MSRP: $10-$15 USD (1,314.00 – 1971.00 Kenyan Shillings)

Check out the full list of patterns available on the Wapsi website

6. BONUS! Tenkara Cult T-Shirt

Show your unflinching allegiance to your one and only infallible leader with this unique 100% cotton T-Shirt! It’s sure to be a conversation starter with the infidels and is a great gift for the tenkara angler who has everything!

Sizes: S 1/2 – XL 1/2 (no whole sizes)
Material: 100% Fabric
MSRP: $25 (or best offer)

Available in the Tenkara Talk Zazzle Store

---

 

It can seem overwhelming to wade through all the new gear available every year, so hopefully this list helps. Happy tenkara and happy April Fool’s Day!