Just when I had fishing gear nicely classified into fly, casting, and spinning, I got my first look at a centerpin outfit. Like Frankenstein it combined bits and pieces from each category. The rod looks like a Spey rod or long spinning rod. The line is what I would use on a spinning reel. Though it looks like a single action fly reel, the reel sports precision ball bearings typical of a baitcaster. For all its oddness, Frankenstein delivers a drag free drift and earned a place as a new category on my gear list.
Then along comes Tenkara—the Bride of Frankenstein. Though it casts a fly, it too defies traditional boundaries. The line is an overgrown furled leader. The telescoping rod looks like something you would use to dunk minnows for crappie. There is no reel. If you want to know more about the new kid on the block, there is good information out on the net. Here’s a video and a website.
Video
Website
Final thought, would this work for small stream Smallmouths? The max cast with this outfit is about 30 feet since the rods average 15 feet and the lines are also 15 ft. It is a perfect incarnation of Bob Long Jr’s third rule of fly fishing for Smallmouth Bass, “Make short casts, 30 feet or less.”