A couple years ago I bought my first fixed-line rod. It was marketed as a tenkara rod, was made of graphite, and telescoped out to 12 feet in length. The last section of the tip is usually solid graphite, rather than tubular, so fixed-line rods are able to protect delicate tippets better than normal fishing rods. These rods do not have reel seats to accept reels, nor do they have guides. They have handles of various styles, and you attach your line to a lillian at the rod's tip using a loop not of various sorts.

I plan on buying a few new rods this coming year, and plan to strip at least one of them down to put on a different style of handle and to repaint the blank. I do not have any questions really, aside from curiosity: anyone else on here regularly work on fixed-line rods?

Bream Busters from the old Lew's line about be about it. Same concept. Mostly what guys wanted was an actual handle with a larger grip on rods that got out to as much as 18 feet.

Didn’t we use to call these “cane poles” back in the day? ????

Pretty much yes. The guy that captured the market with his Tenkara rods must have made a mint. When they first came out I did not think anyone would buy them at such a high price but they took off like gangbusters.

I fish Tenkara infrequently, where conditions are right. Great for meadow streams or open creeks and rivers Not fun in very brushy areas!

Be careful painting the rod, as it could effect the telescoping ability!

Definitely not putting on a thick coat of paint. My plan is to buy a rod that is more brightly colored than I would prefer (Wasatch Tenkara's Sharpshooter, which is factory painted bright blue), sand and/or scrape off the paint to reveal the bare carbon, and wipe on a thin coat of Permagloss. This shouldn't impact the telescoping ability of the rod.

There are close to a dozen companies that sell Tenkara rods here in the US. Most big manufacturers make them, they just don't market them in the US yet.

I own a half dozen tenkara rods of various powers - and they are made of high tech graphite that is very light and strong. They are beautifully made, a joy to fish, and superior to traditional fly rods in some situations and presentations.
A centuries old technique. Not just for small fish, either.

The word cane pole is as fitting a descriptor as calling braided or fluorocarbon line "fishing string", IMO.

I wondered if these rods would ever be offered as a kit to build.

I know that US suppliers have offered fixed-line blanks in the past, though as far as I know none are currently offered. I have been nudging Ruben at Wasatch Tenkara to start selling blanks. I don't think he thought I was serious. If I strip down a couple of his finished rods and show off custom versions, he might start stocking raw blanks in addition to his finished rods.

I love fixed-line rods for panfish and trout, and Wasatch offers stouter models for larger fish too. Folks are landing sizable steelhead on his T-Hunter, and 30+ pound carp, northern pike and musky on Rodzilla.