Tenryu Rayz Integral

Don't think of the Tenryu Rayz Integral spinning rods as travel rods. How often do you travel? One or twice a year? And don't think of them as backpacking rods. How often do you go backpacking?

These rods are better than that. These are rods you'll want to use all the time. Think of them as convenient rods. Think of them as "go to" rods. If you get one, chances are it will be the rod you reach for wherever you go.

Some anglers (I think mostly bass guys who fish from boats) have a bias against multi-piece rods. Not me. I loved my 4-piece Tenryu Rayz Integral - but I sold it. Sold it? Why?

For one reason and one reason only. Tenryu redesigned the Integral rods in 2023 and mine was the previous model (the RZI50UL-4).   The new rod is 4" shorter, with a shorter grip and shorter sections. The shorter grip is the same as on their discontinued 3'9" Rayz RZ39LL - and I love that little rod.

No, actually two reasons. When they redesigned the Integral lineup, they included a 4-piece baitcaster (which I had requested for years). The new 4-piece spinning rod and 4-piece baitcaster are both made from the same blank. If you want to fish a spinning rod sometimes and a baitcaster sometimes, I believe that having both made on the same blank allows muscle memory to improve your accuracy with both rods.

In my page on the RZI50UL-4, I took a lot of space writing about flip casting, and how the RZI50UL-4 would do a flip cast as well as my friend's pricy Anglo & Company rod. Well, I still haven't perfected a flip cast - it just takes more practice than I am able to devote to it.

With the RZI484S-UL, which is only four inches shorter, I found just those four inches made it pretty easy to do a cast that is a cross between a backhand cast and a pitch (perhaps more accurately described as a backhand, but with the rod is as close to vertical as the water depth would allow. When wading in a relatively shallow stream, that's pretty close to vertical).

The RZI484S-UL feels like it is just a little stiffer than the previous RZI50UL-4, which had a higher glass content. For the RZ484S-UL, the upper two sections are made from ultra-low modulus carbon, so it is still pretty flexible (and if you have perfected the timing of a flip cast, I'm sure you will be able to execute them beautifully with the newer rod).

The line and lure recommendations for the new generation of the Rayz Integral are the same as the previous model - line up to 4lb test and lures up to 6g (a little over 3/16 oz). While you CAN fish 6g lures, the rod is optimized for half that. On my first trip out with the rod, I spent most of the time fishing a Shimano Slim Swimmer 2.5 gram spoon. With Sunline Troutist Wild 3 lb line I could cast that 2.5 gram spoon as far as I could possibly want on a small stream. I actually had to dial my cast back a bit because i was overshooting my targets. The rod does nicely with the 2 gram Smith Pure Spoons and the 1.5 gram Shimano Slim Swimmer spoons, too.

In 2017 I went to Livingston MT to give a tenkara presentation to the International Federation of Fly Fishers. While there I took advantage of some free time after the sessions to do a little spin fishing. I didn't want to pass up the chance to catch some Montana trout, which were likely to be (and proved to be) a bit larger than the trout I catch at home. The Tenryu Rayz Integral 4-piece rod easily fit in my suitcase. Taking a 2-piece rod would have required checking a second bag. I am sure the newer version of the Integral 4-piece rod would have handled those Montana trout just as easily - and it would have fit in my backpack a little more easily because the breakdown length is a little shorter.

When I wrote the page for the Tenryu Rayz Integral RZI50UL-4, I included the photo shown above. I wouldn't carry a rod that way today. I know from my own experience, and from my customers, that as you walk down a narrow trail, trees and bushes will reach out and pull your rod off your backpack - sometimes without you feeling a thing. Legions of fly fishermen know that trees also reach out and grab their flies on the back cast. Pesky trees!

It is much, much more secure to keep the rod inside your backpack as you are hiking, whether in the flat canvas sheath-like case the rod comes in or the Medium Rod Case, into which the RZI484S-UL fits perfectly, and which provides more protection from hard objects inside your pack. The Medium Rod case will also fit in the water bottle pocket alongside your pack, and the case has two little holes through which you can string some line or very light cord with which you can tie it to your backpack.

Several years ago a friend hiked the John Muir Trail in the Sierras. He's an avid tenkara angler, so he took a couple tenkara rods with him. The guy he went with also took a tenkara rod, but in addition, he took a multi-piece spinning rod. The spinning rod was the hit of the trip. By far, most of the fish they caught were caught in the lakes. By far, most of the fish they caught in the lakes were caught with the spinning rod. My friend, the avid tenkara angler, bought a Tenryu Rayz Integral four-piece spinning rod right after he got back! (And, he just bought the RZI484B-UL, the baitcaster version.)

But seriously, don't think of the rod as a travel or backpacking rod. It's a great rod - it just happens to be very convenient to take with you no matter where you're going or how you're getting there.

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Tenryu Rayz Integral Features

The Tenryu Rayz Integral rods have stainless K guides with SiC rings. The dark blue blanks share the Rayz heritage. The four-piece blanks make them excellent choices for backpacking or travel. The action makes them an excellent choice if you want a rod that is just slightly softer than the Rayz or Rayz Spectra rods. The upper two sections are made from ultra-low modulus carbon to allow snap casting.

The rods come with a flat canvas case.

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Home > Finesse Spin Fishing > JDM Spinning Rods > Tenryu Rayz Integral

Header photo: Tenryu Rayz RZ4102B-UL, Shimano Calcutta Conquest BFSHG ('17)

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Medium Rod Case

The Medium Rod Case is a semi-rigid, adjustable rod case made from high density polyethylene. The length can be adjusted from 16 to 24 inches. The diameter is 1.5 inches. The Rayz Integral RZI484S-UL fits easily. The RZI484B-UL (baitcaster) will not fit. The case will protect the rod from scratches and minor falls but I wouldn't check it as airline baggage.

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