DragonTail Shadowfire 360 Rod Review

DragonTail Shadowfire 360

Being as this is my first post on a rod review, I am excited. I'm even more excited about what I was able experience in testing. The DragonTail Shadowfire 360 is the company's second rod release after its bread and butter rod, the Tatsu 360. For those of you who are still new to tenkara and its ways, the "360" stands for the overall length of the rod in centimeters. Both of the DragonTail rods come in at approximately 12 feet long. By comparison, they are both very different rods. The Shadowfire is a soft rod (has more flex and sensitivity towards the tip segments) while the Tatsu is more stiff.

Out of the cardboard shipping box to your kitchen table, you notice you're not just getting a run-of-the-mill rod from DragonTail. You know you're getting the comany's pride and joy! It comes wrapped in a rod tube sock decked out in its color scheme of black and red (this comes free on all orders through August 16). From there, it's the usual rod tube with the DragonTail logo printed and completed with a rod sock (black and red) and the Shadowfire rod. The rod comes in a  black matte finish accented with a fade-to red matte finish toward the handle. At the end of each segment is a touch of gold paint around the rim. I personally love the color scheme of black, red, and gold.

The Shadowfire 360 performes like a rod outside of its price class. This rod is only $92! The quality of performance is not what you expect from a sub $100 rod. You expect cheaply crafted materials resulting in casts that miss the mark. Most of the time when you get a cheap rod, the performance is hindered because of a slightly defective segment in the rod hindering turn over, softness or stiffness, or making an easy break point. The Shadowfire delivers an economical option for those who have a taste for softer rods. I test drove the rod with a light level line, size #2.5 and 5X tippet (a 13 ft and 16 ft length with about 4 ft tippet). I had wonderful turnover at both lengths and even changed kebari sizes from 12 to 16 still having great results. I believe the Shadowfire is best suited for level lines sizes #3-4 and kebari sizes 14 and larger. The size 16 kebari needed a bit more finesse than the rod was able to offer; however, this does not mean it cannot turnover something that light. Casting at different sections of the handle gave a few, slightly noticeable feels at each part. The handle has two bulges, one up top and then at the bottom. I found the best performance to be held where the bottom-most portion of my hand is a half inch above the butt cap. As you grip it further up the handle, the casting crescendos into a more crisp result. This rod's feel and action is similar, to me, of the Tenkara USA Iwana but just a bit softer. The Shadowfire has a Common Cents Rating at 19 pennies (courtesy of Tom Davis) while the the Iwana's Common Cents Rating is 23 pennies.  Like I said, the feel is similar to the Iwana- just a bit softer. The Shadowfire weighs in at 2.9 ounces making it a great "backwoods" rod. The Iwana is Tenkara USA's best selling rod (for now) and I believe the Shadowfire 360 could pave the same road for DragonTail.

Full Length View

The tip has an anti-tangle swivel with a thick, brown lillian. For those of you who care enough if the tip is hollow or solid, this one is solid. The bottom segment that meets the handle is a tad broad but nothing that would hinder performance. The handle is 10.25 inches in length, which I though was a bit short, but I'm sure it is to help with balance and the overall collapsed length (20.5 inches). The butt cap is metal with a drain hole, coin slot, and rubber bumper. Everything is assembled nice and flush at each separate part of the rod. The Shadowfire is for sure a contender in the market and should not be taken lightly due to its price point.

Rod name and gold rim paint

Butt Cap

Shadowfire Solid Tip

DragonTail advises the Shadowfire was built for catching fish 17 inches and smaller, but has been proven to handle larger fish. Keep that in mind as you make your purchase. If you're new to tenkara and want to get started the Shadowfire360 should be in your top two rods for consideration. If you're not new, this rod is wonderful addition to your arsenal. This is a rod I will purchase when I have the money, petty I know, considering its price. Nontheless, it is certainly Backwoods worthy. A few details I personally wish were different: 1) the handle length being an inch or two longer 2) the girth of the base section to be narrower 3) the lillian material to not be as thick 4) to shoot laser guided bottle rockets at other fishermen when they're in my holes. Again, these are my personal wishes. The Shadowfire is a great refinement since the Tatsu for DragonTail and I hope we see more from them in the near future!

This could be you