Is it OK to use a Clouser minnow on a tenkara rod? I seem to remember reading somewhere that heavy flies can damage a tip if they collide when casting. Is this something I should be concerned about?

The surfperch have come in close to shore for mating and I plan to go after them tomorrow.

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"The reverse side also has a reverse side"

Don't forget to duck! I took a heavily weighted lead eye streamer to the back of the head this year - it was quite a surprise. Not tenkara fishing though.

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my blog CastingAround
Ebisu, Iwana 11'ft (with additional short handle), Amago, Ito, Ayu II

I've used small clousers with no problem, but I only use beadchain eyes rather than lead eyes. They don't sink as fast, but they do sink and they are easier to cast.

Buy a few spare rod tips and cast anything you want.

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Tenkara Guides

Yes, I am planning to by tips the next time I order from Tenkara USA.

I just got home from the beach. The conditions were way too rough to wade in and fly fish. I did make a few false casts and found it totally doable even though the feel was so different.

Some friends showed up with bait. We did catch (and release) fish. I was hoping to tenkara fish because my surf rig totally overpowers the fish.

I fish bead head nymph patterns all the time. A standard Clouser does not cast well, at least for me. Chris has a good suggestion in tying bead chain eye clousers. I also use quite a few flies that have a lead or brass wire wrap on the hook for just a little bit of weight without being as heavy as a bead, or lead head. I have cast small lead head jigs just to see what would happen, but didn't catch anything

Remember that many light-tackle rods are rated as to the size of lure they will effectively cast, and fly rods tend to follow a kind of size/weight progression. Tenkara rods are designed to cast fairly light flies, even if they have the backbone to fight a large-ish fish. The tip section in particular just doesn't have the spring-like force to really launch a heavy weighted fly.

If you're a purist then no, weighted flies are not ok. If you just want to catch fish, then anything the fish will bite and you can cast without injury is fine; but there is a limit to the weight from a casting standpoint

Just my 2cents worth
Bruce

actually, pretty much the same issues arise with any carbon rod - if you hit a tip of even a 7wt with a dumbell weighted clouser, it'll break too. at least your head will heal, the tip won't,so the bump is a good reminder of how close you came to destroying a rod. so the best way is NOT to hit the tip, and if you are fishing this way, best to carry a spare tip in the car.
to help, you can put the rod tip to the side as suggested and perform more of a belgian cast - it doesn't really do that much, but makes you feel a lot more comfortable and probably will that of its own will help avoid a calamity (as well as preserving your noggin).
the best advice is to open the loops really wide - same technique as is used in swoffing with 10 wts. for czech nymphing/swoffing on tenkara, easiest approach is use a single lob with no back casting. you flick the line out behind to straighten it (once only), and then bring it forward in a wide open lob (no wrist snap, the weight will do it all for you) to lob it to where you want. imagine the fly travelling in a wide circular arc from behind to the spot on the water you are targetting (not the straight line travel in a tight loop we typically go for when backcasting dries in the air multiple times). I am sure that you can be deadly accurate with this sort of lob technique with very little practice. the key to accuracy is being super ultra relaxed and lazy, don't over work the cast, simply flick behind, then a lazy effort lob to the spot you want. by not backcasting multiple times, only doing one open lob, the tip is protected much better.
p.s. watch the wind, esp if blowing on the casting shoulder side - in that case, cast from opposite shoulder side cross body.