I see a lot of photos on the internet of people casting tenkara with their arm fully extended. While it might seem like a good idea at the time to gain a little extra reach, it can actually be detrimental to your presentation, and on stream stamina. The better alternative is simple: take a few…
DetailsAh, memes. Those ironic, sarcastic, or dichotomous pictures with allegedly clever slogans overlaid upon them, or the over-the-top videos (think Gangnam style) that go viral overnight are all the rage right now. They dominate social media these says. I happened to see one related to tenkara today and thought, “why not bring tenkara down to this…
DetailsFor as long as I can remember, describing fly rod action has always been problematic. The typical adjectives used such as “fast”, “medium” and “slow” are not only inadequate, but also subjective. What does “fast” mean? And does it mean the same thing to you as it does to me? At some point, there was…
DetailsWhen I first heard Tenkara USA was redesigning their Ayu rod, it was a little disconcerting. I’ve seen it too many times before: a company has an excellent product—one that everybody likes. Then, they redesign it and it becomes pedestrian. I’m not sure what leads gear companies to do this but after a few casts,…
DetailsEver since tenkara was introduced to the U.S., there has been quite a bit of discussion on whether or not it is legal on designated “fly fishing only” waters. There seems to be quite a bit of confusion over interpretation of the law–even among govenrment officials since the legal definition often includes language dictating that…
DetailsAt this year’s Denver Fly Fishing Show, I caught up with Gary Borger after one of his presentations. I asked him if he had tried tenkara. He hadn’t, but told me that his son, Jason, had done quite a bit of tenkara. So, I took Gary over to the Tenkara USA booth, let him wiggle a rod, and offered…
DetailsI recently had a chance to field test the new Yamatoyo level lines available from Tenkara Times. There has been a proliferation of fluorocarbon lines on the market over the last few years–especially good ones. And this line is no exception. When the new yellow level lines came out from Tenkara USA, I was one of the…
DetailsDavid Dirks had a great idea for a book: put together a list of tenkara topics and get a range of tenkara anglers to give their opinions on them. And that’s exactly what the soon-to-be-released Tenkara Fly Fishing: Insights & Strategies is. You’ll recognize a lot of the names in this book (including yours truly)…
DetailsOver the last few years, I’ve read some pretty harsh criticism on the marketing of Tenkara. I find this curious because all of us are surrounded by marketing in nearly every aspect of our everyday lives, yet those same critics don’t seem to complain about it (at least not with the same vehemence). We’re…
DetailsA while back, I posted some tenkara flies I got from Tenkara Times. I recently got another sample pack from them and thought I would share. I really like the look of the Sakakibara kebari and might start tying some up. Amano Kebari … Fuji Kebari … Olive Soft Hackle … To learn more about…
DetailsAnyone who fishes with me for the first time invariably makes the same comment: I move. A lot. I pretty much take a few casts in a spot and if I don’t hook up, I move on. Part of this is practical. Like Dr. Ishigaki and many other tenkara anglers, I’m of the philosophy that there are…
DetailsIn my early reseach of tenkara, one of the first sites I came across was Trout and Seasons of the Mountain Village. The site has vast amounts of information on tenkara techniques, and streams and fish species in Japan. But I was particularly impressed with the vast collection of Japanese fly patterns there and to…
DetailsToday, I got the best piece of mail I’ve gotten in a long time. Japanese tenkara angler Hiroyuki Hasegawa (known as @kebarer on Twitter and Che Kebarer on Pinterest) sent me a great assortment of Gamakatsu and Owner hooks, plus a few surprises… Hiroyuki and I exchange a lot of tweets about tenkara (some serious,…
DetailsTenkara Rod: Long telescopic rod with tapers specifically designed to cast a light line without weight Line: Level fluorocarbon or tapered furled nylon monofilament, thread, fluorocarbon, or horsehair. Terminal Tackle: None Lure: Artificial fly Delivery: Overhand cast, bow & arrow cast, roll cast, side arm cast, steeple cast, etc. (Same casts as in fly fishing)…
DetailsThere’s an interesting phenomenon I’ve observed on many social media fishing sites. It basically goes something like this: Someone posts an idea. Maybe it’s a new fly tying technique, a DIY project, a new way of rigging, etc. Someone else responds to it saying that it’s too complicated, or takes too much time, and they’d…
DetailsA reader recently asked me about the stopper knots on the ends of lilians (those red cords at the end of a tenkara rod where you attach the line). He said that some of the rods he purchased came with a knot and some didn’t. The question was if a knot is really necessary. Since…
DetailsI came home from this year’s Fly Fishing Show with a few flies from Paul Vertrees and thought they were good ties so wanted to share a few pictures. For those of you who don’t know Paul, he is the tenkara guide for Rigs Fly Shop in Ridgeway (the first to offer guided tenkara trips…
DetailsIf you’re anything like me, you’ve accumulated a bunch of level lines that live in anonymity. You’ve long forgotten the size and have no idea what the length is. And they all start to look the same after a while. Rather than getting the micrometer and measuring tape out every time you uncoil a mystery…
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