Meet my wife. Her name is Guadalupe. She’s from Argentina. She’s never fly fished before. In fact, she’s never even fished a day in her life. I took her out to the Roaring River below the alluvial fan in Rocky Mountain National Park, put a Tenkara USA Ayu in her hand and gave her some…
Details[/caption] As Tenkara catches on more and more in the U.S., I have yet to see one description of it lacking the following adjective: simple. Mainly by virtue of not using a reel, Tenkara is certainly simpler than what most Western fly fishers are accustomed to–and that is probably its main appeal. Ironically though, many…
Details[/caption] While Tenkara fishing is often pigeonholed as being only for small streams, I’ve recently fallen in love with Tenkara fishing in lakes. Just as the lack of a reel and the ability to shoot line force you to change your technique on rivers, so too does Tenkara force you to adapt your method…
DetailsThis was a fly fishing pack I always wanted but didn’t exist. So I designed it myself. PLEASE NOTE: The Trico is no longer available as I’ve been unable to secure a new sewer to produce it. If you’ve got a lead on someone who will and help me put it back into production, please…
DetailsWhile I appreciate (OK, drool over) innovation and technological advances, sometimes, tried-and-true traditional gear has a certain allure that I just can’t resist. I recently posted about a tenkara line management system that is very practical and functional, yet lacks the quaintness and charm of what I got in the mail today–a pair of bamboo…
DetailsThe Ebira is a rod quiver for tenkara fly rods such as Tenkara USA rods and the Backpacking Light Hane. It features a removable pocket to hold a fly box and tippet spools that can be accessed without taking the quiver off. “Ebira” means “quiver” in Japanese and while they were traditionally worn over the…
DetailsAfter my recent blog post on how to tie the balloon caddis, a lot of people emailed me asking if they could buy them somewhere because they don’t tie. Today, I’m happy to announce that the Balloon Caddis is in the gear shop. For now, I’ve only got it in size #10 (which is a…
DetailsA while back, I wrote about a simple fly fishing setup for backpacking. As fly fishers, we have an intrinsic advantage when it comes fishing on overnight and multi-day backpacking trips. Unlike other styles of fishing, we aren’t condemned to carrying heavy, bulky tackle like spinning reels, weighted lures, etc. However, fly fishers also tend…
DetailsIf you’d rather fish a #14 fly during a heavy Trico hatch than a #22, check out the Traffic Jam
How to Tie the Traffic Jam Trico Cluster from Jason Klass on Vimeo.
Many of us who have fished Trico hatches probably have a love-hate relationship with them. These notoriously prolific hatches bring a lot of fish to the surface but it can be impossible to pick out your #22 imitation from the thousands of others on the surface. A fish could strike your fly and you wouldn’t even know it because there are so many rises surrounding it. Probably many of us have wished we could fish a larger, easier-to-see pattern that we could distinguish from the mayhem during these exciting hatches. This led some people to design double and triple Trico patterns that were a littler easier to see, but were unrealistic because of the way they are tied in perfect alignment (trunk-to-tail so to speak). After years of observation, I had an epiphany that led to the creation of the Traffic Jam.
DetailsA Simple Tenkara Line Management System from Jason Klass on Vimeo. If you’ve ever wondered what to do with your Tenkara line when you collapse your rod to move from spot to spot, here’s a simple, cheap DIY solution that might work for you. BTW, if you’re not fond of the red color, the Fuji…
DetailsDe-Fishing Soap from Jason Klass on Vimeo. Anyone who has fished on a backpacking trip and retired to your tent for the night has probably had a thought lurking in the back of their mind before drifting off to sleep: Am I going to end up as bear dinner? Luckily, this biodegradable soap takes the…
DetailsHow to Attach and Detach Your Tenkara Fly Line from Jason Klass on Vimeo. To a Western fly angler who is used to a nail knot or handshake connection (loop to loop) to connect their leader to their fly line, connecting a Tenkara fly line to the rod can seem a bit baffling. Here’s a…
DetailsThe Balloon Caddis is one of my favorite all-time caddis flies. It’s versatile, durable, and easy to tie. This innovative pattern designed by Austrian fly fishing mogul Roman Moser (one of my fly tying heroes) belongs in every fly box (especially for the backpacking angler). Materials Hook: Partridge Mike Weaver Arrowpoint #12 – #18 (substitute…
DetailsAnyone thinking about getting into Tenkara fishing should visit Tenkara Bum. Chris Stewart has put together one of the most extensive collections of information on Tenkara gear and techniques in the English language (no Kanji required!). As an early adopter of Tenkara fly fishing, his in-depth reviews will not only help you decide which rod…
DetailsTenkara Fishing In Rocky Mountain National Park from Jason Klass on Vimeo. For those of you who couldn’t go fishing today, here’s a little Tenkara porn. At 1:57 you’ll see one method I use to store my like when moving between spots where it might be brushy. Sometimes, I wrap it around the rod instead.…
DetailsI just ran across a really unique site that Tenkara and Backpacking Fly Fishers alike might find interesting. It’s called The Eclectic Angler and it has a good mix of finished products (such as hand made reels) and DIY supplies for reelsmithing and line making. Of particular note for Tenkara fishers, they sell horse hair…
DetailsThis easy-to-make strike indicator was invented by the French during an international fly fishing competition and was recently featured in Fly Fisherman Magazine. It’s basically a monofilament “spring” that is very sensitive and gives you a good visual indication of even the most subtle strikes. I don’t know if the French have a name for…
DetailsHere’s my favorite, general purpose midge pattern. It’s easy to tie and very effective. While you could tie them in any color I mostly tie them only in black. Materials Hook: Tiemco 2488 #20 – 24 Thread: Red 8/0 Abdomen: Hareline Ultra Chenille Micro, black Thorax: Hareline Ice Dub, Olive Brown Breathers: Polypropylene Yarn, white…
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