Every once in a while, I like to step back and take a look at the state of the tenkaraverse. This week, a couple of things in social media really made me pause and think. And I think it gave me a couple of insights into the current state of tenkara outside Japan.
The first was a Youtube video by an employee of an American fly rod company that many tenkara anglers (both Western and Japanese) found offensive (see some of the reactions here). In one online discussion about it, some people even claimed that the video could set the progress of tenkara in the West back years and make people not take it seriously. At first, I thought the same thing. But then, someone chimed in with a very interesting response. They said that tenkara has been around for centuries (long before Western fly fishing) and can’t be undone by a 3-minute internet video. That really struck me.
Then, I thought about how different tenkara in the West is now compared to when I first started. I remember a time when I was starved for information. I had my Google Alerts set up to catch anything related to tenkara and eagerly devoured whatever little new content was being created. There was literally no writing on tenkara that I hadn’t read within minutes of it being published. And I was still left wanting more.
But today, I can’t keep up. There are so many new blogs, Youtube videos, forums, Facebook pages & groups, and articles that I find myself more and more answering “no” to the question, “hey, did you read that XXXX on XXXX?” It appears many others feel the same way. And, of course, the number of tenkara gear sellers has exploded. No retail industry could grow like that in 4 years if it didn’t have a strong and growing audience.
After pondering all of this, it seemed silly for me to be so upset by a stupid Youtube video. Clearly, tenkara is stronger than that. It occurred to me that we’re standing on the shoulders of countless generations of tenkara anglers who not only knew tenkara was valid, but staked their very livelihoods on it. And that allayed my fear of whatever damage this video might cause.
But I said there were two things. The other was a post on the Tenkara USA forum asking whether people think tenkara is growing or not. This question has come up a few times before and it’s something I keep a close eye on. I suppose there are other ways to measure the growth of tenkara, but in the information age, there’s probably no better way than to turn to the omniprescience of Google.
Using Google Trends, I ran 2 reports. The first is interest over time for the keyword “tenkara”:
Clearly, interest has steadily grown since its introduction to the West by Tenkara USA in 2009. The dotted line indicates Google’s prediction for continued interest in the future. And as you can see, that also rises.
The second report is for interest in “fly fishing”. It’s often said that fly fishing is a dying industry and this report would seem to confirm that (That’s a whole discussion in itself). Also, notice that Google predicts future decline:
Of course, the overall search volumes are vastly different, but there’s one clear takeaway: interest in tenkara is rising while interest in fly fishing is falling. So for anyone who thinks tenkara is stagnating or shrinking, Google has a very clear response: “no it’s not.”
So, what does all this really mean? It means that tenkara is standing on its own two feet. It doesn’t need the validation from the Western fly fishing industry. It’s already valid. Tenkara has faced it’s fair share of criticism and bullying in its short time outside Japan. But like a freshman who used to get beat up and crammed into lockers, then ends up hanging out with the cool kids senior year, tenkara has persevered. And it’s finally graduated.
I am sure that the interest in Tenkara is increasing. However, to compare trends in GoogleTrends one must add terms on the left side of the page to the graph to compare them absolutely and not relatively. If you do that you find that Tenkara is barely a blip on the graph compared to “fly fishing.” That first blip being representative of a New York Times article on the sport.
I also added a third term to the mix – “trout fishing” and found that the yearly trends of “trout fishing” and “fly fishing” rise in and fall in unison. While both are falling, “fly fishing” is falling faster than “trout fishing” perhaps indicative of a lessening of the sport for other game fish? Or spin fishing for trout has become more popular? Or simply that the way people search has changed? Who can say.
Hi Lynn,
As I say in the post the overall search volume between the two is vastly different. But that’s not the point of this article. I’m not talking about how much tenkara is being searched vs. fly fishing. I’m only talking about if interest between the two is increasing or decreasing (which my charts show). Obviously, “fly fishing” is going to be searched more that “tenkara”. But again, that wasn’t the point. And I’m not sure what “trout fishing” has to do with it. That dilutes it too much because like you say, then that adds all kinds of methods into it. All I wanted to show was that interest in fly fishing is declining while interest in tenkara is rising. Does that make sense?
What video? Sorry, I didn’t pay any attention, I was busy fishing (with my Tenkara rod).
Damn, guess that means we will have to hire more tenkara guides.
As I stated in my comments on that rediculous video, Tenkara not only has a long solid history, it also has gathered a large and passionate following in this country. Is it growing in popularity? Absolutely. I’m just one of the little everyday guys that got interested in Tenkara years ago, when I did (after doing a search for unique ways to fish) I had a tough time finding much information about it. Today using the same search perameters I used back when I was trying to find out how to do it, I am overwhelmed by the mass of media and info out there. As far as comparing it to western flyfishing, I personally think it’s like comparing apples to bananas. Two different disciplines, two different arts, and two different mind sets. The reasons behind the drop in statistics? Simple, people are getting more sedentary and simply not going out to fish. Will never be a Tenkara Master, but will never give up my passion.
I came to tenkara as I was lightening my hiking kit. Since then I’ve preferred it whenever my rod matches the stream. Can’t beat it in a mountain bike pack.
In terms of post-conflict view, I think it just depends on how you travel and what your fishing water looks like when you get there.
Rather than always-this or always-that.
Tenkara is definitely on the increase. All you have to do is show someone how easy it is and you have a true believer. I write a blog (Northern California Trout), I write a weekly article for the local newspaper (Amador Ledger Dispatch), and I write a weekly article for Sport Fishing Weekly. I’ve touted Tenkara in all three and I’m seeing an increase in fly fisherpersons (politically correct) still fishing regular rods, but fishing Tenkara rods too. Last night I did a presentation at the Amador Fly Fishers Club on fishing small streams and Tenkara was a big part of the presentation. I don’t expect to see everyone run out and buy from Tenkara USA, but with all the other manufacturers out there, some will be purchased.
As for flyfishing tapering off–well just wait until a remake of “A river Runs through It” the chart will turn around…As for Tenkara vs. traditional fly rod…do what you like… do what fits the occasion! I love Tenkara for small streams and for backpacking! On the other hand I have used it on mountain lakes and lost a lot of fish that simply ran me out of line…and wished I had at least a traditional 5 wt.(ok I still would not have carried the extra weight in my UL BP kit…but every time the thought popped up!). Or imagine fishing for trout\silvers in Alaska with a Tenkara–I’ve come close to being stripped with an 8wt! In summary why be obsessed with one vs the other–they both have their place in my mind!
I’m new to both Fly-fishing (western style as it now seems to be referred to) and Tenkara. Been doing both with any regularity for about two seasons and am now addicted to both. I prefer my western gear for streamer and bass fishing, prefer my TenkaraUSA rods for dry and wet fly presentations and use both depending on stream conditions and mood for nymph fishing. So, I’m not biased in either direction.
Two thoughts after seeing the video – first, that’s a video with many informational errors regarding Tenkara and was obviously produced by someone or some group ignorant to the potential offensive nature of their wardrobe choice. second, in general you have to keep asking yourself why such a large percentage of the western fly fishing community has such strong negative feelings for Tenkara? In this case, even a group with a vested sales interest in Tenkara, disrespects it. Is it based in insecurity about their own style?
To quote the classics – “Western style fly fisherman doth protest to much, methinks!”
Morning Jason,
Wow! You really know how to stir the pot. (the cooking kind, in Colorado we now have to be PC correct.)
At the ripe old age of 73+ I have seen fly fishing history that most of your readers would probably say: “He must have known Isaac Walton.”
I’ve been in love with this sport since I was knee high to a Dave’s Hopper. I’ve seen the peaks & valleys, met and fished with a few of the famous ones in the Bahamas, Keys, BVI’s, and parts with names to hard to spell.
I Remember when you could walk into a sporting goods store in Denver, named Dave Cooks or Gart Brothers ad walk out with a complete fly outfit and enough accessories to last you a season for less than $100. Yes it was in the last century, but not the 19 th.
Then along came Fly fishing TV shows, fly fishing expos, and the greatest boom to FF a movie with everybody’s favorite Brad “what’s his name”. Now the former peaks, became the Grand Tetons, mt. Elbert,
The Matterhorn, etc. well you get the idea.
And FF became almost as popular as baseball, hotdogs and moms apple pie.
The purists (aka: FF westerners) will forever poo-poo anything that isn’t pure or less expensive than their $700 rods, that are made in China down the street from the $ 150 tenkara rods factory.
Tenkara maybe be the model T of the fly fishing industry to some, but if they ever have the guts to try it on a small stream or even a river, they will end up saying: “Why the hell didn’t I try this before.
My only concern is, if Brad what’s his name decides to make a sequel: “Up your river with a fly rod” and he chooses to use a Tenkara rod, what will happen to our so far semi secret form of fun fly fishing?
Keep up the good works Jason, this once great country of ours needs to concentrate on the more important things in life,,,,,,,Tenkara Fly Fishing!!
I think Tenkara fishing is here to stay. There will be “purists” who will stick to Japanese style lines and flies in much the same way as “dry fly only” Western fly fishers. But there will be others who will take Tenkara rods and put light weight modern fly lines on them, six pound 2x tippets, and one to three weighted nymphs, a size 8 woolly bugger or a bait hook full of corn or a worm and catch everything from smaller carp to spotted sea trout. I know because I’m one of them. I still fish traditional Western style fly rods but I also use spinning rods. I like to catch fish and I like to keep things simple. Sometimes catching fish and simplicity is just done best with a Tenkara rod…sometimes not.
Maybe it’s just me but I found the video really funny. Is it so awful to poke a little fun at tenkara I mean this video isn’t serious and anyone who takes offence at such mischief should really lighten up. I think that tenkara anglers in general need to lighten up, not everything needs to be such a controversy.
I couldn’t agree more thetroutfly.
Honestly, it really is little more of a caricature of how some folks have marketed tenkara in the US anyway.