I get asked this question a lot. And like many of my answers, I’m forced to say, “it depends”. There are a variety of factors that determine how big of a selection you need to take on backcountry fly fishing trips. Here are a few considerations that might help you figure it out… How long…
I recently read Tenkara: Radically Simple, Ultralight Fly Fishing by Kevin Kelleher, MD and Misako Ishimura and just wanted to post a few of my thoughts on it. First off, this is the first book on Tenkara fly fishing written in English and represents a milestone for the Tenkara-mania that seems to be spreading across…
So I’ve been tying different variations on the Japanese hammer and thought it might be good to tie some in a tried-and-true color scheme: the Adams. [/caption] This pattern pretty much has everything I want for fishing the high mountain streams of the Rockies: it’s buggy, buoyant, hi-vis, and easy-to-tie. Tied in the colors of…
[/caption] I managed to make it to the Denver Fly Fishing Show last weekend despite the snowy roads (thank you Jeep!). I’ll admit that I brought certain expectations with me. I’ll also admit that they were not met. Overall, I didn’t see much real innovation–just a lot of overly complicated, overpriced superfluous gear design. Not…
[/caption] I almost exclusively fish dry flies for trout—not because I’m a “purist”. I just love to see fish rise to a fly. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with nymph fishing and I don’t look down on anyone who fishes nymphs. It’s just not my style. I’ve been thinking a lot about the “one…
Today, I got something very special in the mail–a copy of “Tenkara: Radically Simple, Ultralight Fly Fishing”, by Kevin C. Kelleher, MD and Misako Ishimura. Why is this book so special? For starters, it’s the first English Language book on Tenkara fly fishing. Secondly, it is autographed and came with a personal letter from the…
[/caption] Tenkara fishing is gaining (OK, exploding) in popularity in the U.S. and around the world, yet there are still some misconceptions that many people seem to have about this unique method of fly fishing. Here are a few that I commonly hear and my responses: 1. Tenkara is not “real” fly fishing, it’s basically…
All of us who tie flies have our own unique spaces dedicated to the craft. Whether crammed into the corner of a tiny apartment or sprawled out over the entire expanse of a finished basement, they are sacred places. Here is a quick video of my current one and some of the materials I’ve collected…
For the fly angler that has everything… If you have a fly fisher in your life and want to give them a fly fishing gift, you probably have the same dilemma every holiday season: they already have EVERYTHING so what can I get them? Even though fly fishers tend to be gear junkies and obsessively…
A lot of people have asked me what I carry in my pack for UL fly fishing and backpacking trips so I thought I’d do a quick video about it. It’s called the Trico and I’d be curious to hear what others carry and see if it’s similar to my setup or what other gear…
We’re excited to finally offer the perfect fly boxes to compliment the elegance and tradition of Tenkara fly fishing. These hand-crafted wooden fly boxes are not only practical, but add a touch of style to your Tenkara outfit and give you options to customize your fly organization experience without adding extra weight. Click here to…
Tenkara USA level lines are now available in the gear shop! If you’ve been using traditional, furled lines, click here to see why you might want to give level lines a try.
As a semi-minimalist who likes to combine outdoor sports (yeah, you guessed it: backpacking and fly fishing), I’m always on the lookout for multi-purpose gear to enhance my outings without adding a lot of bulk and weight. Enter the RIBZ front pack. Wear it up the trail to balance out your load and make your…
Ever since I got into ultra-light backpacking and fly fishing, I have been constantly thinking about which pieces of gear I can do away with and which ones I find multi-use and indispensable. Recently, I turned my attention to my hat. Sure, on the surface, hats might not be as sexy as a new, shiny…