Jason is an avid fly angler and backpacker. As a former fly fishing guide originally from Western New York, he moved to Colorado and became an early adopter of tenkara which perfectly suited the small, high altitude streams and lakes there. He has not fished a Western-style fly rod for trout since.
If you were to put together a lineup of flies that iconically represented modern tenkara, the Amano kebari would be a sure candidate. It was invented by legendary Japanese tenkara angler Katsutoshi Amano and is the only fly he ties! Read a little more about Amano-san here. He ties it in a few different sizes,…
I love winter fishing. For the same reasons the warm-blooded amongst us do: fewer crowds, less pressure on the fish, no biting insects, and just overall quiet solitude–serenity amidst a white, Norman Rockwell blanket of snow. Of course, there are also downsides to winter fishing. Here in Colorado, many of the smaller streams get completely…
Giveaway Ends Tuesday, February 28th 2023 This contest has ended Countdown Last month I wrote an article on one of my favorite little gadgets: the Higonokami Knife. Well this month, I’m giving away one brand new, authentic 100mm brass Higonokami! To enter, click below & “follow” the Tenkara Talk Facebook page (if you already follow…
Making your own dubbing blends is not only simple and fun, but also opens up a vast realm of new creative possibilities for your flies. And you can get started today with things you probably already have! How-to segment starts at 04:23
When I got my new tamo (net) from Tenkara no Oni a couple of days ago, he slipped a few of his flies in the box (as he usually does). I already had some I got professionally framed several years ago that hang right above my fly tying desk. Two of the flies this time…
If put to a vote, I’d bet the majority of fly tyers would elect scissors as the most important tool on their desks. There are a lot of other tools you could easily go without, but scissors are essential for sculpting a tidy, respectable fly. As you might imagine, I’ve tried dozens of types of…
Sometimes, I find overlaps between tools I use at the tying desk and tools I could (and should) also use afield. Case in point: scissors. I used to trim materials from my flies on-stream to better suit the situation at hand using my tippet clippers. But I found that a small pair of tying…
Many years ago, I was gifted a small bag of dubbing from an English acquaintance of mine. I had no idea what I was holding in my hand at the time and little did I know that it would eventually fuel a minor obsession that countless others had fallen into before me. He told me…
If you visit my tying desk, you’ll notice two gadgets that have taken up permanent residence on the base of my vise: my scissors, and a Higonokami knife. The former would certainly make sense at a tying desk. The latter might seem a little odd, yet it’s nonetheless just as utilitarian (and certainly more storied).…
Recently, a friend of mine sent his waders in to Simms to be repaired. Two weeks after he mailed them, he got a message saying it would be another 2-3 weeks before they’d be ready. So that’s a total of at least 4-5 weeks that he’ll be without them. De facto, it will probably be…
I get this question all the time: “how to I attach a loop eye to an eyeless hook? Is there a video showing it?” Every single time, I tell myself I’m going to make a simple video about it, but the idea soon falls victim to the same fate as new years resolutions. The topic…
Giveaway Ends Saturday, January 14th, 2023: This giveaway has ended. Countdown This month’s giveaway exclusively for CTA members is one dozen beautiful tenkara flies tied by professional tyer and CTA member Joesph Egry. Joe was a fishing buddy of mine here in Colorado until he moved to Florida for work. But he’s still tying and…
Giveaway Ends Sunday, January 8th, 2023: This contest is over. Congratulations James Knittle! Countdown Now that I’ve convalesced to the point where I can turn my attention back to this blog, I’ve decided to start a monthly giveaway. This first one includes: Two Tenkara Talk all-weather stickers Three of my go-to Glass Bead Takayama Sakasa…
I recently started a new hobby: pipe smoking. And already, I can see many parallels between it and tenkara. That’s for another article, but one thing I’m particularly struck by (or perhaps reminded of) is that just like learning tenkara, fly fishing, climbing, guitar, stamp collecting, or any new endeavor, one has the option to…