Yes, I know. The party line is that traditional tenkara flies are unweighted. Purists say that you’re supposed to use plunge pools or longer drifts to sink your flies. But this isn’t always possible (especially on my home waters). Most of my local streams are high-gradient with short, fast-running pockets. You might only get a…
This is a boring fly. But there’s a reason for that. It’s my variation on one of my favorite all-time flies: René Harrop’s Hair Wing Dun. The Hair Wing Dun has proven itself on waters all over the world. It’s easy to tie, floats well, is durable, and versatile. Here’s my version and the theory…
I often see advertising for “hand-tied flies”. This makes me laugh because ALL FLIES ARE HAND TIED! As a marketer by trade and a fly tyer by passion, I find this deceptive and insulting. Who do they think they’re fooling with this messaging? In reality, the majority of commercially available flies are tied (by humans)…
There’s a long running joke in tenkara about losing your rod plug or end cap. Most rod plugs are either black or wood colored making them the perfect chameleon when dropped on the forest floor or river bank. And it’s not always easy to find a replacement. But Minimalist Gear Co. has come up with…
I recently read an article by one of my favorite fly fishing authors, Dave Hughes, in which he wrote something that gave me pause for thought … Had I read this quote in my pre-tenkara days, I would have agreed 100%. “Match the hatch” was my mantra and I thought the essence of fly fishing…
I recently posted about how to make a DIY fly box from Altoids tins. Those used slotted foam but the other day, I stumbled upon a really clever idea for turning an Altoids tin into a fly box. It’s basically a 3D printed insert that gives you compartments! All you do is snap the insert…
So you’ve heard about this “tenkara” thing, but haven’t tried it yet. Maybe you’ve heard dismissive or even disparaging remarks about it in social media or at your local fly shop. So, is it legit? Why bother trying it when your conventional fly rod works just fine? Well, here are 10 good reasons … 1.…
As a new tenkara angler, it can be frustrating to figure out which model to get for your first rod. For one thing, tenkara rods aren’t widely available in brick and mortar shops so there’s not a lot of opportunity to “try before you buy”–meaning you’re probably going to have to buy your first rod…
A while back, I wrote an article about how to make your own fly drying patch out of simple materials. It’s easy and a fun project for winter. But I failed to mention that you can use the same technique for making your own fly boxes and they’re even easier. Plus, they give you a…
Here’s a great resource for shorter lengths of Shetland Spindrift yarn–one of my favorite materials for tying simple and durable tenkara flies.
As far as I know, I was the first person to ever create tenkara-specific memes. I started years ago and kind of trailed off but decided it was time to create a new batch. So here are 17 new ones I just made. I hope at least one of them puts a smile on your…
Since introduced to the West, tenkara has taken on many flavors. Some call it cultural appropriation. Some call it assimilation. And there are many purists who have been trying to maintain the traditions of its Japanese origin. But one thing is certain: the use of tenkara gear in the West is more diverse than in…
Let’s face it, when it comes to fly fishing accessories, retractors (AKA “zingers”) aren’t the sexiest things. We tend to focus on rods, flies, lines, and other things that are more exciting. But when we get right down to it, we all rely on supplementary tools to help us with our streamcraft. And that so…
30 years ago when I started fly fishing, I never thought about sun protection and COVID-19 didn’t exist. But things have obviously changed since then. With the virus and global warming ramping up, it’s especially important to protect yourself (and others) from such things. I always look to finding simple solutions to complicated problems and…