There’s been a lot of buzz around Vicuña dubbing lately and I was lucky enough to get a box from DRAGONTAILtenkara. I’ve probably got hundreds of packages of dubbing dating back 20+ years, but I can tell you, I really like this stuff. First of all, it’s hand-dyed alpaca wool so it’s scraggly, but still…
I’ve been an advocate of felt wading boots for years because I don’t believe the whole theory about felt transmitting invasive species and most rubber-soled boots just don’t have a good grip in the water. But I recently got a pair of Orvis Ultralight wading boots and think they’ve made me reconsider. The problem with…
I recently returned from a 4-day trip to the Rio Grande with my long-time friend Randy. He drove up there from Arizona and I drove down there from Denver. We both headed to Creede with high hopes. But, in fishing, the higher the hope, the easier it is to be dashed. The fishing was lackluster,…
Like many of you, this pandemic has been difficult for me. I sold my house right before it started and have been house and dog sitting for some friends who were in Guatemala for a couple of months. The library of fly tying tools and materials I’ve collected over the years (including my beloved roll-top…
My experience with fly fishing gear (and gear in general) is that whenever something tries to be two things at once, it’s usually not good at either of them. Think fly/spin combos. I’ve never seen one that was both a good fly rod AND a good spin rod. It seems that there is always some…
I recently did an impromptu podcast with my old friend and mentor Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA after we had an early-morning conversation about some ideas swirling around in our heads. Some of them may be controversial and I know some of you may not be receptive to them, but they’re the products of being…
The company that introduced tenkara to the U.S. has just launched a new online store. It’s a much cleaner, faster, way to shop and helps you make a decision on which rod to get based on your area and stream type. Plus, the navigation is more intuitive and you can translate languages and pay by…
The following is a guest post. I almost never do them, but when someone as prominent in the tenkara community asks for one as Jason Sparks, my ears perk up and I listen. Here are a few more of his great theories on fly design and presentation … There have been several points of conversation…
Every angler new to fly fishing and tenkara will inevitably ask themselves the question, “should I learn to tie my own flies?” Usually, the impetus behind this is a perceived cost savings over buying flies. And that certainly seems like a valid reason once you peruse the prices in the fly bins of your local…
Here’s my latest batch of tenkara memes. Feel free to share the individual images, but please be cool and give me credit. To see all of my previous tenkara memes, click here. And if you’ve made some of your own memes, please post them in the comments section below.
I’m often asked where I get my fly tying materials. And my answer is, “from my desk”. Over 30 years of tying, I’ve amassed a collection of materials that would make some fly shops’ inventories seem lacking. So whenever I sit down to tie, I already have all the ingredients necessary. I’ll probably never have…
Being a fly tyer is part of my self-identity. I’ve often said that even if every river and ocean on Earth dried up, I would still tie flies. It’s one of my passions in life and I consider it a high art. As such, I’m always interested in learning about how other tyers practice the…
Well, I’m still “reeling” 😉 from this year’s Tenkara Summit. Usually when I cover such events, I try to put together a cohesive recap for those who couldn’t make it. But this year, it was quite intense and I’m not sure I’m up to that task. So instead, I’m just going to post a few…
At the 2019 Tenkara Summit today, Tenkara USA made a pretty big announcement: the reissue and redesign of their discontinued Ebisu rod. The Ebisu was a favorite among many early adopters of tenkara in the West because of its soft 5:5 action and many lamented its demise. But I think many will be glad to…