Tenkara Blog

With a nod to tradition and a passion for Tenkara Americana, the Tenkara Talk Blog features hundreds of gear reviews, fly tying tutorials, DIY hacks, and presentation techniques.

Ep. 16: Tenkara Styles: the Maximizer, Satisficer, & Middle Way

We all take different approaches to tenkara and in this episode, Jason and Keegan Uhl explore some of the more common ones.

July 12, 2024 No Comments

Tenkara on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast

A few months ago, I was interviewed on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast by Christian Bacasa. I met “CB” at the 2023 Denver Fly Fishing Show and after a quick conversation, he invited me to do an episode. I thought it would be good exposure for tenkara since his audience

June 12, 2024 No Comments

Ep. 15: Destination Japan: What To Know Before You Go

Special Guest: Go Ishii Audio-only Version There probably isn’t a tenkara angler in the U.S. that hasn’t at least entertained the idea of fishing in Japan (someday). As those who have made the journey will attest, it can be complicated and challenging, but not impossible (if you know the right

May 15, 2024 No Comments

Bamboo Waste Tippet Tamer

No matter your level of experience, every fly angler out there faces the same dilemma: what to do with waste tippet? And, what to do when you come across a bird’s nest of old line dangling from the branches? The truth is, our disgarded lines are a menace to the

May 9, 2024 4 Comments

OneStar Leather Tenkara Spool Cases

As my collection of wooden spools from Kura-san and TenakraPath has grown over the years, I’ve sometimes thought about doing a better job of organizing and protecting them. I feel that if you’ve invested in a beautifully crafted spool, it’s probably worth investing in protecting it. Handmade and bespoke tackle

May 7, 2024 No Comments

Oni Itoshiro 340 Tenkara Rod Review

Last year, the stars aligned and I finally added the Itoshiro 340 to my lineup of Oni rods. I’d been thinking about it for a long time but was waiting for the bamboo handle version to become available. I already owned the Type III and while they’re the same length,

May 6, 2024 1 Comment

3 Why Reasons I Love the Oni Style Coco 290

“WOW!” I could probably end this review right here with that one word, and to me, it would be sufficient to describe how I feel about this rod. But you probably want to hear a little more than that! So, spoiler aside, here are the reasons why I fell in

April 7, 2024 3 Comments

Ep. 14: North Country Spiders for the Tenkara Angler

“Connecting the dots between the Japanese kebari & English soft hackle traditions” Special Guest: Jonathan Antunez Dark Watchet by Jonathan Antunez About a month ago, I became enamored with a particular style of fly called the North Country Spider. I immediately recognized that these ultra-minimalist flies have many parallels

March 31, 2024 No Comments

Ep. 13: The Lost Art of the Basics in Fly Fishing

Video Version Audio-only Version In our world of instant gratification, it’s easy to get ahead of ourselves when we begin a new endeavor. We want to take shortcuts, skim the literature, ignore details that seem insignificant (or boring). But in this episode, Jason and his guest, Chuck Kaminski, explain why

March 29, 2024 5 Comments

Ep. 12: Tenkara Fly Fishing for Mental Wellness

Jason talks with licensed therapist Tony Parmenter about the mental health benefits of fishing and why tenkara is the ideal choice for “fishing therapy”.

February 14, 2024 4 Comments

How To Re-Wind Any Thread To Fit Fly Tying Bobbins

When I received my early education in fly tying from the old troglodyte cronies at the fly shop, the use of any thread other than one specifically designated for fly tying was as unthinkable. The mere mention of “sewing thread” would produce an awkward pause, followed by a terse, but

February 8, 2024 5 Comments

Jisaku-ya Yaki-sugi 6-Compartment Wooden Fly Box

Tenkara-ya is one of my favorite tenkara shops; not just because they have a solid lineup of high-quality Japanese products, but also because they carry a variety of esoteric tackle–things you can’t find here in the U.S.. And in particular, they offer several gorgeous wooden fly boxes (all of which

December 25, 2023 3 Comments

About Me

Jason Klass is a former fly fishing guide & casting instructor based in Colorado. He was an early adopter of tenkara in the West and has been fishing the method for a variety of species since 2009. Read more