Tenkara (Translates "From the Heavens")
This write up will, no doubt, read as a testimony of sorts about one mans conversion to Tenkara fly fishing. I do not pretend to be a master, but I do believe that Tenkara can do a great deal for the backpacker, the results oriented, and the western fisherman thats looking to detox from the high tech angling world in which we are stationed.
Tenkara is simple. The mantra is repeated time and again: rod, line, and fly. I grew up fishing all over the lakes and rivers of Wisconsin, with the bulk of time in my formative years spent on a Lake Michigan charter boat stalking salmon, browns, lakers, and rainbows. We used GEAR to fish. GPS, Radar, Sonar, and any other little trick to give us an edge over the next guy offering a fun filled weekend. And we caught fish like you wouldnt believe, to the point that it wasnt even exciting to hook into that 30lber or a thrill to see a rainbow flying through the air, fresh hooked. In my later teens the siren song of the rivers beckoned me, and I went. This was simple fishing: just a reel, line, weights, and a worm. Even simpler was throwing and gently retrieving a spinner. But GAS (gear acquisition syndrome, a close relative of ad) soon took over, and I was off buying high end rods and reels for the simple joy of fishing the rivers in my home country. It got complicated again, and I murdered the fish every time I went out. I was accomplished on my river.
Tenkara didnt start as a minimalist pilgrimage, though for some it is so. For me, it was a way to save weight on through hikes and backpacking trips. A 2.7 ounce rod was more than appealing. Tenkara: rod, line, and fly. Id fly fished before, but there was something pure about the idea of what amounted in my mind to Japanese cane pole fishing. The weight savings were enough that I decided to give this foreign method a try.
When the rod from Tenkara USA arrived, I was a little underwhelmed. It was light and felt flimsy in the hand. My grandfather had also taught me to, Never trust telescoping rods, and this thing was a 12 foot telescopic that packed down to around 20 inches. When I thought I had a handle on the technique, it was off to the river.
The first thing I noticed was just how limited I was with only a 12 foot rod and 16 or so feet of line. Suddenly, I had to stalk the fish instead of sniping from a comfortable vantage point far away. I instantly went from a high tech Pro fisherman to a child next to a river with a stick in my hand. Never had I contemplated things like stalking fish or needing to cast upstream and allow the river to guide my fly to the fish. It was a high that no amount of gear could have provided. After a few failed ventures, it happened. I went to a promising eddy and observed all the signs of rising trout. A near perfect cast resulted in a 14 inch rainbow, after a fight that rivaled anything Id seen on the big pond. With such a light rod, I thought Id hooked into a whale. For most of the battle, the tip of my rod was closer to the water than Id ever dreamed it could safely. It was holy, and pure, and inspired. Just a rod, line, and fly.
Tenkara isnt for everyone, but Id venture the guess that its for some of the people here. It was salvation for me. Fishing came alive again in a way that Ive never experienced and it became more real somehow. Ive only on very rare occasions loosed a fish, but I released that first rainbow. The moment felt so surreal that I couldnt cheapen it by claiming to be the victor. Ive caught, and ate, many since that first but I dont feel like the champion of the river anymore. Im a student, and glad to be.
P.S. As for results, Tenkara was most likely developed by commercial fishermen in Japanese mountain streams. Its efficient. My best trip last year netted over 30 fish in the first 2 hours.
This write up will, no doubt, read as a testimony of sorts about one mans conversion to Tenkara fly fishing. I do not pretend to be a master, but I do believe that Tenkara can do a great deal for the backpacker, the results oriented, and the western fisherman thats looking to detox from the high tech angling world in which we are stationed.
Tenkara is simple. The mantra is repeated time and again: rod, line, and fly. I grew up fishing all over the lakes and rivers of Wisconsin, with the bulk of time in my formative years spent on a Lake Michigan charter boat stalking salmon, browns, lakers, and rainbows. We used GEAR to fish. GPS, Radar, Sonar, and any other little trick to give us an edge over the next guy offering a fun filled weekend. And we caught fish like you wouldnt believe, to the point that it wasnt even exciting to hook into that 30lber or a thrill to see a rainbow flying through the air, fresh hooked. In my later teens the siren song of the rivers beckoned me, and I went. This was simple fishing: just a reel, line, weights, and a worm. Even simpler was throwing and gently retrieving a spinner. But GAS (gear acquisition syndrome, a close relative of ad) soon took over, and I was off buying high end rods and reels for the simple joy of fishing the rivers in my home country. It got complicated again, and I murdered the fish every time I went out. I was accomplished on my river.
Tenkara didnt start as a minimalist pilgrimage, though for some it is so. For me, it was a way to save weight on through hikes and backpacking trips. A 2.7 ounce rod was more than appealing. Tenkara: rod, line, and fly. Id fly fished before, but there was something pure about the idea of what amounted in my mind to Japanese cane pole fishing. The weight savings were enough that I decided to give this foreign method a try.
When the rod from Tenkara USA arrived, I was a little underwhelmed. It was light and felt flimsy in the hand. My grandfather had also taught me to, Never trust telescoping rods, and this thing was a 12 foot telescopic that packed down to around 20 inches. When I thought I had a handle on the technique, it was off to the river.
The first thing I noticed was just how limited I was with only a 12 foot rod and 16 or so feet of line. Suddenly, I had to stalk the fish instead of sniping from a comfortable vantage point far away. I instantly went from a high tech Pro fisherman to a child next to a river with a stick in my hand. Never had I contemplated things like stalking fish or needing to cast upstream and allow the river to guide my fly to the fish. It was a high that no amount of gear could have provided. After a few failed ventures, it happened. I went to a promising eddy and observed all the signs of rising trout. A near perfect cast resulted in a 14 inch rainbow, after a fight that rivaled anything Id seen on the big pond. With such a light rod, I thought Id hooked into a whale. For most of the battle, the tip of my rod was closer to the water than Id ever dreamed it could safely. It was holy, and pure, and inspired. Just a rod, line, and fly.
Tenkara isnt for everyone, but Id venture the guess that its for some of the people here. It was salvation for me. Fishing came alive again in a way that Ive never experienced and it became more real somehow. Ive only on very rare occasions loosed a fish, but I released that first rainbow. The moment felt so surreal that I couldnt cheapen it by claiming to be the victor. Ive caught, and ate, many since that first but I dont feel like the champion of the river anymore. Im a student, and glad to be.
P.S. As for results, Tenkara was most likely developed by commercial fishermen in Japanese mountain streams. Its efficient. My best trip last year netted over 30 fish in the first 2 hours.
