Dispatches from the Middle River
A gumbo of tenkara fishing, conservation, politics and days afield, for what it is worth....
Sometimes it is the simple gifts that light up your day.
Punk Rock Sakasa Kebari
Ashley from LearnTenkara.com surprised me with a gift of this wonderful Punk Rock Sakasa Kebari that she tied.
There is close-up of it and some more info on the Learn Tenkara site, just click here.
She was also kind enough to include a couple of purple starling feathers so I could try my hand at my own kebari.
We shall see how that turns out….
stay tuned.
“The road goes on forever and the party never ends” or so I texted friends back home as we continued our tenkara tour of the Jackson Wyo. area.
After a sensational day on Flat Creek (click here for that story) we were pretty stoked to fish more smaller streams in the area.
A quick check in with our friends in a couple of local fly shops gave us da beta we needed.
Our first stop was Fish Creek, and a chance to put a big bend in the tenkara rod.
Fish Creek Cutthroat
During our last visit to the Jackson area we had fished the Gros Ventre and wanted to give it a try again. We headed up that way and decided that Crystal Creek, water we hadn’t fished before was worth a look. Crystal Creek was prime tenkara water and we roamed about trying a variety of spots.
After spending two weeks with a tenkara rod in my hand fishing a variety of water and catching some pretty decent sized fish I am more convinced than ever of both the effectiveness and versatility of tenkara fishing.
If you want to learn more I encourage you to check out the Tenkara Guide section of Dispatches, just click here.
Since striking up an on-line friendship that lead to a two part interview on their blog (click here and here to read them) Chi Wulff has become one of my daily must reads.
Mark has a excelllent post about a a recent conversation (or conservation as it is written in the post, in this case pretty much the same thing) with his mentor Ed.
Ed makes three important points about the state of economic affairs and ends with this:
“Both parties have shit on their hands when it comes to sins agains the environment and sheer economic stupidity. Folks bitching about how evil one party is over the other are falling prey to the useful idiot trap and miss the point entirely. We need to figure out how to do the right thing to protect key environmental treasures regardless of what party happens to be in power.”
Headwaters of Flat Creek
Click here and read Chi Wulff’s Three Things From Ed: It’s All About the Water, Stupid……
The entire post is worth the read. Ed has both common sense and economic standing on his side. Ed makes a very compelling case for the habitat equals opportunity equals economic activity equation and joins the growing chorus of voices saying those in outdoor recreation better pay more attention to what is going on.
Unfortunately our elected officials in the U.S. Senate don’t read Chi Wulff or know Ed. They decided to follow the lead of the U.S. House of Representative and take the budget axe to conservation funding in the Agricultural Appropriations bill last week.
Click here and read the details from Ducks Unlimited’s “Senate committee votes to cut funding for farm conservation programs”.
My good friend Chris Hunt who blogs at Eat More Brook Trout has started interviewing some fly fishing notables. Last week he interviewed another good friend, Craig Mathews.
Chris writes:
“In addition to being one of the country’s fly fishing elite, Craig is a staunch conservationist who, over the years, has been able to speak truth to power in a way that is constructive and helpful. And he puts his money where his mouth is–in partnership with Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, Craig helped start the “1% for the Planet” program, where businesses and industry could earmark 1 percent of their profits to conservation-centric the non-profits of their choice.”
Click here to read the entire interview: Eat More Brook Trout: 20 Questions: Craig Mathews.
Craig is responsible for my getting me started on tenkara and it was a treat to spend some time with him at the tenkara summit last month.
He also shares a very special place in the Sadler household having officiated at our wedding 5 years ago.
Craig, Beth and Tom at $3 Bridge 08/09/06
After the tenkara summit in West Yellowstone, MRS and I took off for Wyoming and some tenkara fishing in the Jackson Hole area.
Before we left West we made a trip to the Madison River and some fishing at $3 Bridge.
tenkara in the shadow of $3 bridge
Five years ago Beth and I go married at this spot and we were excited to be back.
we stood right here 5 years ago
We worked our way down through Yellowstone National Park, fishing as we went. Ok I fished, Beth took pictures…
Trying it out on the Yellowstone
MRS goes artsy on me
We wound up in Hoback, WY. for a couple of nights with the Rivers of Recovery crew. BTW: If you don’t know about RoR then click here and check it out.
Be sure to watch the two videos, start with the one on the right. If you are unmoved by them, check your pulse.
We made a foray to the headwaters of Flat Creek. It was a spectacular 4×4 drive into the backcountry.
Flat Creek headwaters
Getting set up
a pretty Flat Creek pool
Mr. Cutthroat checks in
the tug is the drug...
success!
The chance to visit the headwaters of Flat Creek and to do it in the company of good friends made the trip special.
That they have served our country with honor and distinction makes me proud to be in their company.
headed to beer 30
As they say the road goes on forever and the party never ends.
Stay tuned for more pictures in episode two. Coming soon.
Anyone living that morning ten years ago watched their world change forever. Some didn’t make it out alive. Many have changed and been lost in these last ten years.
The call went out that morning and was answered by many brave men and women. Some didn’t make it out alive. Many have changed and been lost in these last ten years.
Some who answered the call that day and in the following ten years have been defending you and me. Some didn’t make it out alive. Many have changed and been lost in these last ten years.
When some who answered the call that day and in the following ten years defending you and me return they are changed. They deserve our thanks. They deserve our help. They need to be part of our community again.
As you reflect on that day and the intervening ten years, take a moment to reflect and remember those who went forth to defend our country and the price they pay.
Not sure what that means?
Watch this:
Veterans and Suicide – We Must Overcome
Leave a comment if you would like to learn how to help.
Keep the faith. Aho.
The National Wildlife Federation has this report on the continued destruction of conservation funding by Congress, this time in the Senate Appropriations committee: Roadkill: Lawmakers Throw Wildlife Under the Bus – National Wildlife Federation.
Last month I traveled to West Yellowstone, MT for the first Tenkara Summit. More than 100 hundred people showed up to hear presentations, talk tenkara and see an on-stream demonstration.
Here is part of the write up by Daniel Galhardo on the Tenkara USA blog:
Originally we had expected, optimistically, that about 70 people would show up. The conference room was setup to accomodate 100 people, but that was not enough. Over 100 people showed up yesterday. People came from 23 different states, and from 3 different countries specially for the Summit (well, they did come to fish in Montana…). I’d really like to thank all those who came and helped make this an extraordinary event; it was the best crowd ever. Thank you!
The Tenkara Summit had the presence of special guests Dr. Hisao Ishigaki, the leading authority on tenkara in Japan; Chris Stewart of tenkarabum.com; Craig Mathews of Blue Ribbon Flies who gave a very passionate presentation about tenkara in Montana and showed some great clips of large fishing being caught; Ryan Jordan of backpackinglight.com as well as ryanjordan.com; and Tom Sadler who spoke about the advantages of using tenkara as a guide and as a way to introduce new people to fly-fishing so they can continue conserving the environment in the future.
Dr. Hisao Ishigaki, "Tenkara King"
Dr. Ishigaki is known as the “Tenkara King” in Japan. His presentation was a wonderful insight into the world of tenkara. He is a warm and charming story teller lacing his presentation with witty anecdotes of his tenkara exploits.
Chris Stewart, Daniel Galhardo and Dr. Ishigaki, share a panel discussion.
Ryan Jordan of Backpacking Light
Craig Mathews talks Montana tenkara
It was a special honor to part of the summit and to learn from fellow tenkara enthusiasts!
One personal highlight was to have lunch with Craig Mathews and Yvon Chouinard. Those two were the reason I got started with tenkara so it was a special treat to spend time with them both at the summit.
Dr. Ishigaki showed his tenkara chops during an on-stream demonstration.
gearing up for some fishing
Watching Japan’s Tenkara King put a tenkara rod through it’s paces was fascinating. It was also reassuring to see that my on tenkara technique was not so bad.
Tenkara King does his thing
Double team tenkara
