You are here: Home / Archives for Tenkara

Wise Ass Fish

May 3, 2012 by · 3 Comments

If you have not had the pleasure of reading the snark-fest that is Roderick Hawg-Brown than stop reading and click RH-B. I’ll wait.

Nice guy huh?

Well, I enjoy his humor, ill or otherwise and when the chance came to order a sticker to jazz up the beloved Subaru I couldn’t resist.

Of course RH-B never misses an chance to belittle us anglers so he included a little advice…

Wise ass. Wait till he meets up with Chris Hunt and his Lake Trout tenkara prowess. Bet he won’t be so quick to tell the tenkara boys what to do…

Filed Under: Featured, Tenkara · Tagged: , ,

Tenkara Rod Caps Are EZ To Lose

April 30, 2012 by · 3 Comments

Tenkara anglers know that the most likely thing to lose when you go fishing is the end cap on your tenkara rod. The end cap protects the rod when it is housed and keeps things from falling out or getting in.

Dang handy little item.

But there in lies the challenge. Little. Like easily misplaced little.

So having spent some time thinking about ways to keep the little rascal from disappearing I came up with this idea.

Since I have a lot of old fly line lying around I decided it could be put to good use.

I grabbed my power drill and a 1/32 drill bit and made a slight modification to the end caps of my collection of Tenkara USA rods. Then I slipped a short length of old fly line through the hole and tied a figure-eight knot at the end.

Here is how it turned out.

Tenkara USA end cap MK 1 Mod 1

Since I wear a Fly Vines lanyard, I will just stash it there. If I drop it, the bright green line will be much easier to find as well.

Hopefully this will keep the rod caps from wandering off…

Filed Under: Featured, Tenkara, Things that work · Tagged: , , ,

The Tenkara Guide Volume 1, Issue 2

March 23, 2012 by · 4 Comments

Wow, there is a lot going on in the Tenkara world...

Pretty much every day I find some intresting tenkara news as I peruse the interwebs. The more the better as far as I am concerned. What has been especially rewarding for me this year is the increasing interest in tenkara.

I not talking about the silly stuff about fads, cults or the haters on the forums. That stuff doesn’t advance knowledge, it’s mostly noise. Most of those folks never use a tenkara rod before they spout off. Of course that noise does help with name recognition and SEO.  Like my grand pappy, with his sharp political mind, used to say about name recognition, “I don’t care what they say about me as long as the spell my name correctly.”

There is clearly an increase in curiosity and desire to learn more about the tenkara technique. So far this month I have given tenkara presentations to the  Massanutten, Rapidan, and Potomac/Patuxanat chapters of Trout Unlimited, done a tenkara demostatation at the National Capitol Chapter of Trout Unlimted and have a four day and a couple of 1/2 day tenkara guiding gigs lined up.

And if the number of articles about tenkara is any indication than more people are giving tenkara a serious look. Give these articles a look.

Tenkara Fishing Video

My good friend Chris Hunt of Eat More Brook Trout put together a terrific video: Tenkara Winter.

Tenkara and Marriage

A great post with wonderful photos on Bug Chuckers about the many advantages of tenkara: Tenkara

What Tenkara and “Fixies” have in common

Yours truly gets a quoted in this excellent article in Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine: Tenkara fly fishing is gaining momentum in the United States.

Keeping the Tenkara Rod Clean and Dry

Here is a handy tip from Teton Tenkara: What I learned from band.

Diawa Tenkara Rod Review

The new Daiawa rod gets a test on Casting Around: Tenkara Rod Review: Daiwa LL36SF.

Tenkara USA Ito Rod Review

The Ito gets the Teton Tenkara field test: Tenkara USA Ito review.

New Tenkara Fly Box

Tenkara USA has a new fly box: Bamboo Tenkara Fly Box.

Handcrafted Tenkara Rod Plugs

Kiwi over at The North River works his magic again: Tenkara Rod Plugs.

Tenkara Level Line Comparisons

Tenkara Talk compares somes level lines from Tenkara USA and Tenkara Bum: New Tenkara USA Yellow Level Line.

 

 

Filed Under: Tenkara · Tagged: , , , , , ,

When Art Imitates Life

February 28, 2012 by · 3 Comments

Trust me you are gonna want to click on this one > Lefty says Tenkara is a fad.

A tip of the Stormy Kromer to Roderick Hawg Brown for getting the straight scoop and putting the Lefty “tenkantraversy” to rest!

"fadtastic"

Filed Under: Antics, Fishing, Quotes, Tenkara · Tagged: , , , ,

The Tenkara Guide Volume 1, Issue 1

February 28, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Given how quickly Tenkara is rising in popularity I thought it was time to rework the Tenkara section of Dispatches, so I have created a stand alone Tenkara blog page.

For the moment it is called The Tenkara Guide, a play on the fact that I am a Tenkara Guide and that it will be used as a “guide” to the ever expanding Tenkara community.  It will offer commentary and information both about Tenkara style fly-fishing.

Teton Tenkara Reviews Tenkara Lines

If you are interest in how various furled leaders perform then take a look at A tail of three (furled) lines…., Teton Tenkara’s review of the Tenkara USA 3rd Generation Traditional line, the Cutthroat Leaders Tenkara line, and Streamside Hand Crafted Furled Leaders Tenkara. Tom’s review is an in depth look at these lines and how each performs on the water. You can see his field test on the Black Canyon section Bear River.

I am in process of testing some lines as well. More on that in future additions.

Tenkara Bum Reviews Diawa Tenkara Rods

My friend Chris Stewart, aka Tenkara Bum, has a new favorite rod. Read about it in his review of Daiwa Tenkara Rods. His extensive review of the SF goes in to the details of his affection for these rods. Chris has decided to start importing them in the US. Be prepared for a little sticker shock. These are, as Chris notes, “these are truly premium rods, and they carry a premium price.”

Tenkara Talk Reviews Fountainhead’s Stone Fly Rods

Jason Klass had a chance to put Fountainhead’s rods to the test and offers his assessment in Fountainhead Stone Fly Tenkara Rods. Fountainhead rods are at the opposite end of the price spectrum from the Diawa rods. Jason’s reaction, “What you will find is a stripped down fishing tool that is more concerned about working than looking pretty.” He also notes they cast pretty well.

So there you have it, a look at some lines and rods. These guys have done their homework and offer up important info that you can use. Be sure to drop a comment on their blogs and tell them thanks for doing the research so we can all learn more.

Filed Under: Tenkara · Tagged: , , ,

Tenkara Is A Technique

February 1, 2012 by · 13 Comments

With Tenkara USA owner Daniel Galhardo at the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset, NJ

There has been a fair amount of discussion of late about whether tenkara is a fad. Labels are funny things, the minute you apply one someone wants to fight with you about the appropriateness of the label. Posts started flying on the blogs, questions popped up on Facebook and Twitter and a new tenkara controversy was born. Of course it has raised the profile of tenkara and in my book that is a good thing.

The fans of tenkara offered up some great commentary. Some of my favorites include: Field and Stream’s Fly Talk: Is Tenkara Fly Fishing a Fad?, Eat More Brook Trout:  The Fad that’s Built to Last… Tenkara Bum: Is Tenkara a Fad?,  Troutrageous! Enough ‘Tenkara Is A Fad’ Already… Unaccomplished Angler: Lefty Kreh declares “Tenkara is cool!”

When asked about tenkara my answer has been, “It is a fly-fishing technique that is very effective. It has pro’s and con’s like all techniques. Give it a try and see what you think.”

By the end of last weekend I was hoarse from repeating that response to curious anglers at the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset NJ. I spent time explaining tenkara in the Tenkara USA booth and selling rods at the Mossy Creek Fly Fishing booth.

The Mossy Creek Fly Fishing team

Explanation was more important than labels. Folks wiggled the rod, saw you could cast with it, visualized the way it would drift a dry or nymph or twitch a streamer and often enough decided to buy one.

Is tenkara a fad? Who really cares? I am going to continue to fish and guide with my tenkara rods and enjoy my time on the water.

If you want to know more about tenkara check out the Fish Tenkara section.

If you have questions or want to fish tenkara, drop me a comment.

Filed Under: Featured, Tenkara · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Creative Craftsmanship

January 8, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

One of the things I really like about the tenkara community is how creative it is. Here are three FOUR good examples (See below for a recent addition).

trying to get creative...

Check out the moose antler tenkara line holder at The North River: The Magnificent Moose. This little beauty holds the line and a fly and has the inherent rustic charm of the moose antler. Hopefully Kiwi will resume his carving hobby and put a few on the market.

The second example is from My Leaky Waders: Do it Yourself Tenkara Line and Case: Go Furl Yourself. David took the “roll you own” or in this case “furl your own” challenge and produced his own line. He really showed his creative chops with the line case! Check it out. I have been working on some level line ideas and I am going to try his idea out.

Last but not least is from Tenkara USA via Angling Trade: Tenkara USA Updates Product Line for 2012. There are four notable items.

First an expandable rod: “the Ito is a rod that can be fished as a 13ft long rod or a 14ft 7inches long.”

How about going in the other direction and shortening the rod? “We have decided to play a bit with the telescopic functionality of tenkara rods, where segments collapse into one another and can easily be removed or replaced. For 2012 we have decided to offer an add-on option to our customers looking for a shorter tenkara rod.”

They reworked the traditional tenkara furled line. “We have greatly improved our traditional tenkara lines for 2012, making them more supple, easier to cast and importantly tweaking their design so they don’t “recoil” back when freed from a snag.

The tenkara nets are wonders of craftmanship. “We have improved the design of our original tenkara nets and added a new size to the lineup: now available in 9inches or 10.5 inches diameter.”

NEW 02/16/12: Take a look at this exquisite Tenkara fly box that Joel from A Year On The Fly recently completed. Check it out at My New Tenkara Box and wish him luck on his tenkara adventures!

Tenkara is gaining a following because of things like this. There is a rich history of creation and innovation in the fly-fishing segment of fishing and Tenkara is part of that history. Now it is showing how it adds to the fly-fishing in the future.

Filed Under: Featured, Tenkara, Things that work · Tagged: , , , , , ,

Tenkara USA Guide Network

December 21, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Last week I was thrilled to receive an email from Daniel Galhardo, owner of Tenkara USA, asking me if I would like to join the Tenkara Guide Network to be launched in 2012. According to Daniel the Tenkara Guide Network will be a directory of guides that teach and guide with tenkara as their preferred method of fishing. This is a great honor for me and I really appreciated the recognition from Tenkara USA!

Filed Under: Tenkara · Tagged: ,

Tenkara USA Catalog

December 18, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Tenkara USA put their 2012 catalog/booklet on line. This is an outstanding resource for tenkara anglers and for those who are interested in learning more about tenkara.

Click here to give it a look.

Filed Under: Tenkara · Tagged:

Simple Gifts

September 24, 2011 by · 1 Comment

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.

Filed Under: Fishing, Reflections, Tenkara · Tagged: , ,
« Older Posts