Tenkara

[bluegill576 0]

Sorry guys, but to be totally honest, the Tenkara style looks incredibly limiting in my mind. I'll admit that if all you're doing is small stream fishing for small fish, Tenkara seems like a very "pure" and "classic" style. I 've had some great days casting soft hackle wets on a 2wt for small trout, but for me those days are few and far between. I would much rather chuck chickens on a 10 wt all day, looking for muskie, or pound the banks of a river with big articulated streamers trying to fool monster browns. Catching bait can be fun occasionally, but lets be honest... we all want to catch bigger fish.

 

Progress in fly fishing and fly tying has made the sport more exciting and opende the dors to sport fish that nobody thought fly fisherman could catch. I guess there will always be those who want to return to the roots of the sport, but for me, Bass, Muskie, Tarpon, Barracuda, Carp and other non-traditional fly fishing quarry are far more exciting than 8" trout. Now, who wants to go catch some shark on the fly? Is there a tenkara rod for that?

 

Not to get too sidetracked, but I don't know that I could agree less with your post. I also enjoy fly fishing for big uglies, the same bass and carp you mention, but small stream trout fishing still has something special about it for me. It's your opinion that you don't want to "catch bait," but don't make the mistake of assuming everyone thinks the way you do. I know a ton of folks who would rather wade a tiny stream in WV for brookies than set foot on a larger river holding larger fish where you'll likely be elbow-to-elbow with other fishermen. Do we all want to catch bigger fish? Not necessarily. I like catching big bass and carp and crappies and catfish, but I still make several trips to small streams every year to chase tiny brookies and bows. I enjoy it, and I know a lot of other folks do, too.

 

Back to tenkara...I'd never try it. I need the reel.

I also disagree with him. Little trout can be amazing to catch and buitiful in small wild rivers. Also there are tenkara anglers who do target larger fish such as big saltwater fish and musky and large bass are a common target for the heavier weight tenkara rods.

[bluegill576 0]

I found out about Tenkara for the first time and I am really interested in it. Anybody on the forum tie tenkara flies or fish with a tenkara rod? For those of you who don't know what tendara is like me a few days ago, it is the traditional japanese style of fly fishing and uses only a rod, line, and fly, that's right NO reel! The rods are usualy pretty long (11-15ft) and the line is attached to the end of the rod about a 14ft line that is furled but I forget what it's made of and some tippet at the end. They also have different style flies that look really affective. The style that intreags me the most is the sakasa kebari style which has the hackle reversed. It is a much simpilar way of fly fishing and there are lots of tenkara fly fisherman who only use one fly pattern! They believe in focusing more on presentation and overal shape of the fly than matching the hatch perfectly. Supposedly it is very effective and many people think it is more effective than the western style of fly fishing we all know. Here is a link to a website with some info: http://www.tenkarausa.com/ and a blog of some tenkara guides in Utah: http://tenkaraguides.com/Home/Welcome.html

 

I learned about it several years ago, and since then all my trout fishing has been with a tenkara rod (bluegill fishing still some ultra light spin fishing, some tenkara). Some of the tenkara lines are furled, but not all. The furled ones can be furled from mono, tying thread or even kevlar thread. They also use level lines, which is what I prefer, and those are made from a hi-vis fluorocarbon. You could use nylon mono, but the greater density of fluorocarbon makes it much easier to cast.

 

The sakasa kebari fly pattern is a generic attractor type of wet fly. Even people who use only on pattern do tie it in different colors, although they might just limit it to "dark" (for example black thread, brown hackle) and "light" (gray thread, grizzly hackle). In Japan, tenkara fishing is done on high gradient mountain streams, where the fish don't have the luxury of examining their food carefully. If the presentation is good and it looks like it even might be food, they take it - not unlike our brookies. Tenkara patterns are very effective here for browns and rainbows as well, but much more so in riffles and pocket water than in long glassy pools. In general, matching the hatch is less important for wet flies, and particularly in pocket water.

 

The flies can be fished with a Western rod and reel, but you can get more out of them with a tenkara rod and line. Not only is a tenkara rod very long, it is designed to be able to cast a very light line. For that reason, it really isn't at all the same as the canes pole that people here fished as kids with bobbers and worms,m or even the cheap fiberglass telescopic crappie poles. You can easily cast a 14-15' line consisting of nothing more than 0X fluorocarbon, to which you add maybe 4' of 5X. The long rod and extremely light line allow you to keep virtually all your line off the water, nearly eliminating drag. The presentations you can get really are better, so you really do catch more fish (although of course, the fish you catch are all withiDn about 20' of where you're standing. One other point on the rods, they are very good at protecting light tippets, so landing 20" trout on 5X tippet, even with no reel, is certainly possible and probably takes less time than if you had a reel because you never have to regain any line. If it doesn't break you off on the first run, there is no reason to baby it and you can land it pretty quickly.

 

The advantage is greater for streams than for lakes and ponds, because in streams casts tend to be shorter and drag is an ever present issue. For fishing ponds for bluegills, the only real advantage is that the soft rod makes them feel like they're twice as big as they are. Plus, if you're fishing from a tube or kayak, you don't have all that excess line catching on everything.

 

Give it a try. It really is a lot of fun.

Thanks for all the info and clarification. I am deffinently goig to get a tenkara rod the next order of flies I sell. Plus with tenkara you can spend more to get a higher quality rod because theres no reel to buy and the line is for the most part cheaper.

[FrequentTyer 0]

I bought a tenkara rod about 2 years ago. I fished it quite a bit the first few months, and then just got bored with it. It is nice for backpacking or hiking, but there are obvious limitations. People get a bit too hung up on tenkara like it is some sort of religion. It is basically a stripped down version of fly fishing. There is nothing you can do with tenkara that you can't do with traditional gear, but there is a fair amount that you can't do with tenkara. But it is fun now and then, especially on a 'gill pond. It is also a great way to introduce people and especially kids to fly fishing since there is just less stuff to deal with.

[FishDragon 0]

A fishing buddy broke his brand new Tenkara rod on a 3 lb saltwater rainbow this summer. Using a BH prince nymph. He landed the fish and the next day he went to try it out and the first little fish he hooked it just crumpled. I think it was a TenkaraUSA rod. If it was me I would get a 11' switch rod and just high stick with it for Tenkara fishing. Yeah I need a nice switch rod

[jburge 0]

Wow, a lot of really good discussion for something posted just two days ago

 

FWIW, I've been fishing Tenkara for about 2 years now (by no means an expert) -- CM is the man. I came across it because I was looking for some lightweight alternatives to fishing while backpacking in the Sierras -- think small freestone streams and creeks and high alpine lakes. The rods are exactly what I was looking for. Would I pack my Tenkara to fish for football sized rainbows in the Yuba? Nope. But, I see no reason to haul extra equipment into the backcountry when I don't need it and I don't have to cast my fly more than 20 feet.

 

For those interested, maybe someone should start up another swap. I ran a Tenkara swap here earlier this year that was really successful and saw some great flies cranked out.

 

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=57157

 

Just my opinion (and no offense meant), but I'd suggest getting all the facts before jumping to conclusions.

 

Thanks!

 

John

[bluegill576 0]

Good idea for a tenkara swap!!! I just finished up hosting a swap and may start a tenkara one up in a little bit.

[JSzymczyk 0]

Just do what makes you happy.

 

I was exposed to Tenkara in Japan back in the 80's.... I suppose my experience is a little bit different than most folks in the New World.

 

I agree whole-heartedly with FrequentTyer that people are going way too nuts over it like it is some sort of enlightenment or religion. In it's correct context and environment, that is OK. Whatever. For me, I've seen it the way it is meant to be. In the USA, Tenkara is just cane-pole fishing with a fly. No problem. I'm fine with that. Don't bullsh*t yourself, or ME, that it is something more, or something on a different level than other fishing. We're out there trying to fool creatures with a brain the size of a rice-grain, and we're getting beat as often as not... It's good, it's fun, it's FISHING.

 

So, the recurring question is "Why the hell didn't I decide to market this as the Next Big Thing??"

[flytire 0]

I agree whole-heartedly with FrequentTyer that people are going way too nuts over it like it is some sort of enlightenment or religion.

 

i agree with you there but then there are folks who do the same with plain old fly fishing

 

like you said "It's good, it's fun, it's FISHING."

[narcodog 0]

I have been fishing Tenkara for over two years and like the control of the fly I get especially when fishing s/h's and nymphs. I also fish drys almost as much. This past September I fished the Madison between the lakes and caught 15 trout from 15in to 24in's all on a cdc and deer all on a Tenkara 13 1/2 ft rod.

 

Does it have it's limitations ,yes, but as I stated it gives you control over your flies that western rods don't. You don't have to worry about drag, you can reach out above willows and drop your flie right in a pocket.

 

I also fish Slough Creek with it and was able to drop my flie right behind rocks that you would not be able to get a western rod to do. You can call it dapping or whatever but if you don't open your mind and look at it as another great way to fish then you maybe missing out.

 

By the way my other rods are cane and I fish with silk lines and single action reels. How many of you fish that way. I have not fished my plastic rods in three years, except for the Tenkara.

[bluegill576 0]

Well now I can say that I have fished a tenkara rod. I went out with a friend from a local fly fishing club (Triangle Fly Fishers) to some neighborhood ponds. She has the Iwana 12ft 6:4 rod. I used my normal 5 wt at first while she used the tenkara rod. I caught a couple bluegill and then after a while we switched rods, and the tenkara rod was awesome. I was able to catch 6 bluegill and a 1/2 lb bass. I also had about a 4 lb catfish on but just broke the line quickly because I didn't want to mess up her rod. I fished mostly a orange carp nymph. They felt awesome and it didn't really bother me as much as I thought it would have not having a reel. You are able to have much better control of the fly and like mentioned before you don't have to think about the reel and drag and all that. It was very easy and quick to assemble and attach the line. I am convinced and am going to get one soon. Also the good thing is you don't have to spend money on a reel and the line is pretty much the price of a good leader.

[jburge 0]

Also the good thing is you don't have to spend money on a reel and the line is pretty much the price of a good leader.

 

And the leaders get even cheaper when you start furling your own

 

Sounds like you had a lot of fun -- which is what it's all about. I had a blast myself yesterday using the same Iwana and playing with some 13-inch+ wild rainbows.

 

John

[chrismartin 0]

Sorry guys, but to be totally honest, the Tenkara style looks incredibly limiting in my mind. I'll admit that if all you're doing is small stream fishing for small fish, Tenkara seems like a very "pure" and "classic" style. I 've had some great days casting soft hackle wets on a 2wt for small trout, but for me those days are few and far between. I would much rather chuck chickens on a 10 wt all day, looking for muskie, or pound the banks of a river with big articulated streamers trying to fool monster browns. Catching bait can be fun occasionally, but lets be honest... we all want to catch bigger fish.

 

Progress in fly fishing and fly tying has made the sport more exciting and opende the dors to sport fish that nobody thought fly fisherman could catch. I guess there will always be those who want to return to the roots of the sport, but for me, Bass, Muskie, Tarpon, Barracuda, Carp and other non-traditional fly fishing quarry are far more exciting than 8" trout. Now, who wants to go catch some shark on the fly? Is there a tenkara rod for that?

 

Not to get too sidetracked, but I don't know that I could agree less with your post. I also enjoy fly fishing for big uglies, the same bass and carp you mention, but small stream trout fishing still has something special about it for me. It's your opinion that you don't want to "catch bait," but don't make the mistake of assuming everyone thinks the way you do. I know a ton of folks who would rather wade a tiny stream in WV for brookies than set foot on a larger river holding larger fish where you'll likely be elbow-to-elbow with other fishermen. Do we all want to catch bigger fish? Not necessarily. I like catching big bass and carp and crappies and catfish, but I still make several trips to small streams every year to chase tiny brookies and bows. I enjoy it, and I know a lot of other folks do, too.

 

Back to tenkara...I'd never try it. I need the reel.

I also disagree with him. Little trout can be amazing to catch and buitiful in small wild rivers. Also there are tenkara anglers who do target larger fish such as big saltwater fish and musky and large bass are a common target for the heavier weight tenkara rods.

 

Hey gents, sorry if I came off like I'm a trophy hunter or that I assume everyone is alway chasing big fish. I get the draw of small stream fishing... I mentioned in my post that I enjoy it from time to time. I never intended to dis small stream fishing and I certainly don't assume that everybody is chasing trophy fish. My comments were intended to be a tongue-in-cheek commentary on my preference. My suggestion to those wading small streams in search of solitude... Come north! Here in Northern Ontario I fish in absolute solitude and can reasonably expect that my next cast could be my biggest fish ever. That's probably the reason I see Tenkara as being limiting. The same wild streams here that holds 8" brookies also holds 24" brookies and I would rather catch the 24" fish every time!

 

Interesting to hear that guys are using Tenkara rods to catch Muskie. Not sure I can see that being really effective. Where can I learn more about this? I'm very curious about how this is done.

[bluegill576 0]

Sorry guys, but to be totally honest, the Tenkara style looks incredibly limiting in my mind. I'll admit that if all you're doing is small stream fishing for small fish, Tenkara seems like a very "pure" and "classic" style. I 've had some great days casting soft hackle wets on a 2wt for small trout, but for me those days are few and far between. I would much rather chuck chickens on a 10 wt all day, looking for muskie, or pound the banks of a river with big articulated streamers trying to fool monster browns. Catching bait can be fun occasionally, but lets be honest... we all want to catch bigger fish.

 

Progress in fly fishing and fly tying has made the sport more exciting and opende the dors to sport fish that nobody thought fly fisherman could catch. I guess there will always be those who want to return to the roots of the sport, but for me, Bass, Muskie, Tarpon, Barracuda, Carp and other non-traditional fly fishing quarry are far more exciting than 8" trout. Now, who wants to go catch some shark on the fly? Is there a tenkara rod for that?

 

Not to get too sidetracked, but I don't know that I could agree less with your post. I also enjoy fly fishing for big uglies, the same bass and carp you mention, but small stream trout fishing still has something special about it for me. It's your opinion that you don't want to "catch bait," but don't make the mistake of assuming everyone thinks the way you do. I know a ton of folks who would rather wade a tiny stream in WV for brookies than set foot on a larger river holding larger fish where you'll likely be elbow-to-elbow with other fishermen. Do we all want to catch bigger fish? Not necessarily. I like catching big bass and carp and crappies and catfish, but I still make several trips to small streams every year to chase tiny brookies and bows. I enjoy it, and I know a lot of other folks do, too.

 

Back to tenkara...I'd never try it. I need the reel.

I also disagree with him. Little trout can be amazing to catch and buitiful in small wild rivers. Also there are tenkara anglers who do target larger fish such as big saltwater fish and musky and large bass are a common target for the heavier weight tenkara rods.

 

Hey gents, sorry if I came off like I'm a trophy hunter or that I assume everyone is alway chasing big fish. I get the draw of small stream fishing... I mentioned in my post that I enjoy it from time to time. I never intended to dis small stream fishing and I certainly don't assume that everybody is chasing trophy fish. My comments were intended to be a tongue-in-cheek commentary on my preference. My suggestion to those wading small streams in search of solitude... Come north! Here in Northern Ontario I fish in absolute solitude and can reasonably expect that my next cast could be my biggest fish ever. That's probably the reason I see Tenkara as being limiting. The same wild streams here that holds 8" brookies also holds 24" brookies and I would rather catch the 24" fish every time!

 

Interesting to hear that guys are using Tenkara rods to catch Muskie. Not sure I can see that being really effective. Where can I learn more about this? I'm very curious about how this is done.

Getting info on tenkara that is in English is quite difficult. Pretty much the only way to do it is by word of mouth. There is only one written book in English on tenkara that I am borrowing from somebody tomorrow so I can tell you the title then. But from what I have found out so far for large fish (25" trout) you actually move yourself downstream or toards the fish but the advantage of downstream is the fish has to fight you and the current also one quote to remember from a tenkara expert is when the fish is strong you must be weak and when the fish is weak you must be strong.

[TheCream 0]

Chris, I see small stream limitations, too. I fish WV a lot, and in the spring when the streams are flowing well, you could easily get away with 13' of line on a Tenkara rod. I can generally get pretty close to where fish are holding and make short, accurate casts to them. However, those same small streams at lower levels with very little flow in the summer-fall I think you'd have to be very lucky to get close enough to fish with a tenkara rod. When the long flat pools have fish stacked in them, it's typically long casts with tiny dries to get on them. And the fish are so spooky that getting into tenkara range would seem very difficult (if not impossible in some situations).

[Ian.R 0]

Chris, I see small stream limitations, too. I fish WV a lot, and in the spring when the streams are flowing well, you could easily get away with 13' of line on a Tenkara rod. I can generally get pretty close to where fish are holding and make short, accurate casts to them. However, those same small streams at lower levels with very little flow in the summer-fall I think you'd have to be very lucky to get close enough to fish with a tenkara rod. When the long flat pools have fish stacked in them, it's typically long casts with tiny dries to get on them. And the fish are so spooky that getting into tenkara range would seem very difficult (if not impossible in some situations).

P

I fish small streams usually on the River Alyn in Wales,it has been low,all autumn but I havee had decent catches on Tenkara many times actually seeing the fish take the flies , I only use a leader of 9ft. Red Ice 0.35 and a 6ft of 6x or 5x Tippet usually Copopolymer, probably because I am a careful,wader and take my time getting in the right position to cast, I definitely think that the presentation that the Tenkara. Affords,makes a huge difference, I have always thought that the fly line landing on the water was the main reason for spooking fish

 

Ian.R