Possumpoint 0 Report post Posted August 25, 2012 Bluegill 576 thanks for your advice. However, I have already bought the jig pole, reel and line. Will give it a shot to see what its capabilities are. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrequentTyer 0 Report post Posted August 25, 2012 So then, one of the tenkara guy's criteria that it is not a fad is: someone got a tattoo of tenkara. For all we know the tattoo could mean "roundeye eat duck sausage" but I guess that is beside the point. Lefty Kreh has expertly fished more, for more species, in more circumstances, with more methods, in more places, than any 10 or probably 100 of us combined. He has been a prime innovator in the sport fishing industry on many fronts for longer than many of us have been alive. At well over 80 he can cast a fly line long, short, in between, or anywhere with accuracy which is astounding. For someone to allude that in fly casting "there is Lefty's way, and there is the right way" is just purely ignorant arrogance (that was one of the comments to the article- along with "Lefty was great in his time"). If the topic is fishing in any form, and Lefty Kreh talks about it, people should listen. Tenkara will never approach "WESTERN" fly fishing in popularity for a variety of reasons. The almost religious fundamentalism being displayed by the cultists is not helping their cause. ANYONE can take a fly rod, thread it with a section of line and a leader, and fish fixed-line style if they want. It doesn't take a $200 rod blank and a big attitude to do it. I'll say it again, I lived in Japan twenty-some years ago and I was exposed to Tenkara methodology while I was there. What's being MARKETED here ain't quite the same. It CAN'T be, and it never will be. I couldn't agree more. They are really doing themselves a disservice with all the mystical mumbo jumbo. I own a tenkara rod and use it once or twice a year. It is fun, and I catch fish with it. Anyone who says it is the same as a crappie pole has either never held a tenkara rod or never held a crappie pole. On the other hand, any one who thinks it is a replacement for a good fly rod and reel is fooling themselves. I don't get the venom that is often thrown out when tenkara comes up. I think a lot of it is a reaction to the cult-like following and silly minimalist philosophy, but I also think some folks are threatened by the simplicity and relative low cost (I've invested thousands of dollars in this, you can't tell me I only need a $200 rod and one fly). If nothing else, it is a good way to introduce kids to fly fishing without having to worry about teaching them line management right out of the gate. Since Orvis, and now TFO are on the bandwagon, I guess tenkara will be around for a while more. Hopefully that will lead to a more balanced understanding that it's just another way to fish and cut down on the number of zombie converts. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted August 31, 2012 who said its a fad? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zug buggin 0 Report post Posted September 1, 2012 I was using a Tenkara rod when I was 4 years old, it was called a cane pole back then! In fact, they still make them in cane and similarly there are crappie rods made from glass that are telescoping. I don't care if Tenkara is a 1000 year old Chinese way of fishing and it isn't a fad, its still a load of crap. If you like it, more power to you, no insult intended, just saying... Kirk WELL SAID!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
