[deeky]

I got my copy of Fly Tier, as well as a copy of a British magazine. Giving each of them a quick flip-through, they both contained articles on the historically correct tying of Sawyer's PTN, as well as articles on Tenkara, Japanese fly fishing. This isn't the first time I have noticed congruencies. I can understand similar patterns that are seasonally specific, but what about the other topics. They are different articles by different authors, but on the same topic. I was especially surprised by a topic as obscure as Tenkara.

Anyone know why there seem to be the similarities?

Just curious.

Deeky

[tidewaterfly]

It may be because the sport of fly fishing is not much different in various parts of the world, and overall has not changed all that much since it was first practiced. Fly fishing also has a history which for many seems to be repeated, so knowing about the history can allow us to appreciate the sport that much more.

There are new materials that flies are tied with, rods are built with & lines are manufactured with, and advances in the technology of how hooks are made, but the sport itself, really doesn't change all that much. Writers can write about the new stuff when they happen, but eventually they become old news, so they try to give different twists on the old news.

Even with the advances in materials, some folks still like to tie flies with older materials, build or use rods made with bamboo or fiberglass, and even cast lines made from silk. Writers still write about these things, because folks still do it.

I think it's good for anyone new to the sport to read about older topics, and to remind folks who have been at it longer that some things about the sport are different and some are not. The changes are slight IMO. We still cast flies, so little has really changed.

At least that's the way I see it, I'm sure others have their own opinions.

[rockworm]

deeky

The subject of Tenkara fishing is "obscure" only to anyone who isn't into flyfishing or has been lost in the jungles of Tasmania for the last few years. This ancient art (and its rods) have hit North America and I predict many of us will own a Tenkara rod within a year or so.

As for the PTN. Ask your friends to list their 5 top-producing nymphs and I would bet most of them would include this pattern. And I like the original tye: just wire and PT! Simple and deadly. As to why two mags feature this fly at the same time? Coincidence maybe. But I should think the writers in Britain and North America are much less isolated from one another than they were before the WWW.

[JSzymczyk]

The subject of Tenkara fishing is "obscure" only to anyone who isn't into flyfishing or has been lost in the jungles of Tasmania for the last few years. This ancient art (and its rods) have hit North America and I predict many of us will own a Tenkara rod within a year or so.

I've got 3 or 4 of them. They're called "Bream Busters" and can be bought for about $12 in any WalMart south of the the Mason-Dixon line.

In the late 80s I lived in Japan for over a year. Tenkara is a fine sport, there is nothing wrong with it, it has a deep history in parts of Japanese culture, and it also certainly is nothing more than the newest fad among fly fishers here in North America. People in the US have been fishing Tenkara for a long, long time.

Kool-Aid line forms to the left, drink up, it will set you free.

[rockworm]

Thanks but I'll pass on the Kool Aid. Give me tequila- I don't wanna be free!

[David Legg]

I got my copy of Fly Tier, as well as a copy of a British magazine. Giving each of them a quick flip-through, they both contained articles on the historically correct tying of Sawyer's PTN, as well as articles on Tenkara, Japanese fly fishing. This isn't the first time I have noticed congruencies. I can understand similar patterns that are seasonally specific, but what about the other topics. They are different articles by different authors, but on the same topic. I was especially surprised by a topic as obscure as Tenkara.

Anyone know why there seem to be the similarities?

Just curious.

Deeky

There is a pronounced upswing in the interest in Tenkara as well as an increased marketing presence. I think this is caused by those forces. The editors probably find it an interesting topic that hasn't been exhausted which has emerged recently.
PTN is a little more odd in my mind, unless there was something newsworthy about it that I missed which triggered the conincident articles.

[Peterjay]

Like Tidewaterfly said, there really isn't much new under the sun as far as fishing goes. The people who try to make our sport seem 100 times more complicated than it really is are often the same ones who are trying to sell us something. There are only a few basic fishing stories - just plug in different names, species, lures, destinations etc, and there you go. Add that to the fact that most outdoor writers aren't exactly the most creative or imaginative people on the planet, (or with few exceptions, the best or most knowledgeable fishermen) and it's small wonder that as soon as a "new" technique or destination rears its head, the outdoor writing crowd is gonna be all over it. Outside of Ted Williams, Patrick McManus and John Gierach, I can't think of anybody offhand who's worth the price of a magazine. There used to be some terrific writers working in the outdoor field, but those days are long gone. A lot of the guys who write for today's mags are little more than house shills for equipment manufacturers, guides or destination resort operators; the rest doing it either to relieve the boredom of the off-season or because they enjoy seeing their names in print.

[rockworm]

Looks like someone has a case of the late-winter grumpies. (Not that I don't agree with most of your little tirade.)

[Peterjay]

Looks like someone has a case of the late-winter grumpies. (Not that I don't agree with most of your little tirade.)

Nah, I'm always like this. Actually most of the guys I fish with write part-time for various fishing publications, and one of them used to be the saltwater editor of a major fly fishing magazine. I've also done my share of writing, so as you might imagine, we've discussed the subject at length while waiting for the tuna to show up for their usual 30 seconds per tide. It's really a tough job to find anything fresh to write about in a field where not a lot changes. As Jack Gartside once asked in a reflective moment: "How many times can you reinvent the jig?" In the old days, the "hook and bullet" press consisted of a bunch of independent magazines that weren't afraid to showcase talent and take a stand for conservation; nowadays, they've nearly all been bought up by conglomerates that are mostly interested in selling 4X4's or convincing bass fisherman that they need ridiculously overpowered boats to catch a critter that couldn't beat a pekingese in the 100-meter freestyle. Fly fishing publications are somewhat better than the general fishing and hunting rags, but they're also repetitive, and most of them operate on a shoestring, which probably explains the profusion of destination stories that just "happen" to mention lodges, guides, etc. Just my $.02 worth. Other opinions may vary.