Tenkara

[Steeldrifter 0]

 

I'll give my .02 on it without going too far into the whole long drawn out issue of fly fishing/tenkara debate that has been hashed out over & over on most fly fishing forums out there online in the past.

 

My personal opinion is that calling tenkara "fly fishing" is the same as calling "chuck & duck" fishing fly fishing. You are using a fly on the line but that's where the similarities end. Back in my salmon fishing days I did a lot of chuck & duck fishing for them so I'm not putting that style of fishing down, but rather just being honest in saying it is not fly fishing by the true definition of what qualifies as fly fishing by my nor many peoples view. It's effective, it can be used to catch fish of all sizes, and I'm sure many people do enjoy it. With that said it's not fly fishing in my opinion, and it has no appeal to me to ever try it. Doesn't mean that others don't enjoy it though, just not my cup of coffee (I hate tea )

 

It's pretty what all fly fishing was before the mid-1800's. In fact, as late as 1885, David Webster in The Angler and the Loop Rod, claimed that fishing with other than a fixed line wasn't real fly fishing. There are times when I would be inclined to agree with him, except I find a reel too convenient.ll fly fishing was before the mid-1800's.

 

 

As I already said, in my personal opinion it is not fly fishing. Not to sound insultive but I honestly couldn't care less what was considered fly fishing in the 1800's, I was not alive back then so that has no bearing on what is fly fishing to me. I think everyone here has the knowledge what is considered fly fishing in this modern day and age.

[McFlyLures 0]

I'm new here. By my avatar it states I'm a bait fisherman, I have 1 post and 0 warning points.

 

I'm guessing the Bait fisherman comment is that I'm new.

I did make 1 post.

What is a warning point and how do I get them?

I don't think he was saying you are a baitfisherman. He said you are opening up a can of worms. As in, S will hit the fan... That type of thing. He posted a picture of worms in a can. Hence when he said "you are opening up a" then posted the picture of worms. He was saying "your opening up a can of worms..." LOL I don't think he was saying bad about you or your fishing. Just saying the posting might cause some arguing. HAHA

[Lesg 0]

I have to agree with Steve on this one. In the 1800's people hunted with a muzzle loader or a bow because they had no choice. If given the option of a 30.06 and a scope I think they would have jumped at it. It is still hunting today the same as flyfishing is to tenkara. It's nice to know the history and if you want to hunt with a bow or fish tenkara style go for it. It's all fishing so we shouldn't get too serious about it.

 

Les

[mikechell 0]

Read that as "oooooooooo".

 

So, tenkara isn't a "new" way to fish ... it's retro, to the 1800's!

[dadofmolly 0]

I don't usually weigh in on these discussion but need to give my opinion. I do use both a western fly rod and a tenkara rod and enjoy both in the situations I use them. From my research on the tenkara style of fishing, it dates back to very old Japanese style of fishing that was designed to fish small mountainous streams in very fast water. The original style would be somewhat similar to tight line nymphing of today, only short drifts. Is it fly fishing???; wasn't that long ago that if you weren't using "dry flies" you weren't fly fishing. Lot of comparison to "cane poles"; in my opinion, having used cane poles, comparing a tenkara rod to a cane pole is like comparing a 1 wt to an 8 or 9 wt. Both get the job done but differently. I still remember spending time at the old 5&10 carefully selecting just the right cane pole, came in 1 piece and very long, not the 2 or 3 piece "canes" of today. (happen to be 74 years young). Not trying to convince anyone that tenkara is right for them, I think it is a personal choice. Mike, my first tenkara rod; 13' with a 6/3 action cost me around fifty bucks, my 2nd came off ebay for around 30. my 2 cents.

[mikechell 0]

I'll have to look. I didn't know they could be had "in my price range".

 

But I have to comment on your analogy: "... comparing a tenkara rod to a cane pole is like comparing a 1 wt to an 8 or 9 wt."

You are absolutely correct, even if you didn't mean to be. A tenkara rod IS a 1 wt. cane pole ... just as a 1 wt. fly rod and a 9 wt. fly rod are both fly rods.

[redietz 0]

 

As I already said, in my personal opinion it is not fly fishing.

 

 

That was my point: we all have opinions of what fly fishing is or is not, and those opinions are largely formed by what we perceived to fly fishing to be whenever (and wherever) it was that we took up the sport. Look at the resistance to strike indicators and beadhead nymphs not that long ago (I still have a hard time bringing myself to use either). Or look at the reaction to Skue's suggestion that you could use nymphs to catch fish; it simply wasn't done, according to the dry fly purists, who hadn't existed a generation before.

 

My own opinion echos that of Liesenring: "We each for our pleasure ... you for yours and I for mine."

[redietz 0]

I'll have to look. I didn't know they could be had "in my price range".

 

But I have to comment on your analogy: "... comparing a tenkara rod to a cane pole is like comparing a 1 wt to an 8 or 9 wt."

You are absolutely correct, even if you didn't mean to be. A tenkara rod IS a 1 wt. cane pole ... just as a 1 wt. fly rod and a 9 wt. fly rod are both fly rods.

No, a tenkara rod is a one weight fly rod, a 8 or 9 weight rod is an abomination ...

[DrLogik 0]

I'll throw in my two (very humble) bits...

 

Tenkara is a form of fly fishing. Fishing with a standard "fly rod" with a fly on the end is a form of fly fishing. Fishing with a simple cane pole with a line attached to a fly is fly fishing. Fishing with a spinning rod a small clear bobber with a fly on the end of the line is a form of...of, well, maybe that's stretching it a little, but I still say it's fly fishing.

 

In my opinion, if you are using a "fly" to catch a fish then you are "fly fishing". It doesn't matter what the tool is. I just got in to Tenkara. Boy did I get in to it......

 

I like the simplicity, the feel. It is kind of Zen-like. It's a branch of evolution from "dapping" flies 150+ years ago. In Europe, Scandinavia and North America the dapping pole with line attached evolved into a rod with a reel and line. Leaders used to be horse hair, then silk gut, then Nylon mono, now Flourocarbon. Rods were wood, then bamboo, then fiberglass, then carbon fiber...back to bamboo, back to fiberglass.........Notice the expensive fiberglass rods on the market now? Is our sport "de-evolving"?

 

If you're fishing with a fly you are fly fishing. I still fish with a Beadhead Prince Nymph lure and proud of it! I also fish with Chernobyl Ants and traditional Catskill patterns. It's all fly fishing.

[Fisherboy0301 0]

DrLogik, I like the points you make except one. Fishing with a bubble and a fly isn't fly fishing. If you use thevwe Hit of the line to cast the lure, its fly fishing. If you use the weight of the lure to cast the line it is not. My $.02

[islander727 0]

I'm never gonna sell that rod, am I?

[Fisherboy0301 0]

Islander I'd buy it but I can't pay that much for it haha

[afraid not 0]

No point in beating around the bush. Since many of you know the true definition of fly fishing, will you please share that knowledge?

[Steeldrifter 0]

Pretty simply, for most people fly fishing needs to include some sort of fly casting where the line carries the energy to propel the fly. No one is forcing anyone to agree with that, but I think most people view that as the common sense definition.

[afraid not 0]

If you use a fly on a Tenkara line, and cast the fly to your target, is that not fly fishing by the accepted definition? If you're dapping only, then maybe it isn't fly fishing. But that makes the cast (rather than the line and lure) the defining principle of fly fishing. By extension, are you still fly fishing if you dap with a conventional rod/reel set up? Not really trying to argue, but when I went out with a very well respected Tenkara guide, we cast the line every time, never just dapped. The fly was a Parachute Adams, so the line delivered the fly. I can understand not liking Tenkara (it is not my cup of tea either) but I am trying to understand why someone would claim it is not fly fishing.