Tenkara Fanatics: Arrest that Man!
Tenkara Fanatics: Arrest that Man!
by: jmklass
Tenkara Fanatics: One Fly Approach to the Extreme
Here’s a little video I made just for fun. Hope you get a laugh out of it.
Tenkara One Fly Approach
by: jmklass
How to Sink Tenkara Flies
Traditional tenkara flies don’t have weight like our western flies that use lead wire, copper wire, or bead heads to help them sink. Instead, tenkara anglers make use of the hydrodynamics of the stream to help sink their flies. Here is a quick video of Daniel Galhardo from TenkaraUSA demonstrating how you can use the white water above a pool to help sink your tenkara fly. And, yes, I know it’s windy but at least Shotaro can’t complain that I didn’t include shots of the line on the stream, LOL!
Read MoreTenkara Casting Tips from Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA
Here is a quick video I shot of Tenkara USA founder Daniel Galhardo giving some tenkara casting tips to a group on the Roaring River in Rocky Mountain National Park. In this segment, Daniel covers some basic casting techniques such as timing, casting stroke, power, and how to cast in the wind. I have a lot more video to post but thought this would be a good one to start with. I hope you find his tips as helpful as I did!
Read MoreVideo: Underwater Comparison of Sakasa Kebari Hackle
I’ve always considered myself a confirmed dry fly fisher but have recently taken an interest in fishing sakasa kebari wet flies. I’ve had a number of experiences lately that are convincing me more and more that they’re not only effective, but just as fun to fish as surface flies (though for different reasons).
The main attractor quality of these flies is the motion of the reversed hackle opening and closing as it’s animated in the water by twitching the rod tip. While I’ve fished them successfully, I’d never closely studied what was going on below the surface to see why the trout might find them so appealing.
So, today, I bought a small aquarium and dragged a few sakasa kebari through the water to get a better understanding of why these flies are so effective.
So what does your sakasa kebari look like underwater?
I tested the three most common hackle types for tenkara wet flies (hen, partridge, and starling), and threw in a wildcard: emu. Before the experiment, I thought the first three would all perform similarly but my money was on the emu for having the most motion. What I found was a bit of a surprise. Watch the video and then I’ll explain below.
While the hen, partridge, and starling hackle all seemed to have the same amount of movement, I was shocked to find that the emu hackle was as stiff as a board–no life whatsoever. The reason this is so surprising to me is that I have always used emu to give movement to flies (eg. gills on hexagenia nymphs).
But video doesn’t lie so I guess my recent post about emu tenkara flies is moot.
Oh well. I like putting the things under the microscope, experimenting, and challenging my own assumptions. At least now I know what some of my tenkara wet flies look like underwater and I know which ones I probably wouldn’t want to tie on. The learning process continues.
Oh, just in case you’re wondering…
Video: How to Connect a level Line to your Tenkara Rod
In my last post, I wrote about how to choose a tenkara fly line. Many people had questions about how to attach a level line to their Tenkara fly rods so I thought it would be helpful to post a quick video on it so here it is. I hope this helps:
If you’re not using level lines, here is a video on how to connect a traditional furled Tenkara line to your rod.
Read MoreVideo Tour of My Fly Tying Desk
All of us who tie flies have our own unique spaces dedicated to the craft. Whether crammed into the corner of a tiny apartment or sprawled out over the entire expanse of a finished basement, they are sacred places. Here is a quick video of my current one and some of the materials I’ve collected over the years. I’d love to see yours too:
Read MoreWhat I carry in my Ultralight Fly Fishing Pack
A lot of people have asked me what I carry in my pack for UL fly fishing and backpacking trips so I thought I’d do a quick video about it. It’s called the Trico and I’d be curious to hear what others carry and see if it’s similar to my setup or what other gear you carry.
Read MoreA Simple Line Management Method for Tenkara Fly Fishing
A Simple Tenkara Line Management System from Jason Klass on Vimeo.
If you’ve ever wondered what to do with your Tenkara line when you collapse your rod to move from spot to spot, here’s a simple, cheap DIY solution that might work for you. BTW, if you’re not fond of the red color, the Fuji EZ Keepers are also available in orange, blue, purple, and black. I prefer red or orange just in case the O-ring fails and I drop one in the field (it will be easier to find and the O-rings are cheap to replace). Let me know what you think.
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How to Attach and Detach a Tenkara Fly Line
How to Attach and Detach Your Tenkara Fly Line from Jason Klass on Vimeo.
To a Western fly angler who is used to a nail knot or handshake connection (loop to loop) to connect their leader to their fly line, connecting a Tenkara fly line to the rod can seem a bit baffling. Here’s a quick demonstration on how to connect a Tenkara fly line to your new Tenkara fly rod.
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Tenkara Fishing in Rocky Mountain National Park
Tenkara Fishing In Rocky Mountain National Park from Jason Klass on Vimeo.
For those of you who couldn’t go fishing today, here’s a little Tenkara porn. At 1:57 you’ll see one method I use to store my like when moving between spots where it might be brushy. Sometimes, I wrap it around the rod instead. What do you do with your line when you have to move between spots?
Read MoreAbout Me
Jason Klass is a former fly fishing guide who now exclusively fishes Tenkara for trout in the streams and lakes of Colorado...Read More Tenkara Summit 2012
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