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Handmade Bamboo Tenkara Line Spool

August 5, 20127 CommentsLine Holders & SpoolsBy Jason Klass

I’ve written before about some unique line tenkara holders such as the bamboo line holder I got on eBay and the wooden line spool Dr. Ishigaki donated for an auction at the Tenkara Summit and the moose antler line spool made by Chris Kulhow.  At the summit, I was able to add to my collection thanks to a gift from Masami Tanaka, one of the Japanese tenkara anglers who attended the event.  Tanaka-san makes his own line spools from bamboo which are not only unique, but also carry a bit of wisdom with them.

The rim of the spool has Tanaka-san’s name, the year it was made, and an inscription in Japanese that reads “treasure every opportunity”.  That’s a good piece of advice to remember every time we hit the stream.

The spool might seem simple, but bamboo can be very difficult to work with.  Tanaka-san explained to me how hard it is to find just the right bamboo and to keep it from becoming infested.  I was truly humbled that he would give me such a beautiful gift that was made with the same passion he has for tenkara.  I might use it a few times, but I’d like to preserve it so it take its place when my dream of the American Tenkara Museum finally comes true.

 

Handmade Bamboo Tenkara Line Spool

bamboo tenkara line spooltenkara line spool
About the author

Jason Klass

Jason is an avid fly angler and backpacker. As a former fly fishing guide originally from Western New York, he moved to Colorado and became an early adopter of tenkara which perfectly suited the small, high altitude streams and lakes there. He has not fished a Western-style fly rod for trout since.

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7 Comments
  1. August 5, 2012 at 9:32 am
    Brian Schiele

    While I have crafty tendencies, my crafty skills are surpassed with what it would take do anything like that!
    What did you pay for one of these if you don’t mind me asking.
    Brian

  2. August 5, 2012 at 9:33 am
    Jason Klass

    Hi Brian, nothing. It was a gift. 🙂

  3. August 5, 2012 at 9:38 am
    Brian Schiele

    My birthday is coming up Jason! Just saying!

  4. August 6, 2012 at 3:31 pm
    Ashley Valentine

    Very cool, Jason!

  5. August 9, 2012 at 8:00 pm
    Grant Adkins

    Jason, I have enough Tonka cane to make quite a few of these. I’ll have to figure out how to put the groove around outside.

  6. August 9, 2012 at 8:12 pm
    Jason Klass

    Grant call or email me. I have an idea.

  7. August 10, 2012 at 10:52 am
    Steven Smith

    Those look awesome!

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About Me

Jason Klass is a former fly fishing guide & casting instructor based in Colorado. He was an early adopter of tenkara in the West and has been fishing the method for a variety of species since 2009. Read more >>

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