Why Tenkara Fails in Retail
In western fly fishing, a lot of emphasis is placed not only on the fly pattern, but also on fly size. It’s considered standard practice to carry both a wide variety of patterns and a variety of sizes of each pattern. The mentality seems to be that if you don’t have a good selection, you’re underarmed. You brought a butter knife to a gun fight. Yet many Japanese tenkara anglers only carry one pattern in only one size. And they catch just as many fish as their western counterparts. So, it begs the question: does fly size really matter? And if it doesn’t, which size is the best all around choice? As someone who used to carry at least 3 or 4 sizes of each of the 50+ patterns in my vest but who now basically only fishes one size, I have come to some conclusions…
The last three years of fishing for trout exclusively with tenkara have taught me that you don’t have to match the hatch to catch fish. Hyperbolically then, I say that the size of the fly doesn’t matter. But what I really mean is that it doesn’t matter as much as we think it does. If you want to catch every single fish you come across, then sure–you could sit there and keep tying on different patterns and different sizes over and over again until you finally get that stubborn trout to take. But that’s now how I prefer to fish. I like to move a lot, cover a lot of water, and have no problem forsaking a fish that refuses my fly after three or four casts and moving on to the next one. Another thing tenkara has taught me is to not waste so much time trying to catch every fish I see. It’s better to move on to a more cooperative fish than flog the water to death on one that doesn’t like the particular fly I happen to have on.
So if you want to end the madness of carrying a million sizes of each pattern, which size is the best choice? In my experience, it’s a #12. And here are some of my thoughts on why:
- It’s a satisfying potion for trout. If you’re hungry, what would you rather do: eat hundreds of individual grains of rice one by one or get one big slice of pizza and shove it in your mouth? There are probably more size 22 and 24 midges in most of the creeks we fish that trout could spend all day picking up but just like us, they prefer to get a more substantial meal in one sitting. From an energy expenditure standpoint, it just makes more sense to chase after a few bigger morsels than 200 minuscule ones. Trout probably aren’t smart enough to do the math but I do believe they are “programmed” to have this instinct. Dr. Ishigaki once pumped the stomach of a trout and found that the majority of the insects it had eaten were about a size #12 and that’s what convinced him that that is the best all around size for a fly. Of course, that’s not scientific proof, but to me, it just makes sense that given the opportunity, a predator will choose a larger, easier meal over several tiny ones that they have to work more for.
- It sinks better. More metal = more weight that will help you sink your fly. I don’t use bead heads or split shot. I like to try to fish semi-traditional unweighted flies (though from the picture above you’ll see that I do sometimes cheat a little a use a copper wire ribbing to add a touch of weight). So if you’re not using weights to get the fly down, a larger, heavier hook helps get you into the zone.
- Not too big, not too small. I think this is really the main reason a #12 sakasa kebari is so versatile. It’s just large enough to make it an attractive meal and to be easily seen in fast or murky water, yet not so big that it will put off trout in skinny or crystal clear water. Plus, lots of insect species could be about that size so it’s not unnatural looking. That’s why I call a #12 the “Goldilocks” size. I recently fished the exact same Kamikaze Sakasa Kebari in the picture above in size #12 on a spring creek where my pre-tenkara instinct would tell me to fish a 7X tippet and #22 midges. And I caught so many fish that I lost count. I’ve used the same on freestone streams in runs, riffles, pockets, and pools. They always work and I never switch sizes.
As an added bonus, #12 flies are a comfortable size to tie and even with failing eyesight, I can crank out a dozen #12 sakasa kebari to replenish my fly box without it feeling like a chore. Probably 99% of the sakasa kebari I fish are #12 (or the Japanese hook equivalent of about a #7 or so) and so far, I haven’t found the need to obsess about fly size like I used to. To date, the empirical evidence that “fly size doesn’t matter” has been liberating.
What is your favorite size for sakasa kebari?
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I tie almost of my sakasa kebari on size 10 F-003 hooks from alanflyfishing.com, they are identical to the 2499spbl umpqua hooks you tie yours on but there’s $2.50 or something like that per pack of 25. And when I ordered mine, if you ordered 4 packs or more they were $1.75 per pack. It’s a steal in my opinion.
I don’t see the hook you mention on their site. In fact, I don’t see any barbless hooks. Do you have the link that you use to order them?
Just for contrast: Sakakibara Masami seems to think fly size matters, and he says that matching the right fly to the “situation” is the “greatest fun” in tenkara:
http://www.tenkara-fisher.com/content.php?186-Interview-with-Masami-Tenkarano-oni-Sakakibara
“I use Kebari from #2 to #15, mostly in similar patterns of black and yellow. The excitement I find in my Tenkara is in the whole process from, observing the situation, determining the most ideal fly color, size and applying the most adequate techniques to complement it. That’s what I think is the greatest fun in this sport for me.”
Lately I’ve been tying mostly Size 2, 6 and 8 flies (inspired by Sakakibara’s yarn-body flies) and also Size 26 flies (inspired by a perfect Size 26 Killer Bug that Chris Stewart sent me recently).
Size 12? Eh. Been there, done that.
Actually, fishing the Gallatin a couple days ago, the only fish I caught were on a Size 12 Punk Rock Sakasa Kebari, even though I tried some more exotic sizes and patterns. A Size 12 Sakasa Kebari really is pretty reliable, especially if it sinks easily.
Funny, I went the opposite route. Before, I enjoyed the challenge of finding “the right fly”. But now, I enjoy the challenge of trying to coax the fish into taking the fly I choose rather than let the fish tell me what to put on. Both challenges in different ways.
SIZE 12! It’s all I ever use and probably all I will ever use when it comes to sakasa kebari. I can catch every thing from a 5″ brookie to an almost 20″ largemouth bass with that size…so why worry about any other sizes?
It’s also the size sakasa kebari I tie and fish most often. I don’t try to equate how I think with how a fish thinks. Mainly because fish don’t “think”…they’re instinctive and reactive. That’s all. They just have several million more years adaptive evolution under their belts than we anglers do. I do know that despite the fact that there are seldom to never #12 mayflies of any stage of the life cycle, or caddis either, on the small water I frequent, the #12 kebaris still catch a lot of fish. The only insects of that size are stoneflies, but only during certain times of the year. My point here is that most of the insects on this water are smaller than #12, yet #12 kebaris still catch fish. Maybe they’re just a bit more visible to trout than the real thing and so they work. I learned a bit about the trout’s vision from Dr. Ishigaki, and I think maybe a little bigger fly might just be a good thing.
Size #10 seems to be my number here in SE Idaho. That said, I’m not sure there is much difference between a size #12 and a #10 when it comes right down to it!
-Tom
For me I’d probably go for a #14 hook (UK sizes), most of my western flies are #14’s, the simple reason being that most of the bugs I regularly imitate average at about this size, some bigger and some smaller but no matter really.
I’m tying various Sakasa Kebari at the moment with the bugs in mind, my aim is to have a semi imitative fly that I can fish using tenkara techniques while keeping my sanity at the vice.
This may not make much sense to you guys but why can you not dress and fish a “Caddis” Sakasa Kebari ? or a “Midge” Sakasa Kebari ?. This is my “One Fly” approach, tying semi imitative Sakasa Kebari mainly in sizes #16 – #12. Most of my fish thus far have been caught on #16 flies but I’m just getting into tenkara and this may change.
You can tie a caddis or midge sakasa kebari. Karel ties a midge like sakasa kebari with ostrich herl for the hackle. And I think most sakasa kebari patterns represent caddis pupae very well, especially when you move them. Imagine how great of a caddis imitation a sakasa kebari with a green body and dark partridge or pheasant hackle would make!
My friend and I are dry fly advocates and I have found for me a #16 is a right size. The stream trout here in San Bernardino, CA are about 8 – 10 inches generally, and the #16 is size enough for them – both in temptation and mouth size to properly hook. For my vision, I need a contrasting bright color to properly track the fly on the brown and black shadowed streams.
A size #12 is a really good all-around size. I do vary a bit though. I like #16’s for panfish and minnows and slower moving waters. I like a #8 for faster water and when I feel adventurous, I like to throw a #4. You never know what is going to bite a #4.
Dale
I still think once trout are “locked on” to a particular fly then that`s all they will take,i have witnesed this all too often,be it a large or small fly.I remember a situation once when all they would take was very small midge flies,the fish i caught had “balls” of them in their mouth.What they were doing was taking as many as they could as fast as they couls,gathering them in their mouth then swallowing them..
Jim, I know what you’re talking about and have experienced the same thing. But I wonder now how much of it was my own perception. See, in those situations I always catered to the trout. It worked but I didn’t have the hindsight I have now. I wonder if it’s just because I didn’t dare throw anything out of the ordinary at them. At any rate, I’m doing that now and it’s kind of cool to see it actually work.
My basic belief is that all fish are opportunistic. I’m doubting the “locked in” idea these days since I’m catching more & more fish on oddball flies like #12 sakasa kebari that are nothing close to what they “should” be taking. I’m leaning increasingly towards the philosophy that the fly matters less than the presentation and I kind of like it. While it can be rewarding in one way to figure out what the fish will take, I’m going for the opposite challenge of what I can dictate to the fish. Sometime I win, sometimes I lose. BUt I like this direction better right now. 🙂
…BLASPHEMY !!!… 😉
Sakasa Kebari all 2499spbl size 12 all the time. The most productive fly I have ever fished. Today olive was the color. Wild trout came from 4′ and would hammer it not look it over. It’s easy to tie and it works.
Jason,
The number 12 fly probably is a good choice for the mobile, peripatetic fly fishing you do, but a lot of us enjoy sight fishing to a single trout. Especially if it’s a nice trout for the stream I’m on, I will expend considerable time and effort trying to catch that particular fish. The contest becomes, of course, a battle of wills, going toe-to-toe, mano a mano with the trout until I hook him or I capitulate. This duel may require several fly changes, especially if I’ve managed to “stick” but not hook the fish with a particular fly.
Touche. Like I said, everyone chooses their own challenge. Enjoy yours. 🙂
hmm. in Australia and NZ, you’ll find a range of opinions also. But in my circle of experienced anglers, guides and amateurs included, we all tend to lock on a few flies only, generics. but we do get mostly seem to be partial to being a little particular about size, not overboard, but there can be a difference of one size for the same pattern for each river in the region. Experience shows that the same pattern(s) works pretty much everywhere, just a difference of one size depending on stream.
Mike, if that comment was in response to mine, I looked and couldn’t find the barbless ones and they’re in the process of changing their product numbers so that may be part of the issue. Also they tend to have different hooks available all the time so check back frequently. And as far as barbless or not, crushing barbs is fine by me when it’s a $2-$3 pack rather than a $6-$8 pack!
Hi Jason – I also live on the front range. What would you use at a place like Cheesman, which I am told is known for small flies? Thanks, Richard
Hi Richard,
Personally, I would still use a #12 fly and just try some different presentation techniques that I think the fish are not accustomed to seeing. If that doesn’t work, you could certainly try some sakasa kebari in smaller sizes like #16 or #18.
Hello Jason,
I guide both on tributaries and the huge Trysil river. On the river i got to matchthe size, if not you will notice it on your catchrate especially with the caddis. We have a whole lot of different caddis and the size has to be just right to optimize your catchrate. On the the tributaries it is a little bit different, often i stick to size 14 or 16. Mostly 14 will do. But to get the bigger ones your fly size does matter. Now back to your presentation, the wrong fly with the right presentation will catch fish, better then the right fly with bad presentation. I can see why you like that challenge of catching the fish no matter what kind of fly. But again I am guiding and that challenge vosts time and demands a certain skill that not any guest yet has. Very often they got the right fly and i coach them into the right presentation and how to perform it so one of the factors is already being raken care off.
When it comes to my personal fishing i do like to do the same as the book of discover tenkara, look at the water, choose the right fly and the right technique to go with that fly for that piece of water. And yes on the creeks i do cover a lit of water. On tge river as well, but once i find the fish inknow there are mire and i try to catch as many as possible before i move again.