Tenkara TalkTenkara Talk
Tenkara Talk
a tenkara fly fishing blog
Search TenkaraTalk
  • Home
  • Tenkara Gear
    • Tenkara Rods
    • Tenkara Lines
    • Flies
    • Line Holders & Spools
    • Fly Boxes
    • Nets
    • Packs, Organization & Storage
    • Clothing & Accessories
    • Wading Gear
  • How-To & Resources
    • What is Tenkara?
    • Tenkara 101
    • Presentation Techniques
    • Streamcraft
    • Tenkara Videos
    • Fly Tying
    • Knots
    • DIY & Hacks
    • Warmwater Tenkara
    • Books & Media
  • News & Fun
    • Trip Reports
    • Interviews
    • Philosophy
    • Humor
    • Art
    • Tenkara News
    • Events
  • Tenkara Links
  • About Me
  • Contact
FacebookTwitterYouTubePinterestInstagram
  • Home
  • Tenkara Gear
    • Tenkara Rods
    • Tenkara Lines
    • Flies
    • Line Holders & Spools
    • Fly Boxes
    • Nets
    • Packs, Organization & Storage
    • Clothing & Accessories
    • Wading Gear
  • How-To & Resources
    • What is Tenkara?
    • Tenkara 101
    • Presentation Techniques
    • Streamcraft
    • Tenkara Videos
    • Fly Tying
    • Knots
    • DIY & Hacks
    • Warmwater Tenkara
    • Books & Media
  • News & Fun
    • Trip Reports
    • Interviews
    • Philosophy
    • Humor
    • Art
    • Tenkara News
    • Events
  • Tenkara Links
  • About Me
  • Contact

John Vetterli on Tenkara in Japan

June 21, 201415 CommentsInterviewsBy Jason Klass

Fresh off the heels of his trip to Japan, John Vetterli of Tenkara Guides gives us a glimpse of what tenkara is like in its native country. I asked John 3 quick questions that highlight some of this differences and similarities between American and Japanese approaches to tenkara fishing.

Jason: You recently returned from a trip to Japan where you fished alongside some of the world’s foremost tenkara anglers including Masami Sakakibara, Dr. Hisao Ishigaki, and Eiji Yamakawa.  While some portray tenkara as a rigid regime, others see it as a flexible system. Based on your experiences in the birthplace of tenkara, what is your understanding of its underlying philosophy and how it’s practiced today?

John: Don’t forget Horimichi Fuji. In America in particular, there are 2 defined camps of “this is tenkara, that is not”.

The group I will call Neo Tenkara Traditionalists, is taking a very narrow view of what tenkara really is, how it is practiced in its native country of origin, and what a “Tenkara Master” really is.

Tenkara in Japan is very fluid.  There are people who fish with bead head weighted  flies, dry flies, terrestrials, and kebari.  Level lines, furled taper lines, tapered monofilament lines, quite a few people I met use regular western tapered leaders as a tenkara line. There is no hard-set rule about types of flies, types of lines, rods having some type of grip, etc.  Saw quite a few seiryu rods being used as tenkara rods.  The most common one I saw was the Diawa Rinfu.

The common myth here in the states is that  Japanese tenkara anglers fish only one fly.  There are a small group that do but for the majority of tenkara anglers and teachers, (Sakakibara, Mr. Fuji, Mr. Yoshida, and others), use multiple patterns of kebari.  In Japan, kebari are based on traditional tenkara pattern flies.  All other types of flies are just called flies.

There is a trend among younger Japanese tenkara anglers to use more western style flies and weighted flies.

The thing that makes someone a “Tenkara Master” is that they learn and master the basic skills, push past the current conventional thinking and innovate.  They have developed new methods, gear, and tactics. They add that to the solid set of basic skills and a whole new complete system of tenkara emerges.   These are guys that broke free of conventional thinking and practices and developed something unique.

The 3 teachers we fished with are the guys that brought level lines, furled tapered fluorocarbon lines, zoom rods, and long line casting techniques into being.


image-(1)

Erik and I had the honor of fishing with three guys that fit into that group.  They each have a very unique, distinctive, and individual styles of tenkara.  They have their own philosophy and methodology.  By spending several days with each teacher, it was easy to see that there are not 10 colors of tenkara.  It is more like 10,000 colors.

Each of these teachers were eager to teach their method of casting, fishing, and philosophy and at the same time, they give you the freedom to be yourself.

Masami Sakakibara gave me some really good advice.  “Don’t just emulate other tenkara anglers, innovate.”

Jason: We had a great phone conversation the other day about your trip and one of the things we talked about was how different species of trout and char preferred different types of water. That was fascinating to me. Can you break it down for us by species (i.e. Amago, Iwana, Ayu)?  I think most of us only read the water generically and don’t necessarily pay attention to the specific types of species so this could be helpful. I know I just look at a river and think about where the “fish” will be. But I don’t think about where the “rainbows” vs. the “browns” will be. I think in terms of lies, not fish personalities.

John: I learned that the name iwana means “rock fish” iwa is a name for rock.  Amago means “rain fish” ama is the name for rain.  iwana hang out in, around, and under, rocks in the stream.  You catch them by casting to the eddies, slack water, and areas near rock structures.  They tend to like slower currents.

Amago live and hunt in faster currents in the streams.  There are lots of airborne predators in these areas so amago are very skittish and difficult to catch.

Ayu feed on the algae that form on rocks in the water.  They will not take flies.  They are fished by using a smaller live ayu as a bait fish to trigger a very territorial and aggressive response from the ayu in the river.  There is a fine wire treble hook trailing behind the bait fish that the target ayu get snagged on.  We saw more ayu fishermen in Gifu than tenkara anglers.  The rods used for ayu fishing are really long like 7 meters and longer and really expensive.  More than $1,500.

Because catch and release fishing is not the norm in Japan, fishing is downright tough.  The combination of manmade dams jacking up the river systems, high numbers of natural predators, and humans constantly decimating the fish population from fishing, the fish are wary and a real challenge to catch.

We fished rivers that only had native amago, some that were mostly iwana, and some that had both species.  Knowing what species of fish are in the river you are fishing, changes how you will fish.  No reason to cast to rock structures when there are no iwana in the river.

Yamame are a landlocked salmon species that were not in any of the rivers we fished.  From what I understand, these are also very sensitive and skittish fish that can be a challenge to catch.

Tenkara fishing in Japan

The real keys to catching any of these fish in Japan are:

1.  Stealthy approach.  You can’t just go crashing through the water.  Best to move slow and deliberately.

2.  Casting accuracy.  False casting spooks these fish.  You pretty much get one good shot at a casting target.  When you do catch a fish, the hole or area you were just fishing is blown.  Don’t waste time trying to catch another fish there.  Move on.

3.  Presentation.  Your kebari or fly needs to hit the water first and have a controlled landing.  Don’t pound the water with your flies or let your line smack the water.  Gentle fly presentation worked best for me while fishing there.

4.  Fish any and all possible holding locations in a 360 degree casting area.  Fish upstream, to the sides, and downstream from where you are standing.  I watched Sakakibara-San catch fish doing this day after day.  Many tenkara anglers think that tenkara means only casting/fishing upstream.

5.  Its only fishing.  Don’t get you waders all twisted about what tenkara is or is not.  Pull that pickle out of your ass and just have fun.  Erik heard something the other day from a very experienced tenkara angler in Japan that sums this up nicely.  “There is no one true tenkara method, just the gear you choose and who you are that defines tenkara.”

Tenkara fishing in Japan

Jason: I’m curious about what Japanese tenkara anglers think about us in the West. Do they think we are missing something? Do they think we get it and are glad it’s spreading? Is spreading a bad thing to them? I just want to know what their impression  of tenkara in the West is.

John: We were also very curious about the same question so we asked it a lot.

Exposure to western tenkara anglers is still very small in Japan.  Based on what they have seen and the western tenkara anglers they have met in person, they feel like we are getting the essence or spirit of tenkara and at the same time they know that our culture is different, our waters are different, and we will continue to adapt tenkara to best suit our culture and waters.

Everyone we asked that question to was very supportive, and wanted to learn more about how tenkara has adapted in America.  When we showed them pictures of 15-20 pound carp caught on keiryu rods, they were completely amazed and wanted to know how we figured out how to land such big fish on such lightweight gear.

Tenkara has always been a fringe sport in Japan.  The massive surge of interest in tenkara coming from the US and Europe has created a new interest in tenkara by Japanese anglers.  It would appear that brining tenkara outside of Japan is ensuring that it will grow and thrive even more in its homeland.

I would strongly encourage more American and European tenkara anglers to travel to Japan.  Even though our cultures are like apples and oranges, in the end we are all just fruit.  We have more in common than we are different.  The scenery is beyond spectacular, the people are warm and gracious, the food is amazing, and the fish are small and really hard to catch.  I can’t wait to get back.

And did I mention the toilets?  Pure heaven.

Jason: Thanks John. Definitely some interesting observations here. I hope to make it to Japan one day to catch some Amago and Iwana and meet some of the extraordinary tenkara anglers you met there. Looks like the trip of a lifetime!

tenkaraTenkara fishing in JapanTenkara in Japan
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.

Like this article? You might also like these ...
Tenkara Podcast
Tenkara Podcast: Tenkara Masters & History of Tenkara in the U.S.
June 4, 2020
Tenkara Flies by Jason Sparks
Jason Sparks on Tenkara Fly Tying
September 4, 2019
Autographed John Gierach Book
Interview with John Gierach
February 19, 2019
Keiichi Okusha of Tenkara-Ya
Interview with Keiichi Okushi
February 11, 2019
Jason Klass and Karel Lansky
Tenkara in England vs. the U.S.
September 16, 2018
Brian Lindsay Kebari
Brian Lindsay on Kebari Fly Design
July 3, 2017
15 Comments
  1. June 21, 2014 at 9:08 pm
    Walter Welty

    Beyond awesome. Thank you Jason

  2. June 22, 2014 at 4:04 am
    Phil Sheridan

    Thanks for this interview Jason. John’s take and answers always strike me as respectful, pragmatic and humorous too. I like the idea of learn the basics or principles then go innovate, don’t emulate. I hope I picked up on that correctly.

    Regards

    Phil

  3. June 22, 2014 at 6:36 am
    ERiK

    I took the time to visit a planted aquarium gallery designed by Mr. Amano, a “master” in his own field, and highly recognized throughout the world. I found that his presentation was excellent, but nothing was perfect with the tanks. There were tiny flaws.
    I also found tiny flaws in the tenkara “masters”. This is only to say that they are human, and not immortal gods like we Americans have idealized them as. Mr. Sakakibara took a fall in the river, and came out laughing. Mr. Fuji joked all the time.
    These guys are just guys. They happen to be very good at what they do, but there is no magical unicorn hair.
    They are also good friends now.

    ERiK

    PS, the toilets really are that awesome!

  4. June 22, 2014 at 9:19 am
    Jim Wood

    I thoroughly enjoyed this interview. Thank you.

  5. June 22, 2014 at 12:38 pm
    Brian Cooper

    Loved the interview. I always worried that because I fish warmwater that my “style” of tenkara would be considered lacking by those who started it. Sounds more like they would love it too. Makes me feel better. Would love to invit one of them ol boys down here to my creek one day.

  6. June 22, 2014 at 6:40 pm
    Bob Foresti

    Nice article!… Thank you…
    Bob

  7. June 22, 2014 at 7:51 pm
    Brian Schiele

    Great interview Jason and John! Very insightful as to what tenkara is about and what it should be here and there!
    Brian

  8. June 22, 2014 at 9:59 pm
    Delane G

    OUTSTANDING!!!! Now I won’t feel guilty using different flies while Tenkara fishing. I still don’t “match the hatch” but use searching patterns which I was slightly embarrassed to disclose while fishing with my Tenkara Rods. Thanks guys! You definitely have changed my attitude while on the water.

  9. June 22, 2014 at 10:30 pm
    John Vetterli

    Wow, thanks everyone for the replies. Who knew Jason actually had readers. (Just kidding Jason)

    I will be the first to admit that I had quite a few preconceived ideas of what tenkara in Japan was going to be like.

    There were a couple that were spot on but honestly I was really surprised and diversity of tenkara in Japan. And the fact that being true to yourself will bring out your own tenkara. We were interviewed by NHK, a television station in Japan and the reporter asked the question “what is the spirit of tenkara to you?” I can’t exactly remember how I answered the question then but here is how I would answer it today, “By being true to myself, tenkara allows me to honestly express myself through my fishing.” Wish I could have pulled that answer off when the cameras were rolling.

  10. June 23, 2014 at 3:55 am
    Phil Sheridan

    Many thanks again John and Jason for this post. I would love to hear more about Horimichi Fuji, John. He seems to be a gentleman not all that well known in western tenkara circles but he has the the ear of Nissin when it comes to the design of tenkara rods, Fuji Air Stage, for example, so he must known a thing or two.

    Thanks and happy tenkara

    Phil

  11. June 23, 2014 at 5:59 pm
    Bob

    “Neo Tenkara Traditionalists, is taking a very narrow view of what tenkara really is, how it is practiced in its native country of origin, and what a “Tenkara Master” really is.” AKA Tenkara Police. Thanks for setting the record straight. Fishing is fishing. Maybe is it me but I get no religious experience when I fish my tenkara rods, but then again I fish with killer bugs to catch bluegill.

  12. June 24, 2014 at 2:24 am
    Jason Klass

    Hey Bob, agree with you 100%. The term “tenkara master” has always been unsettling to me. I’ve never heard of anyone refer to Tom Rosenbauer, Keith Rajeff, or Lefty Kreigh as a “master”. Seems like some people elevate tenkara to a religious level just because it’s from the orient. But to me, it’s just a fishing technique. It may be my favorite and it’s definitely unique, but I don’t have any preconceptions about tenkara “masters” having such mystical status. I’m glad John could bring it back down to earth for us based on empirical evidence. There’s a difference between respect for a tradition and blind idolization.

  13. June 26, 2014 at 6:06 am
    Blatt

    Really nice interview.
    Living in a evironment without trout streams kinda forced me to inovate or adapt tenkara but sometimes, for the lack of feedback, felt like i was missing sometging. . . Not anymore!
    Thankd Erik and Jason.

  14. July 7, 2014 at 1:25 am
    David

    ” … Saw quite a few seiryu rods being used as tenkara rods. The most common one I saw was the Diawa Rinfu. ..”

    Two examples:
    “BTW this is rod of Tenkarafellow Ajarichan..” Rinfu 凛風45SR
    http://yowzo2.naturum.ne.jp/d2013-01-05.html

    テンカラ 里川にて ( Tenkara at Satogawa)
    Ironic river name.:-0
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoCXVr2I_xo
    DAIWA RINFU35SR ダイワ 凛風35SR

  15. July 7, 2014 at 12:04 pm
    David

    Opps. I missed a second page on the yowzo site showing how they added a foam grip to the Rinfu rod.

    http://yowzo2.naturum.ne.jp/e1562040.html

    You can see a 16 minute video of Saigo-san(西郷さん) – aka Saigo-kun 西郷くん, Ajarikun アジャリくん or just Tenkara Ajari – fishing with a similarly modified Rinfu HC 45SR rod + 4.5m #2 line. Posted May 2013.

    Tenkara on Whitewater ( Gekiryū / 激流)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxx2-s4nRCE

    A shorter 2 minute video posted June 2014 shows Saigo-san fishing with what I believe is a similar rod, though this time with an added red foam grip.

    Tenkara master AJARI(Saigo) caught a wild iwana
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3RxoaF-pg

    Perhaps this is part of his innovation earning the Tenkara Master title, though being a very skillful angler probably helps a lot too. : – )

Leave Comment

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

clear formSubmit

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 >>

TenkaraTalk Sponsors
Tenkara USA   Dragontail Tenkara     TAO Tenkara   Tenkara Tanuki Tenkara Fisher
Search by Category
Send Jason an Email
Search TenkaraTalk
Tenkara Talk Archives
Tenkara + Backpacking!
Is there any other sport that goes better with tenkara than hiking and backpacking? Be sure to also check out my ultralight and DIY backpacking gear blog.

Tenkara and Backpacking
Latest Posts
  • Tenkara Book
    Tenkara Today Book Review
    November 7, 2020
  • Tenkara Tanuki Retractor
    Tenkara Tanuki Retractor
    October 28, 2020
  • Hoo Rag
    The Hoo Rag
    September 23, 2020
© 2019 | TenkaraTalk by Jason Klass | All rights reserved