How to Tie the Glass Bead Takayama Sakasa Kebari

The Takayama Sakasa Kebari is one of the most iconic patterns in tenkara and has always been a good producer for me. My version incorporates two glass beads at the head which add sparkle and just enough weight to get it down when needed without getting snagged on the bottom the way brass or tungsten beads might. It’s easy to tie, has a lifelike motion due to the pheasant hackle, and the red abdomen is highly visible to trout and (I believe) triggers a predatory response.

Hook: Firehole Sticks #316 Size #12
Beads: 2 Crystal Pearl Glass, Size Small
Thread: UNI 6/0
Hackle: Pheasant
Thorax: Peacock Herl
Abdomen: Red Thread

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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