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.
Go Ishii is a preeminent tenkara angler with one wading boot in the U.S. and one in Japan. He is fluent in both cultures, both languages, and both approaches to tenkara. He learned directly from the great Masamai Sakakibara (Tenkara no Oni) and–with appreciable fishing experience in both countries–has a unique perspective on modern tenkara.…
“WOW!” I could probably end this review right here with that one word, and to me, it would be sufficient to describe how I feel about this rod. But you probably want to hear a little more than that! So, spoiler aside, here are the reasons why I fell in love with the Oni Style…
“Connecting the dots between the Japanese kebari & English soft hackle traditions” Special Guest: Jonathan Antunez Dark Watchet by Jonathan Antunez About a month ago, I became enamored with a particular style of fly called the North Country Spider. I immediately recognized that these ultra-minimalist flies have many parallels to tenkara and soon discovered…
Video Version Audio-only Version In our world of instant gratification, it’s easy to get ahead of ourselves when we begin a new endeavor. We want to take shortcuts, skim the literature, ignore details that seem insignificant (or boring). But in this episode, Jason and his guest, Chuck Kaminski, explain why it’s crucial to have a…
Jason talks with licensed therapist Tony Parmenter about the mental health benefits of fishing and why tenkara is the ideal choice for “fishing therapy”.
When I received my early education in fly tying from the old troglodyte cronies at the fly shop, the use of any thread other than one specifically designated for fly tying was as unthinkable. The mere mention of “sewing thread” would produce an awkward pause, followed by a terse, but forcibly polite, “no”. Then, a…
Tenkara-ya is one of my favorite tenkara shops; not just because they have a solid lineup of high-quality Japanese products, but also because they carry a variety of esoteric tackle–things you can’t find here in the U.S.. And in particular, they offer several gorgeous wooden fly boxes (all of which I now own). I recently…
There’s “fishing blind” (casting when you can’t see the fish), and then there’s “fishing blindfolded”, which is how many people might describe midge fishing. Sub-#20 flies can be invisible on the water and seemingly impossible to detect a strike with them. But I’ve been using this simple method for many years, and it’s become my…
Here’s the latest incarnation of my beltpack. I think it’s a significant upgrade in ergonomics that will allow me to conduct my streamcraft more efficiently (and more comfortably). If you’re not familiar with my “beltpacking” system watch this video for an explanation of why I think this is the most liberating way to carry your…
Tom Davis and Jason Klass list the types of gear designs and trends they’d like to see manufacturers adopt (and a few they’d like to see phased out). If you like to talk about your “dream gear” and explore trends in tenkara tackle, this episode is for you!
Pocket rods seem to be all the rage these days and Tenkara USA has just thrown their hat into the ring with the the introduction of the all-new Ukiyo. This design is quite a departure from their current lineup, and lighter and shorter than anything they’ve ever produced, so I was curious to see what…
Change Youtube setting to HD for best quality In my 2015 article, I wrote about the virtues of Tenkara no Oni’s hand carved bamboo grips. Most people think they’re merely for aesthetics, but as you’ll see in this video, these grips have beauty and brains! They have a very unique (and practical) feature that…
“A pocket rod that doesn’t feel like a pocket rod” For many of us, one of the things that first caught our attention about tenkara was how compact the rods are. I know the first time I saw one closed, I couldn’t believe something so small scoped out to 11 feet. And I certainly didn’t…
Change the Youtube player settings to the highest quality for best viewing Confession: Whenever I visit the home of a fellow fly tyer, I can’t help but snoop around their desk. I find it interesting to see how they’ve arranged everything, which tools and materials they have, what kind of lamp they use. Is…