Kevlar Vs. Mono Furled Tenkara Lines
Here’s a quick video showing how the new Kevlar furled lines from Tenkara USA don’t tangle after being snagged like the traditional monofilament furled lines did.
Join Us for a Live Google + Tenkara Hangout!
I thought it would be fun to try an informal Google + Hangout to talk tenkara.
I’d like to do a preliminary one just to see how it goes, and then maybe make it a regularly scheduled event where tenkara anglers across the US (or globe) can get together and have regular live video chats and share ideas. It could be a fun way to leverage new social media and better connect with each other about our shared passion. Personally, I’d love to put a face and voice to some of the names out there in the tenkara community!
Bi-vis Tenkara Line
That’s not a typo. We talk a lot about “Hi-vis” line in tenkara but this one really is a “Bi-vis” line because it’s actually two colors. The first two thirds are clear fluorocarbon while the last third is hi-vis fluorocarbon. It all started during a conversation with Karel from Tenkara on the Fly. …
Tenkaraphobia
[/caption] Why is it that some people instantly embrace tenkara while others reject it outright? I have been wondering this for a long time now. I’ve read dozens of social media posts where people have written downright malicious comments about tenkara and tenkara anglers. The funny thing is, by their own admission, most of…
Silk Thread Sakasa Kebari
Since I can’t go fishing right now, tying flies is the next best thing. In the past few months, I’ve been playing around with some unorthodox body materials for tenkara flies but recently felt the urge to tie some with the more traditional thread bodies. I saw that Tenkara Bum was selling Pearsall’s silk…
A Line Clip for Your Tenkara Rod
[/caption] Ever wonder what to do with your line when you’re moving from spot to spot? If you need to go through brush, the best thing to do is collapse the rod and either remove the line and wind it around a tenkara spool or around your EZ Keepers. But sometimes, you don’t need…
Adjustable Tenkara Line
One of the things I love about my Tenkara USA Ito is the zoom feature which gives you the ability to instantly lengthen the rod when you need a little extra reach. But I’ve always dreamed of and adjustable line. Wouldn’t it be nice to instantly change your line from a 10 ft. to a…
Tenkara Fishing in Alpine Lakes
Chris Stewart of Tenkara Bum recently asked me to write an article about tenkara fishing in alpine lakes for his site. It’s not a comprehensive guide but hopefully, it will get some people thinking about trying tenkara beyond small streams. Click here to read Tenkara Fishing in Alpine Lakes. Some of you might know…
Tenkara Rod Rack
After reading Mike’s post about a tenkara rod rack over at Troutrageous!, I just had to drag myself over to Walmart to buy one (actually two). Using my iPhone level app and a cordless drill, I had both racks installed in a corner of my man cave in about 10 minutes. Of course, these aren’t…
How to Sink Tenkara Flies
Traditional tenkara flies don’t have weight like our western flies that use lead wire, copper wire, or bead heads to help them sink. Instead, tenkara anglers make use of the hydrodynamics of the stream to help sink their flies. Here is a quick video of Daniel Galhardo from TenkaraUSA demonstrating how you can use the…
The Utah Killer Bug
OK, it’s not technically a tenkara fly, but so many tenkara anglers seem to have so much faith in this pattern that I couldn’t ignore it. So, I ended up buying some killer bug yarn from Tenkara Bum (as well as some other stuff like some Pearsall’s silk thread for sakasa kebari) and give the…
Double Sakasa Kebari
I don’t know if this has been tried before or not but I had the idea to play around with the concept of a “double” sakasa kebari. Essentially, it’s just a regular sakasa kebari with two sections of wrapped hackle separated by a “spacer” of thread. My thinking was that if the main…
Fishpond San Juan Chest Pack Review
I have been using the Fishpond San Juan chest pack for a while now on a variety of streams and really like it for tenkara fishing. I couldn’t find one locally, but luckily, Colorado Skies Outfitters (my local fly shop here in Parker) was cool enough to pick one up from their distributor and got me…
Organizing Tenkara Level Lines
I went a little crazy tonight building level lines with my girth hitch attachment method and it quickly became apparent to me that I’d need a way to store and organize them. So, I bought a bunch of 3″ X 4″ plastic bags at Michael’s and printed out some inserts that allow me to write…
Horsehair Tenkara Flies
That’s right–I said “horsehair tenkara FLIES”, not “horsehair tenkara LINES”. Usually, whenever you combine the words “horsehair” and “tenkara” in the same sentence (or Google search), the discussion is inevitably around horsehair tenkara fly lines. But what many people don’t know is that horsehair (or, more accurately, horse tail) also makes an excellent…
Tenkara USA Ito Review
I recently broke down and bought a Tenkara USA Ito after hearing a lot of buzz and positive reviews on it. To be honest, my first experience with the Ito didn’t make a great impression on me. I had cast one a few times and thought it was too slow and longer than I really…
Tenkara Casting Tips from Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA
Here is a quick video I shot of Tenkara USA founder Daniel Galhardo giving some tenkara casting tips to a group on the Roaring River in Rocky Mountain National Park. In this segment, Daniel covers some basic casting techniques such as timing, casting stroke, power, and how to cast in the wind. I have a…
Tenkara Outing in Rocky Mountain National Park
I just got back from the Colorado tenkara outing and am happy to report we had a great turnout! About 15 people showed up with a diverse mix of skill levels–everything from complete fishing novice to experienced fly angler tenkara converts. Daniel Galhardo from Tenkara USA gave several on-stream demos of tenkara techniques and busted…
Advantages of Tenkara for Winter Fly Fishing
Today was our first snow here in Parker, CO– a foreshadowing the long winter ahead. For many, winter means the end of trout season. Many will wait out the next few months tying flies or by turning to other winter sports until spring. But some will embrace the madness of winter fishing. [/caption] …
Come See Daniel Galhardo Give a Tenkara Demonstration in Rocky Mountain National Park
[/caption] I’m excited to tell you that Daniel will be giving an on-stream tenkara presentation in RMNP and you’re invited! This is a great opportunity for anyone in Colorado who is interested in tenkara fly fishing to learn from a master, get your questions answered, and try out some cool tenkara gear! Here are the…
Fall Tenkara Fishing
Fall has always been my favorite season. I love the palate of colors, the brisk air, the crackle of leaves beneath my feet, and most of all, fall fishing! Maybe it’s something as ingrained as the fact that I was born in the fall or maybe it’s something more conditioned like the anticipation of…
Hoppers, 5.5 X Tippet, and Random Stuff
I’m heading back to Rocky Mountain National Park Sunday for what might be my last chance to catch the hopper frenzy on the Big Thompson. In anticipation, I tied up half a dozen foam hoppers as per John Rumney’s design. In general, I’m not a big fan of foam but I have to admit it…
How to Fix a Loose End Cap on Your Tenkara Rod
It hasn’t happened to me yet but I’ve heard some people complain that while fishing, the end cap on their tenkara rod loosens up and sometimes fall off. While they’re easily replaceable from Tenkara USA, the loss of the end cap could pose some problems in the field when you want to collapse your rod.…
A Tenkara Gear Checklist: What you Need and What you Don’t
If you’ve decided to get into tenkara fishing, you’re probably wondering what gear you need to get started. The answer will be a little different for people who have fly fishing experience and already have some gear they can apply vs. people completely new to the sport who are starting from scratch. But the good…
Tenkara on the Big Thompson & Roaring River
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to fish with Chris Stewart of Tenkara Bum and Brian Flemming of Learn Tenkara in Rocky Mountain National Park. [/caption] We started out on the Roaring River near the Fall River Entrance in the alluvial fan. My favorite part of the Roaring River is actually the upper section (the…
My Wading Kit
Not too long ago, I wrote a post about my preference for wet wading when tenkara fishing. While it’s great in the summer, with fall fast approaching (even faster in the high country), it’s time to break out the waders for the colder temperatures ahead. Every angler who uses waders has their own system for…
Tenkara Tuesdays on Troutrageous!
Mike Agneta over at Troutrageous! has started a new feature on his blog called “Tenkara Tuesdays” in which every (or most every) Tuesday, he will feature a post dedicated to tenkara fishing written by either himself or a guest blogger. I was honored to be the first to write a guest post to kick off…
Partridge & Black Sakasa Kebari
This is a simple, yet effective fly that would be a good pattern to try for anyone who read my recent post, “A Beginner’s Guide to Tying Tenkara Flies“. With the barring on the hackle, high-contrast ribbing, and muted colors, this is a great all around tenkara wet fly. The key is to tie the…
Video: Underwater Comparison of Sakasa Kebari Hackle
I’ve always considered myself a confirmed dry fly fisher but have recently taken an interest in fishing sakasa kebari wet flies. I’ve had a number of experiences lately that are convincing me more and more that they’re not only effective, but just as fun to fish as surface flies (though for different reasons). The main…
Peacock & Starling Sakasa Kebari
In my last post, I briefly mentioned this fly pattern which was very productive on a small lake near Mt. Whitney and I thought I’d post the recipe. It’s a simple fly to tie (as many successful patterns are) and very buggy looking because of the iridescence of the materials used. The recipe Hook:…