With a nod to tradition and a passion for Tenkara Americana, the Tenkara Talk Blog features hundreds of gear reviews, fly tying tutorials, DIY hacks, and presentation techniques.
For the month of April, I’m giving away a box of my Shetland Killers! The box is slotted foam (handmade by me) and is filled with a dozen #12 weighted Shetland Killers (tied by me) in my favorite colors! All you have to do to enter is answer the following in
On a couple of recent fishing trips with my friends Daniel and Dennis, I was struck by something–actually, I was struck by the absence of something. While I was donning my beloved Yonah Tenkara Simple pack, they were carrying nothing. And I mean nothing (save their rods). No chest packs,
If I had to name one tying material that rivaled the versatility and universal fish-catching properties of the venerable peacock herl, it might be Jaimeson’s Shetland Spindrift Yarn. And lately, I’ve been tying the majority of my “working” flies with it. Why? It’s fast and easy to tie with. Just
Back in 2012, I wrote an article about how I came to know and develop a fondness for a version of Frank Sawyer’s Killer Bug pattern which had become a quick favorite among tenkara anglers: the Utah Killer Bug. The Utah Killer bug was developed by the Tenkara Guides as
It’s been a long, dismal winter fishing season for me this year. The few places with open water were crowded with desperate anglers trying to get a drift before their fly snagged a miniature iceberg or jagged ice shelf. Most of the time, I was so frustrated by the crowds,
When I first saw the prototypes of the new line spools from NIRVANA On The Fly circulating around Facebook, I didn’t really give them a second thought. They looked exactly like the old Raji Leica I had already been using for years. I wasn’t much interested, but when owner Brent
My mad-scientist friend and tenkara partner-in-crime Dennis Vander Houwen has been tucked away in his wood shop again working on some really interesting projects. A couple of them aren’t ready to be announced to the world just quite yet (soon) but today when we met up on the stream, he
In an industry full of “me too” companies, Zen Tenkara has always stood out in my mind as one that isn’t afraid to stray from the pack, break with convention, and do their own thing. Owner Karin Miller’s tagline is “Defining American Tenkara”, and whichever side of the whole “what
Unlike the soft hackle of their more famous cousins, the sakasa kebari, tenkara stiff hackle flies use dry fly hackle to create resistance in the water rather than absorb water and undulate fluidly. The fibers still do move somewhat, but their main purpose is to anchor the fly in the
For those of you who are familiar with so-called “universal rod caps”, you know they’re worth having a few on hand for when you inevitably lose your rod plugs to the same vortex that also devours guitar picks and socks. If you’re not, then you’ll be happy you read this.
I know most of you probably don’t and might consider it completely unnecessary, but I carry a fishing wallet. It’s where I keep my license, national park pass, emergency cash, business cards and other sundries. Until recently, I was carrying a Travax wallet which works great, but is a little
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
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 Sign up to get updates about featured articles, tenkara news, contests, giveaways, and more.
10% off your Masterclass with code: TENKARATALK
Use code TENKARATALK for 5% off any Tanuki order
©2023 | Tenkara Talk by Jason Klass | All rights reserved
