Tenkara Blog

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.

Sulphur Sakasa Kebari
Jason Klass

Sulphur Sakasa Kebari

Hook:  Owner Amano Tenkara Hook #2 or #3 Thread:  Uni 8/0 Light Cahill Hackle:  Light Dun Hen Body:  Pale Yellow Dubbing I’ve been playing around with my Amano tenkara hooks and thought this simple pattern might be a good fit for their smaller size range.  If you want to match

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Tenkara and the eleventh color
Jason Klass

The “Eleventh Color” of Tenkara

In Japan, tenkara has been very narrowly defined in terms of gear, technique, and application.  The gear part of the definition includes using a long rod, no reel, and simple, unweighted flies.  The technique part includes things like using rapids and waterfalls to sink flies rather than weight, watching the

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Tenkara USA Ayu
Jason Klass

Tenkara USA Ayu Review

  I’m not sure how it happened but somehow over the last two years I’ve been fishing the Tenkara USA Ayu, I haven’t done a review.  Maybe it’s because I’ve always considered it such an staple tenkara rod  that it was easy to overlook.  Sometimes, the most obvious things are

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Owner Amano Tenkara Hooks
Jason Klass

Owner Amano Tenkara Hooks

I recently got some #2 and #3 Owner Amano Tenkara hooks to play around with and thought I would share some info on them for anyone who is looking for smaller hooks for sakasa kebari.  These hooks feature a slight down eye, short shank, wide gap and, are made of

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Largemouth Bass on Tenkara
Jason Klass

Warmwater Tenkara

With all the local trout streams low and clear, this was a good weekend for some tenkara bass fishing.  In the late morning, I hit the ponds at South Platte Park, where I had caught by first tenkara bass just a couple of weeks ago and it didn’t let me

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Sakasa Kebari Tied on an Eyeless Hook
Jason Klass

Tenkara Flies on Eyeless Hooks

Some tenkara anglers in Japan prefer to tie their sakasa kebari on eyeless hooks.  Rather than a metal ring for an eye, these flies have a loop of flexible material to which the tippet is tied.  I’ve heard some people say that this connection gives the fly more movement in

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Amnesia Strike Indicator for Tenkara
Jason Klass

Amnesia Strike Indicator for Tenkara

Anyone who has ever dead drifted a fly with a tenkara rod has undoubtedly discovered two things:  1. Sometimes it’s hard to detect a strike on a level line.  2. Strike indicators don’t cast well with a tenkara rod.  Luckily, for anyone who finds it difficult to see their line,

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Daiwa Soyokaze Rod
Jason Klass

Daiwa Soyokaze Review

While the Daiwa Soyokaze isn’t technically a true “tenkara” rod, any tenkara angler would immediately recognize a lot of familiar features. Telescopic blank? Check. Lilian cord? Check. No reel seat? Check. In fact, it’s hard to cast the Soyokaze and not consider it anything other than a “minature” tenkara rod.

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Jason Klass

How to Retrieve Snagged Flies without Spooking Fish

You’ve just found the perfect pool. It’s full of fish that are actively feeding and you’ve got it all to yourself. You know you’ll be able to pull at least a few nice ones out if you just fish it long enough.  It’s one of those rare moments that you

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Tenkara on the Big Thompson
Jason Klass

Tenkara on the Big Thompson

  Today I hit the Big Thompson with fellow tenkara angler Jim Lionberger.  I haven’t fished the Big Thompson in the canyon for a few years so it was nice to make it back.  Even better was that Jim has a friend who owns some land right on the river

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Kamikaze Kebari
Jason Klass

Kamikaze Kebari

  Whenever anyone asks me what makes the sakasa kebari an effective pattern, of course my first answer is the standard one–that the reversed hackle produces a lifelike motion in the water.  But this is always immediately followed by an explanation of what I consider an equally important (yet often

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About Me

Jason KlassJason 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

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Jason Klass, Author
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Based in Denver, Colorado U.S.A. (MST)

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