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Category Archives: Philosophy

Tenkara Caught Brook Trout

Does Tenkara Actually Catch More Fish?

This question isn’t new. In fact, it probably arose on day one when tenkara first hit the U.S. Over the years as I’ve watched tenkara go from an underdog in the flyfishing community to a tour de force, I’ve heard many anglers tout that its efficacy is what won them over. This got me to wondering–was…

May 8, 201515 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Broken Tenkara Rod

Fishing Fiascos

A few weeks ago, I went fishing with my good friend Dennis Vander Houwen. Neither of us had been out in a while so we were really looking forward to a much-needed day on the water. Everything started off fine–we were in good spirits, the weather was good for February–all indications pointed to smooth sailing and…

May 3, 20157 CommentsHumor, PhilosophyBy Jason Klass

P3190290-e1332210870496.jpg

The Heraclitus-fly Approach

I’ve mentioned on many occasions that I don’t adhere to the tenkara “one fly” approach simply because I would quickly get bored tying the same pattern over and over again. To me, fly tying is as much fun as fly fishing and the monotony would ruin one of my favorite aspects of the sport. So,…

April 18, 201513 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Tenkara on the Big Thompson

Want to be a fly fishing guide? Read this first.

I’ve had several people ask me about what it takes to become a fly fishing guide. I was only a guide for a couple of years in my grad school days out of a shop in Boulder that was then managed by the great Charlie Craven. But in that short time through my own experiences…

February 10, 201517 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Tenkara Fishing

Occam’s Razor

At my neighborhood Starbucks, they used to have this fancy dispenser for those cardboard sleeves you slide over your to-go cup to prevent you from burning your hands while holding your $6 drink (probably to avoid a lawsuit). It was a clever design–a plastic box with two rows of sleeves spring-loaded like a Pez dispenser.…

October 12, 201411 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Tenkara no Oni Rod

Tenkara Symphony

Imagine listening to a symphony where the conductor put their baton back on the podium in between every motion they made with it. With the music stopping each time the baton is laid down, it would be painful to sit through. There would be no flow and the piece would probably take twice as long to…

September 14, 201410 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

The Ultimate Tenkara Rod

Tenkara Minus

You’ve probably seen the meme “Tenkara +” going around social media. It’s the idea that tenkara compliments other outdoor hobbies such as “tenkara + hiking”, “tenkara + mushroom hunting”, “tenkara + mountain biking”, etc. While the portability of tenkara gear certainly lends itself well to being combined with other activities, it got me to thinking…

September 5, 201416 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Tenkara Trout

Perseverance

This weekend, my family and I rented a condo in Estes Park that’s right on the Fall River. It was really a family trip, not a fishing trip, but I took my tenkara gear anyway. I’ve been caught off guard too many times without a rod after stumbling on to easy fishing opportunities. So now,…

July 6, 20146 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Tenkara USA Sato & Rhodo Tenkara Rods

My Take on Zoom Rods

Today, a reader requested that I do a post about my opinion on zoom rods. For those of you who don’t know what zoom rods are, they’re rods that can be extended to different lengths with sections that lock into position. I’m no expert on zoom rods and I’ve only tried a few, but as…

June 26, 201410 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

One-fly Focus

I’m not one of those tenkara anglers that only fishes one pattern. But I do only fish one fly at a time. There’s no idealogical reason behind it and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with fishing a dropper or even a cast of flies. In fact, I fished droppers for years before I started…

May 5, 201410 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Stream Cred

More years ago than I care to admit, I worked in a fly shop that catered to a pretty mixed bag of characters. On any given day, anyone from Barbour-clad Bogdan reel collectors, to redneck bait chuckers could walk through the door. It was during a time I consider to be the pinnacle of fly…

April 14, 201414 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Sakasa Kebari

Mismatching the Hatch

As a beginning fly tier, one concept was thoroughly drilled into my brain by the cronies at the local fly shop: match the hatch. The “goal” of fly tying was to imitate specific species of insects and the more realistic the fly was, the better it was. It made perfect sense. The trout are eating…

March 27, 201429 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass
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About Me

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 >>

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Tenkara + Backpacking!
Is there any other sport that goes better with tenkara than hiking and backpacking? Be sure to also check out my ultralight and DIY backpacking gear blog.

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