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Category Archives: Philosophy

Tenkara on fly fishong only water

Why Tenkara Should be Legal on “Flyfishing Only” Waters

Ever since tenkara was introduced to the U.S., there has been quite a bit of discussion on whether or not it is legal on designated “fly fishing only” waters.  There seems to be quite a bit of confusion over interpretation of the law–even among govenrment officials since the legal definition often includes language dictating that…

February 8, 201327 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Tenkara Marketing

Marketing from Heaven

Over the last few years, I’ve read some pretty harsh criticism on the marketing of Tenkara. I find this curious because all of us are surrounded by marketing in nearly every aspect of our everyday lives, yet those same critics don’t seem to complain about it (at least not with the same vehemence).   We’re…

February 1, 201316 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Tenkara Fishing

Flow Like the River

Anyone who fishes with me for the first time invariably makes the same comment:  I move.  A lot.  I pretty much take a few casts in a spot and if I don’t hook up, I move on. Part of this is practical.  Like Dr. Ishigaki and many other tenkara anglers, I’m of the philosophy that there are…

January 25, 201317 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Me test casting prototype lines in my backyard

Fishing without Water

There’s an interesting phenomenon I’ve observed on many social media fishing sites.  It basically goes something like this:  Someone posts an idea.  Maybe it’s a new fly tying technique, a DIY project, a new way of rigging, etc.  Someone else responds to it saying that it’s too complicated, or takes too much time, and they’d…

January 12, 201319 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

A banished sakasa kebari

My Fly Culling Ritual

Ever since a I can remember I’ve been doing something that might be considered strange and have always wondered if I’m the only one, or if other anglers do it as well. Basically, I “cull” flies from my fly box. That is, when I take a fly out of my box to fish it, that’s…

October 22, 201212 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Sakasa Kebari

What makes a fly a “tenkara” fly?

Don’t be put off by the title. I’m not about to incite a heated debate about what is or isn’t a “tenkara” fly and delve into an infinite loop of semantic minutia.  Instead, I thought I would simply list out the criteria I use when selecting patterns that I think work well for tenkara.  And…

October 20, 201221 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Ito-on-S.-Platte

Why Getting Skunked Makes you a Better Angler

It might sound strange, but I have come to believe that fishless days can actually be a good thing (well, every once in a while, that is).  And I’ll even take it a step further and add that ultimately, I think they make us better anglers and deepen our appreciation of the sport.  I’ve been…

September 24, 201225 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Best all around size for tenkara flies

Is #12 the “Goldilocks” Size for Sakasa Kebari?

In western fly fishing, a lot of emphasis is placed not only on the fly pattern, but also on fly size.  It’s considered standard practice to carry both a wide variety of patterns and a variety of sizes of each pattern.  The mentality seems to be that if you don’t have a good selection, you’re…

August 22, 201222 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Tenkara and the eleventh color

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 line rather than using a…

May 13, 201218 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Sakasa Kebari

Sakasa Kebari & the One Fly Approach

Ever since I started tenkara fishing, I’ve been fascinated with those who subscribe to the “one fly” approach. Imagine an angler so confident in their skills, having so much faith in one fly, that they choose to carry only one pattern with them.  It seems almost mythical.  Yet, there are some practical reasons why this…

April 3, 201214 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

Tenkara Lake Fishing

Where Simplicity Really Matters

As tenkara takes hold in the West, many people are experimenting with different techniques, rigging, and DIY gear modifications. As someone who has a deep passion for innovation, I think this is a good thing. But there are many voices criticizing certain types of experimentation in an effort to preserve the intrinsic simplicity of tenkara.…

April 2, 20124 CommentsPhilosophyBy Jason Klass

The Ultimate Tenkara Rod

The “Perfect” Tenkara Rod

Sitting on the bank during one of those all-too-familiar fishless days on the South Platte, I started thinking about rod design.  With my current favorite in my hand (the Tenkara USA Ito), I began to think about what makes a rod “good”.  I’ve done a fair number of tenkara rod reviews and if you’ve followed this…

March 8, 201213 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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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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