Tenkara TalkTenkara Talk
Tenkara Talk
a tenkara fly fishing blog
Search Tenkara Talk
  • Home
  • Tenkara Gear
    • Tenkara Rods
    • Tenkara Lines
    • Line Holders & Spools
    • Fly Boxes
    • Nets
    • Packs, Organization & Storage
    • Clothing & Accessories
    • Wading Gear
  • Flies & Fly Tying
  • How-To & Resources
    • What is Tenkara?
    • Tenkara 101
    • Presentation Techniques
    • Streamcraft
    • Tenkara Videos
    • Tenkara Knots
    • DIY & Hacks
    • Warmwater Tenkara
    • Books & Media
  • News & Fun
    • Trip Reports
    • Interviews
    • Philosophy
    • Humor
    • Art
    • Tenkara News
    • Events
  • Tenkara Links
  • About Me
  • Contact
FacebookTwitterYouTubePinterestInstagram
  • Home
  • Tenkara Gear
    • Tenkara Rods
    • Tenkara Lines
    • Line Holders & Spools
    • Fly Boxes
    • Nets
    • Packs, Organization & Storage
    • Clothing & Accessories
    • Wading Gear
  • Flies & Fly Tying
  • How-To & Resources
    • What is Tenkara?
    • Tenkara 101
    • Presentation Techniques
    • Streamcraft
    • Tenkara Videos
    • Tenkara Knots
    • DIY & Hacks
    • Warmwater Tenkara
    • Books & Media
  • News & Fun
    • Trip Reports
    • Interviews
    • Philosophy
    • Humor
    • Art
    • Tenkara News
    • Events
  • Tenkara Links
  • About Me
  • Contact

Category Archives: Flies & Fly Tying

Owner Amano Tenkara Hooks

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 fairly heavy wire to help…

May 8, 201210 CommentsFlies & Fly Tying, Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

Horse Hair Tenkara Fly

Horse Tail Loop Eye Sakasa Kebari

If you’re interested in using horse tail as a fly body, here is another horse hair sakasa kebari I have found to be effective.Hook:  Owner Super Yamame #7

May 5, 20128 CommentsFlies & Fly Tying, Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

Sakasa Kebari Tied on an Eyeless Hook

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 the water than flies with…

May 4, 201214 CommentsFlies & Fly Tying, Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

Kamikaze Kebari

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 overlooked) quality of these flies:…

April 28, 201211 CommentsFlies & Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

Killer Bugs

Confessions of a Killer Bug Addict

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.  I came from a good family.  I grew up fishing dry flies with bamboo rods on spring creeks.  I learned all the latin names of aquatic insects and could tie patterns that imitated them right down to the last abdominal gill.  I filled Wheatly after Wheatly with beautifully…

April 17, 201254 CommentsFlies & Fly Tying, Fly Tying, HumorBy Jason Klass

Size 8 Sakasa Kebari

Giant Sakasa Kebari

Maybe “giant” is a relative term for a size #8 sakasa kebari.  After all, in Japan they regularly fish flies that large (or larger).  But for me, a #8 is huge.  You see, I got some grouse feathers from Tenkara Bum that were too large for the #12 and #10 sakasa kebari I normally tie,…

March 31, 201210 CommentsFlies & Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

Two Tone Sakasa Kebari

Two-tone Sakasa Kebari

Sakasa Kebari are great attractor patterns and most classic attractors incorporate some kind of contrast or bright colors.  So I thought why not carry this idea to tenkara flies? The idea is simple–the body is made up of two different colored threads.  The brighter (contrasting) thread color covers 50% of the back of the hook…

March 11, 20122 CommentsFlies & Fly Tying, Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

Whiting Brahma Hen Hackle

The Best Hackle for Sakasa Kebari?

  If someone asked my what the best all around hackle for sakasa kebari, I would answer (without hesitation) that it’s brahma hen cape from Whiting Farms. Here’s why… Two Hackles for one   I think probably the main reason I think this is such great hackle is that every cape really gives you 2…

February 19, 20128 CommentsFlies & Fly Tying, Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

Sakasa Kebari

“Plain Jane” Sakasa Kebari

  These flies might not win any beauty contests above water, but I’m sure they’ll be sexy enough down below.  With some classic color combinations, nice contrast, and a bit of weight and movement, I can’t see how these “plain Jane” sakasa kebari wouldn’t catch fish. Here’s the recipe… Hook: TMC 2499 SPBL # 10 Thread:…

February 13, 201215 CommentsFlies & Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

Underwater Comparison of Eyed vs. Eyeless Tenkara Flies

I recently got some eyeless tenkara hooks from Tenkara Bum and have been having a lot of fun trying out different patterns. But I was curious…are the claims about eyeless hooks having more action in the water true?  So, I decided to do a (very unscientific) test and see.  I tied two flies with identical materials, put them underwater, and took video so I coud compare.

February 12, 201221 CommentsFlies & Fly Tying, Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

Tenkara Hooks

Eyeless Tenkara Hooks

  I got some eyeless tenkara hooks today from Tenkara Bum:  the Owner Yamame and Gamakatsu Amago.  They’re both great hooks with interesting bends and finishes that will surely make for some fun experimentation.  In Japan, tiers would use a silk cord to form a loop “eye”.  I didn’t have any silk cord so I’m…

February 7, 201212 CommentsFlies & Fly Tying, Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

How to Tie a Tenkara Fly

I’ve been asked by several people to make a video showing the basic steps on how to tie a sakasa kebari so here it is.  I chose a very simple pattern for the demo but you could easily substitute a lot of different materials to create a wide variety of patterns.

January 29, 201218 CommentsFlies & Fly Tying, Fly TyingBy Jason Klass
1
2345
…678910
Prev pageNext page
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 >>

Get an Email When I Post!

* indicates required



Tenkara Talk Sponsors
Tenkara USA   Dragontail Tenkara     TAO Tenkara   Tenkara Tanuki Tenkara Fisher
Search by Category
Send Jason an Email
Search Tenkara Talk
Tenkara Talk Archives
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.

Tenkara and Backpacking
Latest Posts
  • DIY Wine Cork Fly Dryer
    DIY Wine Cork Fly Dryer
    May 24, 2022
  • Wader Bag
    How I Pack My Wading Gear (+2 Tips)
    May 15, 2022
  • Tenkara Strike Indicator
    New Tenkara Line Sighters (Strike Indicators)
    April 23, 2022
© 2022 | Tenkara Talk by Jason Klass | All rights reserved