Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of giving a tenkara presentation to the Fly Fisher’s Club of Colorado at their monthly dinner. The event was held in the prestigious University club of Denver and if you’re wondering why I wasn’t wearing my signature baseball cap and Jeans, it’s because the club has a strict dress…
DetailsMost of my flies are pretty bland. I typically don’t incorporate a lot of synthetics or flash into my patterns. But after taking a closer look at some of Masami Tanaka’s flies, I’ve come up with a pattern that is a little flashier than my usual ties: the Japanese Lantern. Rather than plain thread, Tanaka…
DetailsThe RIBZ front pack is a very versatile pack for backpacking, hiking, skiing, and pretty much any outdoor pursuit. I think it also makes a great pack for tenkara when you don’t need a full vest, but need to carry a little more than will fit in a chest pack.
DetailsThe Masu is a brand new 11 ft. rod from Tenkara Centre UK (so new in fact, that at the time of this post, it isn’t even on their website yet). This is a great little rod with some nice bells and whistles not found on most other Tenkara rods. The Action At first, I…
DetailsSome rod manufacturers may cringe at me suggesting this tip to remove line twist when you’re winding your line on to the spool for fear of broken rod tips. But I have been using this technique for over two years and have never broken a rod. You just have to take the same care you…
DetailsIt was a gloomy day on Bear Creek today. Surrounded by dark waters, cold grey rocks, scraggly leave-less trees, dead grasses, and overcast skies, I felt like I was fishing in a Tim Burton movie. Luckily, the fishing was better than the weather… It’s been an eternity since I’ve fished Bear Creek. For much…
DetailsIt happens to even the most experienced angler. You come across a magazine-perfect pod of trout in crystal clear water. Your eyes become laser focused on them. Anticipation builds. Your adrenaline kicks in. You plot the first and and can almost feel the trout in your hand already. But then, they scatter as if someone…
DetailsFor me, the biggest highlight of the 2012 Tenkara Summit was meeting and being able to fish with all the Japanese anglers that attended. It was great to learn about tenkara from people who practice it in its birthplace. As you might imagine, there was a lot of talk and trading of tenkara flies. It…
DetailsFly tiers have it pretty easy these days. Run out of red floss during a marathon tying session of Royal Coachmans? Head down to your local fly shop and pick some up. Need fluorescent pink guinea fowl for a killer new Spey fly? Order in online and it will be at your door in a…
DetailsI just got a new tenkara rod today from Tenkara Times (review to follow) and it included a free sampling of some of their sakasa kebari. I didn’t think much of it at first until I opened up the packaging and saw the quality of tying. These are good tenkara flies. Here are some closeups…
DetailsA few months ago, I bought my dream car: a Jeep Wrangler. So what makes it a “tenkaramobile”? Well, first and foremost, it is the vehicle that will transport me to all of my future tenkara adventures. But there are a few other tweaks I’ve made to “tenkara-ize” it. Tenkara License Plates Much to…
DetailsAnyone who frequently visits the Tenkara USA forums has probably seen posts by someone named “Eddie”. What some may not know is that “Eddie” is actually Eiji Yamakawa, an expert tenkara angler from Japan. We first came into contact when he helped me get my Nissin Prosquare tenkara rod and we have kept in contact…
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