In 2014, I came up with a pattern that became my go-to fly for many years: the Japanese Lantern. It was just a simple sakasa kebari, but instead of thread for the head, I used pearlescent Mylar to give it a little flash. The fly performed swimmingly and I had the utmost confidence in it.…
DetailsPeople often share which kinds of music they listen to while they’re tying flies. Music and tying just seem to go hand-in-hand for many. For me though, it was always listening to A Prairie Home Companion on NPR. This is back when it was still hosted by Garrison Keillor who left the show in 2017…
DetailsIn my interview with Ruben Garza, the owner and founder of Wasatch Tenkara Rods, we discuss rod design theory, new products, tenkara flies, ice fishing (gasp), and more. I hope you find it as interesting as I did to get a little inside the mind behind one of tenkara’s most up-and-coming gear companies. Jason: …
DetailsYes, I know. The party line is that traditional tenkara flies are unweighted. Purists say that you’re supposed to use plunge pools or longer drifts to sink your flies. But this isn’t always possible (especially on my home waters). Most of my local streams are high-gradient with short, fast-running pockets. You might only get a…
DetailsThis is a boring fly. But there’s a reason for that. It’s my variation on one of my favorite all-time flies: René Harrop’s Hair Wing Dun. The Hair Wing Dun has proven itself on waters all over the world. It’s easy to tie, floats well, is durable, and versatile. Here’s my version and the theory…
DetailsI often see advertising for “hand-tied flies”. This makes me laugh because ALL FLIES ARE HAND TIED! As a marketer by trade and a fly tyer by passion, I find this deceptive and insulting. Who do they think they’re fooling with this messaging? In reality, the majority of commercially available flies are tied (by humans)…
DetailsThere’s a long running joke in tenkara about losing your rod plug or end cap. Most rod plugs are either black or wood colored making them the perfect chameleon when dropped on the forest floor or river bank. And it’s not always easy to find a replacement. But Minimalist Gear Co. has come up with…
DetailsI recently read an article by one of my favorite fly fishing authors, Dave Hughes, in which he wrote something that gave me pause for thought … Had I read this quote in my pre-tenkara days, I would have agreed 100%. “Match the hatch” was my mantra and I thought the essence of fly fishing…
DetailsI recently posted about how to make a DIY fly box from Altoids tins. Those used slotted foam but the other day, I stumbled upon a really clever idea for turning an Altoids tin into a fly box. It’s basically a 3D printed insert that gives you compartments! All you do is snap the insert…
DetailsSo you’ve heard about this “tenkara” thing, but haven’t tried it yet. Maybe you’ve heard dismissive or even disparaging remarks about it in social media or at your local fly shop. So, is it legit? Why bother trying it when your conventional fly rod works just fine? Well, here are 10 good reasons … 1.…
DetailsAs a new tenkara angler, it can be frustrating to figure out which model to get for your first rod. For one thing, tenkara rods aren’t widely available in brick and mortar shops so there’s not a lot of opportunity to “try before you buy”–meaning you’re probably going to have to buy your first rod…
DetailsA while back, I wrote an article about how to make your own fly drying patch out of simple materials. It’s easy and a fun project for winter. But I failed to mention that you can use the same technique for making your own fly boxes and they’re even easier. Plus, they give you a…
DetailsHere’s a great resource for shorter lengths of Shetland Spindrift yarn–one of my favorite materials for tying simple and durable tenkara flies.
DetailsAs far as I know, I was the first person to ever create tenkara-specific memes. I started years ago and kind of trailed off but decided it was time to create a new batch. So here are 17 new ones I just made. I hope at least one of them puts a smile on your…
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