I’m not sure how it happened but somehow over the last two years I’ve been fishing the Tenkara USA Ayu, I haven’t done a review. Maybe it’s because I’ve always considered it such an staple tenkara rod that it was easy to overlook. Sometimes, the most obvious things are the easiest to miss. But,…
DetailsI 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…
DetailsWith all the local trout streams low and clear, this was a good weekend for some tenkara bass fishing. In the late morning, I hit the ponds at South Platte Park, where I had caught by first tenkara bass just a couple of weeks ago and it didn’t let me down! I explored some…
DetailsIf 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
DetailsSome 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…
DetailsAnyone who has ever dead drifted a fly with a tenkara rod has undoubtedly discovered two things: 1. Sometimes it’s hard to detect a strike on a level line. 2. Strike indicators don’t cast well with a tenkara rod. Luckily, for anyone who finds it difficult to see their line, there’s a simple way to…
DetailsWhile the Daiwa Soyokaze isn’t technically a true “tenkara” rod, any tenkara angler would immediately recognize a lot of familiar features. Telescopic blank? Check. Lilian cord? Check. No reel seat? Check. In fact, it’s hard to cast the Soyokaze and not consider it anything other than a “minature” tenkara rod. The Soyokaze line of…
DetailsYou’ve just found the perfect pool. It’s full of fish that are actively feeding and you’ve got it all to yourself. You know you’ll be able to pull at least a few nice ones out if you just fish it long enough. It’s one of those rare moments that you need to take full advantage…
DetailsToday I hit the Big Thompson with fellow tenkara angler Jim Lionberger. I haven’t fished the Big Thompson in the canyon for a few years so it was nice to make it back. Even better was that Jim has a friend who owns some land right on the river so we ha a beautiful…
DetailsWhenever 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:…
DetailsI recently read an article in which a spokeswoman from the NY Department of Environmental Conservation stated that tenkara fishing on fly fishing only waters is technically illegal in her state since the law dictates the use of a “traditional” fly rod, fly reel, and fly line. “Traditional”? That’s odd, isn’t it? People have been…
DetailsI finally decided to replace my 15-year-old Orvis gear bag with something a little more modern and technical. At my local Bass Pro Shops, I found the White River gear bag–a feature packed bag that is perfect for tenkara as well as other types of fly fishing. After comparing it to several other bags, this…
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