They say there has to be a first time for everything. Well, today, the old cliche materialized in triplicate (two good, one not so good). And while people also say, “two out of three ain’t bad”, I’d summarize today as an all around great day despite the fact that one of these firsts just…
DetailsMany anglers tout the effectiveness of using red hooks in their fly patterns. While there appears to be some science behind it, I’m not a red hook fanatic; nor am I a foe. I don’t know if or why red hooks add some attractor qualities to flies or not. I’ve caught fish on them…
DetailsEven the most organized fly tying desks can have cluttered backgrounds that can be distracting when you’re trying to put the finishing touches on that perfect fly. It can not only adversely affect the quality of the fly you’re tying, but also cause eye strain. Here’s a simple, low-cost solution I came up with to…
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A classic color combination in an eyeless sakasa kebari style. For video instructions on how to tie eyeless tenkara flies, click here.
Hook: Owner Super Yamame #7
Head: Orange Uni 8/0 thread
Loop Eye: #2 silk bead cord, white
Hackle: Pheasant
Body: Camel Uni 8/0 thread
Rib: Small copper wire, counterwrapped
Hook: Owner Amano Tenkara Hook #2 or #3 Thread: Uni 8/0 Light Cahill Hackle: Light Dun Hen Body: Pale Yellow Dubbing I’ve been playing around with my Amano tenkara hooks and thought this simple pattern might be a good fit for their smaller size range. If you want to match the hatch, this would be…
DetailsIn 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…
DetailsI’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…
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