I love winter fishing. For the same reasons the warm-blooded amongst us do: fewer crowds, less pressure on the fish, no biting insects, and just overall quiet solitude–serenity amidst a white, Norman Rockwell blanket of snow. Of course, there are also downsides to winter fishing. Here in Colorado, many of the smaller streams get completely…
When I got my new tamo (net) from Tenkara no Oni a couple of days ago, he slipped a few of his flies in the box (as he usually does). I already had some I got professionally framed several years ago that hang right above my fly tying desk. Two of the flies this time…
If put to a vote, I’d bet the majority of fly tyers would elect scissors as the most important tool on their desks. There are a lot of other tools you could easily go without, but scissors are essential for sculpting a tidy, respectable fly. As you might imagine, I’ve tried dozens of types of…
Sometimes, I find overlaps between tools I use at the tying desk and tools I could (and should) also use afield. Case in point: scissors. I used to trim materials from my flies on-stream to better suit the situation at hand using my tippet clippers. But I found that a small pair of tying…
If you visit my tying desk, you’ll notice two gadgets that have taken up permanent residence on the base of my vise: my scissors, and a Higonokami knife. The former would certainly make sense at a tying desk. The latter might seem a little odd, yet it’s nonetheless just as utilitarian (and certainly more storied).…
Recently, a friend of mine sent his waders in to Simms to be repaired. Two weeks after he mailed them, he got a message saying it would be another 2-3 weeks before they’d be ready. So that’s a total of at least 4-5 weeks that he’ll be without them. De facto, it will probably be…
I get this question all the time: “how to I attach a loop eye to an eyeless hook? Is there a video showing it?” Every single time, I tell myself I’m going to make a simple video about it, but the idea soon falls victim to the same fate as new years resolutions. The topic…
Giveaway Ends Saturday, January 14th, 2023: This giveaway has ended. Countdown This month’s giveaway exclusively for CTA members is one dozen beautiful tenkara flies tied by professional tyer and CTA member Joesph Egry. Joe was a fishing buddy of mine here in Colorado until he moved to Florida for work. But he’s still tying and…
Giveaway Ends Sunday, January 8th, 2023: This contest is over. Congratulations James Knittle! Countdown Now that I’ve convalesced to the point where I can turn my attention back to this blog, I’ve decided to start a monthly giveaway. This first one includes: Two Tenkara Talk all-weather stickers Three of my go-to Glass Bead Takayama Sakasa…
I recently started a new hobby: pipe smoking. And already, I can see many parallels between it and tenkara. That’s for another article, but one thing I’m particularly struck by (or perhaps reminded of) is that just like learning tenkara, fly fishing, climbing, guitar, stamp collecting, or any new endeavor, one has the option to…
Over the last few years, it’s been rare for Tenkara USA to release a new rod. For a decade, they relied on their same tried-but-true rods like the Iwana, Ito, etc. to carry their lineup and built a following around it without really developing new rods or innovating their existing ones. But all that changed…
Using a patch to dry your flies while fishing is a good practice for at least two reasons. The first is that you never want to put a wet fly back into your fly box (that is, unless you want to start a rusty hook collection). The second is that if your fly uses CDC,…
There’s one in every home. Whether it’s in the kitchen, the garage, or the laundry room, we all have … a junk drawer. It’s a catch all for things we think we might need one day (but never do), yet miraculously becomes a lifeline in those odd situations we never thought we’d face: “Honey, can…
Tenkara gear is so light and compact, it can fit into just about any adventure. My Yonah Tenkara Pack is about as dialed in as I can think I can get in terms of tackle, but sometimes, you need to carry more. Here is a Facebook live video I made showing how I incorporate…