If you have been fly fishing for as long as I have, you start to feel like you know it all, and have seen it all. I will be the first to admit that it's easy to occasionally border on arrogance.
Fly fishing is really no different. While technology has advanced Western fly fishing at an incredible pace to where it is today, Tenkara, a Japanese form of fly fishing, is all about taking things back to their truest form.
It is a form of fishing that has been around for over 200 years; much longer than our Western style of fly fishing. In practice, it remains today much as it was 200 years ago when it was invented in the small mountain streams of Japan.
So what is it all about?
First off, the word can be translated as "from the sky" or "from heaven."
The description fits because huge rods of 11 to 13 feet in length are used. It will feel like your fly is falling from the sky toward the water. It takes some getting used to, but the length has a purpose.
No reels are used at all; just a rod, a line attached to the end, and a fly attached to the end of that. Really, that's all you need to catch a fish anyway!
Traditional Tenkara rods were made of bamboo. This is one of the few areas where modern technology has been allowed to offer some improvements. Today's Tenkara rods are usually made of light weight graphite, and are telescoping. They collapse into a very small package that can be placed anywhere. This portability makes a Tenkara rod absolutely perfect for backpackers and hikers.
At first, you may think that casting a fly with just a rod and some line is going to be a cake walk. Well, it isn't. Getting a fly in a position to be presented to the fish requires it's own set of techniques. Learning these techniques will be key to getting really proficient with a Tenkara set up. Don't think you are just going to whip it out there and hope for the best!
Not only does Tenkara have it's own curriculum of casting techniques, but it also has special ways to fight a fish after you hook them.
If you have never tried this exciting and simple form of fly fishing, you definitely to. It will present new challenges and techniques that will help you discover a whole new dimension of fishing!
Fly fishing is really no different. While technology has advanced Western fly fishing at an incredible pace to where it is today, Tenkara, a Japanese form of fly fishing, is all about taking things back to their truest form.
It is a form of fishing that has been around for over 200 years; much longer than our Western style of fly fishing. In practice, it remains today much as it was 200 years ago when it was invented in the small mountain streams of Japan.
So what is it all about?
First off, the word can be translated as "from the sky" or "from heaven."
The description fits because huge rods of 11 to 13 feet in length are used. It will feel like your fly is falling from the sky toward the water. It takes some getting used to, but the length has a purpose.
No reels are used at all; just a rod, a line attached to the end, and a fly attached to the end of that. Really, that's all you need to catch a fish anyway!
Traditional Tenkara rods were made of bamboo. This is one of the few areas where modern technology has been allowed to offer some improvements. Today's Tenkara rods are usually made of light weight graphite, and are telescoping. They collapse into a very small package that can be placed anywhere. This portability makes a Tenkara rod absolutely perfect for backpackers and hikers.
At first, you may think that casting a fly with just a rod and some line is going to be a cake walk. Well, it isn't. Getting a fly in a position to be presented to the fish requires it's own set of techniques. Learning these techniques will be key to getting really proficient with a Tenkara set up. Don't think you are just going to whip it out there and hope for the best!
Not only does Tenkara have it's own curriculum of casting techniques, but it also has special ways to fight a fish after you hook them.
If you have never tried this exciting and simple form of fly fishing, you definitely to. It will present new challenges and techniques that will help you discover a whole new dimension of fishing!
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