A few months ago I wrote about a trip I made to Arkansas to visit my daughter, son-in-law and grandkids. While I was there I took them tenkara fishing. We had lots of fun catching sunfish of various species; so much so that I ended up buying them their own tenkara gear.
My 4 year granddaughter also wanted a fishing pole so I got her a one that fits her perfectly right now. It's not really a tenkara rod, rather a keiryu rod (Kiyotaki 24), but she'll grow into a real tenkara rod in a few years.
Armed with her very own rod, her daddy took her fishing the other day. She cast all by herself and hooked and landed some fish. She's quite the girl; I wish I could have been there to see her with her fishes.
Excellent eye protection!
I couldn't be more proud! Here are a few short videos of her fishing sent to me by her daddy. Look how she has learned to choke up on the rod for better control -- cast, slowly drag the fly back, re-cast -- she's a natural!!
So there you have it, the future of tenkara in America. I'll get her first Tenkara USA rod in a few years, but for now she looks cute carrying her little rod in one of their rod bags!
I don't buy vanity plates for my vehicles, but I thought it would be nice to show my support for the fly fishing method I have learned to love so much. So, I had a license plate cover made to show my support for tenkara. I wanted to keep it simple, with only a few words, mainly so that the words would be large enough the read from a reasonable distance.
The plate cover says: "Tenkara" on the top and "Unreel" on the bottom. It looks nice. We'll see how durable the printing is: sun, water, mud, sand, snow, ice, salt are all coming its way.
If you see a white Toyota Highlander with a "Tenkara Unreel" plate cover parked near a stream then there a good chance I'm working the water. Stop me and say "Hi".
Spring is the time for snow melt. In the Rockies, spring run-off replenishes the water table and adds greatly to stream flow. In years of heavy run-off, the stream beds are scoured, remodeled , replenished and revived. But for fishers it can be a time of famine.
High water often creates conditions where its either less profitable, or less safe to fish. In tenkara, where we concentrate on high gradient mountain streams, this is particularly true. Therefore it is often important to check stream levels before heading out for some well needed time of your favorite stream or river.
There are many ways to keep track of stream levels, but the classic way is to follow the data provided by the US Geological Survey or USGS. Data from real-time stream monitors is provided at USGS WaterWatch and is very useful for locals and vacationers alike.
But I prefer a different method of monitoring stream flows. It uses the same data from the USGS but it is provided in a more convenient way to view it. I am talking about river data on Weather Underground. Weather Underground is a highly usual weather forecasting and almanac site provided on the Internet free of charge. Go to it URL, type in your desired location or local ZIP code and bring up the satellite page. Open the layers side bar on the right side of the screen and scroll down to find the "Rivers" button. Click this on and you will see all the monitored streams for that geographical region. If you click on one of the streams you can see the real-time data. This is very useful for planning your next tenkara outing. Weather Underground lets you see weather, cloud cover, wind, and stream data all in one convenient location. Very nice.
The Real-time stream monitors in my area
Another, more mobile way, to monitor stream data is to use your smart phone. I use an app called StreamWatch. This app uses the USGS data for selected states (MT, WY, CO, UT, ID, NM, CA, WA, OR). You select the streams you want to monitor and it will update their data in real-time. You can also set alarms for your favorite streams to tell when conditions are perfect for tenkara.
You have probably been monitoring water data on your local streams before you go tenkara, but here are a few other options for keeping a closer tab on your favorite water. Also, if you plan on fishing here in the west during May and June, it is always good to know what the water levels will be like before you come.
May is my least favorite month of the year -- for fishing, that is. I love that the weather is warming up. I love that the leaves are budding out. But I don't like the high water created by the spring run-off.
I know, I shouldn't complain. And I'm not really complaining. Its just that run-off makes my streams hard to fish. I do have some tail waters relatively nearby, but they are big waters and hard to fish without a drift boat. These are the South Fork of the Snake and the Henry's Fork below Island Park reservoir. I do fish them but they are not tenkara water. Also, there are some spring creeks nearby, in the Fort Hall bottoms, but other than a brief Mother's Day caddis hatch they usually don't get going until June.
My first love is mountain streams, but it is these that get hit with the snowmelt the worst.
This weekend I visited one of the few cutthroat streams that isn't closed until July 1st. Most are closed to allow the fish spawn to occur without disturbance. Anyway, I visited this stream just to see how the water was. There is not a USGS real-time stream flow meter on it so I can't check on-line. To see if the water is good or not I just have to go.
The water was up, but still quite clear. I decided to head in and see what I could hook into. The canyon was beautiful; the leaves just coming out and the undergrowth just breaking through the soil. The weather was very nice -- 70 degrees -- and unfortunately the sun was unimpeded by any clouds. This, combined with the high water, made the fishing more difficult.
Deep plunge pool
I have become spoiled by tenkara. When I mainly western fly fished it was not uncommon that I got skunked on streams like this. But since fishing tenkara I have become used to catching many fish in just a few hours. Today was not one of those days.
I used the 390 cm River Master with a 10 foot, #3.5 line. 2.5 feet of 5X tippet was also used and because the water was really moving I went with a #10 DC UKB.
Normally I wade with Simms Guide Boots that have HardBite star cleats in the soles. They work well for basalt and other sedimentary rock lined streams, but they don't work well for the stream I was currently fishing. It has polished, round granite rocks about 1-2 feet in diameter for a stream bed. The HardBite star cleats just slide right off these rocks making footing treacherous. But today I went with my other pair of boots, Simms Rivershed boots with AlumiBite cleats. This was the first time I had used this boot/cleat on this water and they worked great!! The aluminum cleats just stuck to these slippery rocks. I was pleased, to say the least.
The water depth varied from knee depth to waist deep. The current was fast, but I've waded worse. I absolutely needed my wading staff today and I had to move slowly through the current so not to be pushed downstream.
Hooking into a cutthroat
I had to place the DC UKB into precise lies to hook up fish. I think because the water was high and fast they were not willing to move very far to intercept the fly. Precise casting was the order of the day. I'm not sure I did very well as my back was hurting and I was still coughing, getting over a upper respiratory infection. But I had to go to the river. I figured, "if I'm going to die, I rather die on the stream than at home on a beautiful day like today"! Needless to day, I didn't die.
Well, it's all good. Sure, I should have caught more, but I could have caught less too! I'll ride out the run-off; the temps are up to 85 this week so that should really get the water levels up! But then it will die down and the usual fishing will commence. I can't wait!
Here is a video of the fish:
Coming up: more rod reviews, line reviews, and hopefully fishing!
Rods used for tenkara are long, really long. We all know this. We use log rods. This fact, as well as the fact that we don't use a reel which acts as a counter weight, means that often times the rods we use feel tip heavy. This is the cantilever effect. The fulcrum of a tenkara rod is low down on the handle (where we place our hand) -- everything proximal to this point acts as a cantilever beam. It is our hand that anchors the cantilever beam and provides the counter weight for the rod.
Why is it then that some rods feel tip heavy? For the fact that its balance point is further up the rod than other rods. This is part of the rod's design. Again, rods used for tenkara are particularly prone to tip heaviness because there is nothing to counterbalance all that carbon hanging out in space.
In a previous post, I showed that sometimes the tip heaviness between rods can be dramatic -- making one rod feel "heavier" than another of the same or similar length. This "heaviness" feeling may be independent from the rod's actual physical weight. I compared the AllFishingBuy Kasugo-4209 to the Tenkara USA Amago. Although they weigh about the same, the Amago feels much more tip heavy than the Kasugo.
For some time now I have wanted to test the cantilever force for the 380-390 cm rods (advertised length) that I currently own. I define the cantilever force as the amount of weight in grams required to balance the tip of the fully extended rod at 30 degrees above horizontal. At this time I have not measured my 360 cm or shorter rods since tip heaviness seems much less of an issue.
Method: The rod is fully extended. The actual length of the rod is measured in cm to where the lilian bends near the tip (this may be different from the advertised length -- see image below). The rod is placed on a box that has two V-notches cut into it. The rod is adjusted so that the handle butt is 12.5 cm behind the rear V-notch (this corresponds approximately to the mid point of most cork handled rods -- this is the fulcrum point for the test). To keep all things equal across different rods, this fulcrum point (12.5 cm proximal to the handle butt) was used on all rods, cork handled or non-cork handled. Weights were then applied to the butt of the rod until the tip of the rod was raised and balanced at 30 degrees from horizontal. The weight was applied, or removed, to bring the rod barely in contact with the cross bar -- ideally the rod would hover or balance just under the 30 degree cross bar. The applied weight in grams was measured to the nearest US penny (2.5 g).
Length of Shimano Kozuka 39NT: 385.5 cm
AllFishingBuy Hirame-ML-3909 --- just hovering under 30 degree bar
Tenkara USA Ayu-II
Tenkara World River Master
Results: Here are the results of the rods that I tested. I would like to test other rods but I only tested the 380-390 cm rods that I currently have.
Most tip heavy (top) to least tip heavy (bottom)
Conclusion: Rods that have a smaller cantilever force have less tip heaviness than rods that have a larger force. This may translate to less fishing fatigue after hours on the water and hundreds of casts. Tenkara rod designers should take into account the amount of weight used to raise the rod as measured from the midpoint of the handle, not just the static balance point of the rod.
What do you do with this information? I don't know -- whatever you want! :o)
I recently received a rod from Chris Stewart to review. He thought that due to this rods casting profile that I'd like it. I must be pretty transparent because he was right! I do like it!
The Gamakatsu Ryokei 360 is a seiyru rod, not a tenkara rod. So. Is this a problem? Not as far as I'm concerned. It makes a great tenkara rod! Coming in at an incredible 46 gm it is beyond light. Remember, that is for a 360 cm rod, not a shorty 240 cm rod. When you pick it up you say "Wow"!
The rod comes in the typical Japanese plastic carton with a rod sock. There is nothing fancy in the packaging for sure. But I suspect that people don't buy this rod for its packaging. They buy it for its performance.
Dacron loop not included
Without tip plug
The rod is glossy black with red accents. The handle is cork-less but has a very efficient non-slip coating. This coating works well both when dry or when wet. The handle has a comfortable diameter as well. The rod is modestly long at 62.5 cm when collapsed (including tip plug). It is 360 cm when extended.
The tip plug is wooden with a fluted rubber insert. It fits snugly into the end of the rod and, I think, would be unlikely to just fall out spontaneously. The butt plug is plastic with rounded rubber terminal portion. There is a rubber bumper to dampen the noise of the collapsed segments; there is also a drainage hole.
Tip Plug -- Dacron loop not included
Butt Cap
The lilian is attached with a micro swivel. The lilian is red, and like all the Japanese rods I have, there is no knot.
This rod has excellent in-hand balance. There is no tip heaviness and casting is effortless. I used a 12 foot, #3.5 line with excellent cast targeting and line control. I used the rod with dries, unweighted kebari and weighted beadhead flies. It casts all of these without discrimination. The casting arc is smooth. There is no tip oscillation as the rod dampens quickly at the end of the casting stroke.
The Ryokei has good lower section stiffness and therefore easily controls moderate sized (12-14 inch) trout in fast water. It never felt out of control at any time. The tip is quite flexible. The Ryokei has a Common Cents Scale rating of 19 pennies. This gives it a Rod Flex Index (RFI) of 5.3. This shows that the Ryokei is a little more flexible or "slower" than the Tenkara USA Iwana 12 foot, which has a RFI of 6.4.
Conclusion: I really like this rod. I like the weight, handling, casting, and overall construction of the rod. I wish it had a non-glossy finish, but oh well, I guess you can't have everything! I'll see how it holds up over time, but I suspect it should do well.
If you would like this rod, or one in its 330, 390 or longer lengths please contact Chris Stewart at Tenkara Bum.
Here is a video of some fish caught with this rod:
I drove to Utah Valley this past weekend to visit my parents. The weather was wonderful and on Saturday, after helping with some yard work, we went up to the Provo River. My parents wanted to walk for a while, and so I decided to fish!
The lower Provo was packed with people on the walking/bike path but no one was on the section of river I chose to fish. I fished in the fast water downstream on Bridal Veil falls -- that's probably why no one else was fishing there! The water was moving!! It's a challenging place to wade; perfect for discouraging other fishers.
I fished for only 1.5 hours, but did OK, especially for not knowing the water. I hooked and released two fish in the first 10 minutes, but thereafter I had to work a little.
I used the Hirame-ML-3909 with a 13 foot #3.5 line. This seemed just about right for this water. Because the water was moving pretty fast I went with a heavy beadhead fly. I shared the water with some kayakers (that's how fast the water was) and picnickers. A little boy watched me catch a fish and seemed excited to see the little rainbow I pulled in.
It was quick, but fun. I'll have to try the Provo again; maybe I'll even try the more popular sections!
