Today I hit a small creek near the Tetons; Idaho side of course. It rained a little, hailed a little and then some sun. The water was clear and not all that high for this time of year -- it makes me worry about what stream levels will be in September! The willows were in their new, fresh leaves and the smell was incredible! I love that smell of willows, lodgepole pine, moss, water.
I started out with the Ebisu. I am really loving this rod. I love the soft action and delicate casting. I worked my way up through the narrow channel picking up a few fish as I went. I then came to a spot in the stream where I had just came out of a willow tunnel and right in front of me was a great lie -- willow branches overhanging a pool.. There had to be a fish in there! But what to do? My 12 foot rod was just a little too long to make the perfect cast. I thought about steeple casting but I would still overshoot and likely snag. I could not back up because of the willow tunnel. A bow-and-arrow cast did not fit the situation either because I would still overshoot. I just needed the rod to be just a little shorter. I then remembered Daniel saying on one of the Tenkara USA videos that if you need the rod to be shorter , due to tight vegetation, just collapse the lower section back into the handle. The rod will cast just fine, and in the event you hook a fish, just extend that section to fight the fish. This makes your tenkara rod a "reversed zoom rod" in a pinch.
So, that is what I did. That little bit of decreased length made all the difference. The flies hit perfectly up under the willow branches. The drift was controlled. A native cutthroat took the BH Prince Nymph and I brought him to hand. Priceless!
So what I learned from this trip is how versatile the tenkara rod is. I am sure that I shouldn't fish all the time with the lower section collapsed, but if I get into tight quarters again I know that the rod will answer.
I started out with the Ebisu. I am really loving this rod. I love the soft action and delicate casting. I worked my way up through the narrow channel picking up a few fish as I went. I then came to a spot in the stream where I had just came out of a willow tunnel and right in front of me was a great lie -- willow branches overhanging a pool.. There had to be a fish in there! But what to do? My 12 foot rod was just a little too long to make the perfect cast. I thought about steeple casting but I would still overshoot and likely snag. I could not back up because of the willow tunnel. A bow-and-arrow cast did not fit the situation either because I would still overshoot. I just needed the rod to be just a little shorter. I then remembered Daniel saying on one of the Tenkara USA videos that if you need the rod to be shorter , due to tight vegetation, just collapse the lower section back into the handle. The rod will cast just fine, and in the event you hook a fish, just extend that section to fight the fish. This makes your tenkara rod a "reversed zoom rod" in a pinch.
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| It doesn't look that tight but it really is! |
So, that is what I did. That little bit of decreased length made all the difference. The flies hit perfectly up under the willow branches. The drift was controlled. A native cutthroat took the BH Prince Nymph and I brought him to hand. Priceless!
So what I learned from this trip is how versatile the tenkara rod is. I am sure that I shouldn't fish all the time with the lower section collapsed, but if I get into tight quarters again I know that the rod will answer.
If you fish streams that small and that brushy frequently, you could just use a shorter rod. It shouldn't be heresy.
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