More Tenkara

After that first experience with Tenkara I knew that this could be the beginning of a long love affair! I hit the river about once a week and tried different flies: nymphs, soft hackles and dries. I bought another leader, this time it was a hand tied HiVis leader from Chris at TenkaraBum. It is a beautiful leader. The shockingly bright orange stands out against any background. It turns over with just a slight flick of the wrist. Nicely done Chris!

I also bought a net from Sam at flyfishingnets.net . It is beautifully made and such a work of art. I like wood nets. I always have. This net has a 16 inch handle that is just right for me. With it I don't have to bend over too far to get the fish -- very nice! I may replace to netting with some fine mesh from Tenkara USA -- just for fun!

I holster the net with a Smith Creek net holster. It fits the net perfectly. It is easy to retrieve the net and easy to holster the net. The net is out of the way until called into action. This is a great little item.

Nice way to control the net. BTW, this guy is not me :)

Well, the fishing over the weeks has been great! I had some 20+ fish in 2.5 hours days.  Really nice! None of the fish were bruisers, but who cares! It was just plain fun!

One of the cooperative rainbows

A stretch of the river fished

A beautiful day on the water

Tenkara USA Iwana 12ft

When I decided to get started in Tenkara I obviously needed a rod. Currently, the best resource for Tenkara equipment is Tenkara USA. Tenkara USA not only has equipment, but they also have an instructional blog, forum and videos. Other very useful websites for terminal tackle, reviews, and advise include TenkaraBum, TenkaraTalk, Tenkara on the Fly. So, after reading reviews I decided on the Tenkara USA Iwana 12ft rod. I ordered it and a furled leader and had them in my hands in less than one week. They were packaged well. The rod included a nice rod tube and rod sleeve. The Iwana fit and finish was perfect; high quality cork, excellent finish. I slowly extended it (as I learned how from the video from Tenkara USA) and I was immediately struck by both the length and lightness of the rod! I have been nymphing with 10 foot rods for a few years now, but at 12 feet the Iwana made me gasp! It was a thing of beauty! With such subtle lines it looked more like a carbon fiber modern sculpture than a fly rod.

I have been using furled leaders in western fly fishing for years now so I didn't think twice about the furled leader. That said, it was a nice leader -- subtle green, a tight but pliable weave with no Old Maid free ends sticking out, and a convenient end ring for tippet attachment. Whoever made it knew what they were doing.

Now that I had the rod and leader I just had to give them a go. It was January 2, 2012. The air temperature was balmy 45 degrees. I shot the local convenient store for a 2012 license and then drove to the river. No one was there!  Just the way I like it. I got on my waders, wading staff, and small one box chest pack (also what I have been using for years -- no shoulder pain inducing vest for me). I attached the leader the the Iwana (just like Daniel at Tenkara USA showed me on the videos), added 3 feet of 6x tippet and tied on two nymphs -- Czech style. OK, so not true Tenkara style but hey, I'm new to this remember?

I headed for a stretch of the river where I knew there were fish -- small yet cooperative. The rod cast smoothly and efficiently. I hooked my first fish on the second cast! It was an eight inch rainbow. The fight of the fish was telegraphed to my hand so that I could feel every movement of even this little guy!  Very nice! To make a long story short, I caught and released over 15 fish in one hour!  That was a record for me. The largest was 10 inches (see picture below). Was it the rod? Was it the Tenkara technique of keeping all but the tippet off the water? Was it just a good day with the right flies? Dunno...maybe a little of everything. Needless to say, I was hooked by Tenkara!

An updated impression of this rod, and other rods I have used can be read HERE.

Welcome to Teton Tenkara

I few months ago, while perusing the web, I happened upon Tenkara. At first I did not know what to make of it, but after some reading and research I came to learn about its history, tackle and techniques. It fascinated me. So, after some internal debating, I bought my first Tenkara rod and line.

First, let me tell you that I have been western-style fly fishing for over 20 years. I tie may own flies, make my own rods, configure my own leaders (at least until 2 years ago when I discovered furled leaders). Ironically, I have been tying flies since 1975 when I learned how to tie in a 7 grade class --- I just never learned how to use the flies until years later. I learned to fly fish when I lived in Oregon. I fished some large waters there, like the Deschutes, Clackamas, Kalama, etc. Even though I had a lot of fun chasing steelhead and larger trout in these larger waters I soon learned that small trout in small mountain streams is what gave me my greatest joy. These small rivers were much less frequented by fisherman. I found the peace and isolation that I desired. From that time on I have manly fished small waters.  I now chase trout in the smaller creeks and rivers of the greater Teton region of Idaho and Wyoming. Tenkara seems to be a perfect fit for this type of fishing.

This blog is to outline my adventures in Tenkara. I will try to discuss my take on the equipment and techniques of Tenkara -- what seems to work for me and what doesn't. I will also try to occasionally bring you to the stream with me through video. That way we can both learn together!  I am new to blogging so please be patient.  OK, here we go...................