July 29, 2012

Nothing of any size -- Video

The day before the Tenkara Summit 2012 I fished a local stream for a few hours in the late afternoon and evening. The air temp was near 90 and I suspect that the water temperature was also elevated, although I did not measure it.  As I have mentioned before, the water is low and clear for this time of year. Still, it was nice to get out and toss the fly.


Yellowstone Cutthroat

I didn't catch anything over 10 inches. Most of the natives were 6-8 inches and a few rainbows were 10 inches.  For the fly I went with a #10 Soft Hackle Grey kebari as I have done mostly on this stream this year. Once again it seemed to be the ticket for these fish.

 Soft Hackle Grey Kebari -- its been a real producer for me this year
A small Brown
One thing that I am noticing more and more is that these fish tend to take the fly with in seconds of it hitting the water. Sure, I few take it during a drift, but the majority of the fish I took the other evening took it quickly. This means I have to be right on task with every cast! This is terrestrial season so maybe  the fish are more ready to hit anything that splashes down into the water.

Teeny cutthroat guy

I used the Daiwa Sagiri 39MC with a 9.5 foort #3.5 Tenkara USA HiVis line. The line had a 2 foot 10lb red Amnesia sighter just before the tippet. This has become my usual line, although I do vary the length, and weight depending on the rod and stream characteristics.  The Daiwa is perfect for this water; also good would be a 11ft Tenkara USA Iwana. I recently expressed my thoughts on both of these rods.

The Sagiri 39MC (extended to 13 feet) with an 8 incher on
You can see how visible the red Amnesia sighter is

I'll post my impressions of the Tenkara Summit 2012 in a few days -- after I get my camera back.  I left it in Salt Lake City -- what a dough-head!!

Here is a video of two sections of the stream where I caught fish. They are essentially unedited so you can see the cast-to-cast action.



July 23, 2012

2012 Tenkara Summit coming up


This is just a quick note to tell you that I will be going to the 2012 Tenkara Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah. Since it is just 2 hours away I could not pass it up. The Summit is over two days, Saturday and Sunday, with Saturday being talks, presentations, etc., and Sunday being clinics and fishing. I can only go in Saturday, since I have to work Sunday. I am most excited to hear the presentations by Tenkara Guides, LLC since they are quite innovative and practical in their approach to tenkara.

I'll write a blog entry of my impressions of the presentations when I get back. I hope to meet a lot of you there.



July 20, 2012

6 Month Rod Summary - July 2012

I have been fishing tenkara now for 6 months and I have used quite a few rods. I have owned and fished the following rods: Tenkara USA (TUSA) Iwana-12', Iwana-11', Iwana-9', Ebisu, Ito, Ayu, Amago; AllFishingBuy.com Kasugo-4209; Daiwa Soyokaze 27SR, Soyokaze 31SR, LL41SF, and Sagiri 39MC.  I have not yet fished the offerings by Tenkara-Fishing.com, Tenkara Fly Fishing, or Shimano and Sakura rods, but I thought that you may want to know my current feeling regarding the fore-mentioned rods.

left to right: Daiwa 31SR, 27SR, 39MC, Ebisu, LL41SF
left to right: Kasugo-4209, Amago, Iwana-12, Iwana-11

As you can tell from my blog entries, I generally fish small-to-moderate freestone western streams but will on occasion fish larger water and even some spring creeks. The rivers in the intermountain west are generally pretty open with little canopy but many of the smaller streams have a heavy canopy with tight casting lanes.

I have formally reviewed many of the rods that I have listed above and made statements based upon an early impression, but now that I have fished them for a while, and compared them to other offerings, I would like to give a brief current summary of each one and my likes and dislikes. Disclaimer: Obviously my opinion of a rod is based upon my style of casting, personal preferences in rod action, type of water fished and size of fish pursued, etc. This means that other users may like a certain rod while I do not. In fact, you may think I am completely off my rocker when it comes to a certain rod because you love it and I do not. So be it. I only offer here my impressions. Be that as it may, here we go:

TUSA Iwana rods -- 12',11', 9'

from http://www.tenkarausa.com/product_info.php/products_id/110
I originally bought the Iwana 12 ft then I bought the replacement handles in the 9 ft and 11 ft offerings. This cleaver arrangement turns the 12 ft Iwana into two other rods quickly and thus increases its functionality for a large type of waters. I like the Iwana-12. It is aesthetically pleasing and functionally excellent. It is very light in the hand and has little cantilever effect making it a joy to cast. It handles furled, level and hand-tied tapers lines all nicely. It is a joy to use. As with all of TUSA rods their extras are first class. With every rod you get a rod sleeve and rod tube. Every rod in warranted for life and customer support is first rate as well. Also, I like the fact that they donate a portion of the proceeds to conservation efforts.  Conclusion: I really like this rod.

The Iwana 11 ft is a slightly different matter. Replacing the handle and removing the lower segment of the Iwana 12 ft changes the characteristics of the rod. It is still wonderfully light and aesthetically beautiful, but the action transforms from a easy 6:4 to a stiffer 6:4 or even a 7:3. The flex point is clearly further up the rod.
from http://www.allfishingbuy.com/Tenkara-Rods.htm
I still like the Iwana 11 ft, but not as much as the 12 ft model. Conclusion: I mostly like this rod.

Finally, the Iwana 9 ft. Removing the 12 ft model handle and the two lower sections and replacing with the 9 ft handle really changes the rod. It definitely is feather-light but it is also amazingly stiff. I have not fished a traditionally stiff tenkara rod (I am told that the Hane by BackpackingLight was such a rod) but the Iwana 9 ft is stiffer than I like. Don't get me wrong, it is very functional and some people like the "fast" action of this rod but it is not for me. I like to feel the rod loading and to have a more relaxed casting stroke. Conclusion: I didn't like this rod (handle) and sold it.

TUSA Ebisu

from http://www.tenkarausa.com/product_info.php/products_id/51
I was introduced to this rod while fishing with ERiK Ostrander of Tenkara Guides LLC based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. I had been fishing my TUSA Ito on a modestly tight stream when he offered me to try his Ebisu. The first thing that I noticed was how much lighter it was than the Ito. Up to that point I had not felt that the Ito was heavy (by tenkara rod standards) but when I picked up the Ebisu it felt noticeably lighter. Upon arriving home I immediately bought one.

Other thing I like about the Ebisu is its casting stroke. It is rated a 5:5 rod so the casting stroke is relaxed and the rod fully loads with a level line. The Ito is supposedly a 6:4 rod in its 13 ft configuration but it feels more like a 5:5. The difference between the Ebisu 5:5 and the Ito "5:5" is that the Ito tends to oscillate at the end of the casting stroke but the Ebisu does not appreciably. I found this whip or "noodling" action of the Ito annoying. I know that TUSA design their rods not oscillate or noodle, in fact they state their rods are "true" tenkara rods because of this lack of wiggle or oscillation but I felt the Ito oscillated too much for my taste.

Anyway, back to the Ebisu. Finally, I like the Ebisu's wood handle. Maybe it is just eccentric or different enough from other rods, but whatever it is I like the wood. It is solid and feels nice under hand. I'm sure a cork handled Ebisu would be a nice rod too, but (have I said) I like the wood. Conclusion: I really like this rod.

TUSA Ito

from http://www.tenkarausa.com/product_info.php/products_id/125
I won't spend that much time on this rod since I pretty much described what I didn't like about it above in the Ebisu section, but there were some things I did like. One of those things was the "zoom" concept. You can fish this rod in two different lengths -- 13 ft or 14 ft, 7 inches. The lower section can be locked in place for the 13 ft configuration or it can be extended for the 14 ft, 7 inch configuration. This is great in concept, but in practice it made a "noodlie" rod even worse. Remember what I said in the Ebisu section regarding the Ito's supposed 6:4 action. Well, in the 13 ft configuration the Ito feels like a 5:5 to me (with pronounced end of cast oscillation) but the 14 ft, 7 inch configuration it is even slower -- maybe a 3:7! It felt like it would flex all the way to the handle when casting. Also, in the 14 ft, 7 inch configuration I could not control the cast. It felt very labored and heavy. Maybe it is just me and my casting style (wrist flick with little elbow action) but I did not like it.

Now, before you go saying that I am being too hard on the Ito just remember that all of this is just my opinion. The Ito is a good rod; I just like others better. Who knows, maybe I'll change my opinion about some of the others rods in the next 6 months! Conclusion: I was disappointed with the Ito and sold it.

TUSA Ayu

from http://www.tenkarausa.com/product_info.php/products_id/50
This is one of TUSA's longer rods at 13 feet. It is also a 5:5 action but I do not feel that it has the end of cast oscillation that the Ito has. I like this rod mostly but it does feel heavy after fishing with it for a few hours. Now when I say it feels heavy I do not mean it feels like "a SAGE 5-6wt with a Lamson reel" heavy. The Ayu is much lighter than any mid-weight western setup. But tenkara rods are supposed to be light, right? So when one feels heavy after a while then it is heavy by tenkara standards. Maybe the reason the Ayu feels this way to me is due to its cantilever effect. It is a long rod and extends way out there. This extension causes a cantilever force putting stress on the rotation point or fulcrum (that would be your wrist) making it feel heavier than it may actually be.

The cork handle (newer version) was too large in diameter for my wife's or daughter's small palm size so I trimmed it down on a cork lathe (I make my own western rods).  Still, neither of them really like the rod due to its weight. They like the Iwana 12 ft much better.  Conclusion: I mostly like this rod.

TUSA Amago

from http://www.tenkarausa.com/product_info.php/products_id/85
I had the original version of the Amago and that is what I fished with. I now have the newer version (I have a disease that way, in that I need the newest version of anything) but have not fished with it yet. The Amago is a substantial rod. It is TUSA's big fish rod and it feels like it! It actually weighs just a little less than the Ayu (3.5oz rather than 3.6 oz). It has a nice 6:4 action that commands control of any line you put in it. Because it comes in at 13 ft, 6 inches it too has significant cantilever force but maybe because it just looks so solid it doesn't feel as heavy as the Ayu. This is just perception I suppose. I did not catch anything over 14 inches on my original Amago but I am sure it could handle any fish I'd get into! Conclusion: I like this rod.

AllFishingBuy,com Kasugo-4209

from http://www.allfishingbuy.com/Tenkara-Rods-Light-Action.htm

I bought this rod on a whim. I could see from their website that it would likely be somewhat similar to the TUSA Amago but the Kasugo-4209 cost less. I just had to try it out. Well, I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I really like this rod so far. Although it is billed as a 14 ft rod mine is in fact only three inches longer than the Amago (13 ft 6 in) at 13 ft 9 inches. Its overall weight is 102.6 gm, which is heavier than my Amago. Despite this it actually feels lighter than the Amago. I am not sure why this is but I tried to explain it in my Kasugo-4209 review.

The Kasugo-4209 has a nice relaxed action for such a long rod. It can control any line given it and excels at long furled lines throwing large, wind resistant flies. It is also an excellent Czech nymphing rod with its reach, action and ability to handle one or more heavily weighted nymphs. The handle shape is a bit funny with over accentuated curves but is comfortable to hold in multiple positions. The butt cap is cheap plastic and the cork is "poorish" in quality but with the way this rod fishes I can overlook that. Conclusion: I really like this rod.

Daiwa Soyokaze 27SR, 31SR

from http://www.tenkarabum.com/daiwa-tanago-rods.html
Ok fine, these might not be "true" tenkara rods by some peoples definition but they look like it enough, cast like it enough, and act like it enough that I call them tenkara rods. I think they look more like a modern telescoping carbon-fiber tenkara rod than do traditional Japanese bamboo tenkara rods of yesteryear. You know the old saying: looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, acts like a duck.... it must be a duck. Anyway, they are marketed as tanago rods but they work just great as shorter tenkara rods. I like both of these rods. I like their actions and the way they cast a level line. They handle fish well also. I also like how light they are. When I say light I mean amazingly light! They make the Iwana 11 ft feel heavy! These rods are a blast to use in tight, heavily covered streams. I have caught fish over 12 inches with both and they each handled the fish without an issue. The segments have the Daiwa V-joint making them bend at the joint better and much less likely to jam. See the Daiwa LL41SF for details on this feature. Conclusion: I really like these rods.

Daiwa LL41 SF



all from http://www.tenkarabum.com/daiwa-tenkara-rods.html
I was so impressed with the Daiwa Soyokaze 31SR that I wanted to try one of Daiwa's "true" tenkara rods. I went with the LL41SF. Here is a little riddle: what is as light as an Iwana 12 ft, as long as a Amago, and casts better than a Ayu (way better than an Ito)? You guested it -- the Daiwa LL41SF! Holding this rod in your hand you would not believe it is 13 ft, 6 inches in length. It is amazingly light. It has a smooth, relaxed cast similar to the Ayu. It does not have any appreciable end of cast oscillation. And its reach is phenomenal! It is designed to cast level lines and it does that with great control. I have found that it does not handle long furled lines well, however. That is OK by me because I use level lines most of the time now.

Daiwa rods have what they call a V-joint. It does not look like a "V", but rather it appears that small, alternating bands of material has been removed from the butt section of each segment (see picture above). This reduces the contact surface area of the joint and makes the segments bend or flex smoothly when casting or fighting a fish. More importantly, it reduces the chance of jamming the segments together and getting them stuck. I have not formally tested this but I think I can feel a difference when collapsing the rod. It collapses with less force.

When I am on big water, and/or I want a long reach, I either go for the LL41SF or the Kasugo-4209 -- fly type, wind, gut feeling make the decision. Conclusion: I really like this rod.

Daiwa Sagiri 39MC

from http://www.tenkarabum.com/daiwa-sagiri.html
This is the zoom rod I have been looking for. When I did have the Ito I thought to myself, wouldn't it be nice to have a rod that zooms from 11 feet to 13 feet -- that way most of my waters would be covered. As I have stated before, most of the water I fish is small and somewhat tight. But even on those streams you can come to an open section or beaver pond where extra reach and stealth would be real handy. Enter the Daiwa Sagiri 39MC.

This is a zoom rod that extends from about 11.5 ft to 13 ft. It is, like all the Daiwa rods I have, astonishingly lightweight -- only 59 gm for a 13 ft rod. Its action is pleasant and unlabored in both the 11.5 ft and 13 ft configurations --  I can't really feel much of a difference between the two actions; maybe it is a little softer in the 13 ft configuration, but its subtle. The handle, like with the Soyokaze 27SR and 31SR, is a comfortable non-slip portion of the butt section. It is not cork, but you know what, with these rods I don't even miss the cork! Who would have thought! 

The 39MC also does not have any appreciable end of cast oscillation. It dampens in a heart beat. Something to note however, it does not have the V-joint feature like the other Daiwa rods that I own, which I think is unfortunate, but still this rod is such a pleasure to use.  It is so fun to "zoom" between 11.5 ft and 13 ft depending on the conditions of a certain stretch of the stream. My largest fish to date taken with this rod was 14 inches. It handled it with plenty of power. Conclusion: I really, really like this rod.

The Daiwa Sagiri 39MC in action

A nice cutthroat taken with the 39MC


So there you have it, my latest impressions of the rods that I have used. I try not to be a brand loyal but I try to find what works best for my fishing style. That said, I reserve the right to change my mind about any rod at any time since experience is often times the best teacher.

What rods do you like, and why? Do you disagree with me on my choices? Let me know and maybe I can learn from your experience.





July 14, 2012

Wind, Deer flies, and Cutthroats -- Video


I went and visited the Upper Blackfoot River yesterday. This is such as beautiful region of southeast Idaho with dirt roads and wide open mountain valleys.

The section of the Upper Blackfoot that I usually fish is the Stocking Ranch, but there is plenty of other water in the narrows and the lower valley. The Stocking Ranch is in the upper valley and I love this portion of the valley. It is always beautiful and peaceful. I love walking through the tall grass and sedges, although I don't like it as much in the fall when the Canada thistle is quite high.

The Ranch from Google Earth

The water on the Ranch is amazing. It is crystal clear and very smooth, almost like an irrigation ditch. I know that doesn't conjure up a very nice image in your head, but this river is no irrigation ditch. It is just smooth in course and flow. This, of course, makes the it a challenge to fish in some ways.

Looking east on a typical stretch of river

The first challenge is that because it is so clear the fish can see you coming a mile off. There are relatively few trees, or cover for that matter, on the side of the river. Also, the bank is high in most places but the water is deep so I prefer to just walk the bank looking for feeders and sight cast to them. This means, however, that you have to walk slowly or even sometimes C-R-A-W-L through the grass! This is what I generally do. After I sight a fish I get down on my hands and knees and slowly crawl within casting distance -- especially with tenkara, given I am limited by my line's length. Some guys who fish this water fish with streamers and cast 70 feet so they don't have to crawl. I like to sight fish, so down on my knees I go!

Looking west


Another challenge is that there is almost always wind. The river lies in a larger open mountain valley. The air is restless at 6500ft elevation. I have rarely ever been there when there isn't at least a modest breeze. This wind, of course, makes casting an issue. Sure, if you are just chucking a streamer with a 6 wt rod you may not even know the wind is there. But if you are trying to sight cast and place your fly just a head of a trout then the wind can be a pain in the butt! And so it was yesterday. There were some monsoonal thunderstorms blowing in from the southwest and the wind was at a steady 10 knots with a few 15+ knot gusts just to make things interesting. Even though the wind was a little annoying I really didn't mind it because it kept the deer flies off of me for a few minutes at a time. The deer flies can be pretty brutal at the Ranch so come prepared. I wear a Buff the keep them off my neck, face and ears, and light gloves to protect my hands. Long sleeve shirts and long trousers are in order as well. I don't care for chemical repellents, but I suppose they may have their place on particularly bad days.

I approached the Ranch waters from my usual parking spot and headed for some deep holes where I had taken fish before. There was little activity on the surface, but I could see an occasional riser tight against the windward bank where the water was less disturbed. Since we had had some very hot days over the past couple weeks and since this river is in a "hopper meadow" I rigged up the Kasugo-4209 with a foam hopper. I chose that rod because it is long (almost 14ft) and I really like its balance and action. I think this rod is greatly overlooked by the tenkara fishing community. It feels lighter in the hand than other rods of similar length and its action is very smooth and dependable. For a line I went with a 15ft furled mono line from Streamside Leaders. I attached 3ft of 4X fluorocarbon to the tippet ring then another 18 inches of 5X fluoro to that. My hopper was a size 6, completely foam with legs.

Stay low and cast right against the windward bank -- if you can!

So you ask "how did that long line cast, especially with wind?" It cast nicely! The Kasugo transfers the energy to the line without issue and the fly just, well, flies out to the target!! Sure, the wind got in the way of a few casts but not that many, surprisingly. Remember, since this water is so clear you only get a few casts at a fish before he either takes your fly or you put him down.

As far as fish, I took a few nice ones. The largest was just over 18 inches. She was a beautiful fish with the usual stunning Yellowstone cutthroat colors. The others were smaller but just as pretty. I did miss three large fish. They took the fly but I was off on my hook set. I also had a few large fish refuse the fly. Still, it is thrilling when you see this large shape come up out of the depths but at the last second refuse and go back down.

Pretty cutthroat

A nice solid fish
Smaller -- it helps you appreciate the large fish

The token rainbow


I did video the fish, so you can see them in action. Again, you may want to view the video in You Tube as it will be a little bigger.



Take homes from this trip: 1) The Kasugo-4209 is a excellent large water rod. 2) The Kasugo-4209 can handle a long line with a large wind resistant fly very nicely. 3) The Streamside Leaders monofilament furled line can handle turning over a long tippet with large fly and place it where you want it to go.



July 12, 2012

A nice evening in the mountains - Video

Last night my wife and I went for a little ride around the mountain to a creek that I have fished before. The evening was hot, at 90 degrees, with scattered clouds but not threat of rain. We drove up the narrow dirt road into National Forest land until we came to an open area that has some unofficial campsites. Here we pulled off, set up her chair under a large cottonwood, and I rigged up. Since it was so hot I decided to wet wade.



The stream is pretty small, only 10-12 feet wide at the most, so I strung the Iwana 11ft with 10ft, 6 inch line and 2 feet of tippet. The water was low and clear. For flies I went with a #12 Utah Killer Bug as a dropper off a Seaguar knot and a Black sakasa kebari and the end fly.

Wading was a little tricky with my new Chota boots. I think I need to get some metal studs for these boots. They don't seem to be as sticky on the mossy rocks and my Simms boots.

I began fishing upstream; I almost always fish this way on small streams. I was walking into the sun but I could still easily see my line despite the glare.



Only a few minutes into the fishing I was into my first fish, a small native cutthroat. She took the UKB. Minutes later, another. It took the UKB also. Pocket after pocket, cast after cast I would raise a small cutthroat. They all took the UKB.

One of the small guys taken on a UKB
A rainbow -- looks small in the net but it was about 10"

I ended up snagging the kebari on a tree and it broke off. Since it didn't take a single fish I just went with the UKB. I like fishing with more than one fly but I think I have now learned that if the water is small, like this stream, that one fly is the better way to go -- fewer snags and easier to untangle.



Further up the stream, as I approached where my wife was being annoyed by flies, I got into a section of the stream where some 10-12 inch planter rainbows were lurking. They also took the UKB.

It was a nice evening on this little stream. Here is some video:



Note to self: small stream? Go with one fly.

July 1, 2012

American Fork: Hot air, roiling water

I was in Utah Valley this post weekend and had a chance to fish the American Fork River. The water was clear but still a little high with the last remnants of the spring runoff. Wading was challenging in spots, as I didn't want to crest my hip waders. I actually debated wearing waders at all! The air temp was 95 degrees in the canyon making any wader, breathable or not, stifling! Thank goodness we don't get the humidity of the mid-west and east.

A nice section with a fish hiding next to the current seam
Got ya!  - a nice little brown


I started out with the Ebisu and a 10'6" #4 level line, but I was having trouble catching tree limbs on my back casts. I lost three sets of flies in about 20 feet. So, in frustration I put the Ebisu away and changed to the 10'2" Daiwa Soyokaze -- with the same line. I still snagged some limbs but not nearly as many and it didn't seem that the shorter length was handicapping my fishing. In fact I think it helped. The pockets are fairly close in American Fork and the reach of the 10' Soyokaze fits their cadence nicely.

Another brown
The flies of the day were a #10 Utah Killer Bug and a #12 sparkling Purple Haze (using purple holographic tinsel).

A nice one with the Ebisu

I fished for a few hours, until I was tired of the heat, and I brought many Browns to hand. The trip was a success and I was hot so I called it a day. Next time I venture into the canyon I need to be more patient and try the reaches further up.