Reminiscing - Vlog #200!

 I started investigating tenkara late in 2011, and I bought my first tenkara rod and line early January 2012. I soon discovered that tenkara was very effective, and I decided to start doing a video log of my progress. 

My first tenkara vlog post was January, 27, 2012. I used my first tenkara rod, a Tenkara USA 12' Iwana. I was a great rod. At that time, I wasn't really fishing tenkara, as I was using bead head nymphs and parachute dry flies, but that didn't matter, it was just plain fun! I shot my first vlogs using a chest mount camera. 

Here's the video:

 

Although I fished that river quite a lot early on, I haven't fished it since 2018. I did go back in 2016 once, but the river was undergoing a transformation. The Idaho DFG started transitioning this reach of the river from a heavily stocked put and take fishery to a self sustaining wild, native fishery in 2015. Fish numbers declined dramatically and so I moved on to other waters. 

Ever since those first few vlogs, I felt that a good way to document my outings was using video. I've published most of those vlogs on YouTube for others to watch, if they were so inclined. They are not done for entertainment, but rather, are a video journal. I don't get a lot of views, but that's OK. I'm not doing them to show everyone that I'm an expert in tenkara, because I'm not. I'm just, as Christ Stewart of TenkaraBum would call me, some guy with a video camera who occasionally records his fishing trips. 

I don't video the vast majority of my tenkara outings, but when I fish new waters, want to document a specific place, or when I feel like it, I'll put on the camera and document the trip. I've had mostly kind and encouraging comments from viewers over the years, but I've had a few trolls telling me that I'm doing things wrong and what a incompetent angler I am. But I guess that's where our society is nowadays. 

The other day I thought I'd go back to that original river and see how things had evolved. I was getting ready to shoot video number 200 and I thought going back to where it all started would be fun and somewhat sentimental. 

When I arrive there was one other vehicle in the parking area, but I never saw it's owner. I essentially had the river to myself. I fished kebari this outing. I used a fluorocarbon level line and used many of the tenkara techniques and manipulations that I had learned over the past 8 years. It was delightful!

The river was now full of cutthroat trout. I started catching them within the first few casts. I don't know how many I caught in the 1.5 hours I fished; I lost count. But needless to say, the outing was very successful. Now that the fish are back I'll have to go back more often. It can be a challenging place to fish, and it's a great place to practice ad refine your tenkara skills.

Here's the video:

Anyway, thanks for reading the blog and watching my vlogs over the past years. I am grateful for all the friends I've made in my tenkara journey. Hopefully I've just begun and I'll be able to share my tenkara journey, blog and vlogs with you for many more years!