Czech and Tenkara -- Flyfishing?

[CoachBob]

I have nothing against Czech and Tenkara fishing methods. They work and will continue to grow in popularity.
I do have a problem calling them fly fishing.
Throughout my life I have fished with a cork for panfish. I really like sitting and waiting for the cork to bob. It's one of the most relaxing blood-pressure-lowering activities around. That's probably why I like watching the popper disappear on a popper-dropper rig.
But...I cast the popper dropper. I use a cane or jig pole for most of the cork fishing -- no casting.
Tenkara doesn't seem to present itself as fly fishing, just a method that catches a lot of fish with specialized equipment.
Czech fishing claims to be fly fishing.
I disagree.

[JohnScott]

...I do have a problem....

I agree.

John

[PA Dave]

I guess one could argue that they aren't truly fly casting, but undeniably they are fishing with flies using a form of fly rods...that spells fly fishing to me. Heck, Dame Julianna wouldn't recognize what is today's purist fly fishing. I say do it however it pleases you, but I feel it is a mistake to put a severe limit on the definition of the sport for everyone else based on a personal bias.

[sagefisher]

Sorry, but Tenkara and Czech styles are just that, a style of fly fishing, but they are fly fishing.

Heck, the original fly fishing method in Merry Old England and Europe was in fact Tenkara fishing, just not called that. They used poles cut from saplings that were tied together with twine or leather straps and had a long horse hair line tied to the end. They would cast it out into the river, fish on the swing and if the caught something they would simply walk backwards up the bank and drag the fish onto the shore. That is the original fly fishing. Even the early records that mention fishing with a fly in the cradle of civilization was the same thing, just with a shorter sapling.

When I am fishing pocket water with my bamboo rod, casting short casts up the stream, it isn't much different than Tenkara or Czech since I never use my reel except to hold my line. Mostly it is hook a fish, bring up my rod to get the fish close to me and release the fish.

Fly fishing is a very diversified sport, let people pick what style they want to fish and let them be happy. I know I am.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[loufly]

The thing I want to know, is why are fly fisherman so quick to define their type of fishing. Do bait fisherman sit around and argue about what and what is not bait fishing? Do guys fishing Rapalas explain to spoon fisherman that they are not truly pike fishing? No, probably not. How many of us fish wet flies on the swing and nothing else? I would say not enough, but would anyone like to find its origins? Don't let anyone put blinders on you because the world not flat any more, there are no classes, and the pursuit of fly fishing is limitless.

[Marco]

AND. there is someone who actually cares and loses sleep over this ???

Mark

[Panman]

Agree with Marco. What difference does it make as long as the angler is fishing in accordance with the law.

Tim

[Lotech]

If you read "The Compleat Angler" by Isaak Walton, I think you will find that angling was considered playing the current and the (angle) of your presentation as the most important part of fishing. Whether with an artificial fly or the real bug (grasshopper or grub) the presentation of the attractant is the most important part of angling. We call our sport Fly Angling for a reason. We do it with a rod, an attractant, and stealth, but most importantly we concentrate on the presentation and "Angle" of the drift to trick our quarry into an attack. Whether dapping, bobber (strike indicator) fishing, nymph, streamer or dry, our goal is to trick the fish into a strike. Whether we do it with a cane pole and braided horse hair line or graphite, fiberglass and bamboo, it's all angling. To me, Tenkara, Czech Nymphing, or Up Stream and Dry, it's all about the sport of trickery. The conquest of the quarry is all it takes to be a successful "angler" if done with stealth, presentation and the angle of presentation.