For me the attraction is (1) the simplicity (2) portability (3) it's just plain fun and (4) low cost.
To expand: (1) It is much easier, simpler, faster to gear up, get on the water and fish. No spending a valuable resource (time) string up the rod, etc etc - it takes seconds to take the rod out of it's tube, attach the leader and tie on a fly and get to fishing. I've actually measured how much faster I can get in the water and included breakdown time - and I get just about 20 extra minutes fishing time. To me, that's a lot.
(2) Portability - I can keep a Tenkara rod in the car, in my suitcase along with leader and a good selection of flies in very very little space. I can throw one in a backpack when out on an "exploration hike" and if I find fishy looking water, break out the tenkara gear and test the water! I just went to Florida with my gear and it took up so little space my wife thought I had left my fishing gear at home! Win win for me.
(3) The fun factor is something I don't see much written about - but on my first outing with Tenkara my son came upstream to check on me. I didn't know but he sat on the bank for several minutes watching me. He said that he hadn't seen me grinning so much in years. I was just plain having fun and isn't that what this hobby/sport is all about?
Oh - and (4) - low cost. You can get a complete "tenkara outfit" for about $200 and that's all you need plus a few flies - literally a few flies. I've fly fished for so many years with a rod that cost x and a reel that cost y and I just saw what a new fly line costs - almost $100 - you gotta be kidding me! I can't remember how many people have been interested in getting into fly fishing and then find out what it costs and walk away. I've since purchased an extra Iwana and will use that to teach / introduce folks to fly fishing and I'm just waiting for that teenager/kid or single parent or college kid that oh-so-wants to get into fly fishing but can't and then gift them the rod, line and flies and I won't be afraid to tell Momma what I did. Remember - it's supposed to be fun and Tenkara has made it fun for me again.
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