Tenkara vs Tanago

[HOSSCOOPER]

I have been watching some you tube video of people catching bitterlings. How do y'all feel about using bait? I normally use a fly when tenkara fishing, but maybe using some bait to catch some new species of fish or at least one you don't catch too often. Would it bother you at all? HOSS

[Paul Arnold]

How do y'all feel about using bait? I normally use a fly when tenkara fishing, but maybe using some bait to catch some new species of fish or at least one you don't catch too often. Would it bother you at all? HOSS

I look at it this way: Fishing is nothing more than a game, and unless a game is an organized sport (Little League, NCAA, or NBA, for instance), the players get to set their own rules. What I mean is, if two guys want to play tennis with the net lower than specified, or even removed altogether, that's okay.

When I fish, it is my prerogative to decide how challenging or how easy I want to make it. Nobody else's business -- unless some sort of competition is involved, and then honesty comes into play.

If I want to fish with doughballs flavored with Korean fish oil, that's okay, and it's also okay if I want to limit myself to fishing with a size #6 Royal Coachman dry fly for a whole season -- that's nobody's business but my own. Tie your line to a tenkara rod to a soda straw or to a walking stick, no problem.

So my response to your question is that you use whatever sounds like fun to you. Enjoy your fishing, and enjoy your freedom to fish however you darned well want to do it.

~Paul

[Gig]

Tenkara is a tool, use it the way you like. Don't worry about what others think or do. It's your rod so use it as you wish.

[Fly Goddess]

My answer:

What Is Tenkara? Tenkara is the traditional Japanese method of fly-fishing, which uses only a rod, line and fly. Simple. Tenkara is a method of fly-fishing particularly well-suited for stream fishing and for anyone looking for a simpler way to fly-fish. It is the ideal setup for backpacking. Tenkara is a very effective, simple and enjoyable method of fly-fishing. Now if you want to use bait, get a crappy pole. Or you can use that Tenkara and put a hook and worm on it, you can do that with any fly rod, but why. Just go bait fishing, it is less expensive.

[scorpion1971]

Most people who take up micro fishing(since we have no bitterling in the states) will use bait of some sort. Since fishing for true micros would be extremely difficult to do with a fly. You can use what ever you like to use with what ever rod you like. I have been know to use plastic worms and lizards with western fly gear and ice jigs with micro plastic with tenkara. Some people will try and tell you that your wrong for fishing this way or that. Well, I say I live in America and I will fish with what I want, when I want, how I want. I have served this country for 10 years and for some person to tell me I am wrong for expressing my self I will tell them to go take a fly leap. How do they think we got all all the different ways of fishing after all. Some one had to cross the line along the way or we would still be in the ice ages with spears used for fishing. If you want to use bait go ahead.

[Fly Goddess]

The Tango setup looks fun! That little 4 foot rod. Way to think outside the box.
Keep it coming Tenkarabum!