Tenkara Fishing, really?

[sagefisher]

Davy Wotton teaches a method I believe he calls "A Cast of Flies" in his DVD 'Wet Fly Ways'. He uses a long fly rod but fishes with line that equals only the length of the fly rod, more or less. He uses a three fly system with the top fly mainly being held right at the surface and he has the rod held high to keep the line above that fly out of the water. He fishes in short casts, working the seams then moves a couple of feet and casts again. Kind of sounds like what a Tenkara fly rod fisherman would be doing doesn't it? Naturally since it is a standard but long fly rod he also covers casting farther out, but his main emphasis is on fishing with a long rod held high and on a short line. I guess what I am trying to say is that you don't need a Tenkara rod to fish a Tenkara style. But, I must admit, since the Tenkara fly rods are so light you can really feel and appreciate the fish that has taken the fly. Also, as pointed out, when moving up a brushy stream, it sure would be a lot easier with a telescoping rod that is only a foot or so long and that quickly pulls out to fish the next set of soft pockets on the stream.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[CM_Stewart]

Davy Wotton teaches a method I believe he calls "A Cast of Flies" in his DVD 'Wet Fly Ways'. He uses a long fly rod but fishes with line that equals only the length of the fly rod, more or less. He uses a three fly system with the top fly mainly being held right at the surface and he has the rod held high to keep the line above that fly out of the water. He fishes in short casts, working the seams then moves a couple of feet and casts again. Kind of sounds like what a Tenkara fly rod fisherman would be doing doesn't it?

Larry ---sagefisher---

That is exactly how the British and Scots fished before reels became common. It is really very similar not only to tenkara, but also to the Pesca Mosca Valsesiana style of fishing in northern Italy (which like tenkara never died out). The tenkara anglers in Japan use only one fly at a time, while the Valsesiana style uses three for smaller streams and four for larger streams and rivers.

Bruce Norikane's comment about the need for an anchor to allow you to hold line off the water is absolutely correct, and I should have mentioned it myself. Interestingly, the Valsesiana flies have a forward slanting hackle, very similar to the shape of the "sakasa kebari" style of tenkara flies. That forward slanting hackle acts just like a parachute under water, resisting the pull of the line and allowing you to hold the line off the water. Since the Valsesian anglers to this day use lines made from twisted and knotted horsehair (which casts wonderfully but is heavier than a light fluorocarbon tenkara line), they may need the three or four reverse hackled flies acting as little parachutes to keep their heaver line off the water.

One other reason for the tenkara gurus Bruce mentioned to fish short drifts when fishing upstream is that they start the drift with their rod tip high (to keep the line off the water) and raise it further as the fly and line drifts downstream. It does not take long at all for the rod to be about vertical, which is about as far as you can take it and still be able to strike effectively to set the hook. A longer drift might produce a hit, but if you can't set the hook it doesn't matter.

It has been a long time since I have watched Davy Wotten's video (which is very good, by the way) but it would not surprise me if he mentioned the anchor effect of his second and third fly, and that their resistance to being pulled through the water is what allows him to keep the top fly on the surface and even bounce it on the surface. I believe the Yorkshiremen who fished with long rods, no reels and horsehair lines (some of whom Davy may have learned from) used a heavy fly on point specifically to act as an anchor so the other two flies could be manipulated properly (although it would draw some strikes also).

[BigA]

I will weigh in on this thread about Tenkara Fishing. Last November, I won a Tenkara rod setup in raffle at a local fly fishing show. I used it a couple of times in November and I caught a few bluegill in ponds, but that was not a real test, since the weather and water were pretty cold in northern Illinois at that time of year.

Once the warm weather started up in the spring, I used the Tenkara rod several times for pond bluegill fishing in local pond and for fishing on canals for panfish in southern Florida. I also used it a bit in the spring creeks of the Driftless region of Wisconsin and I used it for fishing in some canyon creeks for trout near Salt Lake city. I caught fish in all of locations.

My impression of using a Tenkara rod is that it is a good tool for in the right situation, but those situations are limited. A big advantage of a Tenkara rod is that it is light and portable. My Tenkara rod fits into a carry on suitcase, so it was easy to take on trip where I am packing light. The trip to Utah was a business trip and it was nice to not have to check bags just to take some fishing gear for a few hours of fishing. The portability of a Tenkara rod makes it easy to take along on any trip as a backup rod.

The Tenkara rod is fun to use in open areas where you do not have to cast far. It is great for bluegill fishing when the fish are close to shore. It is also good in meadow streams where the long length of rod makes is easy to keep the line above tall grass a vegetation. The biggest downside to using a Tenkara rod is that you are limited to where you can use it. In both the Wisconsin Driftless area and in the small creeks that I fished in Utah, many of the streams on are in pretty tight cover, where it is pretty much impossible to use an 11 foot long rod. That means that if you either have to fish on only in wide open areas with the Tenkara rod or you need to also carry a regular fly rod to fish the tight spots.

The biggest down side that I have found in using a Tenkara rod is that if you need to cast the fly a few feet farther you can't do it unless you move. If you are fishing for trout in slow water, you don't want to step in water just to get the fly a few feet farther, because stepping in the water will spook the fish. Pretty much any time that I have used the Tenkara rod, I have felt that the limitation of the distance that I can cast was somewhat frustrating.

I will continue using my Tenkara rod in the right situations and I will pack it on trips as a backup rod. I will never be a Tenkara "enthusiast" because it is just too limiting of a tool. I would never take it again on a trip to a stream that I have not fished before because there it too much productive water that I have to pass over without fishing due to the limitations.

[sagefisher]

BigA,

Sounds like you gave the Tenkara rod a good workout in a variety of waters. Yes, there are limitations with that style of fishing as there are with any style of fishing.

I had to chuckle to myself regarding your paragraph "The biggest down side that I have found in using a Tenkara rod is that if you need to cast the fly a few feet farther you can't do it unless you move. If you are fishing for trout in slow water, you don't want to step in water just to get the fly a few feet farther, because stepping in the water will spook the fish. Pretty much any time that I have used the Tenkara rod, I have felt that the limitation of the distance that I can cast was somewhat frustrating."

It seems that no matter what fly rod we use there will always be some fish just a few feet farther than our ability to cast. I guarantee that even the big spey casters have times when they would like to be able to cast just a few more feet.

Anyway, you did a good write-up on the rod and I trust you will find many more places where the Tenkara style fishing will simply 'fit the bill'.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[BigA]

Larry, I fully agree that there are always fish that are beyond the distance that you can test no matter what kind of rod that you are using. In the context of fishing for trout in a small stream, being able to shoot an extra three or four feet beyond the 25 foot reach that a Tenkara rod and line has seemed make a big difference to me.

After fishing with the Tenkara rod small streams, I think that my 7 foot 3 weight fiberglass rod has fewer compromises than my Tenkara rod on small streams in most cases where I am limited to one rod. The Tenkara rod, by the way, is fantastic for fishing small terrestrial flies in skinny Wisconsin Driftless meadow streams in late summer and early fall. Some of those streams are a just a few feet wide and have grass growing over the bank. With the Tenkara rod, I can guide small hopper flies into just the right spot while on my knees.

[kengore]

I too was skeptical about the application of a tenkara rod to western streams. I also thought is was little different (other than in price!) from the simple cane pole I started with at 5 years old. I was wrong.

I recently purchased a cheap tenkara blank, intending to cut it up for parts to build an experimental backpacking rod. Before cutting it into pieces I decided to try it out just for kicks. To my surprise it has opened up a whole new avenue of fly fishing for me. Casting the 12' tenkara rod is nothing like my old cane pole, it is also not just dabbing and dunking like you may have done with a long western style rod. While it is not the right tool for some rivers it is ideal for the local pocket water nearby. When I doubled my normal catch rate on a favorite stream I started to rethink earlier prejudice. I'm not going to get rid of any of my western style rods just yet, but the tenkara has earned a place in the quiver. Here are some of the things I have discovered...

1. Tenkara rods are much more supple than western rigs, especially in the tip. When casting the entire rod flexes deeply like the whole system, rod-line-tippet are one long buggy whip. It feels nothing like a cane pole or a telescoping crappie rod. Hard to compare to western line wt ratings. My 7'-6" 3wt feels like a broom stick compared to the 12' tenkara rod. On the Western scale Tenkara rods would start well below 0wt, maybe around 4/0wt. They cast so different is is hard to compare.

2. It can be much more stealthy that I am capable of with my western fly rig. Reaching out with 12' of rod and 15'-20' of line gives me a huge target area where I can keep most of the line and leader out of the water. I catch more fish AND bigger fish out of the same pools than I do with my 4wt. In most cases I can reach all the way across and fish the far bank without any line touching the water, completely eliminating the drag associated with 'up and across' or 'down and across' casting. This is a game changer.

3. I can reach pockets with the tenkara rig where I could not get a good drift with a western rig. I can dance a fly into a 6" diameter eddy and keep it there indefinitely with out any drag, something well beyond my skill set with a western rod. In fairness there are also western style castes that I could not duplicated with tenkara, such as a double haul for shooting into the wind.

4. Not so good in the wind. Even light breezes will move the line all over the place, heavy gusts will actually flex the light tip sections to the point I had no control over the rod at all. In a rare occasion the wind blows the right direction and you can use it to dance flies over the surface inducing some some viscous leaps.

5. Surprisingly the 12' tenkara rod is much easier in thick brush than my 4wt. Just collapse the tenkara rod down to 22" and wrap the line around your hand. It is far easier than threading the 8'-6" 4wt through the willows. I can collapse the sections just a bit faster and with a bit less effort than it takes to reel in 40' of line.

6. Tenkara rods are much more delicate than western style rods. It is very easy to break the tip, so don't invest in a rod company that does not provide spare parts.

7. Going without the reel. At first I really missed the reel and the line manipulation possible with an active stripping hand. Eventually I figured it out that if I need to add 2 feet to the cast I just take two steps forward. Landing fish without the reel is definitely more challenging, but I expect it will improve with practice. I normally don't use a net on local water but find I really want one with the 12' rod.

8. Not the right tool for really big trout. I think my 12' triple zoom rod is ideal for trout in the 6-12 inch range. I have caught the occasional 20" brown but I felt I had to overplay the fish and it took way too long to land him. I also didn't have the rod stiffness to apply enough pressure to control the run like I could with a western rod.
If I was heading to some big trophy water I would take a western rod, but I might throw in the tenkara for side streams.

9. The simplicity and minimal gear makes it a great tool for day hikes and casual fishing. It's really easy to toss a small fly box in your shirt pocket and slip the 22" rod into your day pack. I think my lunch takes up more room.

10. Even 6" trout put up a fun fight on the ultra light tenkara rod, the 18 inchers are epic. Makes fishing the high pressured local water fun again!

[CM_Stewart]

Well said. If you have an open mind, actually using a tenkara rod will make you realize most negative comments are written by people who haven't used one.

You will probably discover that if you use a shorter line (and a net!) the 20" browns come to hand quickly - often more quickly than with a fly rod and reel since you never have to regain line. Also, just as with fly rods, there is tremendous variation in the from one tenkara rod model to another. Some are quite a bit more capable of landing larger fish than others. A shorter line in relation to the rod will also give you better presentations.

[kengore]

I think I will eventually figure out how to deal with big fish on the tenkara. I only started tenkara in October of this year and have less than 2 month of experience. I tend to get over exited with the big fish and start reaching for the reel handle out of instinct. The net helps. The upside is I keep finding big fish to practice on, the added stealth has not only increased my catch rate but brought up some of the wary big ones.

I have been experimenting with different rods (I now own 3 of them, long story) and different lines of various lengths, taper and material. My favorite right now is a home made 3 strand tapered furl leader with a spar varnish finish, 12' long with an add on 10' butt extender for some bigger water. I started making furled and braided leaders about 10 years ago and can use the same equipment to make tenkara lines.

While I am intrigued by the Eastern simplicity of the system my Western mind set means I leave the reel at home but take 10 fly boxes and 4 types of line, just in case!
The 'one fly' concept will be very hard to adapt. As an avid tier I don't feel prepared without a gazillion bugs in my vest.

[CM_Stewart]

The 'one fly' concept will be very hard to adapt. As an avid tier I don't feel prepared without a gazillion bugs in my vest.

Then don't worry about it. I think it's mostly marketing hype because it sounds exotic. Sure, there are some tenkara experts in Japan who use only one fly (in different sizes and colors) and one in particular who uses only one color in only one size, but that is the exception, not the rule. Do what you enjoy.