I just returned to this thread after a week and have to say that many good points have been made. Unfortunately, it seems most comments are offered by those with little knowledge of our struggle in Washington State over the last 25 years to protect wild fish and habitat along with providing a very few "fly fishing only" waters which have been designated as such for many reasons. Hard work, investments in time, labor and love have been the prime efforts by the fly fishing community and the motivation is pretty much 90% resource/environmental and 10% selfish desire to have a little water for our own. If you want to call that 10% elitism, go ahead. Other states with declining and degredated fisheries should take a look at what these so called "elitists" have accomplished. The REGS in our state, flawed as they may be, serve many masters including flyfishing clubs, native american counsels, wildcat steelheaders, wild fish organizations, bass clubs, government management goals and the like. Unfortunately tenkara has fallen between gear definitions. I am sure this will be overcome as soon as WDFW is made aware of the method as a legitimate form of fly fishing. Please be aware. We have a terrible problem with fish mortality. Clearly it has been debated yet no longer disputed that bait fishing kills more sportfish than fishing with a fly. Moreover a fly tied on a barbless hook enhances the possibility of "life after fight" All the line, reel type and technique terminology is a small attempt to maximize the survival rate of trout in lakes and streams that are determined to benifit from more careful angling practices and less pressure. Give us a break here. And remember, a lot of tenkara anglers are new to fishing and have never offered input to regulation change nor been involved in the type of political battles some of the fly fishing clubs in our state have had to endure with great perserverance and grit. If the language in the REGs needs to be modified to include tenkara as a fly fishing method, it eventually will. An understanding and appreciation of the regulatory history in our state will give you an idea as to why it currently is not.