written by Jason

Jeremy (aka adventureR) from the tenkara forum posted about a fun game he calls “Knothead Trout”. It’s not only fun, but is a great way to improve casting accuracy.  And to me, the “fun + simplicity” formula is the most successful way to learn anything–especially fly fishing.

First, he carved a trout out of wood and added magnets for the eyes.  Then, he tied what could only be described as a “safety-pin kebari”, also with magnets.  The goal is to cast your saftey-pin kebari close enough to the wooden trout so that the magnets catch each other and you can pull it in.

At the Summit, we had a contest with some really cool prizes.  The rules were slightly different though. You got five casts and you were only allowed to “manipulate” the fly once (for lawn anglers, that means dragging your magnetic fly across the lawn closer to the target).

Here are some of the prizes that were donated by Dr. Ishigaki including some really unique line clippers, fishing-themed towels, keychains, pins, coasters, and tenkara DVDs:

Here’s a happy winner:

Daniel showing Mike Agneta of Troutrageous how the Knothead Trout game is constructed:

Dr. Ishigaki even gave the game a try.  He didn’t win anything though.  But after getting to know him a little, it wouldn’t surprise me if he intentionally took a dive so that others could have a chance at the cool prizes he donated.  My impression is he’s just that kind of guy but would never admit it.

I was surprised by how many novices were actually able to be accurate enough to catch the prize.  But then again, maybe I shouldn’t be as one who always touts the ease of tenkara.  At any rate, the contest was fun, those who participated learned something, and the winners got some great prizes.  How cool is that?

Many of us might practice our casting on the stream, but it’s probably better to not waste valuable fishing time to refine your cast and practice in the off hours in your backyard when you can’t actually go fishing. You don’t have to do anything as elaborate as hand carve a detailed trout from wood.  It could be something as simple as attaching a magnet to some other lightweight object and slapping a magnet on a safety pin to be your “safety pin kebari”.  Either way, it is an effective way to hone your accuracy, get used to a new rod, or just have fun with kids or tenkara novices.  I don’t know about you, but I can see this blossoming into an official event at the inevitable “Tenkaralympics”.

A big thanks to the entire crew that helped out at this weekends Tenkara Summit!

Day 2 of Tenkara Summit is on, quick lunch break.

Written by Daniel

The idea for a Tenkara Summit originated last year, when Dr. Ishigaki saw pictures of a trip I took to Montana and told me he’d like to go there himself. He needed an excuse to travel abroad, so he asked if I could arrange for him to do a presentation in Montana about tenkara. Not finding other events that matched his schedule, I decided to put up our own. And the Tenkara Summit was born. It really is just an excuse to go fishing in some pretty cool places.

This year’s Tenkara Summit is being held in Salt Lake City, Utah, and we are fortunate to have the participation of 4 special guests from Japan. They travelled to the US at my invitation specifically to show us how they fish tenkara, how they tie tenkara flies, and even how to make a tenkara line – and of course, they were all just looking for a good excuse to go fishing in a new place.

Our guests arrived in San Francisco yesterday. And, today we arrived in Salt Lake City. We have packed a lot in just under two days. So far I took them out for a tour of San Francisco, hitting the touristy highlights of the city; and less than 24 hours later we were fishing in Utah. They are thrilled to be here and really looking forward to meeting all who come to the Summit.

Here are pictures I took yesterday and today.

Left to Right: Daniel, Mr. Ishihara, Mr. Tanaka, Mr. Yamakawa, Yamakawa’s friend who came to greet him at the airport, and Dr. Ishigaki

Mr. Yamakawa, Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Ishihara looking at the Golden Gate Bridge – no tenkara fishing yet…soon.

AND, of course, pictures of some fish we caught today and more fishing pictures. Based on the fishing today, I simply can’t wait for what the next 5 days hold for us!

Yesterday we shared with you the news of a new release in the world of tenkara, “Tying Tenkara Flies” a DVD produced by LearnTenkara.com (available for sale at learntenkara.com and soon here at Tenkara USA). This is by far the best fly-tying DVD ever produced, and we’re lucky it is about tenkara flies. Brian Flemming, the producer and cinematographer, shared one of the entire videos with us for today’s Tenkara Flies on Wednesdays.

In today’s video I share a basic tenkara fly pattern, my variation of Mr. Amano’s tenkara fly. I use peacock herl as the collar and whatever feather and line they had on hand when I tied the video – I believe it was partridge for the feather and silk line. Coincidentally, as we’re just about to board a plane for the second Tenkara Summit, this video was shot on my last day in Montana after last year’s Tenkara Summit. I came over to Brian’s house to make this video just hours before departing Montana. It was probably midnight when we started shooting and even with the shot of whiskey and being super tired, I am glad to see my speech wasn’t too slurred.

Enjoy it.

Written by Daniel

The first DVD about tenkara fly-tying ever made is now being released by LearnTenkara.com. Not only is this the first DVD focused on tenkara flies, but as far as I know it is the highest-quality fly-tying DVD ever put together. The quality is highly professional throughout every minute of this 2.5 hour DVD (17 fly patterns). Some serious content in there and well worth the price ($24.98). Seriously, I have never seen a DVD like this about fly-tying, the commentary is great, the content new and refreshing and the video quality superb. You can watch the preview below for an idea of how good it is.

The DVD is already available for pre-sale directly from LearnTenkara.com , it will  be available for sale at the Tenkara Summit and will also be available for sale here at Tenkara USA starting approximately July 30th.

Tenkara Anglers Hold Convention in Salt Lake City

For Immediate Release

Salt Lake City, Utah - Practitioners of a Japanese style of fly fishing called “tenkara” will hold a convention July 28^th to 29^th in Salt Lake City, drawing anglers from around the world.

This weekend, anglers who practice an unusual form of fly fishing known as “tenkara” will participate at a second annual event dedicated to the method. The Tenkara Summit will be held at the University of Utah Campus.

Tenkara is unique in that unlike Western fly-fishing, no reel is used.  Instead, the line is affixed directly to the rod.  The method originated in Japan and was introduced to the USA by Daniel Galhardo through his company Tenkara USA— the main sponsor of the event.  Since its introduction in 2009, tenkara has seen a steady rise in popularity in North America, South America, the EU, and Australia.

A similar event was held last year in Yellowstone National Park. This year the interest was so great that more than twice the number of participants will be attending, flying in from all over the US to enjoy the event and the fishing in Utah. Around 300 people are expected to attend the event, far exceeding Tenkara USA founder Daniel Galhardo’s expectations.

Galhardo says, “The Tenkara Summit, an event I started last year, is intended to bring together the passionate community of tenkara anglers from all corners of the US and beyond.”

Several Japanese tenkara experts will be coming from Japan especially to attend and give demonstrations. Galhardo sees this as an important step in preserving tenkara as it is translated to a Western audience.

“We’re very proud to count on the special participation of very experienced tenkara anglers from Japan, including Dr. Ishigaki, the most prominent authority on tenkara. With the Tenkara Summit I want to spread the knowledge about tenkara and how it is practiced in Japan”, says Galhardo.

The Tenkara Summit is being co-organized by Salt Lake City-based Tenkara Guides, LLC—a company specializing in guided tenkara fly fishing trips.  They will also be giving guided trips and clinics throughout the event.

For more information, visit www.tenkarausa.com/summit 

About Tenkara USA

Tenkara USA is a fully independent, US-based company. Founded in 2009 by Daniel W. Galhardo. Tenkara USA is the first and company in the US dedicated to bringing the traditional method of Japanese fly-fishing, tenkara, to those in pursuit of a simpler and more effective way to fly-fish mountain streams.

About Tenkara Guides 

Tenkara Guides is a tenkara based fly fishing guide service specializing in Utah streams and rivers. They provide guided excursions using unique, effective, easy to learn methods of tenkara fly fishing perfectly suited to Utah’s waters. Their certified professional guides will design a unique trip customized to your schedule, level of experience, and craving for adventure.

written by Jason

With the 2012 Tenkara Summit only a few days away, I’m starting to think of what I’ll be taking.  Of course, there is the standard clothing, suitcase, fishing gear, Utah fishing license, etc., but I thought it would be useful to put together a list of some less obvious things that might come in handy at the actual summit itself.

1. Flies to share or trade.  A lot of people in the Tenkara USA forum have already been talking about bringing their favorite patterns along to share and you should too.  It’s not only a great way to connect with fellow tenkara anglers, but if you give a fly, you’re likely to get one in return.  This is a unique opportunity to see what other tenkara anglers are using and to get some design ideas for your own tying.
2. An empty fly box with labels.  Since it’s likely you’ll end up with some free flies, the last thing you want is to get home and forgot who gave you what, or what kind of dubbing was used on that one pattern you really want to tie.  Bring an empty fly box and labels or small pieces of paper so you can write down who gave you the pattern, its recipe, and any other special notes you want to make about it.  You never know, these flies might become collector’s items someday!
3. Promo items.  If you have a blog, bring some stickers, hats, or other promo items to hand out to promote your blog.  This is a great way to get the word out about your website and network with readers and other bloggers.
4. Business cards.  It’s a lot easier to hand someone you want to connect with a business card than to scavange around for a pen to write down their name and email on a napkin.
5. A pen and notepad.  There is going to be a LOT of information given out during the scheduled events and you might want to make a few notes.  Plus, you’ll probably get lots of free advice from other attendees that would be worth writing down.  I’m bringing a small note pad and mini space pen that will easily fit in my pocket.  If you don’t have business cards, a pen and notepad will also come in handy.
6. A real camera.  For many of us, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  Do you want to come back with dingy iPhone pictures?  Bring a real digital camera—one that has video too.  You’ll be glad you got higher quality pictures–especially if the chance arises to get your photo taken with a celebrity like Dr. Ishigaki!
7. A list of questions.  The Tenkara Summit is the largest gathering of tenkara experts on Earth and the only place to tap in such a collective body of knowledge on the subject.  Don’t slap your head when you get home saying, “I should have asked about…”  It’s a good idea to sit down and write out a list of questions ahead of time to ask the experts.  It’s probably an even better idea to ask the same question to more than one person, as each might have their own unique perspective.

What else would you suggest bringing to the Summit?

written by Jason
  

Back when I “matched the hatch” and carried various stages of each species of insect, my fly boxes were the epitome of organization.  Each pattern was grouped together by type and size and always in the same quantity.  If I had six of every other fly in the box, but only five of one pattern (or I lost one), I would promptly tie one more just to make sure the quantities were all the same.  I even went so far as to hook and re-hook the fly next to it’s box mate two or three times to ensure even perfectly even spacing.  Row after row of perfectly arranged and composed patterns and colors.  When opened, my unfolded fly boxes resembled pointillist paintings and I swear that if you squinted your eyes and stared at them long enough, you would see some kind of hidden image come to life like in those op-art posters.

Fast forward to today and my fly box (notice the lack of “-es” on the end of the word “box”) looks more like someone threw a bunch of hooks and feathers in a blender and then haphazardly poured them into each of the compartments.  My fly box is a mess and I know it.  People sometimes ask me, “how do you find anything in there?” To which I reply, “Easy, I don’t look for anything.”

In tenkara, the actual fly itself doesn’t really matter as much as what you do with it.  When asked how he decides which fly to fish, tenkara master Dr. Ishigaki always answers that he doesn’t give it much thought.  He just picks a fly and fishes it.  Of course, he essentially ties one pattern so when you only have one choice to begin with, the decision is pretty easy.  This rejection of finding the “right” fly is at the heart of the tenkara one fly approach.  It’s something I’ve been practicing and maybe that explains my newfound rejection of fly box organization.  I just pick a fly and go with it.  And somehow, it works.

One thing is for sure though.  The obsessive-compulsive me from my match-the-hatch days would have a heart attack if he opened my fly box today.  But then, he hasn’t heard of tenkara yet so I’ll cut him some slack.

How do you organize your fly box(es)?  Are you a neat freak, a slob (like me), or somewhere in between?

Written by Jason

Daniel has been posting a lot of flies from tenkara anglers in Japan over on the Tenkara USA Facebook page lately (click here to see Daniel’s summary from his blog post yesterday).  They’re all beautiful and unique but one in particular struck me as distinctly different.  It was the Kurobe kebari tied by Mr. Fujioka.  At first glance, this fly might not seem like anything special.  But what I found so interesting about it was the fact that the hackle was palmered.  “Palmered” means that the hackle is wound through the body of the fly, rather than just at the head as in many tenkara flies.  It reminded me of some of the classic British palmered flies such as the Wickham’s Fancy or Soldier Palmer.  While I knew that not all tenkara flies are tied in the reverse hackle sakasa kebari style, it was the first time I had seen a tenkara fly with palmered hackle.  And it got me thinking…

Even though I’ve mostly given up my entomological pursuits, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a simple fact.  Real insects don’t have legs that point out from their head like a sakasa kebari.  They have legs splayed out through their thorax. Some point forward, some point back.  And when they’re tumbling or swimming, they could point in any given direction in what must resemble more of a jumbled mess than a neat “paint brush”.  It would seem then that a palmered fly would more closely replicate an insect than a pattern with hackle just behind the eye.

And the more I thought of it, I discovered a couple of other reasons why palmered flies would seem to make sense.

For one, they offer the illusion of more movement.  If one of the keys to the sakasa kebari’s effectiveness is the motion in its hackle, then wouldn’t it look like more things were moving if the hackle were spread out rather than concentrated all in one place?

Another is segmentation.  Palmering the hackle through the body leaves gaps between the wraps that create a segmented look (another buggy hallmark). And, it does this without the need to add any extra ribbing material like copper wire.

So after all of this, I decided to try to tie some Palmered style flies.  As soon as I got going, I realized how open to experimentation this style is.  There are literally an infinite number of material and color combinations you could use for the body, thorax, and abdomen.  I actually had a hard time settling on which ones to chose for my first go.  Obviously, this will be an ongoing experiment but here are a few to get started…

Recipe:  Olive & Yellow

Hook:  Any eyeless hook
Thread:  Olive 8/0
Eye:  #2 silk bead cord, brown
Abdomen:  Yellow turkey biot
Thorax:  Olive dubbing
Hackle:  Olive grizzly saddle

Recipe:  Grey

Hook:  Any eyeless hook
Thread:  Grey 8/0
Eye:  #2 silk bead cord, red
Abdomen:  Grey turkey biot
Thorax:  Grey dubbing
Hackle:  Natural grizzly saddle

Recipe:  Peacock & Gold

Hook:  Any eyeless hook
Thread:  Black 8/0
Eye:  #2 silk bead cord, black
Abdomen:  Gold wire, med.
Thorax:  Peacock sword
Hackle:  Black saddle

Recipe:  Brown & Orange Pheasant

Hook:  Any eyeless hook
Thread:  Orange 8/0
Eye:  #2 silk bead cord, white
Abdomen:  Pheasant tail
Thorax:  Burnt orange dubbing
Hackle:  Pheasant hackle

Seeing these flies from Japan has really got me thinking beyond sakasa kebari.   Back when I thought the only tenkara flies were sakasa kebari, it felt kind of limiting. But now, I have a new sense of freedom and a whole world of tenkara fly tying opportunities ahead of me.

What styles of tenkara flies have you tied that are “outside the box”?

For a couple of weeks we have been posting numerous interesting tenkara fly patterns on our Facebook page - daily. Many of these were tied by Mr. Yoshikazu Fujioka, my teacher on the aspect of tenkara flies, and several others were tied by tenkara anglers I have met and exchanged flies with in Japan.

Tenkara fly collection

There are some amazing gems amidst the collection. Though the sakasa kebari (or, reverse-hackle fly) are the most prominent and characteristic type of tenkara fly, not all of them are tied in that fashion. Here’s a chart that Mr. Fujioka put together about the most common styles of tenkara flies. See where the flies below will fit within the chart.

Several flies we are featuring are interpretations of historical flies by Mr. Fujioka, some are modern creations and a few may have been passed down from father to son.  If you get a chance, join our Facebook page for the daily inspiration provided by these tenkara flies. Or, check in here in a couple of weeks for more flies.

Here are some highlights of the flies we have posted so far:

Morioka Kebari. Tenkara fly tied by Mr. Fujioka using rooster, silk and peacock herl

Written by Jason

 
“Trout Hangouts” is an ongoing series in which I highlight one specific element or structure of a river, stream, creek, or lake where trout like to hold and talk about how to approach it. Many fly fishers might know how to fish, but not necessarily where to fish. By dissecting the complicated infrastructures of different types of waters into more focused, manageable pieces, any angler can learn how to read the water and figure out exactly where to cast and apply their skills.

How to fish whitewater runs

In a recent post, I talked about how fish seek out slower water when rivers are high and muddy.  The same rule applies under normal conditions in faster, whitewater runs.  While it might be tempting to throw your fly right in the middle of a fast run (because that’s probably the deepest part) it’s not a good holding spot for trout.

First of all, it’s too fast.  Trout seek out places where they don’t have to spend a lot of energy to stay in one place.  But, they also want to leverage the current to carry insects and other food to them.  Essentially, they want to find a lie with a good balance between energy spent vs. energy received.  Holding in whitewater just takes too much energy.

Secondly, whitewater is, well, white.  With the water churning so violently, it becomes opaque, making it difficult for the fish to see potential food.  So even if they did want a workout, they wouldn’t be able to see a nymph if it were right in front of them.  Or, by the time they did, it would be long gone because of the speed of the current.

Take a look at the picture above.  The green arrows represent where I would focus my presentations.  Notice I’m targeting the slower water around the edges of the whitewater.  These are the best holding spots for trout in a run like this.  Notice too that I’m not only fishing the edges, but the very tail of the run.  Fish will hold here too even if it is a only short distance because they get the benefit of the whitewater above them stirring up insects from the bottom, without having to struggle to hold in the faster water.  Essentially, you want to carve out the whitewater with your presentations.

Leave whitewater for the kayakers.  For the fly angler, the slower moving edges are the more exciting part!