August 17 2012
Best of Show award given to Tenkara USA at IFTD
Written by Daniel
Tenkara USA was just awarded a “Best of Show” award at the International Fly Tackle Dealer show (IFTD)!!! Wohooo! We received the prize for “Best Gift” for the 12ft Iwana tenkara rod, a tenkara line and tenkara flies.
Many people realized that a tenkara rod, tenkara line and tenkara flies make up for the best gift. Either they will be something the experienced fly angler will not already have, or it will be the ideal gift to get someone started into fly fishing.
Here is the Tenkara USA team with the award: (left) Thomas Ferreira (TJ), Daniel, and Masaki Nakano
We also submitted one of our rods as a “Best Freshwater Fly Rod” category. That was a tough one to compete in given that we were going head to head with all the conventional 9ft fly rods in the market. I knew the chances of that prize were extremely slim, but as they did not have a category for “Best Mountain Stream Fly Rod” that was our only chance.
When I asked my friend Tom Sadler what he thought the odds were of the tenkara rod winning the category prize, his response was “exactly the same as the percentage of people doing tenkara within the of fly-fishing”.
congrats!
Congrats Daniel, and the T-USA team,
I showed my neighbor the 11′ Iwana yesterday. He has been fly fishing for fourty years, and after discribing Tenkara to him. He said it sounded like a cane pole technique used in Georgia with a line tied to the tip of his pole and using a fly. He fished this gear last summer with his brother, and has been since he was a kid. He then showed me a couple cane poles. They were very nice, delicate, not typical Bamboo one found here along the river. The rods were one piece, and the handles were just the roots. But not quite as light as you can imagine compared with the carbon rods. He then held the extended Iwana and couldn’t believe the wieght. One of these days we’ll go fishing, then he’ll really see what the difference is.
I think if you can get the Tenkara rod into the hands of more people they will feel the weight, and get them to cast and that will really tell the tale.
I’ve said this before about the casting showing what the line does will be a big point showing people something they can’t imagine. Maybe this along with the Best in Show will help deliver a one two punch. Heck get with a special effects studio to add color to the line frame by frame. I seem to remember an instructional video showing this for western fly fishing casting.
Congratulations Daniel, TJ, Masaki and Jason. A much deserved award. That’s a great tenkara rod, and that set would indeed make a fine gift. Nice to see TUSA (and tenkara generally) get this recognition.
Congratulations! Way to go Tenkara USA!
Congratulations to you Daniel, and to the TenkaraUSA crew. You’ve truly enlightened many and helped change mountain fly fishing in the United States as it we know it.
Now can you please get some products back on the shelves hehe. I’ve got some gifts to buy!
JD
Thats AWESOME GUYS! Great work, another reason to be proud of Tenkara Usa, thanks for all your hard work (and fun)!
Daniel, That is great news and provides a new level of recognition in the industry. It is well deserved.