A writeup about In Search of Tenkara Part 3 is below. In case you missed parts 1 and 2:
In Search of Tenkara, Part 2:

In Search of Tenkara, Part 1:

About “In Search of Tenkara, Part 3″:
Let me get this out of the way first: I used non-tenkara flies, split shot and even a bobber! Let me explain (and I cover this in the video too).
Over the last couple of days my “one fly” (technique over gear) approach was really challenged. For over 2.5 years I have chosen to stick with one fly pattern and focus on refining techniques, as my teachers in Japan have taught me, to see how far I could go with using one fly pattern.
I once said to a class that “the one fly approach works…until it doesn’t”. In streams, spring creeks and rivers thorough the US, in different seasons, the approach has so far always worked. However, I have been waiting for a moment to be shown that it does not; and when the moment came I would not be above changing flies. I thought this finally would be the time where “one fly” would be proven to not work everywhere.
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If you’re like most fly anglers, you like flies. Small and large, dull and shiny, reversed or “normal”. As we have introduced tenkara outside of Japan, we have focused on telling the story of tenkara, on sharing the fascinating layers of a method that has been practiced in Japan for centuries. I have gone to Japan numerous times and have spent a lot of time with multiple tenkara masters to learn the method as a whole. I did that to learn things that I couldn’t have learned otherwise, and to share the story with anyone who is interested.

Through tenkara, we have learned that we can make nets out of one branch of a tree. We have learned about flies made from snake skin, and flies made with dubbing from a plant. And, we have learned that most Japanese tenkara anglers of nowadays, perhaps largely influenced by their commercial angler predecessors, use only one fly pattern and focus on learning and refining technique rather than second-guessing fly choice. We also learned that a tenkara rod is just a tool, and in the end ANY fly will work. These are things I have shared on this blog for no purpose other than tell the true story of a method of fishing that I find fascinating, and perhaps to inspire folks to realize how simple fly-fishing can be. It’s never to tell people to simplify their fishing, simply to say it is possible to simplify it.

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This is one of the most difficult concepts to embrace in tenkara, but in my view the most liberating. What I am talking about is the idea of using [any] one fly pattern in pursuit of trout in mountain streams. I have talked at length about the idea of not getting caught up on the western fly-fishing mentality of changing flies in order to catch trout, but rather to learn techniques to use your one fly in many conditions. Instead of relying on gear (i.e. changing of fly patterns), one can rely on his skills to make the fly work in any situation. This is not something I tell people they have to do with tenkara, it’s simply something I say is possible, and very effective.

If you are short on time, the main content I want to share is the section titled “Techniques” below, which talks about the 6 main techniques used in tenkara.

Getting comfortable with the idea that one fly pattern is sufficient takes time and some degree of dedication, but most importantly it takes knowing that this is something you want and something that suits you. It is not something most people can or should be convinced of, they have to know they want this degree of liberation in order to seek it. Much like tenkara, those who get it, get it and will eventually try it on their own pace, and it is not for everyone.

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Ever since getting into the discipline of using one fly pattern/style only, with no great concern for choosing the “right” fly, but rather focusing proper fishing technique (presentation and manipulation of the fly), there have been moments of doubt. However, I have chosen to rely less on gear and perfect technique instead. I wanted to learn more, to become proficient at fishing, not spend my time changing flies. Further, I’m very attracted to the idea that whether I catch a fish or not is entirely up to me and my technique, and that if a fish is not biting maybe I could do something slightly different. This thought, that maybe it’s not my fly selection, but rather my technique on fishing it, have dramatically pushed me to become a better angler. I have stuck with using a tenkara fly only (mostly size 12), no matter where I fish, or what is hatching.  Also, absolutely no indicators, no floatant and no weight!  To once again borrow the words of Yvon Chouinard on the subject, “I believe the way toward mastery of any endeavor is to work toward simplicity; replace complex technology with knowledge, hard work and skill.”

Since the idea of sticking with one fly and relying solely on my technique is still relatively new to me, sometimes doubt creeps in. This is especially true if I find myself  fishing a bigger, slower river, like the Madison, for which everyone has advice on what fly to use and for which there are dozens of books on what specific patterns to use at different times of the year, etc. And, it’s also true if I find myself in the company of very experienced anglers, like John Gierach and Ed Engle, who may be using different patterns in a stream they know well. And, it is especially the case if the day is slow.  In these situations it’s very easy to lose confidence in my technique, in the techniques I can use to attract fish, and start thinking that maybe they are right! But are they? The western thought of matching the hatch is so ingrained in our minds that it’s hard to let go of it and realize that a couple of hundred years ago professional tenkara anglers, in the mountains of Japan, who depended on catching trout for a living, made it happen with one fly pattern and flawless technique. Nowadays that is the approach taken by tenkara anglers in Japan, for sport, and they continue catching fish.

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Despite the prolific hatches I witnessed while visiting the Itoshiro River in Japan –  I saw large size 8 mayflies flying around every day, small caddis flies, some stoneflies, not to mention the numerous damsel flies, and midges – matching the hatch is really not something you do, or need to do in tenkara. As a matter of fact, it’s widely agreed among the entire tenkara population that you do not need more than one pattern to be very effective at catching fish, even if one angler will usually believe his fly is better for some reason. As a matter of fact almost all tenkara anglers stick with one fly pattern only, and these are traded as if they were business cards.

It’s funny, but sometimes I’d point out the big mayflies hatching to Dr. Ishigaki. He’d look at them, and shrug, as if to say “okay, nice, now let’s go fishing”. After a while I just stopped pointing to the bugs, and by the end of my trip they were interesting to see the way birds are, but no longer very relevant to my fishing.

A large mayfly landed on Ishigaki sensei's vest

So, if there is one point Dr. Ishigaki, probably the most renowned tenkara angler in Japan, and I would like for people to know even if they choose to ignore it, is this: you only need one fly pattern to successfully fish in streams with running water. It doesn’t matter what pattern you choose, some people prefer the sakasa flies (reverse hackle), some people the soft-hackle flies, and a few will use what look like dry flies. I’d recommend one of the traditional reverse-hackle tenkara style flies (sakasa kebari), for reasons I’ll cover on a later post on fly manipulation and presentation. You may generally pay attention to size, e.g. using flies that are slightly larger if that is the size of bugs found on the stream or if you want extra visibility (e.g. for a faster than usual stream), or smaller if the fish are scared or those are the sizes of bugs found on the stream. And, perhaps color for visibility. But, that’s about it.

Ishigaki sensei tying his famous, simple pattern.

Essentially, in faster running streams fish have few opportunities to eat, additionally they have poor eyesight. Having to decide very quickly whether to go for something floating around, they will often go for anything properly presented to them. If you’ve ever seen footage of trout feeding, you’have seen they will go for leaves, and rocks  going by, and even for bugs with a big hook sticking behind, so why not any fly. After I first heard of the concept, I was able to narrow my flies down to two choices, a floating elk-hair caddis and the Ishigaki fly pattern. Now I realize one is enough, and have converted, I think you can too, if you so choose.

How did he get to that conclusion?

When Ishigaki sensei started in tenkara fishing he didn’t catch many fish. Following the scarce advice from a few books and magazines available at the time, he’d switch flies if one was not working. Additionally, the books suggested specific colors and sizes based on the time of year. Not happy with not catching fish, but wanting to know why and with his background as a scientist, Dr. Ishigaki embarked on a series of experiments on trout feeding.

Some of his first research was on the vision of fish (he’s a doctor/professor in the field of vision studies), and he concluded that their vision was very poor, and they generally can not distinguish shapes or colors. That, along with their instincts to eat food when available, and the moving water they live in, does not allow fish to select what to eat, except for the obvious size discrepancies,  perhaps.

Due to his research, which received much notoriety in Japan some 30 years ago, getting very widely published in fishing magazines, and even on the major tv shows, he was put in touch with many of the tenkara experts at the time. During these meetings, he noticed that every expert only used one fly pattern while fishing, but each one used a slightly different fly, and still caught as many fish, and as effectivelly, as the next guy. So, he figured, fish will probably bite anything! (as long as it’s properly presented/manipulated)

A wet tenkara fly, the Ishigaki kebari

Give it a try too!

Being under the tutelage of Ishigaki sensei and having had the “pressure” to fish with one fly exclusively over my time in Japan,  helped ascertain a new level of confidence in my abilities to catch a fish, not on the fly’s ability to attract one. Before the trip I had narrowed my choices of flies to two, a dry fly (elk-hair caddis) and a sakasa kebari. Now I’m a one fly convert. I’d urge you to give one fly a fair try for several days of fishing, you’ll simplify your fishing, learn how to use the fly properly, spend less time changing flies, more time fishing them, and finally, I believe you’ll enjoy your time fishing more.

In coming days I’ll share with you some interesting fly patterns I have come across, as well as the techniques to present and manipulate the flies.