2010 Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Today Midcurrent sent out a newsletter with a topic named "Fearless Fly Fishing Predictions - 2010". No one explicitly said 2010 was going to be the year of tenkara fly-fishing - when newcomers and experienced anglers discover that fly-fishing is really simple and these anglers realize for themselves that the long tenkara rods provide significant advantages to fishing, and that reels are really not necessary in most small stream fishing - but everyone seemed to have these thoughts near their words. We particularly liked the second prediction, by author Lou Ureneck: "One of the best things about fishing is its resistance to change. Too much technology, too fast, seems an affront to the soul of the sport. So my hope (and prediction) for the New Year is that fishing will find its equivalent to Europe's slow-food movement — cooking based on local ingredients, prepared slowly and with care for taste and health. A slow-fishing movement would return us to the health of our local streams, fishing deliberately, maybe with a youngster at our side, with cell phone apps and iPod ear plugs safely out of sight. Just a man and a fish, with a rod and a line between." Other interesting predictions were: "...the continued Balkanization, or specialization, or fracturing, or whatever you want to call it, among fly anglers... the various fly-fishing subcultures—tournament bass fishermen, carp anglers, steelheaders, backcountry saltwater fishermen and so on —will continue to define themselves more distinctly and vocally." - Ted Leeson, Author. He failed to include tenkara anglers in the subcultures, but you are part of a distinct, and shall we say, a very cool group of anglers! "Trends for trouties: The European proliferation of deadly nymphing techniques will continue to gnaw on Yank rod makers, who after many years of ignoring anything longer than 8 1/2 ft. and 9 ft. rods for regular fishing are going to convince users of the versatility found in longer (9 1/2 on up) equipment." - Paul Bruun, Columnist and Guide. Huh! Our prediction is that 2010 will be an awesome year for angling with a rod, line and a fly; when angling will be the simple and relaxing experience we crave, when you don't need to (though you may still want to) travel far to enjoy pristine waters and wild fish, and perhaps a year of retirement for your underworked reel. This will be a tenkara fly-fishing year for many anglers throughout the world who will enjoy the simplicity and relaxation only tenkara allows.