All,

Thanks to your thousands of posts, I've learned everything about Tenkara except how to actually catch a fish. My wife and I have been out four times with our new rods and I'd appreciate your input on our setup. We're fishing random Colorado streams that we either find on a map, hike to or drive past on our trips to the mountains, with little thought as to whether they actually hold fish. We're in it for the simplicity, the peace and tranquility. But catching a fish would be nice since we're 0-4; skunked. Heck, even seeing some fish would make us happy. Think Duck Creek, Geneva Creek, Bear Creek and some other variations of that. No wading, just some super-stealth bank creeping and helpful bushes and boulders make us feel like fishing ninjas, throwing into pools, around logs, and evidently everywhere the fish aren't.

Currently, we've used:
-14 and 16 Parachute Adams
-14 and 16 Elk Hair Caddis (her "confidence" fly)
-16 Pale Morning Dun
-18 Griffith's Gnat

I'd like to throw in a nymph and also a kebari - can you recommend one of each (including size) that might work? Are the flies we're currently using a good choice? We're running a furled line but just got some level line to play with as well. Ideally, we wouldn't carry more than four types of fly - back to that whole simplicity game. I also presume you'll tell me that technique trumps flies.

If any of you get out for some after work fishing close to Lone Tree, Colorado and wouldn't mind joining two clumsy neophytes, let me know. If you're a wizard and will show us what we're doing wrong, there would be a pint or two of a delicious IPA in it for you.

I'm fairly new to this as well, but the first thing I'd suggest is polarized glasses. Make sure there are fish where you are fishing? I don't necessarily mean the exact hole or spot, but make sure you see fish somewhere in the stream you are fishing.

Where I fish (Wisconsin and recently South Dakota) I have plenty of success with tan elk hair caddis flies. I find them easy to cast, easy to see, easy to dry when they wet out.

I've been trying to approach this from the simplicity side of things as well. Those flies have worked well enough for me that they are my go-to fly.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

For nymphs, use lightly weighted flies. Tenkara rods have such soft flexible tips that heavy tungsten beaded flies cast like crap. As far as size of flies, just look around at the bugs and critters in the water and pick something roughly the same size and color.

The most common error in technique we see on guided trips is that people have a hard time grasping the concept of keeping the line off of the water. Keep that line tight and off of the water, you are probably getting strikes and not knowing it if you have slack line in the water.

For learning about how to read streams get this book: http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=9C0H

This book will help your fishing success better than anything else right now.

John

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Tenkara Guides LLC

Some good tips have already been posted. I can tell you on VERY similar water last weekend we cleaned up with Killer Kebaris on brook trout. Late afternoon and early evening when it had clouded up were best.

PM sent.

matchswain, you'll catch a fish soon.
I'll certainly second Kid's suggestion about polarized sunglasses. I notice my wife sees less than 1/5 the number of fish I see and misses A LOT of fish. She uses prescription glasses and hasn't gotten around to getting polarized glasses (and she stopped using contacts recently), but on her next prescription I urged she get polarized glasses. It will help.

Sometimes if I'm not seeing fish at all I'll move around a bit and try to scare some fish to make sure they are there. For the most part there will be fish just about anywhere, but it helps build confidence if you know they are there.

About flies, I have no problems suggesting people just use one tenkara fly. That's what I do with every beginner I take out. They will take it.
But, if you need a mix for confidence:
size 12 elk-hair caddis
18 Griffith's Gnat
12 tenkara, ishigaki kebari

There is just no reason you will not catch a fish in the streams you describe with these flies. Second-guessing fly choice can be counterproductive.

My next suggestion will be just to move. If you don't catch a fish in a pool with whatever fly you chose, then move to the next. Spend 3-5 casts in each pool only.

As for techniques, try a combination of keeping the fly near the surface by keeping line off the water and sinking the fly by getting more of your line in the water (and keep the line relatively tight so you don't miss fish).
You will catch fish.

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Tenkara USA, founder
打仁得流, テンカラ大使
About me and Tenkara USA

In my opinion, the flies you already listed are about as good as they come. The parachute adams and elk hair caddis have been my two go-to flies for years. The pmd is good if you see small light colored mayflies on the water. If you want to add a sakasa kebari, just go for the Ishigaki kebari as a good standard choice.

To me, what you describe about not catching fish is not so much about fly choice, but more about finding the places and times to fish. Here are some suggestions to get started:

The easiest way to find spots to fish is to look for activity. Look for rises, splashes, or flashes. Move around until you find some activity. Activity is proof positive that fish are there and are taking. Time of day can make a big difference. Generally, fish are most active at dawn or dusk and least active at midday. But this rule varies because you can find fish activity at mostly any time.

A closely related way to find places to fish is to look for insects over the water, either hatching, laying eggs, or falling back spent. If there are aquatic insects around, then generally fish are around.

As you can tell from reading the forum, there many techniques for fishing. However, since you're looking for that first fish with the mostly dry flies you have, I'd suggest starting by doing a natural drift. This means just letting the tippet touch the water and keep the fly drifting exactly with the current with no external drag due to your line.

Consider trying some of the tips suggested in this thread and check back and let us know how you're doing. It's the start of a fun adventure, so hang in there. Good luck!

- Jack

In addition to other great points above I would offer:

Another way to tell if there are fish in a stream, aside from seeing fish and/or their fry, is to look at the rock in the river. If you find lots of caddis shucks on the sides and tops of the rock, you find a good source of food this time of year and are likely to get into some fish. Turn over some rocks from the stream bed to see if you find mayfly or stonefly nymphs. These are another good indicator of fish in a river. If you are hard pressed to find their food, you will be harder pressed to find trout.

I also noticed you are mentioning mostly dry flies, which is the most dependent of a natural drift. Might I suggest using a Kebari. This fly can be fished on the surface, but also in the currents. The twitches and movement in the currents can give these flies movement and life. Therefore they are more forgiving in those times when you don't have the drift.

Just some ideas.

Keep at it. I promise, once you start catching fish it doesn't stop. We all have had our bad days on the water. I will trade any bad day on the water, for one at work. The fish are not the only rewards for these adventures.

Thanks, everyone, for some very helpful replies. I took it all to heart and didn't respond to your posts until I found success. We've concentrated on technique, stealth, limiting our flies, and finally last week I got out and caught a small brook trout. As I pulled it in, I wondered if a larger fish would come by and take it - it was that small, haha. But it felt very good, like I'd finally laced up my boots and started on a journey that I know will take me to some beautiful places. My wife caught her first last night, which of course was twice the size of my fish - now I'm trying to figure out if competitive fire and serenity can coexist in couples Tenkara.

Thanks again.

Congratulations, this is great to hear! I suggested in one of the posts above to make sure that fish are there and taking, to look for activity like fish rising, splashing, and making rings. One of the next steps is to start learning which rises are made by smaller fish and which by larger fish. Also start observing what kind of water larger fish like to inhabit.

"A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step." From the Tao te Jing by Lao Tsu, but apt for life and tenkara.

It will all unfold. Enjoy!

-Jack

matchswain: Awesome job! I've only been fly fishing for about 5 years and Tenkara fishing for not quite 4 weeks. I still remember catching my first fish on a fly. I joked that I would like to catch a fish big enough to hang out of both sides of my hand when I picked it up.

I've caught more fish on Tenkara using a Kebari fly than any other (realize that I've only been Tenkara fishing for less than a month and have caught about a dozen fish). Most of the hits I've received were on a kebari fly which I was pulsing every 2 seconds or so.

Also, I really like that Orvis book suggestion. I'm going to get it.