The description for the purpose of this section of the forum states, "Tenkara is a new type of fishing to the US, and information (particularly in English) is sparse. This is the place to build a knowledge base of Tenkara."

I'm not sure that statement is still accurate.

I get the feeling that only a few months ago, on any given evening, I could easily search out everything new written in English on the internet about Tenkara and read it all in less than an hour. No so today. Trying to keep up with everything written about Tenkara in English has become a serious time sink.

There are several web sites, blogs, , twitter, facebook, links to magazine or newspaper articles, tenkara sections added to existing fishing forums, a new DVD on how-to tie and use several Tenkara Flies ( including the confidence to call it Vol. 1 ), and on and on.

The English speaking Tenkara sand box has broadened to the point it's difficult or impossible to see the boundaries. So many players are busy building their idea of what a Tenkara Sand Castle ought to look like that some players are getting sand in their eyes. Unnecessarily in my opinion. The Tsunami of Tenkara knowledge, information, chat, nonsense or opinion written in English has roared in like winter surf at Waimea Bay or Sunset Beach.

Previous Tenkara Summits or similar events had one native Japanese Tenkara teacher. This year there are 4. Much will be written in English about the activities and information shared during this event. It feels like the English speaking Tenkara world has reached exponential growth.

http://www.mathwarehouse.com/exponential-growth/images/formula_exponential_growth3.png



Here's a Mind Map showing the Exponential growth of Mind mapping

http://www.mindmapart.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/exponential-growth-mind-map-paul-foreman.jpg



Another Mind Map about doing things differently. How would Tenkara be mapped differently ? Or similarly?
http://www.mindmapart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Doing-Things-Differently-Mind-Map-by-Paul-Foreman.jpg



Makes me wonder what a Mind Map would look like for the growth of Tenkara in the English speaking world and the growth in information about Tenkara in English.

D

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テンカラ釣りは楽しいのです。

I feel this way about here on this forum. If one were just now to find an interest in T-USA's forum. It would be quite a task to read everything. and that's just here. Exponential growth indeed.

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テンカラのイモリ
Tenkara Mushroom

I've noticed the sale thing. I used to be able to find everything that was written on Tenkara in the last 24 hours wih a quick search. But now there is so much content it's overwhelming. I can't help but think its a good thing. Someone at the summit asked Dr. Ishigaki of he thought there were more Tenkara anglers in the U.S. he said not yet but thinks there will be in the future. And given the explosion of content I've seen over the last three years I think he's right.

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My blog: Tenkara Talk
Tenkara USA Rods: Amago, Ayu, Ayu Series II, Ebisu, Ito, Iwana 11', Iwana 12', Yamame
Other Tenkara USA Gear: Tamo, Strap Pack, 3.5 & 4.5 Level Line, 10.5 ft. & 13 ft. Traditional Line, Line Spools

I think there are a couple of types of people that take up tenkara.

a. Those that are newish to fishing

b. Those experienced that realize just how easy it is to fish a small stream.

I think the "growth" is promoted by the fact that a fly line costs $80 and a good fly rod is $700 and good waders are EXPENSIVE.

The cost of fly fishing is killing fly fishing, tenkara is going to augment this crowd like snowboarding did to skiing. Like kite surfing did to windsurfing, like SUP, it's taking off because it is easy...


...and there are other manufactures of tenkara rods out there too, tenkara rods that have been made for decades.


It does not matter, people are learning that it is Japanese and they are embracing it and making it their own as it should be.


I think that the growth is fantastic and at the same time, I don't see people fishing it. The places I fish, no one is around, that's why I fish them. When I park the car and get ready to hike, people are still stringing up their fly rods, I have not meet one single tenkara angler at the parking lot or seen anyone fish tenkara on crowded streams. I avoid crowds, avoid people, fishing is for peace and quiet and to get away from the city.

No rock star, silence, stealth, quiet, you don't even know I'm there unless you look for me.

Fishing to me is no "high church" and people that think fly fishing is better than spin fishing (or tenkara is better than fly fishing) are definately the people that I avoid.

Fishing is fishing...

It's a choice and tenkara, fly or spin can be done with good ethos.

Your choice.

The Japanese practice all kinds of fishing, there is a large small stream spin fishing crowd and tenkara is not so big, not so many people do it in the big picture of fishing, there are more fly fishers than tenkara anglers.

Tenkara may be VERY important to you but there are other types of fishing.

Ask your Japanese friends, probably they will say the same thing as Dr. Ishigaki. I don't know him, I do know he is EVERYWHERE that tenkara is (It looks like a young Dr. Ishigaki fishing in Hiromich Fuji film, looking like a stream ninja, it is cool)

Tenkara is growing no doubt, exponential rate?

I think it is saturating the fly fishing community more than growing fishing in numbers.

I would say up to a third of the people that fish tenkara do not know what a streamer is or how to tie a perfection loop or how a split bamboo rod is made. But man, with a tenkara rod, they can catch fish almost keeping up with a talented fly rodder.

My thoughts are that fishing is probably on the decline as a whole, tenkara may be slowing that down, don't know, doesn't matter to me but I enjoy chit chatting about it with others.

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www.tenkara-fisher.net

Counterpoint:

But of course exponential growth was an absurd exaggeration used to make the point that compared to two years ago or only one year ago - It is very difficult to keep up with all new Tenkara content on English language webpages on a day to day basis. ( to time consuming for me to keep up with all the blogs, forums and videos)

There are also several other tenkara related web pages in languages other than English or Japanese that are fairly accessible. In particular the Italian and Russian language web pages and youtube channels that provide a lot of interesting content that did not exist two years ago.

( I'm still thinking about what my mind map of my involvement in tenkara would look like )

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テンカラ釣りは楽しいのです。

If you need graphs and formulae to explain the growth of Tenkara you have missed the primary determinate.

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"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." - - Albert Einstein

I've been away for nearly 2 years and I can't believe how much more info is available on the internet about this type of fishing.

Thanks all,
Jay

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Fast enough to get there but slow enough to see...

Peterberger Bike Adventures