Tenkara Tuesday - Altamont, and the Tenkara Incident

Welcome to Tenkara Tuesday.

For today's installment, I'm honored to present a guest post by Ron Giesecke, a new-ish tenkara angler who has been chronicling his experiences on his own blog, A Tenkara Journey. If you've never had the pleasure of reading Ron's blog, I'd highly recommend setting aside a little bit of time to do such.  His dry sense of humor will draw you in at first post.

In this installment of Tenkara Tuesday, Ron goes a bit unconventional, and examines the many ways to break your tenkara rod - a nightmare to some, but extremely funny when it's not your graphite pole. Please Enjoy!

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A recent sojourn to the McCloud River’s labyrinthine accesses to the native trout waters proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can do two things: One, catch the beautiful salmus shasta native trout on my 7:3 Yamame. And two: Rip the Lilian off the end of my rod like a Wrigley’s gum tab.

I did this because I assumed the furled Kevlar leader I had made was the part not connected to the thorn bush onto which I was snagged. I learned quite quickly. So I fired everyone in sight. I fired Jimmy Rivers, I fired a couple people I didn’t even know. I even fired the guy who wrote The Ballad of Hank Williams and provided me the obscure and referential, spleen-venting lava tube upon which to predicate my angst.

But really. If I injured myself the way I thrashed my Tenkara rod, the people I work with would never let me live it down. Take my co-worker, Ed, for instance. In a year and a half’s time, he nearly weed-eated his eye out, and managed to completely pull off his little toe in the loop of a shag carpet when he tripped on the stairs. Mind you, the steaks he was carrying did not survive his attempts to keep them from hitting the floor.

And now, he is known for both attempting to shave off his cornea with a Poulan trimmer and putting his grandson to bed with “This little piggy went to AAAHHHHHHH!” And while he takes the resultant workplace abuse in stride, as well as count to nineteen with unparalleled flair, it occurred to me: It would be better to choose the mode of ignominious failure--to allocate the one-lane avenues of infamy--to carefully select the tide-pools out of which my legs will be relinquished to an Arbitron bonanza during Shark Week.

I figure if I’m going to destroy the top end of my Yamame rod every two months, then I should just go ahead and plow right off cliffs of rock and roll infamy. Find a way to just destroy it on purpose. Publicly. Unapologetically. Then, when I’ve made a complete spectacle of myself, start tweeting about the genetic relationship between my white corpuscles and that of a primary African feline.

There is of course the Richie Blackmore (Deep Purple) approach. Become irate with the lack of shading, pocket water, or even worse--a plethoric presence of fishermen in the only remnants of either. Shove the rod through a bait man’s tackle box, snap it off and yell “Good night Dallas!”

I could, of course, have a great take on the water, with even the dullest Kebari fly causing elusive Browns to raise their fins and volunteer to have their lip punctured. This might invoke the Hendrix “Monterey” option. Gently straddle the Tenkara rod on the ground and then light it on fire. The flammability is so groovy!

On the surface, the Axl Rose option poses some problems, as one must become strung out on heroin, have your rod somehow shipped to the stream-side with others expecting you, not show up and then have the expectants break it for you. You might get nominated for the Tenkara Hall of Fame, but you’ll refuse to go anyway.

It doesn’t have to be confined to rock, or even be intentional. It just needs to be infamous enough to have a life of its own. Like that “Agony of Defeat” guy from the old Olympic promos. I have no idea who that man is. All I know is, as a kid I watched this guy spin off that ski jump like a Vita-Mix blade and hit the ground in a pile of anthropological rubble day after day, all the while rooting for Bruce Jenner.


Which reminds me. Bruce Jenner never snapped his vault-pole in ’76, gigging himself at the ninth rib, but I would have loved that. Somebody did it, but I don’t remember who--or where it happened. Just remember: a twenty-yard dash, carbo-loaded resolve, and a 6:4 Ito rod with the extender option will not help you clear a ten-foot cyclone fence. Of course, if you’re trying to break your Tenkara rod, you wouldn’t want to. Just make sure you get it on camera. It won’t make you anyone’s hero, but then again, the finely-paved road of stardom that took a Wheaties-box, 1976 decathlon champion and veritable Smithsonian Institute of Testosterone HAD to have been T-boned at the intersection of Brawn and Agility to wind up keeping his maiden name on The Kardashians like that. So maybe “high profile” IS a liability.

Come to think of it. Maybe the indiscriminate accident is better. Me? I can buy a new tip for seven bucks. Chemical face peels are for life.

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About the Author:

Ron Giesecke is a writer, musician, family-man, and garden-variety renaissance schmuck from Redding, California.  He is new to Tenkara, but not averse to its magic.  His blog, A Tenkara Journey, can be found HERE.

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Are you a Western tenkara angler?  Do you have a story, pictures, video, fly recipe, or simply a fishing report from one of your recent tenkara adventures?  If so, Troutrageous! wants to hear from you for a future Tenkara Tuesday post!  Feel free to send and email HERE, or check out this previous post for more information.

Guest Post - Essentials For Your Fishing Trip

I recently just took a fishing trip out to Utah & Wyoming, so making sure I was properly prepared was key to make sure I maximized my time & fun out West.  Playing off that, today's guest post is one that while might be commonsense for some, I think will be helpful for many in making their next fishing trip a success.  Please enjoy!

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For many of us fishing maniacs, there is nothing like waking up early in the morning, feel the breeze of the first sun rays dashing through the forest line, as we quietly leave home, ready for another great day of fishing. Whether we own a boat, rent it, or just enjoy fishing close to the shoreline, there is something almost spiritual about fishing; it is indeed a passion.

A great number of people (including me) consider that fishing is another way to discover the vast, impressive American landscape, and there is nothing more exciting than just hitting the road or water for some, to find new adventures.

Like any other trip that is worthwhile, some planning is always needed, and can guarantee you enjoy your trip even more. Here are some essentials to be aware of:

Gather information – Do you remember how trips were planned about 20 years ago? We would look for guides, mail order them, and trust our fishing buddies on their recommendations. Then we would have to call and reserve a camping site, pray for good weather, and depending on how far we were travelling, buy as many maps as we could. Today, the internet has solved all that, we can probably get to know places we never knew existed, count on sincere customer reviews, actually look at pictures of our next camping site, and almost feel the lake or river we will actually be fishing on. So there is no excuse for not gathering enough information so you make a good decision on where to go. Some general factors may include distance and transportation costs, days of stay, weather conditions, time of the season, etc. However, the best thing internet helps us to do, is getting your license online, make sure you do this before you leave. Getting into more specifics, it is always important for you to investigate the lay of the lake/river you will put you boat on. Every body of water has its own secrets, vegetation, depth, and of course fish! If you are unsure of what awaits you, some people prefer jus to hire a fishing guide, which may alleviate most concerns.

Prepare your gear – It’s always useful to have your own personal checklist for what you want to take for your trip. Always begin checking basic safety items like a fire extinguisher, horn or whistle, life jackets, and throw cushion. Once you have that lets go through with the obvious stuff: Electronics, make sure your cell phone is well charged, check on the electronics from your boat too. Although it may seem obvious for all of us now, in fact we sometimes forget about food and drinks, and it’s never that smart to count on eating what we fish, since we don’t really know how the day will go. Other obvious things check your line, hooks, lures, rod and reels, weights, etc. You might also want to check some extras like batteries, fuses, and even spotlights. Some other “not so obvious” details you should always have in mind include anchors and rope, Bug juice, a cap, a coat and some gloves, a first aid kit, rain gear, toolbox, and sun block.

Finally, remember, fishing should be always fun, and with just some planning ahead, you’ll sure enjoy it a lot more, if you like to have fishing buddies, don’t forget to include them, give them a schedule, ask them to bring something and make sure you carpool, you’ll save some money!

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About The Author:
Larry Cotta is an insurance broker from N.J. and totally hooked on fishing, his passion for trout fishing has led him to discover North America’s greatest fishing towns for over a decade.

This post is sponsored by www.visitmscoast.org, a regional tourism partnership for the Mississippi Gulf coastline, which offers great deals on fishing vacation packages and fishing charters, especially for trout fishing and redfish.

Tenkara Tuesday - Today Is Tenkara Day

Welcome to Tenkara Tuesday.

For today's installment, I'm honored to present a guest post by Mark Kautz, (aka Shoreman), a fellow blogger known in these circles primarily for his fishing website Northern California Trout.  As a trout fisherman that is just as likely to pick up a spinning rod and some Powerbait...or hop in a float tube with a fly rod and some thin mints...or more recently, tackle a small stream with a Tenkara rod, his perspective is uniquely unclouded by the silos in which many anglers place themselves.

In this installment of Tenkara Tuesday, Mark explores a "Tenkara Day" - the which includes the complete experience of a day on the water.  Please Enjoy!

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Early on a summer morning you’re standing on the side of a small creek near where you live. It has trout in it, you know it does. You’ve gotten up early, stopped at your local coffee hole for a cup because you know that if you don’t, you’ll have to pay the skunk man.  Yes, you’re superstitious, but you’re a fisherman and most fishermen are superstitious.

Today is a Tenkara day. You’re wadered up, have your vest on, rod in hand, and are ready for whatever the creek throws at you. Your fly is attached to your tippet, that’s attached to your traditional Tenkara line, rolled on the blue spool that the salesman said you needed to keep the line under control. Funny thing is, he was right.

Now you’re ready to make that first cast. You pull the plug on your rod and slip out that little red tag on the tip of your rod. You make the proper loop as you were taught and attach the traditional line to your rod. You unroll your line and carefully extend your rod to the full length as you’ve been taught.

Now you’re ready, but you still stand there staring at the water in anticipation of what’s to come. You’ve fished these waters before and you know that there are one or two trout somewhere in the creek, you’re just not sure where. You gently set the fly on the water for a perfect dead drift as far as the line will reach.

The fly bobs on the water as it drifts downstream for a couple of feet and then a trout comes out of nowhere and takes a shot at your fly. You’re so lulled by the surroundings that the trout has come and gone before you could even lift the rod to set the hook. So you drift it again over the same spot and once again the trout comes and goes because you didn’t expect it to take another shot at your fly.

Ok, it’s time for you to wake up and pay attention. You continue to drift your fly down that section a couple more times, but by now the trout’s figured you out and there is no way he’s going to touch that fly again. So you do what fly fishermen ever where do and that is move your fly and drift another part of the creek. This time you’re paying attention and when the trout comes out of nowhere, you’ve got him.

He’s not big by trout standards. He might be four inches or if you’re lucky he might be eight inches, but he’s a native and beautifully colored. In some cases he is a Rainbow and in others he might be a Brown or even a Cutthroat. You stick your hand in the water and gently as you can take out the hook and ease him back into the water. On some occasions you hold him long enough to take a picture so you can share the experience with your friends.

After you’ve drifted your fly a few more times and none of the residents of that part of the creek show any interest, you collapse your rod, roll up your line, and walk to the next access to the creek. This time you’ve come upon a small pool. It has a little plunge at the head, some slow water in the middle, and swifter water just before it moves to the riffles at the bottom.

Your first instinct is to rush to the head and fish the water under the plunge, but you put yourself in check. Then you think of the story about the old bull and the young bull standing on a hill looking at a herd of cows. The young bull says “Let’s run down there and get us one of those cows” and the old bull says “Let’s walk down there and get them all”. You start drifting your fly just above the riffles while eyeing that spot by the plunge. Because you’re eyeing that spot by the plunge, you miss that trout that took a swipe at your fly. You come to your senses and drift again, but he’s not having anything to do with you a second time. Hey, he gave you one shot and you weren’t paying attention. You ease a couple of feet upstream and drop the fly in the middle of the pool. This time when the trout comes up for the take, you’ve got him. It’s another little Rainbow, Brown, or Cutthroat. This one maybe a little bigger than the last one or maybe a little smaller, but you don’t care because it’s fun.

Now you’ve worked the bottom 2/3rds of the pool and you can finally put your fly in that “Glory Hole”. You gently set your fly to the left side of the plunge and watch it drift across the pool and almost to the riffle. You pick it up again and set it on the right side of the plunge this time and again watch it drift across the pool to the riffle. Again and again you perfectly set that fly and again and again it drifts idly past you without so much as a notice from a trout. By this time you’re ready to take that Tenkara rod and break it over your knee, but sanity overtakes stupidity and you gently collapse the rod, wind the line on the spool, and walk to the next spot.

You work the creek this way for miles and miles (well maybe ¾ of a mile to a mile) catching a fish here and there and missing a fish here and there, but the fun is in the catching and the missing, because you never realized that there were that many fish in this creek.

The longer you’re on the creek, the higher the sun gets and you know that when the sun is on the water, the fish go into hiding and have no interest in what you’re presenting them. Then your watch gongs 11:00am and the bite all but disappears, but you try a couple more places just in case the fish aren’t aware it’s 11:00am.

You’ve fished the last riffle, you’ve collapsed your rod, wound your traditional line around the spool, and slipped your spool over your rod as you’ve been shown. You stick the butt part of your Tenkara rod in your back pocket and start the long haul back to your truck. But wait, that pool with the “Glory Hole” is right there. Do you try one more time or do you continue your walk? It’s the perfect pool, it’s in the shade, the big one has to be there. Decisions, decisions, decisions. You finally give in to the urge and pull your Tenkara rod out of your back pocket, unroll the line, and extend the rod. This whole process takes less than a minute and you gently drop the fly right by the plunge to be rewarded with a nice eight inch rainbow that was just waiting for your presentation. Where was he the first time?

On feet as light as air, who the hell are you kidding, your ass is dragging, you finally make it to the truck, open a bottle of cold water from the ice chest, and collapse in the seat. The collapse in the seat part is after you’ve taken the Tenkara rod out of your back pocket and returned it to its case.

You’re hot, tired, and elated with the amount of fish you brought to hand and even those you missed knowing they will be there another day. This day was fishing Tenkara at its finest.      

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About the Author:

The many works of Mark Kautz can be found on this fishing blog Northern California Trout, his woodworking website Mark's Original Wood Planters, as well as the Amador Ledger Dispatch as a regular freelance contributor.  A published author, Mark released his first book this year (2012).  Entitled Fishing, Ghosts, And My Mother's Gray Hair, his "book about fishing and other stuff" is available on his website or on Amazon.com.  

Mark lives in the mountains of Northern California with his wife Katherine and their three cats.  

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Are you a Western tenkara angler? Do you have a story, pictures, video, fly recipe, or simply a fishing report from one of your recent tenkara adventures? If so, Troutrageous! wants to hear from you for a future Tenkara Tuesday post! Feel free to send an email HERE, or check out this previous post for more information.

Guest Post - Exceptional Fishing with Oversized Dries

As you know, every now and then I don't mind indulging in a guest post from outside.  Zach Lazzari, a guide from Nomad Fly Fishing, recently contacted me about doing such a guest post.  In a bit of a work-induced writing slump myself, it made perfect sense to let him pinch hit today.

In the post below, Zach briefly discusses dry fly fishing with big ass flies out West.  Enjoy!

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Exceptional Fishing with Oversized Dries

Every so often I head to the river in a rush and forget to throw a few fly boxes in my pack. This mental lapse leaves me picking flies from my drying patch and the visors in my truck. I typically have enough bugs lying around to get me through the day but they are not always the ones I want.

Recently, I found myself in this situation and settled on a size 4 salmonfly dry with a size 12 beadhead stonefly dropped off the back. I was well behind the actual salmonfly hatch on the Madison and the river was swarming with caddis and pmd’s. Not a single large stonefly was around.

After hiking a good mile from the access site I began working a deep bank with the setup. Less than 10 casts into the day, a massive rainbow came after the dry. I pulled the trigger way to fast and missed the fish but things were looking up. I fished until dark, catching and missing fish in every run on the river. Small fish would poke the big fly and big fish attacked it voraciously.  Although I missed the big rainbow, three browns over 20 inches and came to the net making it one of the more productive dry flies days I have experienced on the Madison. I never bothered to tally the total but it was better than average.

I have had similar experiences in Colorado and on a variety of rivers in the western United States. The big fish seem to have an insatiable appetite for the big dry flies, up to several months after the actual hatches have subsided. I would relate it to the extra appetite you experience the day after Thanksgiving. Your stomach is stretched and it wants a refill. Fish are not any different except stoneflies and grasshoppers are substitutes for turkey.

The reflex does dissipate in the late fall and stays dormant until the first big hatch of the new summer. Next time you are fishing through a summer riffle or along a deep bank, try a size 4-8 dry fly. It may not match anything around but it can make for an exciting day.

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Zach Lazzari is a freelance writer and fly fishing guide in Montana. When he is not fishing, he is tying flies, furling leaders and building PBR can pyramids.  You can also find Nomad Fly Fishing on Facebook & Twitter.

Guest Post - The Top 5 Fly Fishing Apps

After my 3 post Smokies outburst, I needed a break from posting, so today, I present a guest post.

This post was forwarded to me by Steve Jacobs and I think it's pretty topical considering the prevalence of smartphones among anglers.  While I can't say I've personally used or endorse the apps mentioned, I figure if you've got fish on the brain like me, they're probably worth a download at some point.  Enjoy.

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Top 5 Fly Fishing Apps

As a fly fishing enthusiast I never thought the Internet would weasel its way into my love affair with the great outdoors and the thrill of the fish hitting the fly. I must say however that after years of fighting against technology and progress, I have been seduced. I confess my fly fishing obsession has been enhanced by numerous apps.

Today I am going to highlight just five of the many apps that I have found to be very helpful and enjoyable. Some tend to be geared more for technical and instructional purposes such as how to tie certain types of knots. Others tend to be focused on facilitating the observational and contemplative aspects of enjoying the sport. This is done by creating memories within journal entries and even being able to share and compare those experiences and observations with others that share the same passion.

1. The Pocket Fisherman by Magic Mobile
This App provides information about specific species of fish, information on regulations and records within the 49 Continental states and GPS mapping for the closes tackle shops and marinas. It allows you to search according to name of fish or you can identify a fish by looking at pictures. A summary of each type of fish, providing description of appearance, average length, weight and natural habitat is provided.

2. Fishing Knots by Perished-apps
This app only demonstrates 10 knots but the nice thing about it is that it is one of the easiest tutorials to understand. The descriptions and the pictures are done so well that it is quite easy to understand and duplicate. Although it would be nice to have a larger assortment of knots, the app is FREE!

3. Orvis Fly Fishing by Green Mountain Digital
Orvis is obviously a well known name in the fishing industry. The company markets a large amount of high quality fly fishing gear. It sells exotic overseas fishing safari trips and is active in promoting numerous conservation projects. Many people have been introduced to Orvis via their fly fishing apps for the iPhone. (Also available for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire)

This app has a huge number of features. It has everything from instructional videos, to podcasts, to glossaries. It really comes in handy when you need to reference a large database of information.

4. Animated Fishing Knots By John Sherry
This app has significantly more knots than the "Fishing Knots" app I mentioned earlier. Knowing how to tie lots of specialty knots is crucial for those who are serious anglers. It covers everything from the basic Drop Shot knot to the complicated Arbor and Yucatan Knots.

Unlike "Fishing Knots" this app is not free, but it is priced right. If you are still acquiring your knowledge base of need-to-know knots, this is a great app. It is available through iTunes store.

5. Fishing Notes by Jimmy Houston
This app is being promoted by Jimmy Houston. He is a bass fishing celebrity; he had a professional fishing career and is probably known best for his television series. This particular fishing app is pretty much an all-in-one fishing log app. Users can add journal entries about their fishing trips in various locations and compare them to those had by others. It brings together a fishing community through the use of the app.

One of the nice things about it is that you don't need access to an active internet connection to make entries which is a handy feature for those deep in the wilds. It also provides real time weather forecasts for all locations.

There are so many fishing apps available today that it is difficult to evaluate all of them. Some of them become really invaluable once you begin using them. Hopefully one or two of the ones highlighted in this post will be of interest.

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Author Bio: Steve Jacobs is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys everything from hunting to fishing and beyond. Over the years Steve has come to be an expert in many of the fields he loves – hunting and fishing gear, supplies, ammo etc - and works for Sportsman’s Warehouse helping others enjoy the outdoors.

Guest Post - Gone Fishing: Top 4 Tropical Fishing Destinations

Time for another guest post not of my doing.  Like all guest posts around here, I didn't write this, so if you see something that doesn't look right...well...I don't want to hear it.  Let's face it, I'm pretty liberal with guest posting opportunities...even if they are about improving page rank or the like.

This post was forwarded to me by Jessica S., and I enjoy being able to click "copy," then "paste," and take the day off...  The vacation from blogging makes it convenient about daydreaming about real life vacations...which ties into this post quite well.  Enjoy.

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Gone Fishing: Top 4 Tropical Fishing Destinations

Today’s workplace is no longer confined to an office or a cubicle: with email, smartphones and social media, it’s nearly impossible to get away from it all, even for a few moments of each day. But if you have a chance to take a real vacation, an island fishing trip could be the perfect escape: whether you’re a novice or an expert fisherman, you could try new ways to fish and add a record-breaking tarpon or bonefish to your catch list while you and your companion enjoy lush tropical surroundings, miles of sandy beaches and incredible sunsets.

Getting Ready for the Trip

First, you’ll need to renew or obtain a passport and visa, if necessary. Visit your doctor for any required vaccinations and arrange for travel insurance from Atlas Insurance or another provider to cover any medical emergencies, evacuations and other unlikely events that you may encounter when traveling abroad.

Seychelles

Seychelles, a small group of islands near the east coast of Africa, is considered one of today's hottest tropical fishing spots and is a favorite destination of salt-water fly fishermen. Try your hand at bonefishing in the waters surrounding Alphonse Island -- the flats there are also home to permit, barracuda, trevally and grouper. Spend an afternoon surf-casting for feisty pacific bonito and dog-tooth tuna. Take advantage of deep-sea fishing charters for your chance to catch a sailfish, rainbow runner or wahoo.

The Bahamas

Game-fishing at its best is also available closer to home. While there are over 700 islands in the Bahamas, Andros, Long, Grand and Abaco Islands are famous for flats teeming with bonefish, permit and tarpon. Challenge the wily bonefish in the cays, flats and shaded creeks on the north shore of Grand Bahama Island. Fish from flat-bottomed boats or experience the thrill of casting while wading on the flats. Head out to sea on an evening charter for tuna, sailfish, marlin and dorado.

Belize

Perched on the coast of the Caribbean just below Mexico, Belize offers pristine beaches and extensive flats rich in tarpon weighing as much as 100 pounds (the average size in the summer) and bonefish in the 10-pound range. Fish the reefs at Ambergris Cay where grouper, jack, barracuda, wahoo and mackerel are abundant. Go for a Grand Slam of permit, bonefish and tarpon on the same day or a Super Grand Slam by adding a snook in this fly-fisherman's paradise.

What to Bring

Your #8 rod for bonefish action and a sturdier rod for bigger game should cover most fishing plans. A favorite rod and reel can easily be transported on your flight or shipped ahead. When you make your reservations, ask about the flies, lures and other tackle that are working for this season's fishing and pack extras. Bring several changes of light-weight clothes, swim gear and a ventilated rain jacket. Don't forget your sun block, sunglasses, fishing hat and vest. If you wear corrective lenses or prescription eyeglasses, bring spares.

What to Do

Each of these locations offers much more than fishing (as if that's not enough!) to keep your non-fishing companions happy; you can snorkel and scuba dive in the warm, clear blue waters where they can swim alongside tropical fish and explore the reefs and ocean floor, horseback riding along miles of open beaches, and luxuriating poolside in a resort or spa.

Getting away from it all for a few days could do wonders for you and you’ll return back to the grind of everyday life feeling refreshed and ready to go.

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Jessica is interested in traveling and spending time outdoors. She enjoys spending her time fishing and being out on the water

Guest Post - Landing a Steelhead in One of Lake Ontario’s Tributaries

I didn't write today's post.  Considering it's about Lake Ontario Steelhead, that probably doesn't shock you, despite the fact that I do own an underused NY state fishing license.

Larry Chandler is the author who did approach me the other week to write this post...and although he's not that "underground trout" Chandler guy, it's still a very nice piece, clearly much better than I could have written if I tried.  Plus since I don't typically write about steelhead, it should be good fodder for all those Googlie-Mooglie search engines.

So enjoy the read, on what is hopefully a nice, lazy Saturday for everyone.

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Landing a Steelhead in One of Lake Ontario’s Tributaries

If you have been lucky enough to fish the Lake Ontario area of New York you are likely aware of the excellent steelhead fishing. The state of New York has invested time, money and effort in stocking these beautiful strains of rainbow trout throughout the waters. The state even had the good vision to stock not only a winter strain but a summer strain too, providing more opportunities throughout the year to catch a trophy.

Types of Steelhead

In the winter anglers can go after the Washington steelhead. Most of the time the run will hit its stride at the middle of October and last until sometime in November. As water temps cool off during December and January the action noticeably drops. However, the middle of March signifies the spawning period and the fish are ready to bite again.

Starting at the beginning of May the Skamania steelhead will start to move in to the river. As of this writing the Skamania are only kept stock in Little Salmon River as well as Salmon River. The height of the run for the summer fish usually begins in June and will last all the way until September. The Skamania are a little more skittish and tend to be a tougher catch. Experienced anglers have seen their best results immediately after a hard rain or a rise in the water level due to a recreational release of water volume.

Techniques to Match Every Personality

One of the attractive features about fishing for steelhead is the variety in techniques that are used. If you like finesse fishing with light line and long rods, then you will enjoy the spinning reel strategy used by many people. Rods can vary from 8 feet up to 14 feet and the lines may be as big as 10 pound test are as light as 2 pound test.

What if you prefer the traditional fly fishing method? No problem. The common setup for steelhead is a 10 foot long rod along with 7 weight fishing line. A fast, smooth fly reel is essential to handle the quick-as-a hiccup moves of these fish as they dart away once they are hooked.

For those that like to drop a bait in a strike zone and patiently pass the time while the water moves the lure along, float fishing is a great method for landing a steelhead. Long rods, up to 14 feet, are perfect for this technique. The length allows the angler to make a good cast, keep the line from setting on the water’s surface and to set the hook when the bite hits.

Like most types of fishing, the most effective lures are the ones that resemble some type of prey naturally found in the tributaries of Lake Ontario. Mayfly, fish eggs, leeches, minnows and caddis fly larvae are some of the best examples.

Getting Your Chance to Land a Steelhead

Since these fish have great speed and power it is not uncommon for anglers to lose a steelhead in the first few seconds of the bite. It is vital to take up all the slack line immediately when you get a bite. Then, allow the fish to run and let your reel’s drag take over. Maintain pressure by keeping the rod near the water and move the rod side to side. This keeps the fish out of balance and will cause it to tire.

If you want a real fight with a dandy of a fish, try out one of the tributaries of Lake Ontario and launch into one of these beautiful steelhead. You won’t be sorry.

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Larry Chandler is a freelance writer and trout fishing enthusiast. When he is not on the computer he enjoys being outdoors and spending time with his family.

Check Out My Life On The Fly

Last weekend I wrote a guest post for Gaeron over at the "My Life on the Fly" blog.  He published it last night.  I may have been a bit under the influence while writing, and as such rambled incoherently about tenkara haters, but go check it out anyway.  Even if you are one.  Hater... :)

Even if you're not interested in my post, Gaeron's blog is thoroughly entertaining and informative on its own, so it's worth the click on over...as well as a follow.

Check Out Fly Fishilicious

First it was Eat More Brook Trout...today it is Fly Fishilicious...

Go check out Jen's site for your daily Troutrageous! fix.
Many thanks to her for offering the opportunity to besmirch the good name of her rapidly growing blog.

Tenkara Tuesday - Superman To The Rescue

Welcome to Tenkara Tuesday.

For today's installment, I'm honored to present a guest post by Josh Mann, a fellow blogger known primarily for his fishing website which speaks to saltwater pursuits, but at the same time is evidently not allergic to telescopic fly rods.  Becoming quick friends online via each others blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, I relish opinions like his because they come from the "outside"...no real agenda, just a simple hands-on evaluation of the method.

In this installment of Tenkara Tuesday, JM not only touches on some of his personal experiences with tenkara, but perhaps even crosses the line and tiptoes around a much larger subject - barriers to entry.  Either way I like it...and hope you do too.  Please Enjoy!

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So here I am , guest posting on someone else's blog for the second time in a little over two weeks while my own blog suffers from a serious lack of original content. No big deal. I've been short on inspiration lately. The boss man here at T! had a short run of guest posts for his "Tenkara Tuesdays" series, then ran out and started crying mentioned that he could use a few more. That's where I come in wearing a cape with a guest post to help out my trouty friend.

First , a little bit about the fishing I do. I am not a fly fisherman. Not to say that I've never fly fished, but it's just a style of fishing that never really appealed to me. I do all sorts of other types of fishing. Everything from throwing 8-n-bait for big Reds at the beach to trolling for Striped Bass here on my home waters and jigging for the occasional trout or panfish with ultralight gear.

I'm an opportunistic fisherman, meaning that I fish for what's biting when I can rather than waste time trying to coax lethargic bass from the shallows or tease trout out of their deep, cold pools in the middle of Summer. I'm sure that sounds sacrilegious  to some of the die hard fly fishermen that frequent T!, but I fish to feel something thrashing on the end of my line and I don't care what I catch or how. I just like to catch fish.

5% of my "Regular" gear

Enter tenkara. I first ran across this "style" of fishing sometime last year here on T!  Having been thoroughly skunked on a stream by a fly fisherman the previous week, I was a little more than intrigued. Suddenly there was a way for me to fish with tiny flies, without having to master the double barrel roll overhanded backcast or any of the million other fly fishing intricacies known only to the secret brotherhood of the fly.

I was able to get into tenkara fishing for a little over 60 bucks. I bought a Fountainhead rod , a spool of line and a few flies. My tenkara setup has opened up a new way for me to catch fish and I have to say I like it, even though I've only used it a few times.

95% of my fly fishing gear

Will I join in on the debate between tenkara and western fly fishermen about which is better?  Definitely not, but I will say that it is a cool way for us non-fly guys to glimpse into a world that often seems elitist and where our bait tossing ways are frowned upon.  For me personally, it's been great to be able to try fly fishing without having to be a fully outfitted western fly fisherman.  In my opinion, tenkara has made fly fishing immensely more accessible to the average weekend angler that has little to no experience.  Perhaps that's why the debate rages on?

Thanks for the invitation to guest post here at Troutrageous!

Tight lines,
JM , from Something's Fishy

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About the Author: 

Josh Mann is a devoted husband and father of two who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. He has fished the waters of the Mid-Atlantic states for almost 30 years, targeting both fresh and saltwater species that he writes about on his blog, Something's Fishy.

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Are you a Western tenkara angler? Do you have a story, pictures, video, fly recipe, or simply a fishing report from one of your recent tenkara adventures? If so, Troutrageous! wants to hear from you for a future Tenkara Tuesday post! Feel free to send an email HERE, or check out this previous post for more information.

Tenkara Tuesday - The Elephant In The Room

Welcome to Tenkara Tuesday.

For today's installment, I'm honored to present a guest post by Anthony Naples, an angler, poet, fly tier, artist, and fly fishing literature aficionado.  In addition to this menagerie of diverse talents, Anthony has quickly become one of the most vocal advocates for the previously suppressed Japanese fishing robot movement.  Most importantly, he's a fellow Pennsylvanian, and we, the residents of the Keystone State need to stick together.

Tenkara Tuesdays were developed in an attempt to define the identity of the American tenkara angler.  Anthony takes this subject by the tail (and also trunk), using a thought provoking metaphor to get his point across.  Please Enjoy!

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Tenkara in America – it is the elephant in the fly fishing room. I mean this in two ways. Firstly, tenkara is a big new thing, but it is being politely ignored by many in the fly fishing world (others are openly hostile for some reason). Meanwhile, tenkara is sitting there in the corner quietly growing from tiny elephant to medium sized elephant. Some in the fly fishing media, and many fly fishing retailers have ignored tenkara as best they can. That's okay. Tenkara doesn't need them – it is growing anyway. And I think it will continue to do so. Last year when I fished Rocky Mountain National Park, not a single person knew what the heck a tenkara rod was. This year, three people stopped me because they recognized the tenkara rod and were interested in learning more. That may not seem like much – but I think it shows that the word has gotten out.

Secondly and perhaps more interestingly, tenkara – especially tenkara in America – is like the elephant in the parable of the blind men and the elephant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant

Believed to have originated in India, the story shows up in various traditions including Jain, Sufi, Buddhist and Hindu. Though differing slightly in the telling, the story is essentially this: A group of blind men are led to an elephant and after touching it are asked to describe it. Because each man encountered a different part of the elephant they all perceive it differently, and so their accounts of the elephant disagree significantly. In the Buddhist version the blind men describe the elephant as follows; like a pot (the blind man who felt the elephants' head), a winnowing basket (ear), a plowshare (tusk), a plow (trunk), a granary (body), a pillar (foot), a mortar (back), a pestle (tail) or a brush (tip of the tail).

Not being aware of the whole elephant the men describe only what they know. Given their limited perception they all experience the same thing very differently. Are they all wrong? Or all they all right? That depends on your point of view. In the Jain tradition, each of the blind men is correct. The Jain moral is one of harmony and tolerance. It illustrates the idea that one should be accepting of other viewpoints and belief systems. The moral to the Buddhist version of the story is more of an admonition to preachers and scholars (the experts). It warns that the so called wise men are like the blind leading the blind, and so all the men are wrong and none have the right of it.

American Tenkara is the elephant and we American practitioners are the blind men. We each see a part of the elephant, but none of us can see the whole beast. Some may see more of it than others but I think it is too early to pretend we know what the whole thing looks like. As time goes by the veil will be lifted from our eyes though. It is exciting to be here in the dark ages of American Tenkara. Hopefully we can be like the men in the Jain version of the story and realize that there are many versions of the truth. Rather than a bunch of bickering “experts” as in the Buddhist version.

I make no claims at being an expert at anything (except maybe procrastination). I always try to be careful when giving advice and couch it as something that has worked for me rather than the “correct” or “best” way. I've seen posts on blogs and forums that differ so greatly from my personal experience that I find myself saying, to paraphrase Bob Dylan ,“Is it me or them that's really insane?” But I will offer this advice – if you think you're interested at all then go get yourself a tenkara rod and join the party. Walk into the darkened room and encounter the elephant. You may be surprised at what you find. Well, if you've made it this far, thank you for holding on and putting up with my ramblings. I promise, if I'm allowed back to Tenkara Tuesdays I'll bring something for substantive and technical next time.

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About the Author:

The many interests of Anthony Naples can be found regularly cataloged (typically with a wry sense of humor) on his blog, CastingAround.  While Anthony may claim to live in the "dark ages" of American tenkara, his relative experience and extensive writings on the subject do more than their fair share to provide "enlightenment" for his regular readers.  Active in social media, Anthony and CastingAround can also be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Zazzle, while his tenkara flies are available for sale in the TenkaraBum online store.

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Are you a Western tenkara angler? Do you have a story, pictures, video, fly recipe, or simply a fishing report from one of your recent tenkara adventures? If so, Troutrageous! wants to hear from you for a future Tenkara Tuesday post! Feel free to send an email HERE, or check out this previous post for more information.

Tenkara Tuesday - Tenkara Then and Now

Welcome to Tenkara Tuesday.

For today's installment, I'm honored to present a guest post by Jeff "Owl" Jones, an angler, blogger, and a guy that you've certainly run across in one form or another if you've ever done any reading about fly fishing on the internet.

While I enjoy tenkara, I also realize this Japanese form of fly fishing might not be everyone's cup of tea.  With every point of view, there's usually an opposite, and I have no problem with someone "knocking" tenkara as long as they've at least given it a try.  Owl took the plunge headfirst, so I have no issue sharing his slant with you today...even if it isn't exactly what you might expect to find in this space.  Please enjoy!   

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I first read about tenkara on this blog, back in early 2011. It sounded like alot of fun, and honestly to get right to the point it really was alot of fun. That is, when I wasn't untangling the line that constantly tried to "telephone" up on me or fighting the wind or worried I was going to break the tip on a fish bigger than 12 inches. When I got it, everyone said it wouldn't handle big fish. After all, you're using nothing larger than 6X tippet to protect the rod tip. Now, just the other day a video emerged of a guy catching a 20 inch brown on a tenkara rod. A 14 foot rod I think? At any rate, it's clear that the worry I had about breaking off the rod tip was unwarrented. So that leaves the telephone line and the wind.

Look, here's the down-lo as far as I'm concerned: If you can find a place to use it, it's awesome. If you try to use it everywhere, you're going to be really, really disappointed. It's a one river rod. Well, not a particular river.....it's a one type of river rod. On the perfect day, without wind or trees or hanging on rocks every other cast, it's more than enough rod to handle whatever fish you want to throw at it. As long as you're not chasing 20 pound catifsh, I suppose.

For me though, it wasn't all bad - the tenkara rod was sort of my ticket back into flyfishing. I never really stopped fishing, but I had a bad, bad year in 2010 which included a death in the family and the loss of my job in e-commerce - which I really liked, by the way. I really didn't have much interest in fishing or anything else. But then, when I ran across this new fly fishing thing - this thing that was, by all accounts (where I was reading about it) nearly "magical" I decided that I'd order one and learn a new tactic, a new art.

Turns out it's not really an art form (nor is it magical, btw) as much as it is a fly rod with a very short line. It works, but it works like a western fly rod works when you don't use the reel, except.........the painful truth about the whole thing is that I can still do something with a western rod that no one could ever do with a tenkara rod. What's that? Hit a far-bank riffle 40 feet away with a wiggle cast that puts the fly on the fish without me spooking him by having to get 20 feet from him before I cast. That's what.

Now, the tenkara faithful will then just come back with "well, it isn't designed to do that. It's a special way of fishing."

And I'd have to agree with them. Which is why I'll be sticking to my western rods that can fish close like a tenkara, and far away like a western fly set up. Sorry tenkara, you're fun...but you're just too high maintenence for me.

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About the Author:

Owl Jones is an incredibly handsome fly fishing writer and the author of several fictional books, including How to Land Large Chub on the Long Line, Fish Aren't Friends They're Food!, and That's not my Fishing Pole, Honey. Owl Jones hopes to someday fish the small creeks and streams of the Catskills, and to travel to Montana and Wyoming again - this time catching an absurd amount of trout - like eight or even... nine. He resides in Georgia where he can, on a good day, see the foothills of the Southern Blue Ridge. He got his start online in the trout fishing community of NGTO, where he eventually became the only member to be banned from the organization twice. If they ever figure out his current username, he's pretty sure he can extend that record.

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Are you a Western tenkara angler? Do you have a story, pictures, video, fly recipe, or simply a fishing report from one of your recent tenkara adventures? If so, Troutrageous! wants to hear from you for a future Tenkara Tuesday post! Feel free to send an email HERE, or check out this previous post for more information.

Tenkara Tuesday - Sakasa Kebari Variants

Welcome to Tenkara Tuesday.

For today's installment, I'm honored to present a guest post by Chris "Kiwi" Kuhlow, a tenkara angler that many of you that frequent outdoor blogs may already be familiar with.  Chris ties some of the prettiest tenkara flies you'll ever see and displays them prominently over on his blog, The North River.  He's also quite accomplished, placing 2nd in a national fly tying contest sponsored by the Montana Fly Company & Outdoor Blogger Network.

When I was thinking of which person I'd want to write about tenkara-style flies, Chris immediately came to mind, and I'm thrilled to bring his post to you today.  Please enjoy!

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Sakasa Kebari Variants

When it comes to flies used in fly fishing there are some great patterns that have stood the test of time. If one were to make a list of notable flies they would surely include the Adams dry fly, the Elk Hair Caddis, the Hare’s Ear Nymph, the Royal Wulff, the Partridge & Orange, and the Sakasa Kebari……(insert abrupt screeching noise on a record here).

The sakasa what? If you are already familiar with Tenkara then you know what I’m talking about. But for the newbie the sakasa kebari is a fly that can be and is as simple as Tenkara itself. A sakasa kebari is a fly that consists of little more than a hook, thread body and a forward facing hackle (over the hook eye).

In many respects it is very similar to a soft hackle North Country fly like the Partridge & Orange. Both types of flies were created several hundred years ago in their respective countries and are still used today for good reason…they are very effective at catching fish.

In Japan, these flies are generally tied with hackle from a Japanese hen pheasant. I personally like to tie them with Hungarian partridge or starling feathers but any soft hackle that will move freely in the water will do. The soft hackle is key with a fly like this or a North Country fly.

Royal Sakasa Kebari
(Available at Tenkarabum.com)

The characteristic reverse hackle is a trigger point to trout or any other fish. The currents in a stream will give “life” to the hackle and “life” suggests food. There are several different ways to effectively present this fly. Upon casting, a sakasa kebari will sink several inches below the surface and hang in the water column. They can be fished as a wet fly on the swing, dead-drifted, or by sutebari. The last method translated to English means “throw away fly.” An angler makes several casts to an area near a potential trout’s hiding place and lets the fly just touch the water and immediately picks it up again. This serves to get a trout’s attention then a final cast is made to the expected location of the fish and usually…Wham! However, I find my favorite method to be casting across and just upstream of a likely spot and letting the fly dead drift to just the right spot and then giving a slight twitch. The hackle will open and close and in many instances induce a strike.

Ausable Kebari
(Available at Tenkarabum.com)

The beauty of these flies is that you don’t even have to be a Tenkara angler to use them. Several non-tenkara anglers I know have used them as effectively as any other soft hackle in the fly boxes. In addition, because they are such simple flies to tie they lend themselves to a vast number of variations. Below are a couple of my own variations using the sakasa kebari template.

Green Brassie Sakasa Kebari

I have tied up at least 40-50 different variations using a sakasa kebari “template” in the last two years but I usually find myself only fishing maybe 5-10 of these in the course of several weeks. I have tied so many types because I enjoy experimenting but in reality they are such good flies I only need a few for specific situations. 

Olive Bubble Kebari
(Available at Tenkarabum.com)

For example, the Brassie Sakasa Kebari has a little more weight due to the copper ribbing and can help me to get the fly down into the water a little faster. The Royal Sakasa Kebari I use more as an attractor pattern when I’m looking for small stream brookies. I am not a “match-the-hatch” kind of guy or someone who subscribes to the “one/any-fly” approach but fishing with a few different sakasa kebari ‘s I can cover a wide range of situations (including bluegills and bass in a still water setting) with one small box of these bad boys. 

Sakasa Kebari possess all of the great qualities of a successful fly, simple to tie, made from inexpensive materials, durable, and longevity with a proven track record that dates back several hundred years. Tenkara angler or not, my advice would be to have a few of these in your fly box on your next trip to the stream.

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About the Author:

Chris "Kiwi" Kuhlow grew up fishing in New York’s Hudson Valley and has always had a passion for the outdoors (nature observation, hiking, camping, kayaking).  He currently lives on Long Island New York with his wife and two beautiful little girls.  He became a Tenkara addict in late 2009 and now spends most of his time fishing exclusively in this manner.  Though he prefers chasing small stream brook trout in the hills and mountains of New York , if it can be caught with a Tenkara rod he will try. In addition, much to his wife’s dismay, he has become equally obsessed with fly tying and its history and continues to experiment with sakasa kebari.

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Are you a Western tenkara angler?  Do you have a story, pictures, video, fly recipe, or simply a fishing report from one of your recent tenkara adventures?  If so, Troutrageous! wants to hear from you for a future Tenkara Tuesday post!  Feel free to send an email HERE, or check out this previous post for more information.

Tenkara Tuesday - American Tenkara Enthusiast

Welcome to Tenkara Tuesday.

For today's installment, it's my pleasure to present a guest post by Adam Trahan. Truthfully, Adam was one of the few I approached to write for this series, as he has gone to great lengths to research and share his findings on the origins and techniques of tenkara. More importantly, he's also one of those guys that doesn't waste words when writing. His words are all chosen to have have a purpose, ultimately to make the reader think...even if it is not always the most popular viewpoint.  The world needs more folks like that. 

Please enjoy!

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Adam Trahan

Troutrageous! (Michael Agneta) asked me to write a little on being an "American Tenkara" enthusiast. I am honored to write for his blog.

As of now, late summer of 2011, I am completing my second full year of practicing tenkara. During that time, I have not used a Western fly rod with a reel. I consider myself an new person to tenkara and at the same time I am very experienced with it considering my angling experience. As a fly fisherman, I am well advanced, tenured in many schools but really just starting to understand what it is to be a fly angler.

Forty years ago, I caught my first Brook Trout on a mountain stream in Utah when I was just ten. I practice fly-fishing in streams, rivers, lake and sea. I also build bamboo fly rods from raw materials and have produced the oldest small stream fly fishing web site found on the Internet.
(Wayback Machine Grab).

As an American angler, I have not forgotten who I am or where I came from.

Tenkara is from Japan.

I practice it in America.

I research the history of tenkara and I understand where it came from and the position it stands at in Japan and in America past and present.

With the assistance of a Japanese fly fisher living in Japan, I have researched and have shared my findings to Americans (and anyone that cared to read) the Japanese books on tenkara that predate the Internet and the business of marketing tenkara to America.

My philosophy is that I consider myself a global citizen and I believe we are all created equal, no matter religion or race, men women and children are all created equal.

As an American, I follow American traditions.

I am considerate and respectful to other forms of angling. I learned to fish with a cane pole as a child and that is the allure of tenkara, the youthful feeling, the return to a more simple time in my fishing.

In my past, I also have used a spinning rod as well. I am far from being a tenkara purist even though I have been fishing the last two years only with tenkara rods.

I consider fly-fishing a more challenging skill and a better choice for an overall fishing experience than tenkara for obvious reasons however I consider tenkara the best choice for mountain stream fishing.

I believe fly fishing skills pertain to tenkara and a tenkara rod can be substituted for a fly rod in order to learn fly-fishing. I believe tenkara is the best way to learn fly fishing but one should not stop with tenkara, it is far too limiting unless you choose to only fish small mountain streams the rest of your life.

Not a bad choice…

I have been making small stream fly fishing specific Internet web sites since 1996. Since that time, I have shown people how rewarding mountain stream fishing is, how easy it can be with a simple method of a small fly box in your pocket, a nipper on a piece of fly line around your neck and a light line fly rod. I’ve shown that using this simple method, other forms of fly fishing can be simplified.

I enjoy the aesthetic of the Japanese and their stylish interpretation of fly fishing their own mountain streams. For as long as the tenkara enthusiast, Yoshikazu Fujioka has made his web site (since 1997), I have admired and complimented his style, sending Internet fly fishers his way. But Mr. Fujioka does not represent all of Japan yet I consider Mr. Fujioka, Japan’s leading fly fisherman from my own American perspective reviewing his presentation of fly fishing the mountain streams in Japan.

In order to learn tenkara, I chose a Japanese tenkara rod, made in Japan by Japanese craftsmen sold by an 110+ year old Japanese rod shop. This Japanese rod company chose me to represent their tenkara products much in the way that Loop Fly Reels did in the 1990's. I have helped and continue to help others purchase tenkara equipment from Japan no matter what company they decide to purchase from because I believe in supporting the companies from the country of origin. They have many years developing tenkara rods and I enjoy equipment that stands the test of time.

Michael, thank you for asking me to submit my thoughts on being an American tenkara angler. I wish you many years of enjoyment and satisfaction in writing your thoughts and reflecting on angling.

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About the Author:

Around 1994, my mother gave me her Macintosh computer. A work friend that understood HTML and also had a Mac taught me how to make web sites. I have been creating online communities since 1994 and started www.smallstreams.com in 1996 and www.tenkara-fisher.com most recently. Since I was a child, I have been pursuing solo sports in the mountains, pioneering snow surfing, all forms of skateboarding, surfing, hang and paragliding. My best work is done alone and under pressure. My career as a cardiovascular technician allows me to be free from marketing and helps me to report independently of advertisement and marketing. I enjoy researching my interests online and have created those online communities to gather together the best people at a particular discipline. www.slalomskateboarder and www.grassart.net are two more examples that have become successful and continue to this day. At 50 years old, Adam Trahan is the father of three boys and the husband of SWMBO.

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Are you a Western tenkara angler? Do you have a story, pictures, video, fly recipe, or simply a fishing report from one of your recent tenkara adventures? If so, Troutrageous! wants to hear from you for a future Tenkara Tuesday post! Feel free to send an email HERE, or check out this previous post for more information.

Tenkara Tuesday - Two Years of Tenkara Fishing

Welcome to Tenkara Tuesday.

For today's installment, I'm honored to present a guest post by Randy Knapp, a tenkara angler from Virginia.  I had originally made Randy's acquaintance on the Tenkara USA Forum a few years ago and was very impressed not only by his fishing prowess, but in the variety of fish always displayed in the pictures he posted.  See, Randy's not the typical trout fisherman most envision when they think of tenkara - he uses his arsenal of rods to target all species, and isn't afraid to share his opinions!

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Two Years of Tenkara Fishing

After nearly two years of fishing predominately with tenkara rods and similar telescoping rods/poles from 9' to 21' I have come to realize a number of advantages and a few limitations.  I have fished small and large freestone mountain streams and small and large lowland streams, spring creeks, ponds and lakes, saltwater shorelines and saltwater from a boat.  I have used nymphs, dry flies, wet flies and streamers.  I have fished flies from size 20 to 3/0 and weighted rigs up to 1/4oz.  I have fished live bait and artificial baits.  I have fished in all four seasons from calm sunny days to wet windy days with winds in excess of 20mph.

Virginia Tenkara Creek

These reel-less fixed line telescoping rods can be used successfully in a wide range of fishing conditions.  In limited ways they can do almost any kind of fishing.  Making do by trying to adapt these rods to every fishing situation is, however, less than ideal.  Forcing these rods to work in every fishing situation is similar to playing golf with only one club. It can be done, but the simplicity would be quickly offset by the limitations.  A green is best played with a putter and a tee-off with a driver.  Trout fishing on a small relatively open freestome mountain stream is ideal for a tenkara rod, light line, fine tippet, and a fly.  A cold windy winter night of Chesapeake Bay 40lb striper fishing in a fast tide 30' deep with a 12" live eel hooked through the lips with a 6/0 circle hook calls for a different kind of tackle than your typical tenkara rod.  Somewhere in between these situations, a wide variety of tackle choices may be most appropriate.  Since part of the pleasure and simplicity of tenkara fishing is the lightweight compactness of the rods, there are other subjective limitations in their use.

Small Tenkara Brown Trout

A rod weight of under 4oz and a rod length of about 15' or 4.5 meters is about the upper limit for one hand use. A closed length of about 20" or 60cm seems about right for backpacking.  A closed rod of under 4' is best for U.S. domestic airline carryon.  Line type and length as well as weight is very subjective as is line visibility.  I have tried a wide range of available commercial as well as custom lines and feel most fishing situations can be handled best with a highly visible line equal to no more than 1 1/2 times the rod length with about 4' of tippet added.  This means a 12' rod would have about 18' of line with another 4' of tippet for a total length of about 22'.  Combined with the rod length and the fisher's extended arm, this puts most flyfishing situations well within the tenkara fisher's reach.  Fishing in tight quarters may well call for a line-tippet length of much less.  Fishing a large open lake or pond might call for a longer combination.  The lighter the line, the easier it is to fish and manipulate small flies in or on the surface film.  The heavier the line, the easier it will be to cast weighted nymphs and streamers and handle windy conditions.  Furled or hand twisted lines work well in most conditions as do level lines of monofilament or fluorocarbon. The lighter running lines of traditional lighter weight fly lines also work well in most conditions.  At this time, I still don't have a favorite, choosing rather to vary my lines as fishing conditions dictate.  I think buying a line from the company from which one buys their rod is probably as good a starting point as any.  

Tenkara Gear for a Day

I suppose if I were limited to one line for all conditions, I would probably opt for a highly visible level line of fluorcarbon that would test out at 14 to 16lbs and be equal to about rod's length.  To this I would add about 3 to 4' of 4 or 5x tippet.  Most tenkara rod manufacturers recommend tippets of no more than 5x or 5lb test to protect the rod.  Depending on the fisher's experience and conditions at hand, I am convinced that much heavier tippets can be used.  Most rods are not broken playing fish. Surely a fish can break a rod if it is extremely strong or heavy or if the rod is flexed at too great an angle for the weight of the fish being landed.  This is also true of other kinds of fishing rods.  If a heavier tippet is used and one snags a fly and tries to pull it free with the rod, the rod may break or one or more of the rod sections may become jammed together so tightly that they cannot be unstuck without breakage.  This can be prevented if the line can be grabbed by hand and the fly pulled free or the tippet broken.  The main advantage of using heavier tippets is to either land fish more quickly or to turn over larger and/or heavier flies. I do think that fishing a tippet of 4 or 5lb test and a diameter of 4 or 5x is best for most tenkara fishing situations.  If rod sections do become jammed together, having some sort of rubber pad to grip the rod without slipping is essential in the field if simple tapping does not unstick the sections.

Strike indicators for nymphing can be effective and my favorite is a 1/2" thingamabobber.  This is another option that is highly subjective.  Again, I have tried other kinds including yarn, colored putty, foam stick-ons, colored tippets, corkies, big dry flies, etal. Sometimes I don't use any.

Creek Smallmouth Bass

I have found the EZ hook keepers to be the best way to quickly store the line after collapsing the rod to move from one location to another, especially when moving through obstacles with the extended rod which puts it at risk of snagging on streamside tree branches and brush.  I attach one EZ keeper at each end of the base section with a couple of extra o-rings on the rod in between.  I can then hook my fly or flies or tippet end under the extra slideable o-rings.  Wrapping the line and tippet in a figure eight between the keepers helps prevent the line tangling and the line slipping off the keepers.  Leaving my favorite line attached to the lillian and wrapped in this configuration allows me to always have a rod, line, tippet, and fly/flies ready to go.  This easily fits in the rod sock and tube if needed.  Many tenkara fishers lose the rod tip plug which can become loose or misplaced.  All my rod base tip plugs are in a baggy in my fly tying desk at home.  They are unnecessary because my favorite line is always attached to each rod. I have tried winding the line onto my hand, a foam tube, a kite line holder, line spools, etc.  I have found the EZ keepers to be superior to all other methods.  I carry extra lines coiled in an old tippet wallet.  I just write details about the line configuration right on the plastic pocket with a permanent marker.  I can then have extra lines ready for any fishing situation.  One line can do it all, but lines of different length and weight offer needed versatility as stream conditions change.

At the outset of this article I said I have fished telescoping rods from 9' to 21' in a wide variety of conditions.  I now realize that it is too limiting for me to try to do it all with these rods. As long as one recognizes this and is satisfied sometimes catching fewer fish or smaller fish or even no fish at all, then I think one can use telescopic rods with fixed lines and be satisfied.  I am not satisfied unless I can also catch fish in situations not suitable for tenkara style fishing. There are times when I am definately going to catch more and larger fish using another method just as there are times when I will catch more fish with a traditional style tenkara rod, line, tippet and fly. For me the key is to be flexible and use the most suitable equipment for each fishing situation.  This necessitates preplanning and detailed lists of what gear to take as well as having my fishing gear separated into different duffel bags for easy access. There is nothing more frustrating than driving or flying to a particular destination only to find a key fishing necessity was left behind.  I have also too often found myself using a backup rod or parts when the inevitable breakage has occurred.

Tenkara Creek Redeye

I still think tenkara is the best way to fish the small to medium freestone mountain streams for which it was designed.  It is also my favorite way to fish for bluegill and other warmwater pan fish in farm ponds and small lakes.  For other kinds of fishing there are other means that may be more productive though probably not as simple and fun.  Each person owes it to him/herself to determine what is best in a given situation.  However, even after evaluating and determining these various criteria, I would be lying if I didn't say that if at all possible I will always choose one of my tenkara or other telescoping fishing rods, a single line, a spool of tippet, and a box full of flies whenever possible.  It is so simple and enjoyable that it is very difficult to go back to using other kinds of tackle and methods after fishing tenkara for a couple of seasons.  It is very addictive.

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About the Author:

Randy Knapp is a retired Seattle fire fighter who has been an avid fly fisher for over 20 years.  He has enjoyed fishing by other methods from childhood when he caught his first sunfish with a cane pole, bobber, and worm.   He now resides with his wife, Liz, in a log cabin in Warm Springs, VA where he fishes streams, rivers, farm ponds and lakes in the Allegheny mountains.  He ties his own flies, travels often to distant fishing locations,  and is an active participant on blogs and forums, especially those related to tenkara tackle and techniques.

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Are you a Western tenkara angler?  Do you have a story, pictures, video, fly recipe, or simply a fishing report from one of your recent tenkara adventures?  If so, Troutrageous! wants to hear from you for a future Tenkara Tuesday post!  Feel free to send an email HERE, or check out this previous post for more information.