You know, as much as I like blogging, I still really enjoy paging through a physical book or magazine. There's just something about having that tactile feedback as you progress through passage, picture, and paragraph. Plus, I've got these side tables next to my sofa that look good with a small pile of reading material spread across them.
It was probably this dysfunction that drew me to create my own magazine, Tenkara Angler, back in 2015. With the help of some really great artists and authors, we were able to put together quarterly issues of a print-on-demand physical magazine for almost 5 full years.
While the process was rewarding, it was also challenging; the editing and laying out of each issue took a bit of a personal toll. In short, after 21 issues I was burned out, and in early 2020 I published the final "print" issue of Tenkara Angler. Opting instead to turn the brand into a more editor-friendly web-only blog.
Or so I thought...
On this past December 22nd, I was excited to publish the Winter 2021-22 issue of Tenkara Angler magazine, 120 pages of community sourced articles, photography, and original art from more than 25 different contributors. It was the first issue in almost two years, and I'm thrilled that initial reader feedback has been positive to date. Why did I bring it back? Maybe because my side table looked empty.
Honestly, I just kinda missed the creative process of making things. Physical things. Tangible things.
I'm not sure why I'm posting about this here, and this doesn't mean there's going to be a consistent flow of future print issues. I guess I wanted to highlight the project for an audience that it doesn't usually reach on its own. Oh, and yeah, maybe to slightly (and hopefully not too narcissistically) toot my own horn just a little bit too.
Man... I haven't fished or blogged or done anything remotely close in a while. I think this is my first post of 2020. Yikes!
Well, I still don't have too much to write, but I thought I'd re-emerge from a blog slumber to announce the Winter 2019-20 issue of Tenkara Angler is finally live!
I have to admit, real world work just kicked my butt in December and January, and I just didn’t have the time to crank out the issue in my spare time as planned… however… I think you’ll like what you find inside now that it has arrived.
This issue is a bit smaller than most, but the articles are well-written and definitely worth the read. Written contributors include David West Beale, Jonathan Antunez, Morgan Lyle, Diane Kelly-Riley, Nick Pavlovski, Jack Harford, Bill Holleran, and Karin Miller. Not to mention the now regular Reader Photos section with some great snapshots of on-stream action.
As usual, the Winter issue will be available as an e-magazine over at Issuu, HERE.
And also available for sale as a physical magazine and PDF download in the Blurb bookstore, HERE.
It's Tenkara Tuesday, haven't had one of these in a while, but I though this might be a good occasion. Last weekend, I put the finishing touches on the latest issue of Tenkara Angler magazine, the quarterly drop for Fall 2019.
These magazines can be a lot of fun to put together, and this one was actually quite memorable. I absolutely LOVE some of the stories in this issue from the western United States, people doing tenkara both in the mountains and deep canyons. Then toss in some fixed-line action for pink salmon and smallmouth bass... it's enough to make you make you more than a little fidgety and eager to get back on the water!
As usual, the Summer issue will be available as an e-magazine over at Issuu, HERE.
And also available for sale as a physical magazine and PDF download in the Blurb bookstore, HERE.
Man, it's a great time to be a tenkara angler. With folks emerging from their winter hibernation, there's been a lot of great content floating around the internet recently to really get you stoked to go fishing. In today's post, I'll do a quick spin through some of the things that have caught my eye...
Blogs Reborn
It's been cool to see some of the better tenkara-friendly blogs release a stream of new material after periods of silence. First off, Jason Klass has been on a roll lately pumping out new posts over at Tenkara Talk. A lot of the recent entries have been gear-oriented - flies, packs, boots, accessories - so before you hit the water, head over to do some serious reading so you can figure out what you may (or may not) need to bring along.
Additionally, Anthony Naples has resuscitated his Casting Around blog. I always enjoyed Anthony's writing and the latest installments are no different. A few new entries on flies and fly tying have been extremely informative reads.
Fantastic Instructional Video
Discover Tenkara's John Pearson and Paul Gaskell have done it again with their new DVD/download release, "Manipulations: The Illusion of Life in Fly Fishing." There is nobody out there right now producing the kind of high quality instructional product these guys do, and this video is phenomenal. It does a really deep dive on using fly manipulation to entice unresponsive fish... but the best part is it's not just intended for tenkara anglers, but standard fly anglers as well. Check out the beautiful camerawork in this short video excerpt...
Two Tenkara Reads
This week, two tenkara-themed e-magazines were released, so if you're into that sort of thing you're in luck!
The first, the February issue of mounTEN, Tenkara USA's zine, is wonderfully composed with a feature on Katsutoshi Amano. There's also a fascinating look back at their "launch" video... you know the one that got everybody asking, "but where's his reel?", and of course, the fantastic artwork of Jeremy Shellhorn. Heck, you might even see a familiar name or two in the article about Tenkara USA's best-selling rod, the Sato. Check it, you won't regret it.
Oh, and I'd remiss if I didn't mention the newly released "Best Of" Tenkara Angler Warm Water Fixed-Line Mashup issue. Yeah, due to popular demand, I pulled together all of the great warm water content (think bass, panfish, carp, etc...) from the past three years and compiled them into one (re)issue. The response has been pretty favorable so far, so if you're interested in pursuing any of those species with your tenkara rod, you may want to give it a look...
So, looks like you've all got a lot to read and watch now... I hope you enjoy it all as much as I did!
It took way too much time for me to cobble together between the holidays, work, and assorted seasonal illnesses, but it's done and I think it came out damn good.
The contributions were fantastic with some really stellar opinion pieces from Jay Johnson, Dennis Vander Houwen, an interview with Jason Sparks from Adam Trahan, essays from Mike Hepner, Adam Klagsbrun, Melissa Alcorn, Paul Vertrees, and Michael Richardson, fly tying info from Robb Chunco and Mark White, conservation pieces from Brad Trumbo and Craig Springer, art from Anthony Naples and Jim Tignor, photo entries from Paul Pigeon, Jason Hammond, and Shigeki Miura, and "Brookies & Beer" from John-Paul Povilaitis!
That's a lot of free content, and I think you'll really like what you find inside.
As usual, the Winter issue will be available as an e-magazine over at Issuu, HERE.
And also available for sale as a physical magazine and PDF download in the Blurb bookstore, HERE.
It's been a little bit since last I posted an official Tenkara Tuesday entry. I was compelled to do so today because a really good limited time offer is coming to an end, and I didn't want to let the window pass before letting my readers know.
Badger Tenkara is currently running a "factory direct" bulk purchase of their Classic & UNC rods at a significant retail discount. Much like a Kickstarter, it's an all or nothing sort of deal where should they hit the specific dollar goal in rod sales ($5,000) they'll place a bulk buy with the factory and pass along significant savings to their backers. That means you'll be able to get one of their rods (typically MSRP of $100 or greater) for $65, a pretty sweet price.
As of the time of posting, there are only around two days left to get in on the bulk buy... so consider this last call.
Note: While I'm friendly with the Badger Tenkara guys, I've never fished either of these rods, so I don't want it to seem as if I might steer you wrong. Many folks have fished these rods and seem extremely pleased. A quick google search of "Badger Tenkara Rod Review" will turn up many positive reviews.
This magazine is always a pleasure to assemble, and I think you'll really enjoy it, even if you've never picked up a tenkara rod.
One of the challenges/themes for the contributors in this issue was to provide the readers with some tenkara lifestyle stories. Not necessarily "how-tos" but rather accounts of experiences, outings, and adventures. Those experiences apply for any angler. The essays from Brad Trumbo, Keith Anderson, Brittany Aae, Mike Hepner, & Nick Pavlovski certainly do not disappoint.
Now we didn't neglect other subjects, such as kebari (flies), gear, interviews, tactics, warm water fixed-line fly fishing, conservation, and destination. The article about tenkara in Hokkaido, Japan by the founder of Tenkara USA, Daniel Galhardo is excellent.
As usual, the Fall issue will be available as a free e-magazine over at Issuu, HERE.
And also available for sale as a physical magazine and PDF download in the Blurb bookstore, HERE.
I've been suffering a little bit of fishing withdrawal. It usually happens the weeks after I get away to fish. Wanderlust sets in and I tend to go into writing slumps. In an effort to try and kick that before it gets really bad, figured I'd share a few gear updates/observations that recently impacted my tenkara fishing... perhaps they'll come in handy for you as well (if applicable).
A Broken Oni Type III
First off, I didn't mention in my recent "Mountain Medicine" post that I busted my Oni Type III tenkara rod when I was in North Carolina... yeah, that sucked. My heart immediately sank in my chest.
It's never an enjoyable experience breaking a rod, but when it's due to your own carelessness...ugh. Well... that just compounds the shame. Fortunately, my loss is potentially your gain, as I would like to pass along a great experience with the Team Oni USA shop, the online retailer that now sells Oni rods, as well as services parts.
That section shouldn't be two pieces :(
After a few dejected emails on Labor Day, John Vetterli had my replacement section in my hands in two days. That's some good, speedy service if you ask me. There's actually a lot of great customer service from our larger community of tenkara vendors, and I'm glad to see this new resource is no exception. So fear not with your Oni rods, John has you covered - for a fee of course.
Breaking In The Orvis Ultralight Wading Boots
Yeah, these got wet for a few days as well. While this isn't a long-term review (two days of fishing), I'm happy to report that the boots I've been writing about pretty much perform as advertised. Extremely lightweight (hardly noticeable on the hikes in and out) and fairly grippy on those slick Appalachian rocks. I did end up adding screw in studs to aid a bit with the traction, but I've always done that on trips to the Blue Ridge.
The one thing that did take me a smidge to get used to is that the rubber soles are more of a lug style than what I'm used to, so when you hop around from rock to rock, you just need to be slightly more deliberate with foot placement to "feel" what's underfoot. That being said, the extra rubber indentations added a better level of grab and leverage when pushing off of rocks that I enjoyed.
Old wading boots (top), new Orvis Ultralights (bottom)
So while the primary review is good, we'll see how they handle over the long term before I truly pass judgment.
Sawyer, My Main Squeeze
I'm not certain if I've ever written about water filtration here before, but the more I use it, the more I absolutely love my Sawyer Squeeze filtration system. I've used other solutions in the past, such as a Lifestraw as well as water bottles that incorporated internal filters, but I just don't think there's a better, (or easier to use), system for the wading angler. Particularly one that has access to abundant cold water all around them.
In my opinion, it's the perfect size to quickly fill, grab a drink to keep you hydrated on a hot day, and then stow away small in your pack to the point where it's unnoticeable. It also saves you the space of not needing to bring a dedicated water bottle. I've heard some people have had some issues with the plastic water pouch/bag leaking over time, but I haven't had that experience yet, so it's all good by me.
Are there any pieces of gear you that you find make your afternoon in the mountains more enjoyable? I would love to gather additional suggestions in the comments, as I'm always personally keen on learning ways to refine both the gear I use and wear, as well as what I keep inside my fishing daypack.
ATTENTION TENKARA FISHERFOLK
Are you a 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, I'd really enjoy hearing from you for an upcoming Tenkara Tuesday post! Feel free to send an email HERE, I'd love to publish your original contribution.
You hear the phrase "one fly" thrown around quite a bit in Tenkaraland. That's not a theme park or anything (could you imagine?), rather the community at large.
The idea of one fly doesn't literally mean the tenkara angler only fishes a single fly or pattern, it's more of a concept. Yes, it's true that in tenkara's heritage, it was not uncommon that a commercial tenkara angler might have fished the one pattern that was best suited for the water, somewhat replicating the insects, of the region of Japan in which they lived. They were fishing for a living, and success meant putting food on the table. If something worked, why mess with it?
Dr. Ishigaki tying a fly at the 2014 Tenkara Summit
Was it his "one fly" or just "a fly"... Hmmm...
However, as tenkara has evolved from a profession to contemporary sport, it abstractly extends to the idea that when trout are holding in what one might call "textbook tenkara water" - i.e. high gradient & fast moving - they only have a split-second to make the decision on whether or not to feed. That short reaction window, paired with their generally poor eyesight translates into the theory that the fly doesn't actually matter. The fish are just reacting to size, motion, and perhaps roughly shape, so the angler could fish one or any fly they wanted, given their technique was locked in.
Now you may read in places online that some tenkara anglers have in fact fished "one fly" for a season as a challenge. Well, that's really their call and not something that is really tied to tenkara itself. Anglers do the same thing with a regular fly outfit and a woolly bugger or a Clouser minnow all the time. Anyway, why do I bring this up?
Well, Adam Trahan over at Tenkara-Fisher wrote a blog post on Sunday about "one rod"... a concept that is not commonly held in Tenkaraland, primarily because most anglers (even tenkara anglers) are also gearheads.
I mean I need a short tenkara rod for tight conditions, a long one for open conditions, a stout one for larger fish, and one with a camo handle because it's cool, right? Oh, and that brand new one with the fancy golden trout paint job that just came out, I need that one too...
Adam disagrees, or has at least placed a personal challenge onto himself to fish one rod for all of his tenkara, regardless of circumstance. Why? To better understand all of the ins & outs of the rod, in all of the various conditions... and become a better angler with it.
Anyway, give it a read HERE. Would love to read your comments, either below, or over on his post. I think it has a lot of merit, but don't let me influence your feedback...
ATTENTION TENKARA FISHERFOLK
Are you a 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, I'd really enjoy hearing from you for an upcoming Tenkara Tuesday post! Feel free to send an email HERE, I'd love to publish your original contribution.
Being in Alaska this week, I can't say that I'm particularly plugged into what's going on in tenkara current events. I also didn't have the foresight to plan and write an original tenkara-themed post of my own... so instead, here's a cool Vimeo video from a few years back by Dan Gates to watch and scratch that early-week fixed-line fly fishing itch.
Enjoy!
Also, a total aside... doesn't this water look nice? I couldn't help but ponder the possibilities as I strolled past a few days ago in Mount Rainier...
ATTENTION TENKARA FISHERFOLK
Are you a 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, I'd really enjoy hearing from you for an upcoming Tenkara Tuesday post! Feel free to send an email HERE, I'd love to publish your original contribution.
Going to try and make this a more regular Tuesday thing again, some weeks it will be extended "features"... other weeks it'll probably be some quick hits. This is one of those weeks.
Tanuki Golden Trout Rod
So if you follow Luong Tam and his Tanuki rod company on Facebook at all, you might have noticed that he's been all about golden trout recently, and he's developed a rod to go chase them. Check out the paint job on this thing...
Photo: Luong Tam
My only hope is that it's more suited for chasing golden trout than the "Appalachian Brook Trout" rod was for chasing brookies a few years back. Looks good so far...
Yonah Tenkara Fanny Pack
Ok, not gonna lie, I totally feel like I'm cheating on Zimmerbuilt by writing this, but a new tenkara/fly fishing fanny/sling pack from Yonah Packs was released recently.
Photo: Yonah Packs
I did purchase the original Yonah "simple" pack a while back just to check out the build quality and materials, and I will say that if that was any indication, anglers should be very pleased with this new edition. (Use coupon code YONAH5OFF for a $5 discount & free shipping)
Discover Tenkara Hirata-San Bundle
John & Paul at Discover Tenkara... half the time I can't keep straight whether they're asking me to sign up for free stuff, buy downloads, watch YouTube videos, or support through Patreon. Whatever. It's probably my fault, their informational content is so good, I tend to oversubscribe to their offerings.
Right now they've got a new bundle of content consisting of videos, e-books, and audiobooks on sale featuring tenkara master Hisanobu Hirata. I downloaded it the other night and have gone through the audiobooks in my drives in the car - they're excellent. And for a few more days the bundle is available for $45, rather than the regular price of $109. I think that price is good until the 19th, so don't sleep on it if you've got any interest.
Tenkara Cast 2.0
Daniel Galhardo is back from Japan and changing things up a bit with his popular "Tenkara Cast" podcast. Per his latest entry: "I'm doing a soft "relaunch" of the Tenkara Cast, where I will be focusing on sharing more practical advice for your next outing. In addition, every episode will now feature a conversation with a different Trout Unlimited chapter around the US to find out more about their projects and how you can get involved." Sounds good to me... well not literally, I haven't listened to it yet. But if you'd like to, check out the embed below, or punch it up on your favorite podcast app.
While not necessarily a new IG account (over 1,000 followers at the time of writing this), this really has to be one of my favorite Instagrams to just scroll down and get lost traveling through all the photos. Aside from the fact that the photography is great... the settings are absolutely phenomenal! This is real mountain fishing (and on-stream eating). Have to be careful though, too much of this account will get you stir crazy, wishing you were on the water!
Photo: tenkara.babaa Instagram
So I guess that's about it for today. I'm headed out on vacation this week so maybe I'll be doing some blogging from the road... or airport... or if wi-fi allows... boat. We'll see.
In the meantime (and in closing)... here's a random video from a Vimeo "tenkara" search for no good reason except FUN. Enjoy!
ATTENTION TENKARA FISHERFOLK
Are you a 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, I'd really enjoy hearing from you for an upcoming Tenkara Tuesday post! Feel free to send an email HERE, I'd love to publish your original contribution.
Fall in the Appalachians. Endless trout water. Camaraderie. What more could an angler ask for?
With the Tenkara Jam on hiatus for logistical reasons, this year's East Coast tenkara "event" will be a bit more informal in nature (which honestly isn't a bad thing), but undoubtedly fishy as heck.
Centered around Davidson River campground in North Carolina, this is a loosely organized gathering over a long weekend where everybody is on their own timetables and are just encouraged to grab their tenkara rods and go out and fish... and there's a lot of water in the general area in which to do so.
Per Jason Sparks: "Seriously, this is a snapshot of the public access waters for this watershed. The campground is near where the red lines culminate on the right. It is silly awesome waters."
There's also been some early chatter that there will be some fly tying/swapping going on, as well as interest in some evening communal campfire meals (and I'm certain tons of story-telling). It's going to be one of those events where I'm certain you'll get out of it what you put in.
Since this magazine is crowd-sourced, it’s always interesting to see what sort of stuff folks decide to send in, because I'll be honest, as Editor, I embarrassingly don't give them a heck of a lot of direction!
While the backbone of Tenkara Angler is still solidly based in tenkara & trout in mountain streams and lakes, it was fascinating to see the amount of (warm water) fixed line fly fishing articles that came in this time around.
Personally, I prefer to define fishing for bass, bream, etc... as "fixed line fly fishing" and not "tenkara," (more on that distinction perhaps in a later post), but there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Heck, I do a ton of it here in Florida myself, and since that's what Americans are increasingly doing with their tenkara rods, the magazine will continue to make the distinction but cover both.
You'll find there was an interesting read on chasing carp with a tenkara rod from Jon Hart, two separate (but related) articles on catfish, bass, & bluegill, and finally, an awesome “destination” piece from Chris Lynch that takes us to Alabama for “Bama brookies.” You’ll have to read it to see what that’s all about... I might even have a complimentary blog post here later this week.
Photo: Chris Lynch
You can read Tenkara Angler, Summer 2018 as a free e-magazine, HERE.
And if you really like it, it's also available as a physical magazine or PDF download in the Blurb bookstore, HERE.
A lot's gone on since the last installment of Tenkara Tuesday, so figured I'd do a round-up of sorts, if for no other reason than to write up a new post. Some of this may be news to you, some may not, but it's all pretty cool. Hope you enjoy...
I guess I'll start with my friends over at Discover Tenkara. I mean I feature them quite frequently because they've been pumping out such great content over the past few years.
Unfortunately, the news is quite horrifying, as due to a dispute with a former business partner, they've lost the rights to sell many of the most popular titles in their multi-media library. While they're currently in the process of creating some new product to keep the business (and free episodes of Tenkara in Focus) afloat, they've also established a Patreon account for those that appreciate their work and want to sponsor their future efforts. If it's something you might be interested in, check out this LINK and video below for more details.
While the last thing I need is another tenkara rod, I couldn't control myself and pre-ordered one from Badger Tenkara the other week. They're offering a refined version of their popular UNC rod with what they describe as "high flex" action. As an owner of some premium full flex Japanese tenkara rods, I'm interested to see how they execute this "Rocky Creek Special." Even though some of the deeper early bird discounts are now gone, rods can still be purchased for $98, a discount of $17. More info can be found HERE.
Photo: Badger Tenkara
Oh, and since we're talking rods, check out the bend on this one! This display by Tenkara Rod Co. certainly isn't "tenkara" as I know it, but it certainly looks like a lot of fun... am I right?
I probably would have freaked out and broken off on this fish, but cool to see they brought it to hand.
There have also been a few good interviews published over the past few weeks. One of the more recent was an interview with Tenkara-Fisher's Adam Trahan featured on Christophe Laurent's Tenkara Enso blog. It's a bit of a lengthy read, but worth the time if you're not familiar with Adam's backstory or views on tenkara moving forward.
Last but not least, I gotta sneak in that the "Call for Submissions" for the Spring 2018 issue of Tenkara Angler magazine is now open. If you'd like to contribute to this quarter's magazine, more details are available HERE.
The guys over at Discover Tenkara just uploaded Episode 5 of their second season of Tenkara In Focus on Monday. It's a really exceptional interview with tenkara angler Go Ishii. At just under twenty minutes, it's really worth the watch if you have the time to take it all in.
Go's contributions to furthering Japanese tenkara knowledge in the West have been invaluable, and this in-depth "sit down" really adds great context to the man behind the translations. There's also a nice accompanying blog post over on the Discover Tenkara website.
In a somewhat related side-note, I have to further compliment and recommend Discover Tenkara's new print book, "How To Fool Fish With Simple Flies." I received my copy in the mail over the holidays and have had the opportunity to read it almost from cover to cover.
Not only is there some great photography of over 70 different examples of simple flies / kebari, but the book really shines with its extremely detailed instruction on how to effectively fish them. While a lot of folks consider tenkara "basic," this book can definitely take your fly presentation and manipulation to the "next level."
Just wanted to use this Tenkara Tuesday (and Happy Halloween) to cross-pollinate the fact that the "call for submissions" for the Winter 2017-18 issue of Tenkara Angler magazine is now underway.
If you've got any tenkara-themed stories, essays, fly tying recipes, product reviews, tips, tricks, or even photography, poetry, or original artwork, it would probably fit in perfectly with the next issue.
Interested? Check out the Tenkara Angler website HERE for more details.
While the 2017 Tenkara Jam was mentioned in the prior post, it would be negligent of me to not also mention the upcoming Tenkara Summit hosted by Tenkara USA.
While daydreaming about fishing in Colorado again, I took the time over the past weekend to look back at some photos and memories from prior Summits. If you've never attended one, the 3 videos below should give you a little flavor for the event.
2012: Salt Lake City, Utah. After missing the first Summit in 2011, this was my first adventure in traveling for fly fishing. The Tenkara Guides of Utah played a huge role in hosting this very well run gathering. I even got some one-on-one time with Dr. Ishigaki on stream - not only observing the fly manipulation techniques of a Master, but also noticing that we both had the same orange waterproof cameras!
2013: Harrisonburg, Virginia - the Summit comes East! Japanese fly fishing meets Moonshine and Bluegrass... literally. Looking back, this was the precursor of the Tenkara Jam we can now enjoy annually. My only regret regarding this event was opting to go on my own on Sunday rather than fishing Mossy Creek with the many of the attendees. From what I heard, Mossy was pretty epic!
2014: Boulder, Colorado. This is when I learned everything they say about outdoor recreation in the Rockies is 100% true. I also had the pleasure of fishing (or grabbing some beers) with so many of the different tenkara-folks I had met online over the years - far too many to list them all. And the bugling elk in Rocky Mountain National Park... it was so cool.
Unfortunately, I missed 2015, also in Estes Park... and there was no Summit 2016...
All of that being said, if this piques your interest, it's definitely not too late to register for the 2017 Summit should your schedule allow for it. Tenkara USA's official website is located HERE, with a ton more details including a list of speakers and a general overview of activities. Hope to see you there!
For more details and info on prior Summits, click HERE to view all prior "Tenkara Summit" tagged posts.
Just happened to notice some really striking new tenkara rods being teased on Facebook the past week or so. While they say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," it's certainly interesting to see some unique looks being produced.
The following photos have been lifted from Facebook, I don't think the owners of the contributing pages will mind... I mean the posts were set to "public" for a reason...
"Built to be one of the most ELITE Fixed Line Nymphing Rods on the planet!! Our Hardware Package was machined and anodized right here in the USA!! All our grips are lathed and constructed right here in SE Tennessee. Each Rod is meticulously assembled one at a time by the guy who designed the rods."
- Riverworks Company USA
Images courtesy: Riverworks Company USA Facebook Page
"Alps Tanuki Special designed in Italy by Italian. it is a collaboration work between US, Italian, and Chinese rod Engineers. When it comes to design, it is hard to beat Italian. The AlpsTanukiSpecial action is not the same Tanuki XL. It is designed for a full rod casting, it means you hold on the lower section of the grip. The action is a little slower and flies land gently on the water. It is a Tanuki XL family which designed for more Traditional Japanese fly manipulation both dry and kebari does not mean you can't use double October Caddis."
Step away from the blog for a week and all kinds of good tenkara stuff happens... Check out some of the interesting news and notes below.
First Stop: Wisconsin
First off, the Midwest Tenkara Fest was held last weekend in Coon Valley, Wisconsin. Totally bummed I couldn't attend, but so happy that it appears that my friends that did had a great time. The event even got picked up a little in the local press, so check out the video at your leisure!
On To Japan...
Appears the Discover Tenkara guys bypassed Wisconsin as well and headed straight to Japan! A few of their adventures seem to be slowly creeping out via the Tenkara in Focus Facebook page - hanging out with friends, eating, drinking, fishing, oh, and testing out some new rods. Hmm...
Image Courtesy: Discover Tenkara
A New Dynamic Duo
The Road Warriors, The Fabulous Freebirds, The British Bulldogs, The Dudley Boyz... some of the greatest tag teams of all time. Will the new team of Stephen Myers and Graham Moran join that elite company? Not sure, but the two of them are going to give a new fly tying business a try under the name 303 Flyworks. As Macho Man Randy Savage once said, "Oh Yeaaaah!"
An Ode To A Rod
Adam Trahan recently compiled a collaborative piece about the Tenkara USA Sato on his Tenkara-Fisher blog. This "review" of the rod features the input of eight different tenkara anglers. I have to say, I'm a little partial to this blog post... but you'll probably have to read it to find out why.
Blue Ridge Startup
Finally, if you've followed this blog to any extent over the past few years, you know that one of my favorite escapes to chase trout (somewhat) close to home is to head up to north Georgia. Well, it appears those waters will now have a new tenkara guide service, as Christopher Fraker announced his new venture, Back of Beyond, on his blog The Impossible Seam. Here's wishing him the best of luck!
I wanted to take this Tenkara Tuesday to pass along the news that the submission period for the Summer 2017 issue of Tenkara Angler magazine is now open. There's tons of Spring fishing going on all over the country and with the Summer issue ahead, it makes for an awesome opportunity to tell some of your stories!
Any and all topics are fair game – fishing reports, gear reviews, destination travel, essays, poetry, fiction, photography, art, whatever – as long as it’s tenkara or conservation related. Similar to prior issues, the tenkara community will craft the contents of the issue.
If you are interested in contributing, the parameters for content submission are outlined HERE.
The deadline for content submission will be June 9th, 2017, with the target publishing date toward the end of that same month.
