Tenkara Fishing

[bothyman]

Has anyone tried this ??

>> http://www.tenkarausa.com/about.php

>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenkara_fishing

It looks interesting ,but there must be a cheaper way then buying a fancy Fishing Rod.??

It looks like someone is trying to introduce into the US in a big way.

I can't find anything in the UK about it??.

MickT

 

[Ruvio]

i was lucky enough to try it in japan.
you don't need any fancy rods, the guy that taught me literally used a bamboo pole, regular fly fishing line, and special flies.
i was told it was all about the flies, not the rod

i like fishing like this when i'm out a wanderin, coz you dont need to carry much

 

[Indoorsout]

This looks really interesting, I'd love to try it. I'm a newbie though, how easy is it to learn? I've never done any sort of fly fishing at all

 

[steve a]

Its a very similar method to what in the Uk is known as dapping, very effective on trout in the daddy season.

 

[Barn Owl]

This looks really interesting, I'd love to try it. I'm a newbie though, how easy is it to learn? I've never done any sort of fly fishing at all

It's really not difficult.

BUT I would take a lesson from a good fisher with good technique so that you don't get bad habits forming.

Seems the same as 'Daddy dapping' to me to,I've also mucked about with very short lines close into the bank.


Wouldn't mind one of the rods though,haven't wet a line for a good couple of years.

 

[bothyman]

Wouldn't mind one of the rods though,haven't wet a line for a good couple of years.

There must be a way to make one cheaper than those??

Only problem is making it small enough to fit in your Pack ??



MickT

 

[johnnytheboy]

Used to do that as a kid and never even knew it, get an old fly rod (ebay) and tie your line right to the end of the rod, we used to catch loads of little trout from streams and little perch as well doing this

 

[myotis]

Bit of an old thread but thought I might add a little to it. I haven't fished for 20 years but I have been smitten with the idea of Tenkara fishing. Indeed without realising it I used to follow a Tenkara type philosophy when I did fish (even though I used a reel). However to the point.

I have just bought one of these http://www.sourcingmap.com/super-portable-telescoping-sections-fishing-rod-pole-p-48882.html

It came in under a week, and its super portable and seems well made. People on the Tenkara forums have used similar rods and suggested they are usable, but without much enthusiasm for them.

I also bought a proper Tenkara leader from http://www.custom-furles.com/Leader_Types.html, which cost more than the rod !!

Only had a bash on the lawn so far and it was obvious that the rod is far too stiff for the proper tenkara leader (which is the entire line).

However, flat fluorocarbon leaders are also used (15lb) so I rummaged amongst my old fishing gear and found some 20lb flyline backing. When I was young, before I could buy proper flylines, I fished with greased flyline backing.

I had a spool of MasterLine braided monofilament and some Hardy backing of the same strength but less than half the diameter. Cut off the standard 10.5ft to make up the leader and gave it a go with a 3ft tippet and hookless fly.

Although you have to work the rod hard, both of these set ups worked pretty well (bearing in mind I haven't cast a fly for over 20 years). Tenkara casting is also a bit different because of the short line so the casting is kept within a 10'oclock to 12 o'clock arc. There are lots of videos about but this gives a good feel for the approach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhYuX5AzHZU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VODVhdjc1u0&feature=related

However, I am not entirely sure how this fits in with the Tenkara approach which is all about very light leaders and perfect presentation of the fly. None the less it seems a good starting point.

Considering people are using tenkara in sea, loch and river fishing this set up should give very portable/lightweight kit that is capable of good fishing for very little money.

What is really good is that the rod plus a tiny bag with a few flies and a couple of leaders takes up so little space that it can permanently live in the bag/car just in case.

Graham

 

[Bravo4]

You grab a line and I'll grab a pole
We'll go down to the crawdad hole

I like the concept...can't help but notice that the wikipedia entry is nothing more than an advertisement for the company. "From the heavens" or "from the skies" my.

 

[bmartin1uk]

Myotis - Looks like a good pole for the price. The weight is awesome!

 

[myotis]

I like the concept...can't help but notice that the wikipedia entry is nothing more than an advertisement for the company.

I suspect that was because until recently TenkaraUSA was the only source of information/equipment that wasn't Japanese.

Daniel's wife is Japanese which gave him (TenkaraUSA) the "insiders" route to Tenkara.

There are other forums now:

http://www.tenkara-fisher.com

http://www.tenkarabum.com/

http://uk-tenkara.proboards.com/index.cgi

And Tenkara rods can be bought at other places (for less money)

http://www.allfishingbuy.com/Tenkara-Rods.htm

Graham

 

[myotis]

Myotis - Looks like a good pole for the price. The weight is awesome!

It is of course rather heavy for a Tenkara rod , but it seems the lightest one that they did (taking into account the length).

A proper Tenkara rod would be between 60 and 100g.

But it is still great value.

Graham

 

[DavidJT]

Isn't it just Japanese dapping as an earlier poster suggested.
I've done dapping on lakes in Norway, where we've just used a really long bamboo pole, line + fly leader and lots of droppers. You skate them along the surface gently, and slowly lift the rod so the flies take-off one by one. Can be quite effective if the fish are in the right mood, but I'd rather just do the equivalent with a normal fly rod and some wet flies.

 

[myotis]

Isn't it just Japanese dapping as an earlier poster suggested.

I'm not sure I understand where this similarity to dapping comes from, but its a recurring comment in fishing forums.

My recollection of dapping was using a long pole, with an artificial daddy long legs, on a floss line that you let the wind carry, with the long rod allowing you to keep the fly bouncing along the surface of the water.

And while I am sure you could use Tenkara tackle to fish this way (just as you could any fly rod) it isn't the way any of the tenkara fisherman seem to fish.

Reading about it and looking at the videos, its just like fly fishing but with an emphasis on using the long rod and light line to cast and control the fly perfectly. The long rod allowing you lift the line over eddies to prevent drag etc

However, while many western Tenkara fisherman seem to be using it for dry fly (which is my interest), it does look as if japanese tenkara fisherman use it for wet fly with specific tenkara pattern that uses a double hackle, with the hackle pushed forward, so as the fly sinks and then is lifted by the rod you get a distinctive movement in the hackle that attracts fish.

Its the simplicity of the tackle that attracts, as it takes up no room but still allows "proper" flyfishing. But then I am (or was) very much a small stream fisherman where a major problem was currents/eddies between you and the fly ruining the presentation and where most of the time you were looking at shortish casts. I always yearned for a long and lightweight rod, and the tenkara rods/approach seem ideal to me.

Graham

 

[Neumo]

You could try a small telescopic fishing pole, as in the poles that match anglers use. When I lived in holland a few years ago they were popular & you could get a 12" not a lot 15 euros or so. Worth looking at if you can find one.

I came across this a while ago & want to give it a go, so will have to look into this some more. Thanks for posting, what a great thread

 

[nitrambur]

Sounds a bit like Whip fishing, but using a fly instead of a float set-up

 

[myotis]

You could try a small telescopic fishing pole, as in the poles that match anglers use. When I lived in holland a few years ago they were popular & you could get a 12" not a lot 15 euros or so. Worth looking at if you can find one.

I think some of our American friends use Pan fishing rods which might be similar, until they can get a proper Tenkara rod.

The problem I suspect is the same one that I am having the essence of Tenkara is the gentle presentation of the fly using light lines and I am needing to use heavy lines (in a Tenkara sense ) to get the rod working. Of course I'm not sure how much of this is me being out of practice.

However, I see no reason why it can't fish, with a very little kit and cost. I also like the idea that some of the Tenkara masters use only one fly pattern saying that its the presentation that counts and not the fly. It takes me back a bit to my Grandpa who only used three flies: a small black spider, a small blue dun and a large blue dun (but only in the evening). I never knew him not to bring fish back.

Graham

 

[myotis]

Sounds a bit like Whip fishing, but using a fly instead of a float set-up

Certainly the basic design of the rods are similar but how well will they cast a fly on a light line.

Graham

 

[Bravo4]

myotis, I'm sorry if I came across as a party pooper earlier. I was feeling grumpy at the time and my feelings towards marketing strategies and wikipedia don't have anything to do with fishing.

Fishing can be a such a simple pursuit and I have enjoyed your updates to this thread. My great-grandpa had a most simple tackle box and was an exceptional oudoorsman by today's standards, but just an average man in his time. If he went out, he brought it home. Was a big part of how he and my great-grandma suvived right up until the 1980's when they passed away. The tales he would relate about his early life, the freedom, have much to do with my puruits and ideas today. Refined simplicity I can certainly admire.

This is a great thread to discuss a simple fishing technique. Sometimes threads go off into the $$$ side or "best" piece of kit, and get away from the more interesting and useful areas of a topic. I for one would enjoy reading of your progress, mods and user feedback; mixed in with an out&about thread is the tops! Again, my apologies for a somewhat negative reply earlier.
All the best,
Clint

 

[bothyman]

They seem to have a few poles here

And other stuf which may be of interest

MickT