Easy to Learn Fly Fishing - Simply a Rod, Line and Fly - Tenkara
Why has Rocky River Trout Unlimited embraced Tenkara? Rather than accept the premise that "not everyone is suited to learn fly fishing" our chapter has discovered that a Tenkara rod, the short line and a fly is idea for both teaching and for learning fly fishing. Kids catch their first fish using either a cane pole or a Zebco like spinning rod using bait. Unfortunately, more kids than not do not even catch their first fish any more as the tradition of the parent-child or whole family being able to fish together has been practically lost in our modern times. Using an easy to cast Tenkara rod, line and a fly a child or even the whole non-fishing family may readily experience, casting and presenting a fly easily and catching a fish by
actually seeing the fish striking the fly and experiencing a direct connection between themselves and the fish.
actually seeing the fish striking the fly and experiencing a direct connection between themselves and the fish.
o Kids can easily learn to cast a Tenkara rod and fly fish at a much younger age.
o Mom's and Dad's that have never fished before, never used a fly rod or even found a fly rod difficult to cast will find the Tenkara method of fly fishing to be simple and easy to do. o Beginners can easily learn to cast a Tenkara rod and fly fish. o Backpackers will find Tenkara components to be the light-weight, compact means to add fly fishing to their outdoors experiences. o Seniors and those with physical challenges will be able to cast a Tenkara rod as it requires much less movement or energy. |
Tenkara is the modern Japanese version of the earliest fly fishing. Mankind has been fly fishing for thousands of years and for most of that time only used a rod, a line and a fly as these three components is all that is actually needed to fly fish. The fly reel is a relatively modern invention, and it does offers a significant advantage of holding extra line so an angler can make longer casts and a larger, hooked fish can make long runs without breaking off. However with such an advance, simplicity was left behind, fly fishing became potentially more expensive with more components, and learning to cast a longer line became a major hurdle for beginners and novices.
The Japanese did not invent fly fishing, and very similar styles of a simple rod, line and fly fishing extended throughout Europe and other parts of the world. However, the Japanese uniquely did not give up on the simple fishing style after the invention of the reel came along, but rather improved the technology to the use of telescoping graphite rods, hi-visibility fluorocarbon lines or mono furled lines and Sakasa Kebari patterns which means" reversed hackle fly" in Japanese. Tenkara means "from the skies" in Japanese. Named appropriately for their most popular method of presenting a fly on the water surface with very little or no part of the line being visible to the fish. Developed in the small mountain streams of Japan, Tenkara was originally used by commercial anglers, professional fisherman who used to catch native trout for a living. The undocumented history of Tenkara is believed to be at least four hundred years. The first reference to Tenkara fly fishing was in 1878 in a book called "Diary of climbing Mt. Tateyama" written by Ernst Mason Satow, a able linguist and British diplomat during the early modernization of Japan. Fishing evolved to the use of a reel to store extra line to deal with fish that swam away. |
Casting a Tenkara Rod
Tenkara is the simple Japanese method of fly-fishing where only a rod, line and fly are used. Eleven to fourteen-foot long rods telescope down to a mere 20 inches. The ultra-portable gear and minimalist nature of the sport make it ideal for going farther as you explore your favorite stream. whether it is fly-fishing while backpacking, or fishing for fishing sake, tenkara shows us that simplicity can be liberating.
This fly rod is an innovation by the Japanese who have tight spaces at home to store their fly fishing gear as well as tight mountain streams.
Tenkara is the simple Japanese method of fly-fishing where only a rod, line and fly are used. Eleven to fourteen-foot long rods telescope down to a mere 20 inches. The ultra-portable gear and minimalist nature of the sport make it ideal for going farther as you explore your favorite stream. whether it is fly-fishing while backpacking, or fishing for fishing sake, tenkara shows us that simplicity can be liberating.
This fly rod is an innovation by the Japanese who have tight spaces at home to store their fly fishing gear as well as tight mountain streams.
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Rocky River Chapter of Trout Unlimited (c) 2014
Rocky River Chapter of Trout Unlimited (c) 2014