Tenkara is about fly-fishing simplicity. Eliminating unnecessary complexities to let you enjoy the fly-fishing experience. Instead of gear, you're free to focus on your casting and fishing techniques. The ultra-light and portable gear is great for backpacking, 11-13 foot rods collapse down to 20 inches and the long rods allow you to effectively fish challenging waters. - from TenkaraUSA
Earlier this year George found out about the Tenkara rod and had to try it. We took it out to a private pond that had recently been stocked which meant that the fish were pretty small. George managed to pick up a couple of bream and a bass then let me have a try.
This was my first fish on the Tenkara but George probably caught the first fish on a Tenkara rod in South Georgia.
Cool!
Since this little trip George has fished the Tenkara even more.
So how does it cast?
It is not a Bream Buster with a fly line! Even though I tended to treat it like one. George had to remind me to cast it like a fly rod, which it is.
George has had more experience with it since. Here's his take:
"With my 13-foot Ayu rod and the Tenkara USA line, it doesn't really feel to me as if the line is loading the rod. It feels as if the rod is loading under its own weight, and the furled line gets taken along on the unload. However, I bought some lines from a guy in Illinois at StreamSideLeaders.
These lines--particularly his Hi-Viz Yellow--were made from a heavier material. The yellow line was noticeably heavier, and it did load the rod. I e-mailed the guy and commented on this. He told me he used a heavier material for his yellow lines than for his other tenkara lines, but he could use a lighter material if I preferred.
The guy on the Tenkara Bum website suggests that when fishing dry flies, you fish the lightest line that will deliver the fly. I guess this is for stealth. However, because your line is not supposed to touch the water anyway--only the tippet is supposed to be on the water--I'm not sure what difference it makes how heavy the line actually is. I have some difficulty turning over a large, bushy dry fly (hoppers, big Stimulators) with the Tenkara USA lines. I'm thinking I'll be able to turn them over much better with my yellow line. But I haven't had the time to play with it sufficiently.
As far as wind goes, I have had some trouble casting and handling the very light Tenkara USA lines. Whenever I have to cast a conventional fly rod in truly windy conditions, I always choose a heavier outfit rather than a lighter one. Fishing for striped bass in the wind, I'll go with a 10-weight over an 8-weight. I'm convinced the heavier line helps me cut better through the wind--the way you might choose a .30-'06 over a .308 if you had to make a long shot in the wind.
With tenkara fishing you get the double whammy. Your line is completely off the water during the float. Any wind that's blowing is going to blow the line. It will move your fly in a way that you don't want, and will blow a bow in the line and cause you to lose contact with a wet fly. Apparently the Japanese don't fish wet flies quartering downstream, with the fly line lying on the water. That's the traditional American way to fish a wet fly, and I haven't given it up. It's too effective, and when the wind is blowing a gale--the way the corridor of a large river tends to become a wind tunnel--it's just about the only way you can fish.
The one thing I don't want to do is overthink or overcomplicate this game. Minimalism and simplicity were the first things that appealed to me about Tenkara, and I don't want to ruin that. If you look on the Tenkara USA forum, you'll see plenty of people who are already trying to overcomplicate it. Tenkara has allowed my fishing to come full circle. I'm now tying flies that look much like the first flies I tied as a child. And I'm thrilled when I catch a tiny bream--we always called them sunfish--on my bare-bones outfit."
So there you go. I imagine I'm going to end buying one of these. Then I'll probably find I need another in a different length/action for different situations. You know how it is.
So how does it cast?
It is not a Bream Buster with a fly line! Even though I tended to treat it like one. George had to remind me to cast it like a fly rod, which it is.
George has had more experience with it since. Here's his take:
"With my 13-foot Ayu rod and the Tenkara USA line, it doesn't really feel to me as if the line is loading the rod. It feels as if the rod is loading under its own weight, and the furled line gets taken along on the unload. However, I bought some lines from a guy in Illinois at StreamSideLeaders.
These lines--particularly his Hi-Viz Yellow--were made from a heavier material. The yellow line was noticeably heavier, and it did load the rod. I e-mailed the guy and commented on this. He told me he used a heavier material for his yellow lines than for his other tenkara lines, but he could use a lighter material if I preferred.
The guy on the Tenkara Bum website suggests that when fishing dry flies, you fish the lightest line that will deliver the fly. I guess this is for stealth. However, because your line is not supposed to touch the water anyway--only the tippet is supposed to be on the water--I'm not sure what difference it makes how heavy the line actually is. I have some difficulty turning over a large, bushy dry fly (hoppers, big Stimulators) with the Tenkara USA lines. I'm thinking I'll be able to turn them over much better with my yellow line. But I haven't had the time to play with it sufficiently.
As far as wind goes, I have had some trouble casting and handling the very light Tenkara USA lines. Whenever I have to cast a conventional fly rod in truly windy conditions, I always choose a heavier outfit rather than a lighter one. Fishing for striped bass in the wind, I'll go with a 10-weight over an 8-weight. I'm convinced the heavier line helps me cut better through the wind--the way you might choose a .30-'06 over a .308 if you had to make a long shot in the wind.
With tenkara fishing you get the double whammy. Your line is completely off the water during the float. Any wind that's blowing is going to blow the line. It will move your fly in a way that you don't want, and will blow a bow in the line and cause you to lose contact with a wet fly. Apparently the Japanese don't fish wet flies quartering downstream, with the fly line lying on the water. That's the traditional American way to fish a wet fly, and I haven't given it up. It's too effective, and when the wind is blowing a gale--the way the corridor of a large river tends to become a wind tunnel--it's just about the only way you can fish.
The one thing I don't want to do is overthink or overcomplicate this game. Minimalism and simplicity were the first things that appealed to me about Tenkara, and I don't want to ruin that. If you look on the Tenkara USA forum, you'll see plenty of people who are already trying to overcomplicate it. Tenkara has allowed my fishing to come full circle. I'm now tying flies that look much like the first flies I tied as a child. And I'm thrilled when I catch a tiny bream--we always called them sunfish--on my bare-bones outfit."
So there you go. I imagine I'm going to end buying one of these. Then I'll probably find I need another in a different length/action for different situations. You know how it is.
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LINKS:
Current Georgia river levels: Real Time Georgia Streamflow
Solunar Tables for your zip code: HERE
FORUMS
Georgia Kayak Fishing
Georgia River Fishing
Jax Kayak Fishing
Gulf Coast Kayak Fishing (you might need to be registered to view this one)
FLY FISHING RESOURCES
Georgia Kayak Fishing
Georgia River Fishing
Jax Kayak Fishing
Gulf Coast Kayak Fishing (you might need to be registered to view this one)
FLY FISHING RESOURCES
DP Poppers
Fly Fishing West Georgia
Books and DVD by George Roberts:
Master the Cast
Fly Fisherman's Guide to Saltwater Naturals and Their Imitation
Fly Fishing West Georgia
Books and DVD by George Roberts:
Master the Cast
Fly Fisherman's Guide to Saltwater Naturals and Their Imitation
Saltwater Casting - 10 Steps to Distance and Power (DVD)
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If you are a resident of Georgia and like to fish from a kayak I recommend becoming a supporting member of the Georgia Kayak Fishing Association located at GeorgiaKayakFishing.com.
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If you are a resident of Georgia and like to fish from a kayak I recommend becoming a supporting member of the Georgia Kayak Fishing Association located at GeorgiaKayakFishing.com.
