Tenkara is an ancient form of Japanese fly fishing that was practiced in the mountains of Japan over 400 years ago as a way to take large numbers of fish to eat or market. Bamboo, a common material, long and lightweight was the chosen to make their Tenkara rods. The big difference is that no reel is used in Tenkara. Today long americanized carbon fiber telescopic rods are made by Tenkara USA.
My friend Eric Duffy was the first person I ever saw use a Tenkara rod and he amazed me with all the advantages this form of fly fishing offered. Like a magician, Duffy was able to do things with his long rod that were impossible with Westernized fly fishing gear with a reel. The appeal of Tenkara is its elegant simplicity. The lightness of the rod, line and delicate presentation allow for a more precise presentation of the fly. You can place it on pools, across ripples as well as place it and hold it on the other side of the current. When Eric scittered a fly upstream across the water and a nice trout smashed it I knew I had to have one.
The rods are as light as a feather, weighing much less than a normal fly rod and reel. Their lengths average around 12 feet but vary in size and weight to fit any stream or fish. Rods are often up to 15 feet long. Normally the length of the line is about the same length of the rod. The handle is similar to normal fly fishing rods accept that it holds the telescopic rod inside it making it easy to transport and pack. The last time I fished with Eric he had a half dozen compact rods fitted into his fly fishing pack with his gear tossed over his shoulder completely out of the way and ready to use.
Tenkara line in not like your fathers fly line but like western fly line it still has to propel the fly forward. The most common Tenkara line is furled tapered monofilament line. Eric used fluorocarbon line in varying poundage’s. It’s slightly harder to cast at first but can be kept off the water more easily. A tippet, just like in regular fly fishing is used to connect to the larger line and then to the chosen fly.
I used my Tenkara on the last fly fishing trip I took October 14, the 2nd to the last day of the season. Sneaking softly along the outside edge of the river bank I was able to control my drift and let the current push my offering directly under the bank where the largest brook trout were hiding. Even the smallest fish feel like monsters on the delicate light weight Tenkara. When a larger trout hits it’s an amazing battle on the light weight Tenkara. Without a reel the battle is so much more fun as it makes the fight one where you have to use all your skills and use current to create an advantage as the trout tries to do the same.
Jim Bennett is an outdoorsman who lives and worked in the St. Croix Valley and can be reached at jamesbennett24@gmail.com for comments.
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