Tenkara, Simple with Yvon Chouinard

Yvon Chouinard has a different approach to get women and children in the sport of fly fishing. It's simple.

Tenkara.

Morgan gets one!
"Modern day fly fishing, like much in life has become exceedingly complex, with high tech gear, a confusing array of flies and terminal tackle and accompanied by high priced guides."Yvon Chouinard

Look for his book "Simple Fly Fishing" Techniques for Tenkara and Rod and Reel on Patagonia Books early next year.

What is a Tenkara Rod

Until a few years ago when a client unveiled a rod he had recently received from a friend, with no reel seat on it, I had not heard of a Tenkara Rod. This week while sitting in the dentist chair the hygienist asked, "do you fly fish, I just noticed you had a Simm's jacket on?" I answer, "yes." He goes on to tell me he just purchased a Tenkara Rod and he has never fished before and was wondering if I knew anything about the rod. I reply, " I know you fish it without a reel and that's about it."  

This got my curiosity going. What is a Tenkara Rod? It is the traditional Japanese method of fly-fishing where only a rod, line and fly are used.

Tenkara is about fly-fishing simplicity. The rods are about eleven to fourteen feet long rods Tenkara rods are ideal for small streams. They are very lightweight,  portable, telescoping into a mere 20 inches, and thus excellent for backpacking. 

So how do the rods fish? I haven't fished a Tenkara but here is an article in Field and Stream explaining a bit on what they are like to fish.  "A juvenile tarpon might be the ideal Tenkara fish. A five-pound bonefish is going to make a straight run and blow the rod apart. A five-pound trout in heavy current is likely going to snap you off." Deeter 


  

Does anyone have a Tenkara story?