I recently took a fly fishing lesson and really enjoyed it. I'm curious if anyone here has tried the Japanese "version" which, is called Tenkara and does not use a reel. It seems like a niche type of fishing.
I've read about it and hit up a few information sources, and my take is that it is a very old, highly specialized technique that developed around a set of circumstances in Japan, and has now evolved into a way to sell highly priced specialized fly gear to a very specialized crowd (which kind of describes fly fishing anyway ;D ). After reading about it I tried it SORT OF. I have an old, very long, vintage 3 piece cane pole that I break out once in ahile to terrorize fish at the local pond with (vintage style - hook, worm and that's it!). So one time I changed it up and went armed with flies and a fine tippet - and the bluegill had NO problems smashing the daylights out of them for as long as I wanted to stand there and do it. - john
What's old is new again. That is the way everyone fished prior to the Industrial Revolution.
I like the "portability" aspect of what appears to be rods that break down into a small carry tube, but honestly at my age back country fishing is not in the cards. Hoping if Reelynew starts to explore it a little further to please share with us. I know my few attempts at straight fly fishing were always fun, but I would never pretend to call myself a fly fisherman. - john
Isnt it just fly fishing without a reel? Wouldn't that be cheaper than normal fly fishing?
No fly line either. Just a leader about the length of the rod. Sort of like a fancy version of one of those crappie poles tweaked for fly fishing.
From what I have read, the origin was Japanese locals using a chunk of bamboo that they stashed by the stream. But as it got reinvented and took off as the latest trend, there was an escalation of premium products and "master" anglers to guide us in its intricacies, sort of like BFS or slow pitch.
The basic idea is that you can drift a small fly better through a spot if you don't have a fly line dragging behind it. You can even keep most of the leader out of the water. It is mostly a small stream technique for trout, but of course folk try to push the limits.
But your fishable range is something short of double the length of the rod. There are some tricks to work a line slightly longer than the rod.
I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in trying it, but it might be a thing to consider for a trout guy that likes to fish pocket water.
-J
Those small Japanese tenkara travel packs can be genuine handmade works of art and convenient too if you're on public transportation. But they're sort of fiddly if you have the wherewithal to carry something longer. Online there are instructions/demonstrations for making them and even Amazon carries them now.
Around here tenkara is sort of like 'oama fishing. It's probably the most sociable fishery you'll ever see.
I used to tie a piece of mono to the end of an old trash rod to catch smelt and perch off the dock instead of laying on the dock with a drop line. Does that count?
The Man
Thread derail in 3...2...1...
Quote from: Ron Jones on July 05, 2024, 09:35:14 PMI used to tie a piece of mono to the end of an old trash rod to catch smelt and perch off the dock instead of laying on the dock with a drop line. Does that count?
The Man
I'd say it counts!
Around here tenkara is sort of like 'oama fishing. It's probably the most sociable fishery you'll ever see.
Steve - I had to ask my BIL about 'oma fishing and it sounds like FUN!
It's sort of like communal chumming but, yeah, fun.
Here we have a commercial/Coast Guard dock in a bay. I bought a rods for it and used to go with my wife. ~13' fiberglass with a single guide on the end and a line-loop holder at the bottom. Lights on the dock attract the fish and a tiny chunk of Hammerhead was usually the bait of choice. One of those light emitting bobbers above that. A definite place to gather and gossip. Most of the fish caught were Juvenile Jack species. Of course I had to see if I could get a larger fish down deeper feeding on the little ones, never did. It got too crowded for me.
Sounds like bream buster fishing to me :D
I have a 13' light surf rod I was considering trying this on a small trout stream 20 miles west of town.