What is Tenkara Fly Fishing?
Imagine this: you’re backpacking miles through the mountains to get to a secluded stream. One of the items in your pack is a rod that is so lightweight you forget it’s there. As you hear the rushing water, you pull it out, attach only a line and fly, and begin dragging the fly along the water. Before you know it, a fish is hooked, and dinner is secured.
Guess what? You can do just that with a tenkara rod.
With only a line, rod, and fly, tenkara fly fishing is great for those who love minimalistic setups. It’s similar to regular fly fishing and is mainly used on fast-flowing mountain streams.
Let’s sink into where tenkara originated from, how it works, and other essential things to know as a beginner.
Where Did Tenkara Originate From?
Although there is little documentation of its origin, Tenkara was born about 400 years ago in the mountain streams of Japan. It was originally used by commercial anglers and did not become popular in the West until the early 2000s.
The Japanese word “tenkara” means “from the sky” or “from heaven.” Think of it from the fish’s point of view. Dinner falling from the sky, ready for you to eat, sounds pretty nice.
What Is The Difference Between Tenkara Fishing And Fly Fishing?
Unlike a western fly fishing setup, a tenkara rod does not use hardware like a reel or line guides. It is just a rod, line, and fly. Simple as that.
And the rod itself is telescopic meaning that each piece of the rod is in sections and collapses into each other. The line attaches to the Lillian knot at the end of the very last thinnest piece!
How Does Tenkara Fly Fishing Work?
A tenkara rod is a lot longer than a conventional rod (11-14 feet is the most common size). These can be fixed or telescopic rods. If you are all about ultralight fishing, this is for you!
Line: a tenkara rod will have a fixed length line that is typically 2.5 times the rod length. This could be anywhere from a 10-11 foot nylon line with 2-3 feet of tippet. Overall, the line length depends on the style of fishing you are doing, so the tippet length may vary for you.
Fly: A lot of the time, tenkara anglers will stick to one fly pattern, such as the Ishigaki Kebari fly. “Kebari” translates to “feathered hook.” These flies are inverted soft hackle flies that imitate wet flies. Keep in mind that fishermen/women will use other flies, too! Don’t hesitate to test the waters with different patterns.
My Illustration of a Kebari Fly
Landing a Fish: The first question that people always ask when they are introduced to Tenkara is, “This rod doesn’t have a reel, so how do I pull it in?” All you have to do is raise the rod tip high and over your head to slowly pull the fish towards you and into your net.
Here is a video that I used to learn about different methods for attracting and landing fish.
How To Get Started With Tenkara Rod Fishing?
As a beginner myself, I’ve found practicing to be key. Once you have a rod, grab yourself a fly, line, and find a stream or body of water that will be perfect for casting.
Ideal spots to fish will allow you to cast without getting your fly stuck in a tree (speaking from experience). Try to scope out locations that give you the room to cast. You can also take advantage of waders to get in the water, making it easier to target fish in hard-to-reach areas.
And to continue learning, you can seek out advice from locals. See if you have a fly shop near you where you could learn about fishing spots and flies to use for the fish in your area.
I’ve done this in a few states where I wasn’t familiar with the area, and they have always been happy to share their knowledge. You can also seek out a social club that gives lessons. This is also a great way to meet fishing buddies!
Where Can I Get a Tenkara Rod?
Fun fact: Tenkara USA was the first company to introduce tenkara outside of Japan. I’m currently using the HANE rod from Tenkara USA, and I couldn’t be happier. Still, they are not the only ones you can buy from. There’s also Tenkara Rod Co. and some inexpensive tenkara rods on Amazon.
I want to note that sometimes it is best to invest in a quality rod that will last you for the long haul. Look at what’s on the market, and check out places like Facebook Marketplace to see if you can get a deal on a rod!
Tenkara Fishing Gear
If you are going to spend a day out on the water tenkara fishing, here are some items that you should take with you:
Tenkara rod
Line
Tippet
Forceps
Nippers
Flies
Net
Wading boots or waders (depends on weather conditions)
Sunscreen
Camouflage or natural-colored clothing
Polarized sunglasses (copper or yellow tint)
Smallmouth bass I caught on my tenkara rod in Washington.
Practicing with Tenkara
It’s all about technique, not about gear. You can easily get out there with just your rod, line, and a fly.
It’s all about practice. I’m still doing so myself! But every time I get out on the water, I learn something new about casting or how to move my fly. YouTube is always a great resource for learning more about proper casting, identifying where fish are in the water and more.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you got a little more insight into what tenkara fishing is all about!
