It’s no secret we’ve been fishing with Tenkara rods for a couple of years now. We haven’t used them exclusively but we do use them a pretty good bit, especially when we’re out fishing for ourselves. We’ve introduced many fly fishers to Tenkara and everyone has been very impressed. We even did a short video on the topic that is among our most viewed on YouTube. As time goes by and we use it more and more we decided it was high time we spoke up a little more on the topic.
Ian guiding an angler with Tenkara on Hazel Creek
To clear, this is not a “why you SHOULD fish with Tenkara” essay. There are plenty of opinions on Tenkara ranging from “the sky is bluer since I started using Tenkara” all the way down to “only limp wristed sissy boys would use Tenkara.” We’re somewhere in between but really enjoy it.
Back when I first started with Tenkara one of my fishing buddies said it just didn’t look like a viable way to fish because “it was too niche”. I had already tried it and was impressed with the possibilities, but this argument against it seemed odd to me. The very angler making this argument had every weight fly rod between 2 and 9 in his arsenal.
“So… Do you take your 2 weight fishing in salt water? Do you take it out for smallmouth? Heck, do you even take it to the creek when you need a weighted nymph and strike indicator?” I asked. “Same for that 9 weight. Do you fish it for anything besides stripers around here? How many times do your find yourself casting at permit a year? ”
Tenkara – Perfect for the Smokies
I’ll concede that Tenkara rods are somewhat niche but just about the same can be said for any fly rod. There are plenty of situations where you wouldn’t want that 5 weight even though it’s about as universal a rod you can find for freshwater. Here in the Smoky Mountains I will say with complete confidence that Tenkara rods have found a comfortable niche. The combination of ultra light line and an extra long rod make for exceptional drifts in the pocket water environment. These rods cast the nymphs and dry flies we fish so often easily and I’m convinced there are countless moments when the Tenkara rods not only outfish western fly rods but actually work in situations virtually impossible to negotiate with the fly rod.
And while it’s not something people expect to hear about a rod with a fixed amount of line, but in many instances we find ourselves casting further with Tenkara than we do with western fly rods. The reason is because of the extra length of the rod. We usually fish with about 10′ of Tenkara line on a 12′ rod. At the end of the line we add about 3′ of 3X tippet and another 2-3′ of 5X tippet. When you’re fishing 16′ of line on a 12′ rod you have to stay pretty far back, especially in pocket water. We were so used to being much closer and making short casts with a fly rod to get good drifts that this concept took a little while to sink in.
The upshot is that we are able to cast at skittish wild trout from further away than we do with a fly rod and that means fewer spooked fish.
A solid Smoky Mountain brown trout caught with Tenkara in a spot where wading was impossible
The spring when I first started using Tenkara I was intrigued by the many spots I cast not only cast to but maintain a natural drift on the far side of the river. There were eddies I have ignored for at least two decades because the river was too swift and deep to wade and rapids in the river made mending line an impossible proposition. The long 12-13′ Tenkara rods I was experimenting with cast the dry fly beautifully, kept the line off of swift water, and what little line did touch the water was so light there was no drag.
The advantage was so striking to me that I started carrying a Tenkara rod with me on guided trips in the Smokies. Whenever there was a tough to impossible spot for my angler to get a drift with a fly rod. I’d quickly set the Tenkara rod up. Things were always progressed the same from this point. The angler would look on with interest but say they had no idea how to cast it. My response was always “You know how to cast a fly rod so you know how to cast this.”
And then, without fail the angler would always catch a fish on the first or second drift. After a moment of fumbling with an unfamiliar way of landing the fish, they’d release the fish then ask where they could get one.
One of the reasons we always carry a Tenkara rod now, even when using our fly rods, is that they are exceptionally compact and are 20″ or smaller. A small spool carries our line and we use the same flies. This easily fits in our daypack and Ian often keeps the Tenkara rod tucked into his wading belt when he’s not fishing with it. These rods are perfect for hiking or backpacking even as they fish great on any roadside streams.
Now we’re happy to announce we are selling rods by Tenkara Rod Co in our online store. This has been a long time coming as we’ve been so eager to sell these rods and get them into the hands of anglers in our part of the country. These are great packages at a very reasonable price. The 12′ Teton rod package comes with everything you need except tippet material and is $159. The 13′ Owyhee package is $189. We use both of these rods around the Smokies and can’t wait for you to experience them!
Are we abandoning our fly rods? No, not at all, but we are using Tenkara more and more on our wild trout streams and know you’ll be impressed as well.
