It was a long wait but I’ve finally begun my journey down the path of enlightenment brought about by fly fishing. If you’ve ever watched a skilled fly fisherman I think you’ll agree that there’s something almost spiritual about it. If nothing else there’s certainly a beauty about watching the line sailing through the air as it delivers the fly to its prey. If you watch me with my new Tenkara fly rod it will conjure horrific nightmares of fiery crashes of death. While I managed to (how I still don’t know) not get a fly stuck in my body I spent a great deal of time untangling the horrid mass of line and tippet I’d created. Nothing’s worse by being mocked by the very fish you’re trying to catch.
Earlier this month I ordered a 9’6″ Tenkara rod from tenkara-fishing.com. Tenkara is the most simple form of fly fishing as it entails just a rod, line, tippet, and fly. There is no reel. No stripping of line. Your line is a fixed length not unlike a cane pole. However, I can attest that it’s a thousand times more sensitive and responsive. I love my crappie pole for its fact action but the Tenkara blows it away!
Tenkara originated around 200 years ago in Japan. It has provided the Japanese fisherman living near mountain streams with the ability to provide food for his family. Today it’s providing me time with mine. I hope that my son will keep the fire and keep begging for me to take him fishing.
My rod arrived in a nice, plastic tube and included a nylon carrying case. I’ve misplaced my scale but the thing is incredibly light (mfgr says 2.5 oz). I ordered a furled line and a level line along with misc accessories. I purchased three types of flies: Sekasa Kebari, Yamagat Sendai Kebari, and the mini hopper (a western fly).
My package arrived yesterday but I was only able to get out today. I selected the mini hopper for my inaugural fly and it worked well. The bluegill seemed to really like it. Before long I had my first bite.
The rod felt great as my prey fought back. He pulled left and jutted right. Adrenaline started coursing through my veins. My heart was beating furiously. The battle lasted for an eternity until I finally landed the massive beast!
I ended up landing three more of these maniacal creatures before I succumbed to the heat and the siren call of a Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat. The rod collapses within the handle and I’m using a foam line holder which fits around the rod itself.
All in all a great day with a new rod. I can’t wait to really put it through it’s paces.