Well, that probably got your attention, didn’t it?
After fishing tenkara for some time now, I’m finally ready to spill the beans. Is this “tenkara” thing a scam? Yes and No.
There’s alot of argument over the “purity” of tenkara or some such nonsense, but hey – if that’s your thing then I don’t have a problem with it. I once thought fly fishing was something special, too. And in a sense, fly fishing is….much more so than tenkara can ever be. I think it has something to do with western style fly fishing being anything but “simple.” But to say that it’s somehow wrong for someone to think tenkara is some magical, holy, elite type of fishing…well, if that’s what rows your boat then by all means, feel free. But what do I think about it? Read on…
What passes as a scam these days, anyway? Commercials on television, print ads and even the latest Facebook post can all be scams when you get right down to it. They promise things they can’t deliver – or worse, they have other people who are promising things that the product can’t deliver. Words like “awesome” and “unreal” and “amazing” get our attention and many times get us to tip-toe into something when we ordinarily wouldn’t. Such was the case with yours truly and tenkara fishing.
I first heard the word online…in several places actually within about a week. “Ok, what’s up with this” I thought as I opened a page and entered “tenkara” into the Google monster that we used to think was just a search engine. Gurgle, clank, spit. Out came the 
answer and I clicked on the first non-paid link Google provided. I landed on the website of Tenkara USA. “Well, how about that” I think I said aloud. It was a pretty snazzy looking website and I noticed in short order that there was a forum and a few videos. So the first thing I did was pick one of the videos out and watched it.
“This is…ummm…cane pole fishing.” That was my initial thought, but the more I watched the more I realized that it wasn’t just cane-pole fishing. It was casting and following a drift, but without the hassle of having to mend….and mend…and mend. The first video finished up and I couldn’t get to the forum fast enough. I mean, you can make a video about a product and make it seem too good to
be true, but what I rely on most of the time when thinking about trying something new or buying something new is user reviews. I was anxious to dive into the forums and find out what the users of this thing were saying about it. I wasn’t disappointed! At least, not at first.
A week or two into reading the posts on the forum at Tenkara USA and I had formed an opinion about a few things.
#1. Tenkara is a viable method of catching small fish on a fly, without the hassle of mending.
#2. There are some individuals here who are maybe a little too infatuated with tenkara.
#3. Apparently, tenkara rods are magical.
As it turns out, only #1 was the absolute truth. Tenkara is a viable method of catching small fish. #2 is debatable, but there’s good evidence for my conclusion on #2 if you just read deep enough into the posts on any tenkara forum. #3 turned out to be a total fabrication as far as I can tell, and that’s the “scam” part of this whole fishing method that I’d like to focus in on. You see, not just on Tenkara USA’s forums, but all across the internet I ran across devoted(and sometimes fanatical) tenkara anglers who suggested that the tenkara rod they fished with had near-magical powers. I read countless stories about tenkara “saving the day!” I read about anglers who were surrounded by those fishing “western gear” and while none of those guys were catching fish, the tenkara angler with his single fly selection and rod’s mystic Japanese voo-doo powers was just wearing them slap out.
Despite quite a few reservations, I ordered one. An Iwana 11 foot tenkara rod. ( Which, when opened made me think ” Iwana shorter one.” ) With such great anticipation in the air, the day it landed on my doorstep I nearly had an extra bran muffin in celebration. ( I don’t eat bran muffins, btw. ) It was light…and long…and it had a pretty nice finish on it. The guides were…ok wait…there weren’t any guides….this is tenkara remember? You attach the line to the little “rope’ on the end of the rod, which by the way has a tip the diameter of a toothpick. I was so excited and planned my first tenkara trip.
Tenkara "Yellar Hammer" Style...
Did I catch fish with it? Does a one-legged duck swim in a circle? Did I catch more with it than I did with my “western gear?” Yes! But that may be because I fished the tenkara twice as long that day. Did I slay the fish when no one else could? Well, no. ( and neither has that panned out on any future trips with it, even though I have fished it exclusively a dozen times now) Was there something “magical” about it? Not really. You see, the thing is: it’s a fishing pole. Unless the factory or Tenkara USA forgot to sprinkle my particular rod with magic-dragon-fish-
catching-dust, I guess there’s nothing magical about it….no matter how “magical” it seems to some of the fanatics in the tenkara forums.
Is it a cane pole and not much more? Well, …..no. It’s simply something that’s not that black and white. Not that cut-n-dry. It looks like a cane pole and it kinda feels like a cane pole, if you could find a cane pole that weighs 1/4 of what they normally do. You do cast with it and the line Tenkara USA sells with it is very good at casting flies up to a #12. You can even cast small bead-head flies with it if you’re careful and I’m pretty sure you could throw a cork on it and cast worms to bluegills if you wanted. ( Still need to try it out for bait fishing I guess.)
But is tenkara some magical, mystical, fool-proof new way of fishing? Hardly. (And btw – Tenkara USA never claimed it was, just to be clear.) Tenkara is actually just a very old way of fishing and although it still works, I’m not going to sell my Ross reels or Cabela’s LST fly rods anytime soon. I’m also not going to buy into the idea that there’s any level of “purity” one must attain to be proficient with it, that you only need one fly for all water in the USA, that tenkara is superior to other fishing methods or that there’s some kind of mystical properties associated with tenkara rods. Unless I get word that there’s a new batch of magic-dragon-fish-catching-dust ready…
[ Editors Note: I know this is going to make some heads explode over at the Tenkara USA forums, but guys try to get a grip on your emotions. I'm not putting tenkara down. I'm simply letting my readers know that if they read somewhere that tenkara catches fish when nothing else will, they can take that info with a grain of salt. I'm sure it's happened, but probably no more often than it has for a guy with a new reel, a new hat, or new underwear. So chill out. It's just a fishing pole and people deserve to know the truth. ]
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I’m outraged! How dare you imply that tenkara is anything less than magical. Seriously – that’s a pretty fair account. I’ve found in my year or so of tenkara that I’m catching at least as many trout as before on the small streams that I fish – maybe more…who can say for sure. Am I overly infatuated with this? Maybe – but it is something new (to me) and fun and it is simple. It’s nice to simplify – and in a way it feels like I’m “sticking it to the man” – you know, by not buying into the trap of $500+ rods and reels to catch 10″ trout. But please stop using tenkara and cane-pole in the same sentence, please! I know you know it – but it is so much more than a cane pole.
I agree with you that simple is nice. But the cane-pole comment? You did read the thing right? I’m definitely in the camp of “it’s not a cane pole.” PS – I wouldn’t be so sure about the “sticking it to the man” thing – reports are that the rods that sell here for $150 are had for a song in Japan. Of course, you have to account for shipping and importing them, advertising, etc. so who knows how much truth there is to that – but there’s usually a grain in most things, at least. Thanks for the comment!
I know you’re not saying that they’re a cane pole but still…I just hate to see those words so close together. There are rods that can be purchased in the $60 range here in the US but still even at $150…there’s no reel to buy, no $100 sharkskin line to buy, etc., etc. So when you compare what most companies (and magazines) are pushing $150 is pretty minimal. Plus all the accoutrements that mainstream fly fishing tells us that we need…the general push in tenkara is for simplicity (even by the major tenkara player here in the US) and to avoid too many doodads as well. So It still feels a little like sticking it to the man – bear in mind I’m thinking mostly of the high-end stuff that’s being pushed.
Well in that context I agree with you 1000%. I’ve been kinda outspoken about rods over $200 for a long time now. Even a $2000 bamboo rod does one thing and one thing only. ( if you’re good with it.
)
$100 for a fly line now? Holy cow. That’s absurd.
It is funny how the fact that all these things do is catch fish gets lost in the shuffle, when you put it that way it all seems kinda silly. Maybe I’ll go back to the old zebco and worm.
“Iwana shorter one.”
That made me laugh out loud.
Thanks for the honest account of Tenkara. I haven’t really been tempted by the bug yet… they don’t really suit my style of fishing or places I fish.
I have gathered that the Tenkara crowd is a bit rabid about their new yet ancient method. I think a lot of that stems from the desire to be a pioneer… you know the first kid on the block with the cool new pair of Air Jordans that none of the other kids have. I admit to being guilty of that same desire to be the first to know about the cool new thing… and claim it’s the coolest thing ever. Tenkara is no different than any other exciting new trend.
You gathered right. You can also gather that more than a few tenkara advocates are what bamboo advocates were 10 years ago…a little “snobby” if you ask me. I can’t help but feel like tenkara is the new bamboo.
With my affection for tenkara, you’d probably think I’d disagree with you, but I don’t. Actually, from our conversations, you probably already knew that. I especially agree with your points #2 & #3, but don’t think it’s necessarily exclusive to tenkara.
As with anything, there’s always going to be a vocal minority that overpower the silent majority with the need to justify why their way is better than your way. Same exists in “western” fly fishing.
Fly fishers think they are superior to bait fishermen. Some fly fishermen think you’re not worth a **** unless you tie your own flies. Some think anglers that use indicators or beadhead flies are the spawn of the devil. Some think stalking fish with a 1 or 2 weight rod in a small stream is more “sporting” than swinging a 6 or 7 weight in a large river from a drift boat. Don’t even get me started on C&R vs. catch & keep, Wild fish vs. Stocked, or Graphite vs. Fiberglass vs. Bamboo. Go on any western fly fishing forum and you’ll find these folks pounding their chests and making silly statements that serve as nothing more than ego strokes. I could go on…but why bother. Tenkara’s got its eccentrics just like any other group.
All that noted, as much as I love my tenkara set up, (& I really do) I haven’t sold my 3 weights (or my spinning rods) either; even though Daniel makes some pretty **** convincing videos that might make me think I should…
You do realize you just broke the rules here………….. Twice.
LOL
Yeah, I have a potty mouth. I’ll stand in the corner now and take my timeout like a man.
Oh no. We don’t do “time outs” here. That’s for football games. Here, you go out into the yard and get your own switch – and if you bring back a whimpy one, then I go get your switch. And believe me young man, you do NOT want ME to get your switch. Now hurry up and find a switch.
Is it okay if it’s an 11′ graphite switch?
you forgot about barbed vs. barbless, mike……i kid, i kid.
I see this is a lot like the traditional bow hunting world. You’ve got those shooting olympic style recurve, those shooting modern long bows, and those shooting bows they whittled from a stick. Most are partial to thier equipment choice and some do look down on those that are not truly traditional.
Oh yeah, those compound guys are the bait chunkers to us of course
.
How do you feel about carp fishers?
( this weekend. you. me. carp. ?)
I definitely agree with you on this one Owl. I think it would be a great technique in certain situations, I know for a fact that it won’t work at all for others here. I haven’t tried it, but it’s just another craze- remember shark cartilage or the okinawa diet? I’ll try it if I get the chance, but I don’t think you can use it to punch streamers and sink tip 60 feet across a stream, so no need to sell my gear. I’d guess that every style/technique has its place, and also its limitations. Good post.
It does(limitations) and I should have probably touched on those. The big advantage is the presentation on small streams when fishing nymphs or wet flies – but I also found it very nice for tossing small dries and getting easy-peasy-drag-free-drifts. But the lack of a conventional fly line is also it’s downfall – if you see a trout rising 30 feet away, you can’t just boom out a cast and put your fly in front of him. You have to totally relocate your position. In your case, it’s clear it won’t be as effective as regular gear. It’d be like trying to race a go-kart at Darlington.
Trout here are spooky, the streams are small and I’m not sure I’m up to the stealth required to get that close to the fish. That said, I think it would be a great technique on some of the tighter brookie streams here, being able to reach around tight bends where you can’t cast conventionally. Like you I get frustrated with any notion of purism in the pursuit of fish. I enjoy fishing, I choose for my own aesthetic reasons to fly fish, it’s not a religion. Fishing nymphs isn’t dirty, fishing eggs for steelhead instead of “swinging” isn’t wrong (they both represent food/attractor patterns, so who cares?) and the Japanese are not mystical Jedi masters we should all strive to be. They’re still just fishing, just like every kid with a worm, a bobber and a cane pole.
I like your article, you have verve for writing it ( but I don’t think it is a big deal).
TenkaraUSA’s owner wants you to sell your fly fishing gear, he will give you a discount on equipment if you do and provide a forum for selling it.
Tenkara is from Japan, TenkaraUSA tries to define Japanese tenkara yet they sell mass produced rods that are made in China.
I wish you would have noted that in your article, but you did a good job anyway.
Fishing is magical, pole, bait, spin, fly or even hillbilly hand fishing, it’s the fishing that is magical.
Tenkara is a cool way to fish small streams. It is a great way to do that, in my opinion, far better than a reel, but only small streams. You now have people fishing tenkara rods (small stream rods) for steelhead, stripers or freakin Jonas the whale, amazing! Same thing when Sage brought out the zero weights, just a different rod type and time.
I am 50, I have fished extensively in the stream, river, lake and sea with a fly rod. I’ve made bamboo fly rods, caught many different species of fish on the fly and I am not shy in saying that tenkara has augmented my fly fishing enthusiasm more so than when I caught my first big sea trout and then spent years hunting bones and croaker just a short drive South of Arizona.
Tenkara is a blast, it is simple and envokes the fun in fishing like I had when I was a kid but only if I keep it to small streams.
Tenkara is a small stream, small fish pursuit.
Anything else and you are getting sold something.
All this HYPE is…, ahh, the funny thing is, you are writing your article about it.
Tenkara gave you something to write about.
But I liked your article and I might even read more of your perspective now that I know you are not fooled but then again, you bought into it just like the rest did or did you?
I can’t really tell.
But I liked your article, you should have kept going…
Take care.
Wow. That’s quite a comment! Thanks for taking the time to write it! I pretty much think I could write about old socks if I had to, but writing about fly fishing is alot more fun.
Someone(not you) is going to accuse me of saying something bad about Daniel, but I haven’t. I don’t have a problem with Tenkara USA and I think Daniel is a great guy who is really onto something. It’s some of the “tenkara faithful” that tend to go overboard with it. I think that’s what sets tenkara apart from other types of fishing – like bamboo, it’s apparently something that draws anglers who want to feel “special.”
I just feel special because I was lucky enough to discover fly fishing…but I guess some folks need more than that. And hey, so be it! I don’t have a problem with it…I just think alot of times the hype gets in the way of the truth about what it really is, and where it’s really effective. Thanks again for the comment!
Adam,
[post removed by Owl Jones]
Daniel
Tenkara USA
Daniel,
First let me say that I’m a bit shocked and disappointed by the comment you just tried to leave. ( Did you even read my blog entry, because it came out pretty darn good for tenkara…) I removed it because I think that it would be better if you’d asked me first if you could use my personal website as a platform for your 6 paragraph long rant in which you attack me and another reader of this blog. You’ve worked very hard to start Tenkara USA and get it noticed and I’m totally floored that you’d pull something like this.
I can’t help you with whatever problems you might have with Adam, but I’d like to address your problem with the title of my post and here’s what I’m thinking: It’s none of your business. If you don’t like it, too bad. You seem to have this chip on your shoulder wherein you think that tenkara is akin to brain surgery or molecular physics.
The conclusion I had was a “real world” conclusion, not some mystic hooey from an ancient, mist covered mountain-top in Japan. If you can’t deal with that, then you should just refrain from visiting my website. If you feel like you’re that superior to the rest of us because some Japanese fellow taught you to use a cane pole, then so be it – but you don’t have to go to Japan or spend 15 days (or 15 minutes for that matter) learning how to fish with a tenkara rod if you already know the basics of fly fishing, which is to say – you already know how to put your fly in front of a feeding fish.
It’s not magical. It’s a fishing pole, a braided line and a fly. If you already know how to read water, locate the fish, present your fly to the fish in a way that looks real to them, then you can fish with a tenkara pole, a $1000 bamboo or a broom stick. If you can get the fly to the fish in the proper way it doesn’t matter one *$&# bit how you do it. Not one bit. You can do it however you like my friend, and neither the fish nor other fishermen( should they have an ounce of common sense in their heads) could care less!
I’ve never done anything but be honest with you and your forum members and everyone who reads this blog. You may not like my titles, but until you’re running this blog I’ll decide what the headlines are, pal…and until you realize that the mumbo-jumbo-mystic-magical-tour-bus you’re riding can only get you so far with a population that is very quickly running out of money, I’d say me saving you the embarrassment of that post is just a very temporary finger in the Reality Dam.
You know, I heard about this guy that could have brought some legitimate “real world, regular guy” publicity to your little company…but…oh wait..that’s right…
If you come back on my site, bring your manners and an apology.
~Owl
Luckily I haven’t gotten bit by the Tenkara bug. I’ve got my hands full dealing with fly rods of different types and spinning gear. Good post Owl.
You? Have alot of rods? C’mon now.
I love you man.
I have Daniel to thank for introducing me to it.
…but that is about where it stops.
Tenkara has peaked in Japan and is enjoying another upswing because of American interest.
So I study Japan for equipment, technique and to base my knowledge. I choose books because I don’t want to get caught up in a sales pitch.
It’s the same old, “latest and greatest thing” and I do not want that smeared on a great way to enjoy the stream, so I study the old way to build my knowledge.
What I am finding out is that as a seasoned fly fisher, my approach to tenkara is so far advanced from fishing small streams with a light line fly rod. My fly fishing experience helps so much with understanding and knowing.
Tenkara is so easy, even a non-fisher becomes quick at catching trout, that is one of your magic things…
It reminds me of the Emperer’s new clothes…
Tenkara enthusiasts that sell their fly rods for tenkara are selling themselves short. That would be a disservice to their craft.
It’s all about choices.
Adam, thanks for the comment. I was just talking to my wife last night about how great tenkara would be for the novice(Quill Gordon), the kids or anyone that has trouble casting a conventional fly line(Quill Gordon) or mending the line, etc. Let’s face it, some folks try as hard as they can but never quite get the hang of it(Quill Gordon), or anyone who would rather take a nap(Quill Gordon) than fish.
Not that I know anyone (Quill Gordon) like that, mind you.
While I’m still learning how not to throw my flies into trees and poison ivy 90% of the time on a standard “western” fly rod, I think what you are saying is spot on. That being said if and when I buy a Tenkara rod it will be from Tenkara USA. I have a lot of respect for the company (and their tea rocks).
As someone who likes his tea cold, iced and sweet – I will never understand “hot tea.”
It’s very good cold, actually. Even iced. Never tried sweetening it!
Over my evolution as an angler, I’ve done everything from catch fish by hand, by hand lining while snorkeling (that’s actually a blast), to spinning, bait casting, trolling, fly fishing and spey casting. I’d have to say that catching fish by hand is the purest form of fishing, especially if you can do it carefully and release them. I like your post on Tenkara. Its another way to fish or angle to fishing. The magic is created by the angler.
that is so true Mysticfish. And the “magic” is many times not in the fishing itself.
Owl,
First off, I think you summed it up well.
Tenkara is not “magic” just different and new for most of us in the west. Maybe it feels like magic, though for the newcomer to fly fishing.
Western fly fishing is much more complicated, as you’ve pointed out, and it can be overwhelming and intimidating to the newcomer compared to tenkara. There is much more inventory to deal with both in your hands and in the water.
I have seen some sell all their western fly gear for the “magic” of tenkara.
Maybe some are confusing “magic” with “simple”.
Magic is not real…..But magic is fun.
Tenkara is not magic…..But tenkara is real fun.
jd
Great comment jd! You’re right – it is alot of fun!
Couldn’t agree more… I think fly fishers in general have a tendency to take themselves too seriously, and that contributes the snooty, tweedy reputation we’ve manage to acquire over the years. Tenkara, because it’s so simple, is often perceived as the next challenge for the look-down-their-noses-at-the-rest-of-the-fishing-world types. I love my tenakara rods, and I appreciate the limitations of them, and have pushed those limitations beyond the little fish you mentioned above. But I don’t think for a minute that tenkara is the only or best way to chase trout in small water, and I certainly don’t think using a tenkara rod suddenly puts you in some sort of elite class of angler.
It simply means you’re an adventurous spirit (most of us who fish small water are, anyway) willing to try something different. Magical? No. A scam? No.
Effective? You bet. Try arguing with a thousand years of history.
Right on Chris. I’ll argue with alot of things, but not 1000 years of history. Or bamboo-heads.
wow! look what I missed.
Great post on Tenkara. I have never dabbled, but have also been hearing a lot about it. I guess all I can say is whatever works for someone to be able to have a great time fishing is what works. I prefer the fly rod to most but to each their own. Some people may not be able to catch a single fish on Tenkara, some fly rods. Its up to the angler to use what works. I might have to start saying that my St.Croix fly rod is magical:) Now the sound of a gurgling stream, rushing over rocks that’s where the magic is.
Well, LOL LOL, sorry, It’s just that… LOL LOL LOL. Then when you said… LOL LOL. So good the way you described that…LOL LOL LOL LOL. OMG, I’m crying. LOL LOL LOL. and your comments on peoples comments… LOL LOL LOL, you described me to a tea. LOL (iced sweet tea) LOL LOL LOL
LOL….. I give up… LOL LOL LOL
Aloha,
Stan
LOL LOL LOL
I gotta tell ya Stan………I almost filed this in the Spam Bin.
( LOL?)
I also have a Tenkara rod – an 11′ Awana. Having fished for most of my fishing life with a western fly pole, I’ve converted to this eastern fly pole. It’s simpler, and I’m a simpler guy. My favorite fish and water happen to be Tenkara size, but for bigger fish and water I’ve kept one (no, two) western fly poles. I’m keeping a spinning pole, too. Wife and car, too.
Tenkara is pretty magical in my eyes. But, then, I think Owl Jones is pretty magical, which might be weird.
I couldn’t resist straightening everybody out about all this.
John
Straighten away! Who you calling “special?”
Owl, very good!
I, at first, got kinda sold by “the Tenkara magic powers” (Just to be clear, the magic was just in my mind) .
The fact of being simpler and effective struck me like a thunder cause i love things like that!
Than, after reading a lot about it, i decide to build a “tenkara system” out of a crappie fiberglass pole and, as it worked pretty nice, i went on and bought a “real” tenkara rod…
Now after a bit more than one year fishing it that magic mist went away and i can see tenkara exactly how it is: A simple, effective, fishing system! (good quality rod makes it work better but aren’t indipensable).
As you, i will not sell my “western” stuff. I’ll just add Tenkara to it and use both where they get best accomplished!
That’s a great nutshell type of wrap up Blatt. That’s exactly what I’ve found it to be. And now, I’m going to run out and use that system on some unsuspecting trout or bluegills this morning!
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