Who says tenkara is just a fad? Well, Lefty Kreh for one.
Lefty Kreh is the modern-day equivalent of someone like Daniel Boone. A legend in his own lifetime, a pioneer in saltwater fly fishing and a larger than life figure who knows a thing or two about fly fishing. His accomplishments are too vast for me to list here without getting cramps in both hands.
Not long after some folks were jumping to conclusions over what Yvon Chouinard uttered – that “tenkara MIGHT save fly fishing” – the mental smack-down began when Lefty’s opinion found it’s way into the blogosphere. As a former tenkara angler and someone who has watched the tenkara scene fairly closely for the last year, I have to say that I think maybe Lefty got it wrong.
Tenkara angling isn’t so much a “fad” as it is (or rather can be to some) a cult. I asked this question some time ago, and quite understandably it riled up some tenkara faithful. You may see the irony in that. (Or you may not, if you’re…well,….read on…)
You see, to the most devoted of the tenkara anglers even suggesting that it’s a “fad” is reason to bang away at your keyboard in a red-faced rage. Hate mail? Oh sure. The de-facto (yet not fully indoctrinated perhaps?) leader of the cult screwing up your comment in-box with crazy attacks on you and others? Sadly, yes.
Keep in mind – not everyone is in the cult. Some anglers just enjoy tenkara for what it is – another method of getting a fish on a rod and line. But there are those who fit the very definition of a cult member, as well as tenkara itself sometimes fits the definition. Let’s break it down and see how many variations of the definition of a “cult” might prove true for some tenkara users, shall we? (We shall.)
#1. You can find it’s “rites and ceremonies” expressed in the devotion to using only one traditional fly, the use of traditional nets, and the almost rabid devotion toward the protection of it’s very name from it’s internet patrolling watchdogs. You must fish tenkara this way, or not at all. There is the “Spirit” of tenkara to be considered. ( I’m not making this stuff up, folks.) You must not shorten the rod length and you must fish it just so. You cannot ever say anything negative about tenkara. Would the Cult of Tenkara ever forgive me if they knew I once fished for bluegills with a real, live worm? Probably not.
#2. Veneration. Tenkara has that in spades. Tenkara Cult members will tell you that no rod catches more fish than the tenkara rod. No rod is more pure. No rod is more suited for fishing rivers. No rod is more joyous to cast. No rod is… you know, I’d better stop here before I make myself puke.
#3. Self-explanatory. Exhibit A. the almighty tenkara rod which soothes the soul and catches fish when no other rod (or person?) can. Peace be upon it.
#4. ………..See #2.
#5. Alright, so here is where we run into the one catagory that doesn’t quite fit. So far, I’m unaware of any sacred ceremonies or actual religious rituals. Although the largest tenkara dealer in the US does sell some sort of weird herbal tea?! Surely some kind of deep, back-woods worship services can’t be far behind. I can see it now…fifty glistening tenkara rods, all tied together at their tips…making a giant 12 ft. tall tenkara pyramid of magic and graphite and cork! All hail the almighty ten……..
…..or maybe Lefty’s right and it’s just a fad. Only time will tell, I suppose.
If I was going to worship anything in fly fishing...
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{ 9 comments }
I think you’re on to something Owl
Whoa! Everybody calm down and take it easy! Oops, sorry. I came in here expecting a real flapdoodle, with tea cozies and insults being flung everywhere. Instead, nothing. Not even when you invoke the name of Lefty Kreh.
The tenkara crowd is pretty crafty, flooding your blog with non-responses this way. Better keep an eye on them …
I think they’re giving me the cold shoulder this time around. Lesson learned.
LOL
Maybe it’s reels that are the fad. After all reel-less fly fishing has a much longer history – maybe reels have seen there brief period of popularity and are now fading.
Maybe tenkara is/was a fad after all. You didn’t get any responses because all the trendoids have moved on to something else.
You know, you may be on to something there! What’s next though? A rod that lets you catch the fish, then cook it? The Fry Rod. Get it? Fry rod?
Good post Owlie. After posting my own thoughts the other day I poked around and found yours here. My post was less about Tenkara than how divisiveness in fly fishing will hasten the death of Mr. Chouinard’s “dying industry”. Unfortunately, a lot of outsiders consider all of fly fishing a cult, perhaps like a lot of Christians regard Mormons as a cult. My question is how do we bridge the gap, stop fighting amongst ourselves and promote the sport in a sustainable way? Personally, I feel that sanctimony among all the cults- Tenkara, bamboo, glass, spey, dries-only etc. only serves to erode the sport. Good post.
Thanks FR. I find it hard to equate actual religious cults to the tenkara thing – most of what I wrote was pretty tongue-in-cheek. There are actually tenkara fanatics, but there are also bamboo fanatics, small stream fanatics and so on. Some of their actions do fit into the definition of a cult, but real cults are normally based on power and money – or worse, control. On those counts, I think the current tenkara thing misses the mark. Mostly.
Thanks for the comment. Oh and I totally agree that finding ways for fly anglers to divide, fight, bicker and argue over which method is best is the fast track to nowhere’s-ville. I had no idea how to spell nowhere’s-ville. Just so you know. 
Hey btw – if you’d open up your comments to Name/URL users, I could reply on your posts on your blog. I don’t know how many times I’ve written a reply and then went…oh crap.
I mean, that is if you don’t mind me….wait. Maybe that’s the point. LOL Oh well.
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