I attended the Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough, MA over the long weekend. While I was there, I got a close up look at Tenkara USA and met the founder and president of the company, Daniel Galhardo. Excited by the style and philosophy of Tenkara, I purchased the Ito model rod (14' 7" in length), traditional line, and Amano flies. What's so great about Tenkara is the rod does not use a reel. Instead, a set length of line is attached at the end of the rod and at the end of the line is about 4ft of tippet. The length of the rod and the light weight line allows the fisherman to dead drift the fly, very naturally, without all the currents between the fisherman and the fly pulling on the fly line because the line doesn't touch the water, except directly over the fly. So no constent mending of your fly line!
Despite it being January, I was eager to get out on a river and put the Ito to the test. So on Sunday, 1/20 I ventured out first to the Nissitissit River in Pepperell, MA. There I spent the morning practing my cast and presentation (when I say, "practicing" I mean I didn't catch anything). After a few hours of fishing blind, I decided to drive further west in Massachusetts to the Swift River where I could be certain there were fish, even if they didn't want my fly.
The Swift River ("The Bubbler" section)
At the Swift River, my "practice" continued. Interestingly enough, most of the fishermen I spoke with were using size 22 - 32, black midges. Here I was throwing a size 12, reverse hackle Amano wet fly. After a few hours at the Swift without so much as a bite, I decided to add an egg pattern as a dropper to the Amano. Eventually, one fish I targeted, saw the egg pattern and decided it was worth a look. The rainbow trout decided to pass on the egg pattern but liked the Amano drifting shortly behind the egg. I hooked and landed the 15" bow. My first fish in 2013 and my first fish on a Tenkara rod!
First fish in 2013 and first fish on a Tenkara rod
I can easily picture myself fishing exclusively with the Tenkara rod. The style and set up is simplistic and the action is fun. I know I will have to hold onto my traditional, western fly rods because as of this writing, the New Hampshire Fish and Game does not accept Tenkara as a form of fly fishing. So if I want to fly fish, trophy stretch in Pittsburg, NH (or any other fly fishing only stretch of river in NH for that matter) I will have to revert to the western rod. The Tenkara is allowed anywhere in NH where single hook, artificial lures are allowed and of course anywhere general regulations apply.
Can't wait to hit the rivers with my Tenkara rod again!
