100 fish

by Jimi Fly
(Warrensburg, MO USA)

Found a great stretch of creek in our local state park. Full of darters, chubs, bluegill and small bass I spent the last 3 days there.

Day one I stumbled upon this great little stretch of creek and caught 100 plus fish on a tenago rod with a sekasa kabari fly size 14. Took a friend out on day two who fishes with a traditional western fly rod we both caught about the same 100 or so. The average size fish is about 3 inches with many under an inch long and a handful in the 6 inch range. Day three took two tenkara fishers with me which was a joy, seeing 3 people fishing fixed line in the same creek.

Let me say it took about 4 years to find anyone willing to try tenkara and I tie all the flies for them and basically showed them how to fish fixed line. I guess I feel a bit like my town's embasador for tenkara. At one point today I almost felt guilty for using my tenago rod because I hooked up about twice as much as my friends did but on a bright note when we got back into town they both said they were purchasing tenago rods immediately when they got home.

I told them about TenkaraBum site and have made a purchase myself from you as well. I have several tenkara rods but I'm afraid they will be collecting dust from here on out. I am in love with tenago rods and micro fishing and am completely convinced that this is the most fun a person can have with a pole and some line.

A special thanks to Chris for being such and honest business man and avoiding all the negative hype about tenkara versus tenago and cane pole fishing etc. I totally agree that it is just fishing.

My current rig consist of a 7.5 ft tenago rod with an 8 foot piece of bright yellow fly line backing and some 3 lb tippet and a sekasa kabari fly. I do everything as non traditional as a guy can do and still catch fish. My only fear is that one day I will bump into a Japanese tenago or tenkara fisherman and totally be laughed off the water by my lack of "proper" technique which I'm sure will never happen here in Misouri.

Official 3 day total fishing 3 hours or less each day is well over 300 fish and that to me is just plain FUN! Thanks again Chris.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.