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Is the Ishigaki Fly the
Only Fly You Need?

The Ishigaki fly, or Ishigaki Kebari, is my name for the only fly pattern that Dr. Ishigaki, one of Japan's foremost tenkara experts, has used for the past ten years. I don't know what he calls it. I seriously doubt he would name a fly after himself, but I think it is only fitting that we do so.

In May 2009 Dr. Ishigaki gave a slide presentation and on-stream demonstration of tenkara at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum. His visit seems to have kicked off the interest in tenkara in the US. In an interview after the presentation, he said that what he likes about tenkara is the simplicity.

He definitely takes that appreciation for simplicity to his choice of flies. Years ago he ran out of his favorite fly and went to a fly shop to get replacements. He saw this extremely simple fly, bought it, and found that he caught just as many fish with it as he did with his favorite.

From that experience, he came to the conclusion that the choice of fly is not the most important factor in catching fish, the technique is. And from then on, he has fished this one simple fly - the Ishigaki Kebari. This simple fly allows one to fish with many different techniques.

Ishigaki kebari brown trout

Ishigaki Kebari (black body and brown hackle) in the net with a brown trout

The Ishigaki Kebari is constructed with just a hackle feather and a thread body. The fly he tied in his Catskills demonstration uses brown rooster hackle and black thread. Dr. Ishigaki uses simple sewing thread from the equivalent of a 99 cent store. He also ties the same fly with a grey thread body and a grizzly hackle.

ishigaki kebari golden trout

Ishigaki Kebari (grey body and grizzly hackle) fooled this golden trout, and many others

Tying the Ishigaki Fly

1. Start your thread just behind the hook eye.

Ishigaki kebari step 2

2. For a size 14 hook and 6/0 thread, make 10 or 12 wraps back from the eye. Strip a little bit of the hackle stem and place the hackle on top of the hook shank with the end of the stripped stem just behind the eye. The concave side of the hackle should be on top. Wrap to the hook eye and back to the tie in point in touching turns.

3. At this point Dr. Ishigaki pulls the bobbin holder slightly towards him and then back towards the hook bend so it is out of the way when he wraps the hackle. I find it easier to pull the hackle straight up and make a few wraps on the bend side of the hackle instead.

In his Catskills demonstration, I'm almost positive Dr. Ishigaki wrapped 5 turns of hackle. In his San Francisco demonstration, he said to wrap the hackle three or four turns. If you are using genetic hackle like Whiting 100's, five turns does make the fly too bushy. I now use two or three turns. Wrap the hackle carefully, pulling stray barbs forward at each wrap so they are not trapped behind (on the hook bend side) the hackle.

After wrapping the hackle, trap it on the side towards the hook bend with four or five touching turns of thread (this will help taper the body). Clip the excess hackle fairly close to the thread. Having a slightly staggered cut is fine. It prevents a sharp step down when you wrap thread over it.

Ishigaki kebari step 4

4. If you've wrapped the hackle carefully, with each wrap tight to the previous one, you may not need to force the hackle to slant forward with thread wraps at the base of the hackle. If you must, make just enough wraps that the hackle is angled slightly forward.

Ishigaki Kebari Black - click for larger photo

5. In touching turns, wrap the thread towards the hook bend stopping just before you get opposite from the barb. Wrap back to where the hackle is and then about back to the end of the previous wraps. Take three more turns past the previous wraps and then do a whip finish back to where the previous wraps ended, creating a smooth body. A drop of "head" cement and you're done! (Fly in the photo tied on a Daiichi 1190 barbless hook, which has a bit longer shank than the Daiichi 1550).

Ishigaki Kebari Gray body - click for larger photo

Dr. Ishagaki also ties his fly with a gray thread body and grizzly hackle. (Fly in the photo tied on a Daiichi 1190 barbless hook, which has a bit longer shank than the Daiichi 1550).


Ishigaki Kebari BWO on Daiichi 1550	Ishigaki Kebari Sulfur on Daiichi 1550

So, is the Ishigaki Kebari the only fly you'll ever fish? Almost certainly not. But is it the only fly you need? Well, let me just say that Dr. Ishigaki, who knows more about tenkara than we do, thinks it's the only one he needs.

If you have any questions about the Ishigaki Kebari or other tenkara flies, please go to the contact us

Soft Hackled Ishigaki Kebari

Not being one to leave well enough alone, I've been modifying the Ishigaki Kebari for almost as long as I've been tying it. Before long, I was tying Ishigaki Adams and Ishigaki Greenwell's Glory. Then Ishigaki BWOs and Ishigaki Sulfurs.

At his tying demonstration in the Catskills, Dr. Ishigaki clearly indicated that he tied his fly with rooster hackle. Partially motivated by the shortage of good quality saddle hackle and partially by the fact that soft hackled flies are phenomenonally productive, I've started tying the Ishigaki Kebari as a soft hackle. I have tied a few of Dr. Ishigaki's basic black thread / brown hackled fly with some brown-dyed starling, and it produces a pretty good looking fly. I've also tied some Ishigaki Kebari BWOs with chukar feathers, which are a soft gray.

Thought you might like to see this photo using your Hi-Vis level line #4 and the Ishigaki Kebari fly you sent in my recent order. Cutthroat at 21 inches caught yesterday on a Yamame using a 4.5 lb tippet. The cutt was successfully returned to the water after the photo.
Bruce H, Wyoming

I've sent a few out to customers as well.

I normally throw in a fly with any order for a line. Generally, I don't hear back from people about the bonus fly (other than a pretty frequent "thank-you"), but there have been a few nice comments like the one about the Killer Kebari being a real hit in Yosemite or the Killer Bug outfishing the "traditional" flies on the North Platte 11 to 3. The latest was a comment about a soft hackled Ishigaki Kebari BWO tied with a chukar feather.

Bruce also wrote "Catching big trout on tenkara takes stealth, concentration, and not a little luck, but the thrill is unbeatable."

I think he speaks from experience!


Ishigaki Kebari Soft Hackle (brown starling) on Daiichi 1550	Ishigaki Kebari Soft Hackle (partridge) on Daiichi 1550

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Is the Ishigaki Fly theOnly Fly You Need?

Tying the Ishigaki Fly

Soft Hackled Ishigaki Kebari

Is the Ishigaki Fly the
Only Fly You Need?