My First Tenkara Fish

by Bob C
(New Jersey)

My First Tenkara Fish!

How cool is this type of fishing?.... During the spring a group of outdoor enthusiasts got together at Hacklebarney State Park in western New Jersey to sample Tenkara fishing. Pastor Chris Scriven, of Chester NJ was kind enough to let me try his rig and I was hooked (no pun intended). Since then I’ve had Tenkara on my mind. I just love the simplistic approach to fly fishing, much like shooting traditional archery, which I also do.

About 3 weeks ago I purchased a Tenkara rig from Chris Stewart. Prior to meeting with Chris, I think I read all 760 pages on his website and just about anything I could l find on Tenkara and watched lots of You Tube videos. Since I was going to be in NYC for the day, I got to meet with Chris and home I went with my Suntech GM Suikei Keiryu Special 39 and a bunch of line, and other doo-dads.

Why the Suntech GM 39? I wanted an all around rod, that I could fish dry flies, wet flies, nymphs etc. The rod is a three-length rod, going from 10’4”, 11’8” and 12’10”. Some may disagree with this approach, but it works for me and I’m a happy camper. I fish small streams, lakes, rivers, ponds, you name it.

I have a small stream by my house, that I’ve always wanted to fish and in fact I ride my mountain bike there. I made up some lines and off I went. Now I don’t have a lot of flies yet, but I had a couple and one in particular worked, a wet fly and I don’t know the name of it.

My first cast at the stream, was not a thing of beauty. I wouldn’t even call it a cast. Maybe like plopping the line in the water, but its there. So picture this, I’m standing on the lower part of a man made dam, with the Suntech extended to 10’4”, the longest pole I’ve ever fished with. I was an ultra-light spin guy before Tenkara. Somehow I manage to get the line in the water, not snagging any tree branches, keeping in mind all 760 pages of “Tenkara Bum,” running the Tenkara videos thru my head and OMG land a fish on my third cast. The Suntech rod is bent over, like something you see on Nat Geo. A feisty little guy, lots of fight, now “That’s what I’m talking about!”

I know I can say I’ve taken Tenkara, “hook, line and fly!”

“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.