Tenkara bumming in Cary, NC

by David
(Cary, NC)

So, now I finally get it. What micro fishing is all about, that is.

I live in Cary, N.C., a small but growing town near Raleigh. Its home to SAS and numerous other computer and Pharmaceutical corporations. It has all the amenities of a large city and miles of hiking, biking and riding trails, most of them following small creeks. Perfect micro fishing territory.

I ordered a Shimotsuke Kiyotaki 18 and all the necessary tackle, etc. and headed out to Black Creek Green way, a short 100 meters from my front door. Its very picturesque, but I really didn't expect to see much. Boy was I wrong.

I quickly learned to simply wade the creek instead of bushwhacking through the thick, thorny understory. The wading alone was a real pleasure. It reminded me of being a kid, without a care in the world. I saw some incredible sights I never knew were so close. Tranquil little waterfalls, age old cliffs where this unassuming little creek has eroded the bedrock over millions of years, a wild cherry tree, and several deep, dark, inviting pools punctuated the creek's course. Unfiltered nirvana.

After remembering I had packed in fishing gear, I deployed the Kiyotaki in a large, deep pool that may have never seen a fisherman before. It took all of 10 seconds to hook my first fish, a small red breasted sunfish. A stunningly beautiful fish and a scrappy fighter. Incredible! Over the next 2 hours, I caught and released 36 fish. 36! Besides the red- breasted sunfish, I also caught green sunfish, creek chubs, and some unknown minnows. What a trip!

If you are wondering whether to try micro fishing or not, I would advise you to not waste another minute! The only thing that really got hooked that day was me!

“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.