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Tenkara HooksThey do exist! Tenkara hooks! Designed specifically for tenkara. Do you absolutely have to have them? Of course not. You can use any hook you want. However, just as rods were designed specifically for this type of fishing, and lines were designed specifically for this type of fishing, there are indeed hooks designed specifically for this type of fishing. Owner, a well known maker of hooks in Japan, has three different hooks that they label as "Tenkara" or rather as テンカラ. Or, to be a bit more precise as 本流テンカラ, or Main Stream Tenkara; 桑原テンカラ, or Kuwabara Tenkara (Gentatsu Kuwabara is one of the oldest tenkara fishermen in Japan and Owner designed a hook to his specifications); and 天野テンカラ, or Amano Tenkara, for Katsutoshi Amano, who we know of in the US for having a fly box full of identical flies (that he ties without a vise).
The Main Stream hook has a shorter shank and a very wide gap - although not nearly as wide as some of the bait hooks that we've all seen tenkara flies tied on. The point is angled up to provide positive hooking. It has a micro barb and a very slightly turned down eye. The Owner Main Stream hook has a slightly different shape but is about the same size as the size 14 Daiwa 1130. Owner Main Stream Tenkara Hooks
The Kuwabara hook has a longer shank and also has the point angled up for positive hooking, but does not have the wide gap of the Main Stream hook. It actually looks a bit like the Eagle Claw hooks I used as a kid. The Owner Kuwabara hook has a different bend shape, but is about the same size as a size 12 Daiichi 1550 wet fly hook. Owner Kuwabara Tenkara Hooks 
The #1 Amano hook is essentially a 3X short size 14 bronze colored hook. The point is angled up slightly although not as much as on the Mainstream hook. It has a micro barb and a very slightly turned down eye. A number of people have asked me to get smaller tenkara hooks, and this is the smallest tenkara hook Owner makes. Owner Amano Tenkara Hooks
Out of stock Eyeless Hooks
It turns out that the hooks I have been selling as Owner "Yamame" hooks are in reality the Owner "Super Yamame" and the company also makes a regular "Yamame" which is described below. The Super Yamame hooks are the normal bronze color and have a shape that is not quite as radical to Western eyes. These hooks are eyeless but they do have barbs. Owner Super Yamame Hooks 
A while ago I got in some "Amago" hooks made by Gamakatsu. Well, it turns out there are "Yamame" hooks as well, although these are made by Owner instead.
Like the Amago hooks, the Yamame hooks are eyeless, and like them, they are also bright blue. It turns out that the hooks I had previously described as "Yamame" were actually the "Super Yamame" and at least for now I will carry both. These hooks are barbed. Owner Yamame Hooks 
The Gamakatsu "Amago" hooks may look a bit strange, but it seems a many tenkara flies in Japan are tied on bait hooks like the Gamakatsu Amago or the Owner Yamame. It is said that the hooks provide more positive hook ups because the tippet is attached to a flexible eye fashioned from silk cord or a bit of mono rather than a hard hook eye. These are barbless hooks, but because of the shape, or the flexible eye, or possibly a combination of both, they hold fish better than the standard barbless "J" shaped hook.
Gamakatsu Amago Hooks
The eyeless hooks are roughly equivalent to a wide gap size 12 fly hook. The shape is radically different so it is hard to make a precise comparison.
Does size matter? If you are not matching the hatch it doesn't matter that much. Just about anything a fish can get in its mouth may be considered food - particularly if it is (A) moving and therefore alive, and (B) getting away!
Wide-Eyed Hooks™
Wide-Eyed Hooks™ are for anglers who've gotten to the point where it is a bit difficult to thread the tippet through the hook eye. If you've ever wondered why they don't just make the eye bigger, boy do I have hooks for you. The eyes on these hooks are huge! I had a box of 20 packages with me at the recent Sowbug Roundup, which is a fly tying demo that brings tyers from around the world. The tyers on both sides of me bought some of the hooks, and before the Roundup was over I had sold every last package. The hooks are a size 12 (western sizing, not Japanese sizing), which is probably the de facto standard for tenkara flies. They are barbless but the shape should prevent all but the littlest, squirmiest fish from wriggling free. Wide-Eyed Hooks™ $4.50 for package of 13 hooks PaymentPayment is through Paypal but you don't need to have a Paypal account. You can use your credit card. PayPal payments will be made to chris at tenkarabum dot com. Credit card statements will read CM Stewart. ShippingDomestic shipping is $3. Most small items can be shipped together for a flat $3 charge. Shipping to Canada requires an additional $6. Shipping to other countries requires an additionals $10. Please click the button below. Return from Tenkara Hooks to Basic Fly Tying Return from Tenkara Hooks to TenkaraBum Home
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