Big Fish, Big River Tenkara

by Ryan Jordan
(Bozeman, Montana)

Chris --

First and foremost, thanks for the all the time you spend on your website. I find it to be an invaluable resource about the state of tenkara.

Second, I'm pleading with you to help me reverse the myth that tenkara is an inappropriate methodology for fishing big rivers for big trout.

Out here in MT, we are catching trout regularly to 24" on rivers like the Madison, Yellowstone, and Missouri. Bigger ones are getting away, but we are figuring it out. The Tenkara USA Amago, in particular, has opened the door to the application of tenkara fishing on bigger waters, because of its ability (backbone and length) to divert the energy of a running trout appropriate by steering the run and/or capitalizing on existing current for a fish running upriver. On smaller streams, we use the Hane, which has a strong backbone for fighting big fish. The Hane is particularly suited for big browns on the small spring creeks here. (In those cases, get your running shoes on.)

Next week I'll be crafting a story to be published at my website about the applicability of tenkara for big fish in big rivers. I'm also working on a technique video that shows fish fighting and landing techniques for big trout with strong currents.

There's a neat photo of Daniel with a nice big brown caught on the Madison last week using the Amago in my Flickr album here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigskyry/sets/72157626427669605/

Feel free to use any of those photos on your site.

Looking forward to seeing you in West Yellowstone in August.

Take care,
Ryan Jordan
http://ryanjordan.com

“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.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.

Seriously, all the hooks sold on TenkaraBum.com, whether packaged as loose hooks or incorporated into flies, are sharp - or as Daiichi says on their hook packages, Dangerously Sharp. Some have barbs, which make removal from skin, eyes or clothing difficult. Wear eye protection. Wear a broad-brimmed hat. If you fish with or around children, bend down all hook barbs and make sure the children wear eye protection and broad-brimmed hats. Be aware of your back cast so no one gets hooked.

Also, all the rods sold on TenkaraBum.com will conduct electricity. Do not, under any circumstances, fish during a thunder storm. Consider any fishing rod to be a lightning rod! Fishing rods can and do get hit by lightning!