Joy of Tenkara

by John Evans
(San Antonio, TX)

What are you thankful for? Each person must make his own list; but at the top of mine would be God, family, and friends. My wife has now put up with me for 36 years, I’ve always been employed, I live in the United States of America, and I’m blessed with reasonable health. What more could a fellow ask for?

I’m also thankful for the joy of tenkara. Recently, Robin and I traveled to the South Llano River, just outside of Junction, TX, and experienced some wonderful fishing for stocker ‘bows. Robin made me look bad with her Suntech Field Master, but that’s another story. To be on a pristine river, in beautiful weather, with a responsive tenkara rod, and cooperative fish . . . That’s hard to beat.

Glance at the photo above, and you’ll see the joy of tenkara.

So, if you’re running and gunning like most of us are during a normal work day, pause long enough to give thanks for the simple pleasures in life. You might add a word of thanks for small, conscientious companies such as TenkaraBum that help us to enjoy our sport. All it takes is a rod, a line, and a fly.

A person who’s too busy to enjoy these pleasures is too busy.

“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.