Snowshoeing and Tenkara in SE Minnesota

by Paul Tronnes
(Rochester, MN, USA)

Snowshoeing and tenkara make for perfect winter recreation. The destination today was a favorite state park in SE Minnesota. My first season winter fly fishing, I love the tranquility and solitude--I had the park to myself. Today I found my groove. No hang-ups in the branches above. No tangled lines to replace. No snags or lost flies. Tenkara is perfect for winter fly fishing. No issues with iced up equipment. My casting felt on point. I found several nice holes. The rainbows were stacked up in water just a few feet wide. Cast after cast, I put my nymph on just the right spot. I landed 11, with many more hook ups that got off. The biggest was 14 inches. It felt like a lunker on a light rod. Took me several minutes to land it. My Tenkara Bum 36 handled it with ease even in the current. Thank you, Chris, for the outstanding service and information available on this site.

“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!