Why do I Mostly Fly Fish With Tenkara Rods?

Or, how do we make sure Mike doesn't go swimming too often

Why Tenkara?!?

There are many reasons why I prefer to fly fish mainly with Tenkara rods.

But, first let me state that I love all forms of fly fishing and especially any tight line nymphing approach. You will find me joyfully slinging indicators and streamers from a boat and kayak for trout and smallmouth bass. I own a sublime 7’6” fiberglass rod from JP Ross that I love as well.

First reason: I love wade fishing but struggle with vertigo.

Tenkara, with no reel and line handling, allows me to always have my wading staff in hand and solidly planted. This does not eliminate me doing stupid things and falling in, but it greatly reduces the chances and has me feeling much more secure when moving around. I primarily fish alone so wading is a priority and doing so safely and confidently at the ripe old age of 56 is a must.

Wading safety becomes even more important in the winter and I owe it to my family to come back home after a day of fishing. Plus, I save a ton of energy using a good wading staff (mine is from a great guy on Etsy whose shop is Tyroam).

I use a wading staff anytime I wade, with any type of gear. I just find that even when stopping to handle line, I am so much more stable with the staff in hand all the time.

Second reason: It is more challenging because it is a much less versatile system

Versatility as a tenkara practitioner comes from the experience and skill of the angler. This comes from time on the water, different conditions and water types and (if you want to progress faster) talented and skilled guides.

From a pure versatility position, a fast action 10’ 4wt fly rod with a full cage reel is just about perfect. I have one and it is a true one rod system. Pretty much anything that the river might throw at me I can handle with that set up. I learned (still learning) this system from Domenick Swentosky of Troutbitten and it is the consistent second option for me when fly fishing. Fishing with Dom, learning that system of versatility and how to dive deep into tight line techniques has vastly improved my tenkara fly fishing as well. I have two trips with Dom planned for later this year and can’t wait.

When it comes to versatility with a tenkara rod, in my opinion, the buck stops right in front of Rob Worthing. Rob spent a day with myself and a great friend/client (Hunter Boyd) in KY teaching us the initial part of the ONI school. I firmly believe that until you have had time to go to ONI school and/or get a guided session with Rob…you have no idea what can be done with the right tenkara rod and skills. At the end of the day, doing the aerial mends and other techniques that Rob introduced me to is the most aesthetically pleasing outdoor activity I can do.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a ton of skill involved with any form of fly fishing and I am not denigrating any of them. This, after all, is a highly personalized answer to why and how I fish.

Third reason: beauty and peace

All fly fishing helps me greatly from a mental health standpoint. For me, personally, tenkara hits a different level of mental peace. The simplicity and resulting challenges seem to both relax AND engage my mind at deeper levels than when fly fishing other ways. There is, to be fair, a tradeoff when fly fishing with rod and reel after primarily fishing tenkara style. So far, that hasn’t been too much of a performance hit and when I pick up rod and reel I find that I am competent and effective with them even after an extended time of just fishing tenkara.

Fourth reason: winter

I have fished with rod and reel (mono rig style) in the dead of winter and have made it work thanks to the great resources over at www.troutbitten.com. That being said, there is nothing more convenient (and warm) than a tenkara rod for the winter. One word: gloves.

When you combine the necessity for me of using a wading staff all the time AND the ability to effectively fish with full finger gloves because of the lack of line handling…you get a pretty clear winner. Warmth beats versatility as I age.

Fifth reason: I like it

At the end of the day I am very happy to have reached a place in my fly fishing journey (this later version after a long hiatus) where I don’t really care what anyone else thinks about how I choose to live my life and fish my flies. I hope you are in a similar spot and if not, rapidly arriving that that awesome place.

As Dom says, ‘Fish Hard and find your life on the water’

Thoughts, comments and or your own version of ‘haterade’? Hit me in the comments or send me a message. As always…

All the best and tight lines,

Mike