Adventure #231

Surpising the size of the fish you can land with no reel
Originally the rod was simply a bamboo
cane rod, but unlike modern western
bamboo rods, it wasn’t split and stuck
back together as used extensively in
coarse fishing, it was simple a bamboo
pole, like the quintessential Huckleberry
Finn fishing poles. Obviously in Japan
bamboo is readily available and light.
Because of its light weight, traditional
Japanese fishermen were able to use
very long bamboo rods and reach
as far as needed without the need to
develop reels or extended line or casting.
Although there are similarities between
tenkara and traditional fly fishing the two
techniques developed independently of
each other, with tenkara being purely
Japanese in origin however there are
some similarities to coarse fishing in
Europe with the likes or a roach pole
which was a similar method.
Tenkara fishing can be seen as a
streamlined alternative to traditional
fly-fishing. The equipment is designed
to directly concentrate on the fly and
catching of the fish, very similar to a
high rod technique when fly fishing.
Like a lot of Japanese culture there is
an elegance and simplicity to Tenkara
that has a strong appeal not just in its
convenience but in its presentation or
the fly. There are also other advantages
of using the long tenkara rods as a long
rod allows for precise placement of the
fly on small pools avoiding casting in
cramped areas and the inevitable tangles
in overhanging bushes, the long rod
presentation allows for holding the fly in
place on the other side of a current. As
any fly fisher man will tell you the drift is
all important. The drift, how the fly either
on the surface or below flows through the
water naturally will always be important
in catching trout. The main advantages
of using the long tenkara rod is precise
control for manipulation of the fly drift and
presentation.
Recently I went to a back water river
which was very tight and shallow but
full of fish. On my first trip I took a
traditional rod and reel, and fishing was
at best difficult, at worst impossible, plus
because it was so shallow and so clear
the fish spooked easy. But the following
day I added my tenkara set up to my
gear and happily fished for hours with no
loss of gear (other than being snapped
off by a big boy). Tenkara simply made
the presentation easy and because of the
lack of movement the fish did not spook
as bad.
You could literally be Huckleberry Finn
and go cut a long piece of bamboo add
some line and a fly and you would be
tenkara fishing, however the modern
tenkara rods are very long and flexible
rod (usually telescopic which makes for
ease of carrying and pack down into
itself). The rods normally range from 3.3
to 4.5 metres (11 to 15 ft) long. 3.6 m
(12 ft) is common. Although rods were
originally made of bamboo, they are now
made with carbon-fibre or fibre-glass.
They also have a handle similar to flyfishing
rods that can be made of wood
or cork. Plus, a loop at the end of the
rod to attach the tenkara line. There is a
specific way to bring out a tenkara rod,
you hold the opening of the rod in your
hand and slowly bring out segment by
segment linking each segment firmly, my
13ft foot rod has 13 separate sections.
The same thing applied when collapsing
the rod into itself.
Tenkara line: As in fly-fishing, it is the
tenkara line that propels the weightless
fly forward. In tenkara, the traditional and
most commonly used line is a tapered
furled line (twisted monofilament), of the
same length or slightly shorter than the
rod. The main advantage of tapered lines
is the delicate presentation and ease of
casting. Alternatively, a tenkara "level"
line can be used. Level lines are specially
formulated fluorocarbon adjusted to the
desired length as they maintain the same
diameter throughout their length. Tapered
lines are typically easier to cast and
preferred by people getting started with
tenkara, whereas level lines tend to be
lighter (slightly harder to cast) but can be
kept off the water more easily. But once
you have the tenkara line regardless
of what type it is simply a case of then
attaching normal fishing line to the end.
The traditional tenkara line has a loop
of braided line at its thicker end. This
braided line is used to tie the tenkara line
46//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#231