I just got back from field testing a prototype of an ultralight leader wallet I’m designing. The idea is to create a super light, super compact wallet that will store 3-6 leaders and keep them from tangling.
I’ve been looking for ultralight ultra-compact leader wallets for a while and found that like ultralight fly fishing packs, they didn’t exist either. All the commercially available ones are bulky, heavy, and are far more complex than they need to be. So, I designed one that I wanted as a backpacking fly angler. Right now, it weighs in at about 0.2 ounces [click to continue…]
Meet my wife. Her name is Guadalupe. She’s from Argentina. She’s never fly fished before. In fact, she’s never even fished a day in her life. I took her out to the Roaring River below the alluvial fan in Rocky Mountain National Park, put a Tenkara USA Ayu in her hand and gave her some basic instructions. In an hour, she landed 3 trout and missed two-not bad for someone who has never touched a fishing rod before (let alone a fly rod) and was put before some pretty tricky pocket water.
Within the hour, she became a pro and was stalking fish like a professional. [click to continue…]
As Tenkara catches on more and more in the U.S., I have yet to see one description of it lacking the following adjective: simple. Mainly by virtue of not using a reel, Tenkara is certainly simpler than what most Western fly fishers are accustomed to–and that is probably its main appeal. Ironically though, many have attempted to impose the complexities of modern Western fly fishing on it. One of the first questions many new to Tenkara ask is how they can add a reel. Others want to translate complicated dropper and indicator rigs from their habitual fishing methods. These attempts have mostly failed because of the resilient simplicity that is the very nature of this style of fishing.
Of course, this is nothing new and not merely an epidemic in the U.S. I think it’s partly human nature to sometimes make things more complicated than they need to be. In the picture on the right, you can see a multiple fly rig from the Iwate prefecture in Japan. The mere thought of trying to cast that rig makes me cringe. [click to continue…]
Scoping the cruising patterns of trout with an Ebira on my back
While Tenkara fishing is often pigeonholed as being only for small streams, I’ve recently fallen in love with Tenkara fishing in lakes. Just as the lack of a reel and the ability to shoot line force you to change your technique on rivers, so too does Tenkara force you to adapt your method in stillwaters–posing a fun challenge for fly fishers looking to put their skills to the test. Here are some observations I’ve made when fishing lakes with Tenkara fly rods. [click to continue…]
While I appreciate (OK, drool over) innovation and technological advances, sometimes, tried-and-true traditional gear has a certain allure that I just can’t resist. I recently posted about a tenkara line management system that is very practical and functional, yet lacks the quaintness and charm of what I got in the mail today–a pair of bamboo tenkara line holders that marry practicality with aesthetic beauty.
These tenkara line holders are made from bamboo that is aged, then lacquered to improve strength and resistance to warping. At just 0.1 ounces each, they’re perfect for UL fly fishers and backpacking fly fishers (something their ancient designers probably inadvertently thought of before UL was even a concept).
You can store 4 level monofiliment or fluorocarbon lines, or 2 furled lines on one holder and the cross bars in the middle allow you to pre-rig your tenkara lines with tippet and flies meaning you can store different rigs for different situations and implement them easily. I probably won’t use them much in the field aside from luxury trips or photo shoots but they’re pretty cool to play with.
Which line management system are you currently using?
The Ebira is a rod quiver for tenkara fly rods such as Tenkara USA rods and the Backpacking Light Hane. It features a removable pocket to hold a fly box and tippet spools that can be accessed without taking the quiver off. “Ebira” means “quiver” in Japanese and while they were traditionally worn over the left shoulder, this Ebira can be converted to both right and left handed use. To learn more about the Ebira, visit the Ebira page in the gear store.
After my recent blog post on how to tie the balloon caddis, a lot of people emailed me asking if they could buy them somewhere because they don’t tie. Today, I’m happy to announce that the Balloon Caddis is in the gear shop. For now, I’ve only got it in size #10 (which is a great prospecting size that mimics hoppers, large caddis, and stoneflies). I’ll soon be adding a #14 size. Between the two, I think this fly offers a very multi-purpose pattern allowing backpacking fly fishers to carry less and do more.
A while back, I wrote about a simple fly fishing setup for backpacking. As fly fishers, we have an intrinsic advantage when it comes fishing on overnight and multi-day backpacking trips. Unlike other styles of fishing, we aren’t condemned to carrying heavy, bulky tackle like spinning reels, weighted lures, etc. However, fly fishers also tend to be gear addicts and it’s easy to convince ourselves that we have to have every fly and gadget in the book in order to be prepared for every contingency. I once knew a fisherman that carried every fly pattern he owned all year round (even flies that wouldn’t be hatching for another 2 months). This might not be such a big deal when your just out for the day, but when you’re on the trail, weight and bulk are more critical since you have to carry everything on your back. Here are 5 things you can do to lighten up your backcountry fly fishing gear, and still catch fish! [click to continue…]
