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.

Read a review of the Ebira at Tenkara Bum.

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!

1. Drop Your Rod Tube

(Not literally). I’m still surprised by how many backpackers I see with aluminum or PVC rod tubes strapped to their packs. Of course, people want to protect their investment but to me, these tubes are unnecessarily heavy and overkill. For years, I carried my rod and reel in the side pocket of my pack and have never damaged one (even while bushwhacking). If you cinch it up with a compression strap, it’s probably close enough to the side of the pack to be protected from potential snags.

If you aren’t willing to go that minimalist, there are lighter alternatives. For example, you could just bring the rod sack (that should fend off any rogue branches). Some people suggest making an ultra light rod tube from clear, plastic tubes that are used to protect fluorescent light bulbs. While I still think it’s unnecessary, it’s a probably lot lighter than bringing the tube your rod came with.

One of the advantages of Tenkara USA rods is that they eliminate the need for a rod tube altogether. When collapsed, the rod becomes its own tube so not only do you save the weight of a reel and a tube, but you increase the number of multipurpose items in your pack (which as we all know is one of the best ways to reduce pack weight).

2.  Save Your Fly Vest for the Next Fashion Show

While vests are nice on day trips, they can take up a lot of room in your pack that could be put to better use. Your pack space is limited so it’s important to find alternatives to your normal gear that will pack well. Instead of a vest, consider something like a front pack, small neck pouch or even a lanyard. But what about all the stuff you normally carry in your vest? Well, some of that has to go too. The next few tips are related to reducing the overall amount of fly fishing gear you carry.

3.  Leave the Fly Shop Behind

Remember the angler I mentioned at the beginning that carried all of his flies all of the time? He is carrying a fly shop in his vest. The funny thing is that he usually only fished 2 or 3 of his “go to” patterns on any given day. When you’re backpacking, you don’t want to carry 8 fly boxes (and you don’t need to either). Fly boxes are not only bulky, but the weight adds up fast. Instead, consider carrying one small fly box with your “go-to” patterns. Pick attractor patterns that cover a wide range of species. Things like Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulators, and the Adams cover a pretty broad range of insects. I’ve gone days where I only fished an Elk Hair Caddis. For nymphs, some simple Bead Head Caddis and Hare’s Ear Nymphs might be all you need. Whatever you decide to take, make sure they are all patterns you have confidence in. If you fish a fly you believe in, your presentation will likely be better and often, presentation matters more than imitation.

4.  Ditch the Tool Box

Earlier, I said that fly anglers tend to be gadget hounds and I’m no exception. There certainly are a lot of cool gadgets out there to give any angler gear fever. But are they really necessary? If you follow the multipurpose credo, you can simplify the number of tools you bring to 1 or 2. For the ultimate minimalist approach, a pair of hemostats that has scissors built in will suffice (use the scissors instead of nippers). If your knot-tying skills are good enough, then this could be all you need. If you don’t want to go that Spartan, there are plenty of multi-tools out there that should fit the bill. Look for ones that combine nippers, knot-tying tools, eye cleaners, etc. then pair it with hemostats. And about hemostats, you don’t need the standard 5” ones. The shorter 3.5” work just as well.

5.  Tell Your Waders to Take a Hike

Waders and wading boots can add pounds to your pack. Where possible, try wet wading instead. You could either bring a pair of hiking sandals or just use your hiking shoes and wear waterproof socks. For the latter, it helps if you have a good way to dry your shoes out (sunny weather or a campfire). Where I fish most of the time, wading is not even necessary so I just patrol the banks. If the streams you’re fishing are small enough, you might not need waders either.

While not all of these tips might be practical for the places you fish, if you can work 2 or 3 of them into your backcountry system, you could save ounces or even pounds. What weight saving or bulk reducing tips have you discovered?

If you’d rather fish a #14 fly during a heavy Trico hatch than a #22, check out the Traffic Jam

How to Tie the Traffic Jam Trico Cluster from Jason Klass on Vimeo.

Many of us who have fished Trico hatches probably have a love-hate relationship with them.  These notoriously prolific hatches bring a lot of fish to the surface but it can be impossible to pick out your #22 imitation from the thousands of others on the surface.  A fish could strike your fly and you wouldn’t even know it because there are so many rises surrounding it.  Probably many of us have wished we could fish a larger, easier-to-see pattern that we could distinguish from the mayhem during these exciting hatches.  This led some people to design double and triple Trico patterns that were a littler easier to see, but were unrealistic because of the way they are tied in perfect alignment (trunk-to-tail so to speak).  After years of observation, I had an epiphany that led to the creation of the Traffic Jam.

What I noticed was that even during heavy hatches where many fish are gently slurping individual spinners, I’d occasionally see a seemingly unnecessarily violent rise to these diminutive flies.  There’s no risk of a tiny, dead or half-dead spinner fleeing the surface so why would a trout attack a Trico with such force?   What I realized was that the smarter (and often larger) trout were targeting clusters of spinners rather than individuals.  If you think about it, it makes sense.  When you’re down to the last few Cheerios in your bowl, you probably spoon up the ones that are clustering together by the forces of Cheerio-magnetization before going after the loaners. Much the same way, if a trout is going to expend energy rising at all, it’s a better return on investment to target a cluster of 6 or 7 than to risk missing an individual.  After trying a few prototypes, I settled on this one and named it “Traffic Jam” because of the way Trico spinners tend to clump together during heavy hatches.

The Advantages

The Traffic Jam (because of it’s size) allows you to fish a much more visible fly during heavy hatches of the minuscule Trico.  And because the rise to a cluster is more aggressive than an individual, you’ll be able to detect the strike to your fly better than the dozens of sipping trout taking individual naturals around it.

How to Fish it

The Traffic Jam was designed for heavy hatches but also works on thin ones.  Fish it in a typical upstream, side stream, or downstream dead-drift presentation.  I recommend coating the fly with floatant and using 6X tippet but be prepared for a hard strike (don’t set the hook too hard otherwise you’ll break the tippet).

Materials

Hook: 2X long Dry Fly Hook (Such as Tiemco 5212) #14
Thread: 8/0 UNI Thread, Black
Abdomens: White Hareline Ultra Chenille Micro
Thoraxes: Black Sharpie Marker
Tails, Legs, Wings: Grizzly Hackle, size 16

A Simple Tenkara Line Management System from Jason Klass on Vimeo.

If you’ve ever wondered what to do with your Tenkara line when you collapse your rod to move from spot to spot, here’s a simple, cheap DIY solution that might work for you.  BTW, if you’re not fond of the red color, the Fuji EZ Keepers are also available in orange, blue, purple, and black.  I prefer red or orange just in case the O-ring fails and I drop one in the field (it will be easier to find and the O-rings are cheap to replace).  Let me know what you think.

De-Fishing Soap from Jason Klass on Vimeo.

Anyone who has fished on a backpacking trip and retired to your tent for the night has probably had a thought lurking in the back of their mind before drifting off to sleep: Am I going to end up as bear dinner? Luckily, this biodegradable soap takes the fish smell off your hands so you can sleep easy. In this video, I who you how I repackage it so that you don’t have to take the whole bar (which would be overkill on an overnighter or shorter backpacking trip).

How to Attach and Detach Your Tenkara Fly Line from Jason Klass on Vimeo.

To a Western fly angler who is used to a nail knot or handshake connection (loop to loop) to connect their leader to their fly line, connecting a Tenkara fly line to the rod can seem a bit baffling.  Here’s a quick demonstration on how to connect a Tenkara fly line to your new Tenkara fly rod.

The Balloon Caddis is one of my favorite all-time caddis flies.  It’s versatile, durable, and easy to tie.  This innovative pattern designed by Austrian fly fishing mogul  Roman Moser (one of my fly tying heroes) belongs in every fly box (especially for the backpacking angler).

Materials

Hook: Partridge Mike Weaver Arrowpoint #12 – #18 (substitute any standard dry fly hook)
Thread: 8/0 UNI Thread (color of choice)
Abdomen: Antron/Rabbit Blend (color of choice)
Thorax: Same as abdomen (variation:  peacock herl)
Balloon Head: Closed cell foam (original pattern calls for yellow but any color could be used)

How to Tie it

How to Tie the Balloon Caddis from Jason Klass on Vimeo.

How to Fish it

The Balloon Caddis can be fished in either an upstream or downstream dead drift presentation just as you might fish an Elk Hair Caddis or any other dry Caddis pattern.  But during a hatch, when trout are competitively chasing pupae, it’s most effective to skate it across the surface.  Position yourself as if you were swinging a wet fly downstream.  Cast at a 45 degree angle to the fish you’re presenting to, let it dead drift until the leader is taut, then start lifting the rod while slightly wiggling the tip back and forth such that the Balloon Caddis “dances” upstream in short, jerky skips.  Be prepared for a hard strike as enticed trout won’t want to let your fly get away.

Anyone thinking about getting into Tenkara fishing should visit Tenkara Bum.  Chris Stewart has put together one of the most extensive  collections of information on Tenkara gear and techniques in the English language (no Kanji required!).  As an early adopter of Tenkara fly fishing, his in-depth reviews will not only help you decide which rod to get, but also give you some great tips on technique and flies along the way.  Every page of the Tenkara Bum site exudes Chris’s experience and it’s all delivered in a down-to-earth writing style that is in harmony with the natural simplicity of  Tenkara style.  Be careful though:  Chris’s passion for Tenkara rods is contagious and just might cause you to spend all of your hard-earned money acquiring the entire Tenkara USA lineup leaving you on the streets (or, in this case, the banks?).

]]> http://backpackflyfishing.com/blog/2010/04/15/tenkara-bum/feed/ 0 http://backpackflyfishing.com/blog/2010/04/11/rockymountain/ http://backpackflyfishing.com/blog/2010/04/11/rockymountain/#comments Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:01:01 +0000 Jason Klass http://backpackflyfishing.com/blog/?p=160

Tenkara Fishing In Rocky Mountain National Park from Jason Klass on Vimeo.

For those of you who couldn’t go fishing today, here’s a little Tenkara porn. At 1:57 you’ll see one method I use to store my like when moving between spots where it might be brushy. Sometimes, I wrap it around the rod instead. What do you do with your line when you have to move between spots?