Tenkara rods were developed about four hundred years ago in Japan. They were used for fly fishing and for fishing with bait. Japanese fishers used a piece of bamboo with a line tied to it to catch mountain trout. The lines were made of woven horse hair. Tenkara, roughly translated, is thought to mean “from the sky” or “from heaven” which tells the story from a trout’s point of view.

What distinguishes a tenkara rod from what we think of when we think of a fishing rod is that there are no line guides or reel. The line is attached directly to the tip of the rod. Or more accurately tied to a three inch length of chord called a “lillian” that is attached to the rod tip itself.

Western fisherman search for something to compare it to and usually come up with the idea of the cane pole. This isn’t entirely accurate but it does give a hint about where to start. With tenkara fishing the line is a fixed length just like a cane pole, but with tenkara fishing the line is furled or woven. it is thicker at the rod end than it is where one connects to the fly. This allows the fixed length of line to be cast much like a fly rod casts line.

The appeal of tenkara in Japan was the ability to fish rocky, steep mountain streams. Here in America the appeal is simplicity.

In April 2009 “Tenkara USA” opened, it was the first tenkara shop outside of Japan. For western fly fishing, a sport that also traces its roots back hundreds of years, tenkara is a recent phenomena. Western fly fishers love the exotic and esoteric. Tenkara fishing appealed to them immediately. However, fly fisherman are also traditionalists and so battle lines were drawn.

I was given a tenkara rod in 2010. The appeal to me was not particularly complex. I spend a lot of time fishing in the winter and the bane of winter angling, aside from the cold, is line guides icing up. Since tenkara rods don’t have line guides they solve that one big problem.

But as I used the rod more, I became aware of a few other advantages. Modern tenkara rods are made from fiberglass or graphite and they telescope out from the base. My rod is twelve foot three inches long at full length and when collapsed is about sixteen inches. This makes the rod super easy to transport. The fixed length of line is usually the same length as the rod plus a tippet of three feet or so. The rod is cast like a fly rod so the amount of line, and the distance one has to cast, is consistent which improves casting accuracy.

A major difference between fly fishing and tenkara angling occurs after a fish is caught. Because it has no reel one must play the fish by holding the rod directly over the hooked fish at a forty-five degree angle allowing the length of the rod to absorb the shock. When ready, the rod is lifted to twelve o’clock and the hooked fish comes toward the angler where it can be netted. It takes some practice but it’s really sort of fun.

It is an entertaining and challenging way to fish and tenkara clubs have sprung up all over America. If you are looking for something new give tenkara fishing a try.

Larry Gavin is the author of five volumes of poetry and hundreds of articles on outdoor subjects. He lives in Faribault.

Data included is taken from the Minnesota Department of Health Daily reports. Because all data is preliminary, the change in number of cumulative positive cases and deaths from one day to the next may not equal the newly reported cases or deaths.

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