Tenkara can be a very useful tool for nymphing. Many times trout are not feeding at the surface because they are too busy snacking on nymphs. You can usually use a tenkara fly for these situations but it can also be handy to have a heavier weighted nymph ready to get down deeper.
Table of Contents
Can you fly fish with a normal rod?
So, can you fly fish with a regular fishing rod? Yes. It is possible to use a spinning rod or bait casting rod to cast flies if you add lead weights or a casting bubble. However, the action and length of regular fishing rods is not designed to properly cast unweighted flies very far, even if used with fly fishing line.
Is tenkara easier than fly fishing?
In fact, it could be argued that tenkara is more difficult than western fly fishing. Landing a fish is certainly different without the ability to reel it in. And not being able to cast long distances means you need to be better about spotting and getting close to trout.
Is tenkara a fly fishing?
Because tenkara involves flies, many people do consider tenkara to be fly fishing. But unlike standard fly fishing, there is no real line management apart from, possibly, mending. You can’t strip line, you can’t make progressively longer false casts, and there’s no reel or drag.
How do you fly fish with tenkara rod?

Do fish remember being caught?
Researchers find that wild cleaner fishes can remember being caught up to 11 months after the fact, and actively try to avoid getting caught again.
Is fly fishing harder than regular fishing?
Fly fishing is suitable for both still and moving water, but it’s more commonly used for river fishing. It is a more complicated form of fishing, which takes a little longer to learn than regular fishing.
What do tenkara flies imitate?
Nymphs and wet flies A favorite Tenkara fly is a simple soft hackle pattern that can mimic a number of underwater species.
Why are tenkara rods so long?
A longer rod makes it easier to hold your line and leader off the water and stay in direct contact with your fly or flies. You can reach over currents, rather than laying your line across them and risking your fly being dragged off course.
What is Japanese fly fishing?
Tenkara is a method of fly fishing that originated in the mountains of Japan and has now developed into a modern pastime. It uses quite long rods, fixed lengths of casting line attached to the rod-tip and simple, impressionistic wet fly patterns. Most tenkara anglers attach just one fly at a time to the tippet.
What does tenkara mean in English?
Tenkara means the “traditional Japanese method of mountain stream fly-fishing where only a rod, line and fly are used”. Tenkara is a very narrowly defined word used exclusively to describe this exact method of fishing where only a rod, line and fly are used to catch trout in mountain streams.
Are tenkara flies wet or dry?
Tenkara All Purpose Flies It can be fished both a dry fly and a wet fly, though its construction is more similar to most tenkara dry flies. Some tenkara fishers only use one fly pattern, often, one that can be fished both wet and dry. Dr. Ishigaki himself usually fishes this pattern as a wet fly though.
Can you use regular fly line on a Tenkara Rod?
You can certainly choose one line, either tapered or level, and do all your fishing with it. I like to fine-tune things a bit and prefer to use different lines with different rods.
What is Keiryu fishing?
“Keiryu” is the Japanese word for “mountain stream.” Keiryu fishing, then, is mountain stream fishing in Japan. In the broadest sense, “keiryu fishing” encompasses several popular fishing methods in Japan, including lure fishing, fly fishing, tenkara and bait fishing.
What is Tanago fishing?
Tanago fishing is NOT fly fishing for trout with 7 or 8′ telescopic rods on small streams. It is fishing for tanago (a type of fish). In Japan it is done with bait and with rods that could be as short as 20 or 30″ although most are a bit longer.
Is fishing a cruel sport?
Pierced through the mouth with a sharp metal hook; dragged out of the water, convulsing and struggling, into an environment where they can’t breathe; and killed outright, left to suffocate or flung back into the water, traumatised and sometimes fatally injured โ fish suffer horribly at the hands of anglers.
Does fishing traumatize fish?
Fishing doesn’t only hurt fish. Millions of birds, turtles, and other animals sustain debilitating injuries after they swallow hooks or become entangled in fishing lines. Wildlife rehabilitators say that discarded fishing tackle is one of the greatest threats to aquatic animals.
Does getting fish hooked hurt?
Fish have numerous nociceptors in their mouths and thus getting hooked is certainly a painful experience for them.
Why is fly fishing so addictive?
So, why is fly fishing addictive? Well, the simple answer is that it can provide you with a truly captivating experience. It encourages the release of positive endorphins, which make you feel positive emotions.
Is fly fishing worth the money?
The great thing about fly fishing is, it’s very economical and beginner-friendly. You don’t need a boat, a bucket of worms, or a large ocean. Fly fishing uses simple equipment, and it’s more about understanding and adapting to the behavior of the fish you’re trying to catch.
Why is fly fishing so difficult?
Why is fly fishing so hard? It’s hard because you’re not simply ‘throwing’ a weighted lure out in the water like you would when you’re spin or bait fishing. You’re using the energy generated in the rod and the weight of the line to create the momentum to carry the fly to its destination.
Do you need a Euro nymph rod?
Since Euro-nymphing is essentially high-sticking drifts all day long, you need a rod that’s light. Your arm will still hurt after a day of Euro-nymphing, but with a Euro rod it’ll hurt less.
What is a bead head nymph?
The “bead head” has become one of the most popular categories of wet flies (nymphs). This is because the weight of a brass or tungsten bead helps keep the fly very close to the bottom where trout are used to seeing and capturing their food.
How do you cast a tenkara rod?

What is a Kebari fly?
The Sakasa Kebari or reverse-hackle fly is an artificial fly most associated with the Japanese style of tenkara fishing but can be used in most freshwater fly fishing. The Sakasa Kebari is usually defined by firstly its reverse hackle and secondly by its simplicity as compared to western style flies.