First Blue Line of Twenty Four

*Warning: this report contains no tropical species, exotic beaches or elaborate table-fair. It also includes fishing without a reel. If you would like to go back to the homepage click here.*

My favorite thing about these spontaneous small water outings is it brings one back to being a kid; an allotted time you capitalize on with whatever clothes you have. Accompanied by the sting of nettles, shoes filled with dirt/sand, and fully drenched as the water wicks up your pant leg. When utilizing a simple setup, such as that of a ribbon dancing tenkara rod, it is a blissful time.

This trip was a 2mi walk on an overgrown logging road followed by a 1/2mi bushwhack to the stream.

A grey wetfly was rigged up and the first trout caught, a little 6” cutthroat. First one was dedicated to OMJ and his love for these waterways. I’m most likely the only human these fish have seen adding further to the reward.

The streambed was filled with aquatics: caddis cocoons, midge larvae and to my surprise, a lot of stones.

I proceeded to meander through head high grass while crossing the creek a few times to catch more on the grey wetfly.


A switch to a heavier, wire body timber was in order to get a little deeper (top left).

After a few 6-8in fish I managed to catch one of the larger this stream offers.

In the process of navigating the couple hundred feet of crystal clear water I spooked some of greater size. Future trips will include checking out the beaver ponds that feed into this creek.

Successfully soaked, from the bottom up and thanks to the rain squalls, tops down too.

If you haven’t already done so, I strongly recommend putting one of these tenkara rods in your vehicle. Great for quick trips, roadside pull-offs, low-key fishing and as a perk kiddos can learn easily.

 

[Matt B]

Nice. I can see the simple allure of tenkara for that situation. You definitely seem to capitalize on the little opportunities. Respect.

That head high reed canary grass would have my allergies lit up like a Christmas tree.

 

[RCF]

Great report. Beautiful water and fish.

Your homage to OMJ ---> TYVM! That put a special smile in my heart...

 

[Bambooflyguy]

That looks fun but wet…..I didn’t know you fished tenkara. Is yours the telescopic style? I’ve made several Frankenkara rods and fish them in lakes.

 

[Buzzy]

Took me way back, thanks!!

 

[Tom Butler]

Fantastic!

 

[Tom Butler]

but wet?…..

That's part of the magic. Somehow I just come alive wet wading in a way that sitting in a float tube with waders on just can't match.

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Nice work with the Rick roll.

 

[Divad]

That looks fun but wet…..I didn’t know you fished tenkara. Is yours the telescopic style? I’ve made several Frankenkara rods and fish them in lakes.

I do enjoy the tenkara thing, mine are all the telescopic style. But a homemade one would be pretty dang cool, especially on some bamboo . I use the Wakata 9’ and Tenkara USA Hane 10’8”, wouldn’t mind grabbing a 6:4 11’.

I first experimented with the cheap $10 yellow ones, now I keep one on hand when I hike high lakes to give to a kid that shows interest. Have done so twice and both times they started catching fish immediately.

 

[jeradjames]

Sweet little stream! Might be a dumb question, but what's your technique when fishing wet flies with a tenkara rod on a tiny stream like that? I've only used dries with a tenkara rod before and not really sure how I would approach using wet flies.

 

[Bambooflyguy]

Kinda seems the same to me…..

 

[Divad]

Sweet little stream! Might be a dumb question, but what's your technique when fishing wet flies with a tenkara rod on a tiny stream like that? I've only used dries with a tenkara rod before and not really sure how I would approach using wet flies.

It’s very similiar to a tight-line/euro/Czech nymphing affair. Cast and then lift the rod to get the line off the water and allow the nymph to drift freely. Watch the end of your tenkara line, which sometimes needs a small piece of sighter tied on leaving the ends uncut. It’s easier to learn with a weighted fly, say a 2.8 tungsten. Dry fly you can be a little lazier and let the tippet sag since the fly and line will be traveling the same speed.

When fishing lakes I found it’s very productive to use a weighted fly. Cast out let it sink and lift the rod slowly with some little bounces.

 

[Brian Miller]

If you haven’t already done so, I strongly recommend putting one of these tenkara rods in your vehicle. Great for quick trips, roadside pull-offs, low-key fishing and as a perk kiddos can learn easily.

I find T-rods are efficient, effective, stealthy, versatile, and easier to fish with on creeks and smaller rivers. Mid-sized rivers take can some extra wading to get close enough. I haven't used a western rod and reel in those types of streams since 2017.

Sweet little stream! Might be a dumb question, but what's your technique when fishing wet flies with a tenkara rod on a tiny stream like that? I've only used dries with a tenkara rod before and not really sure how I would approach using wet flies.

I believe virtually all, or at least the vast majority of Tenkara flies (kebari) tied by the Japanese since the 1600s; first for subsistence, then commercial, and only in the last ~70 years for recreational fishing in high gradient mountain streams were wet flies. I use the longest rod I can for the streamside brush and tree cover; usually 8'-13', a high-vis greenish yellow or orange fluorocarbon "level" line the length of the rod, tie in a tippet ring, then tie on 3'+ of (typically 5X) fluoro tippet. That allows me to fish at a distance of about 1.75 times the length of the rod. The entire hi-vis line is an indicator.

Here are a couple of slides with illustrations I've used by permission from presentations I've done for fly clubs.


With a fly first cast the fly is fishing as soon as it hits the water. I keep the line-tippet junction right at the surface of the water for a ~4-8 second drift.

Watch the end of your tenkara line, which sometimes needs a small piece of sighter tied on leaving the ends uncut.

I blood knot a 12"-16" length of green-orange-white or orange-green-white Euro sighter onto the end of all my T-lines keeping total line length to about the length of the rod, then tie in the tippet ring. Sometimes I use neon bright pink, red, purple, and white yarn sighters on shorter clear fluoro "Tenjo"-"Keiryu" style lines for weighted nymphs. With either style of line, any hesitation or unnatural movement in the line at the water is usually a fish and I set the hook.

Also the Japanese have a whole series of manipulation (sasoi) techniques that cause subtle lifelike movement of the fly during the drift inducing fish to strike that I simply can't duplicate with a stiff western rod and heavy fly line. I'll usually cast to a suspected lie and dead drift . If that doesn't get a strike, I'll often try one or more subsequent casts using one or more manipulation techniques.

 

[jeradjames]

Thanks for the great info Brian! I'll be trying this out sometime soon.

 

[Uptonogood]

*Warning: this report contains no tropical species, exotic beaches or elaborate table-fair. It also includes fishing without a reel. If you would like to go back to the homepage click here.*

My favorite thing about these spontaneous small water outings is it brings one back to being a kid; an allotted time you capitalize on with whatever clothes you have. Accompanied by the sting of nettles, shoes filled with dirt/sand, and fully drenched as the water wicks up your pant leg. When utilizing a simple setup, such as that of a ribbon dancing tenkara rod, it is a blissful time.

This trip was a 2mi walk on an overgrown logging road followed by a 1/2mi bushwhack to the stream.
View attachment 116090
A grey wetfly was rigged up and the first trout caught, a little 6” cutthroat. First one was dedicated to OMJ and his love for these waterways. I’m most likely the only human these fish have seen adding further to the reward.
View attachment 116062
The streambed was filled with aquatics: caddis cocoons, midge larvae and to my surprise, a lot of stones.
View attachment 116063
I proceeded to meander through head high grass while crossing the creek a few times to catch more on the grey wetfly.
View attachment 116065
View attachment 116068
A switch to a heavier, wire body timber was in order to get a little deeper (top left).
View attachment 116064
After a few 6-8in fish I managed to catch one of the larger this stream offers.
View attachment 116069
In the process of navigating the couple hundred feet of crystal clear water I spooked some of greater size. Future trips will include checking out the beaver ponds that feed into this creek.

Successfully soaked, from the bottom up and thanks to the rain squalls, tops down too.
View attachment 116088
If you haven’t already done so, I strongly recommend putting one of these tenkara rods in your vehicle. Great for quick trips, roadside pull-offs, low-key fishing and as a perk kiddos can learn easily.

Excellent dedication and great job carrying OMJ’s legacy.

 

[BayouJ]

Looks like a tenkara rod, for me, in the near future...