By Chris Hunt

Special guest post by Chris Hunt

Let's dispel the myth once and for all. Tenkara rods aren't just for targeting naive, diminutive trout in small backcountry streams. These Japanese long rods are effective fly fishing tools and, in a pinch, they can handle surprisingly large fish.

When I first embraced the idea of fly fishing with a Tenkara rod, I put the tool through its paces in the places I thought it was most appropriate. I cast to gorgeous native brook trout in Virginia's Rapidan River, and I chased spunky, but small, Yellowstone cutthroats in the eastern Idaho backcountry.

But, over the course of a year or so, as I traveled across the country and fished in numerous locations and in varied conditions, I'd almost always come across a situation, regardless of the river I happened to be fishing; where a Tenkara would not only work, but likely work better than a traditional fly rod.

So I put it to the test. I fished Tenkara for larger fish on Montana's Bitterroot River with great success. Encouraged, I fished Tenkara on the Henry's Fork, again with great results.

Yesterday, as I fly fished, conventionally, for migrating Lake Athabasca whitefish in the Otherside River here at Blackmur's, I came upon a situation that completely baffled me. I could see rising fish, and my guide told me more than once that the risers were whitefish. But no matter what I tried, I couldn't get a fish to take a dry fly. I switched to a nymph rig, but with a light, short four-weight rod, I was limited in reach and, truthfully, backbone.

I strung up my Tenkara rod and dropped a big, weighted purple 'bugger into a deep run adjacent to the bank, thinking I could dead drift the fly through the run as a reasonable imitation of a big stonefly and then let the fly swing as the current took it and perhaps hook up that way.

Moments later, as I high-sticked the 'bugger through the run, I could feel every bump as the the heavy fly bounced along the bottom. The line went tight, and I struck. All hell broke loose.

Louie Isadore, our guide from Blackmur's, hustled down to the bank.

"Whitefish pull hard," he said in thickly accented English, laced with his native Chippewa with a touch of Canada thrown in. Then, as I battled this fish, and the Tenkara rod doubled over appreciatively, I saw Louie's eyes go big.

"Oh," he said, as the line cut through the water with a musical twang. "That's a lake trout."

Louie hustled back up the bank and came back armed with a net. Moments later, a big migrating laker, one of Athabasca's many oddities (these are early-run fish that swim into the rivers like salmon or steelhead) was resting in the net, and my supple Tenkara rod, made for dinky trout in tiny water, was intact and ready to do it again. For some perspective, when anglers chase these fish in the river mouth, they're casting 8- and 9-weight fly rods or conventional gear with 20-pound test.

So much for the myth, huh?

Chris Hunt is the national communications director for Trout Unlimited. He blogs regularly at eatmorebrookrout.com, where the full recounting of this adventure can be read.

Comments (12)

from Sayfu wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

Myself? I seldom fish a river where I can't make my flyrod work. And it is never a reason to deploy another method because it works better in my approach to fly fishing. I use the flyrod because I enjoy the challenge, and luv to cast a flyline. But if flyfishing has little application like a lot of deeper water fishing entails, then I will go to that method, but I'm yet to experience that situation on a river fishing for trout.

-2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from vasportsman wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

Ive been doing some serious looking into tenkara rods, what set up do you recommend?

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from ckRich wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

Great fish and great story, Chris. Looks like I'm going to have to break down and buy another rod...

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

va, Go to Tenkarausa.com for a complete selection of rods and accessories. Feel free to join in on the chat.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from macsociety wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

Wow, a nice fish. May I ask what rod model you were using and what line, tippet, and most of all, the length and weight of the trout.

Thanks,

TJ

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from upacreek333 wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

Thanks guys... much appreciated. I might be a bit short of a full-on Tenkara convert, but I REALLY like the rods and I'd recommend Tenkara for anyone looking for something to spice up their fly fishing. It IS fly fishing, and Tenkara rods are fly rods.

TJ... I caught the laker on the 12-foot Iwana 6:4, a great little creek rod that is probably not ideal for such big fish. Unfortunately, as Deeter and I were chasing grayling the other day, he took a nasty spill (he's OK, but you should raz him a bit just for fun), and we think that's when the tip of the larger Tenkara, the Amago, broke.

If you're into backcountry fishing, I'd recommend the Iwana. For bigger water, go for the Amago (these are all Tenkara USA rods, by the way--Daniel, watch the mail, because I'm sending two rods in for repairs... we broke the Iwana, but I'll save the tale for another post).

Thanks for reading the post... and thanks, Kirk, for letting me share the tale.

Chris Hunt

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 37 weeks 4 days ago

Chris, Just email Daniel and let him know what sections are broken. He can just send the section for easy replacement.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from upacreek333 wrote 37 weeks 4 days ago

Good point... that's what I'll do. Thanks for the advice.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Justin Engelman wrote 37 weeks 4 days ago

Sounds great I think im hooked!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from backcast wrote 37 weeks 2 days ago

Nice story! People talk about "extreme" sports, but that's what I'd consider extreme...wow. I'l bet the adrenal glands were working overtime!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Nyflyangler wrote 37 weeks 20 hours ago

Like a Spey rod, a Tenkara rod is a great addition to a serious fly angler's arsenal of rods. They're great for mountain streams with open rocky terrain.

I read a similar account a couple of years back on a Tenkara site, the difference being the subject was a large bull trout. It's nice to know that they can handle situations they weren't necessarily designed for. A lot of the reason these situations were successful though are due to angler skill, I think.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Sayfu wrote 37 weeks 1 hour ago

I've changed my opinion on Tenkara rods after some research...and Nyflyangler...you can always handle a big fish in a small brook on fixed line if you wear tennis shoes rather than waders. :)

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

from Nyflyangler wrote 37 weeks 20 hours ago

Like a Spey rod, a Tenkara rod is a great addition to a serious fly angler's arsenal of rods. They're great for mountain streams with open rocky terrain.

I read a similar account a couple of years back on a Tenkara site, the difference being the subject was a large bull trout. It's nice to know that they can handle situations they weren't necessarily designed for. A lot of the reason these situations were successful though are due to angler skill, I think.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from vasportsman wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

Ive been doing some serious looking into tenkara rods, what set up do you recommend?

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from ckRich wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

Great fish and great story, Chris. Looks like I'm going to have to break down and buy another rod...

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

va, Go to Tenkarausa.com for a complete selection of rods and accessories. Feel free to join in on the chat.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from macsociety wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

Wow, a nice fish. May I ask what rod model you were using and what line, tippet, and most of all, the length and weight of the trout.

Thanks,

TJ

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from upacreek333 wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

Thanks guys... much appreciated. I might be a bit short of a full-on Tenkara convert, but I REALLY like the rods and I'd recommend Tenkara for anyone looking for something to spice up their fly fishing. It IS fly fishing, and Tenkara rods are fly rods.

TJ... I caught the laker on the 12-foot Iwana 6:4, a great little creek rod that is probably not ideal for such big fish. Unfortunately, as Deeter and I were chasing grayling the other day, he took a nasty spill (he's OK, but you should raz him a bit just for fun), and we think that's when the tip of the larger Tenkara, the Amago, broke.

If you're into backcountry fishing, I'd recommend the Iwana. For bigger water, go for the Amago (these are all Tenkara USA rods, by the way--Daniel, watch the mail, because I'm sending two rods in for repairs... we broke the Iwana, but I'll save the tale for another post).

Thanks for reading the post... and thanks, Kirk, for letting me share the tale.

Chris Hunt

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 37 weeks 4 days ago

Chris, Just email Daniel and let him know what sections are broken. He can just send the section for easy replacement.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from upacreek333 wrote 37 weeks 4 days ago

Good point... that's what I'll do. Thanks for the advice.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Justin Engelman wrote 37 weeks 4 days ago

Sounds great I think im hooked!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from backcast wrote 37 weeks 2 days ago

Nice story! People talk about "extreme" sports, but that's what I'd consider extreme...wow. I'l bet the adrenal glands were working overtime!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Sayfu wrote 37 weeks 1 hour ago

I've changed my opinion on Tenkara rods after some research...and Nyflyangler...you can always handle a big fish in a small brook on fixed line if you wear tennis shoes rather than waders. :)

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Sayfu wrote 37 weeks 5 days ago

Myself? I seldom fish a river where I can't make my flyrod work. And it is never a reason to deploy another method because it works better in my approach to fly fishing. I use the flyrod because I enjoy the challenge, and luv to cast a flyline. But if flyfishing has little application like a lot of deeper water fishing entails, then I will go to that method, but I'm yet to experience that situation on a river fishing for trout.

-2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.