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Thread: catching up

  1. #1

    catching up

    I'm checking in.

    I'm glad the place is still going and you guys are keeping the faith.

    I'm into Tenkara now for about 8 years. Been researching the roots of it, interviewed many that do it, have been to Japan twice now on mountain fishing adventures. Going to give a presentation in Estes Park this year at the Tenkara Summit. Haven't found a stream yet where shooting line would be superior to a fixed line. My shortest rod is 2.7m, longest is 8m with a 12m line. I've fished one fly in many different states and in Japan and caught fish, just as many as if I matched the hatched.

    I've learned so much about fishing in the last few years, but I would not have learned so much if it wasn't for a good foundation with fly fishing.

    I tie way more but far fewer patterns, most are very simple thread and feather patterns and I've actually designed my own fly. It's funny, I use a hook designed for bait fishing!

    I learned how to bait fish with Japanese gear. It is so effective, so super mega effective, I promised myself NEVER to do it again unless I wanted to harvest fish for a meal.

    Japanese techniques are thought out well and the gear is highly refined.

    I miss this place and reference it all the time. It's twenty years old now and I often think of how it started, "Arizona Small Stream Fly Fishing" then to "smallstreams."

    I exchange e-mails with Gerard, I visit Chef now and then, Brooks and I have some trips planned this summer, Ted and I have meet once or twice, not sure how much he fishes...

    It would be nice to see the owners of the site, who ever they are pay a little attention to you guys and promote your beautiful stories to the front page. But I'm realizing, it doesn't really matter, it's about the people here that read them.

    I'll check in now and then, hope you all are doing well.

    Getting older, priorities change, take care.
    Japan: Tsuttenkai, Jolly Fishers, member since 2010

  2. #2
    Adam... This was Arizona Small Stream Fly-Fishing? Interesting. Had some memorable days on the Reservation hunting Apaches.

    I'd like to hear more about those trips to Japan. Near the top of my list is Hokkaido and the native trout there. Photos? Trip notes? Public Access? Advice? If you'd care to share.

  3. #3
    Adam,

    Tenkara equipment and education has been available for a while in the Upper Midwest. It remains a minor tactic here. To each his own, dealing with his own fishing conditions.

    Perhaps I was a poor bait fisherman (I usually caught all I needed with bait), but I turned to fly fishing in the 1960’s when I learned that I could catch more trout, and eventually bigger trout, with a good selection of flies than I ever could catch with bait.

    I quit my day job. I do all the fishing I need within an hour or so of the house and I’m home in time for lunch. Fishing has been good.

    I’m down to tying 40-50 dozen flies a year, many from feathers from my own birds. I give most of the flies away.

    I volunteer for four different not-for-profits. Yesterday I led a tour of a habitat improvement stream site where my Trout Unlimited chapter may be bringing in volunteer labor.

    My work now is in the yard and garden and orchard, doing small carpentry projects, taking care of the chickens, and training my horses to work in harness. I want go into old age healthy, fit, and strong. I recommend retirement without reservation to anyone who can make the numbers work.

  4. #4
    Aloha All, I check by almost daily, just to see what is going on, usually nothing. Adam forgot to mentioning fishing with me on the Big Island. It was great to finally meet up. I have been guiding, and life is great now that I had a hip replacement surgery last september. I still do some guiding and fish offhore and inshore every chance I get. Last weekend we were camping at Kahuku ranch and I got a couple of trevally on my 6wt. I try and post stories just to keep the place going. I am planning on hitting Montana this summer and will also try mako shark fishing on the fly in June out of San Diego with Conway Bowman. Here in Hawaii we had a great surfing winter and the fishing is starting to improve offshore with some ono showing up. I don't think you would want to get and ono with tenkara. Good to hear from Adam, Ernest and MK hope more guys visit and feel the ability to share, Mems

  5. #5
    Mems!

    It's in the 20's here in Utah and been snowing off and on for a week. How about some shots or video of Kahuku for those who dream of shorts and shirt sleeves?

    Glad to hear the hip is repaired--you have to stay healthy enough to fish.

  6. #6
    Sorry guys. Tried to attach. Didn't work.
    Last edited by mkmatheson; 03-06-2017 at 12:39 AM.

  7. #7
    We did meet didn't we Mems?

    I've been watching him here, catching all those fish over the years. I actually fished the place where we meet before and was quite successful. But this time? Not so much. Mems caught fish and lots of them. The first time I saw him, I was like, "what is that?" I could see him, it was pointing at him, the sea.

    He is a class act for sure. He showed me how it was done and then feed me.

    I had not cast a rod and reel in years but there I was, I fell back into the rhythm pretty quickly. Fixed line casting actually helped me with my casting. I had bought a NRX and a beautiful Nautilus reel, custom color, rocking set up. I sold it when I got home.

    I am back to no fly reels.

    I've fished a 8-weight once and it was awesome but I think I'm done with fly fishing for now, no disrespect to anyone, I have a badass bamboo rod(s) that I've made and when I return or if I return, it will be with my boys, the one doesn't have a fish on it yet.

    mkmatheson, I've been twice now, once to visit satoshi, a member here. We had an epic time: http://www.tenkara-fisher.com/2017/0...anese-fly.html My next trip was there was to visit other friends: http://www.tenkara-fisher.com/2017/0...trip-2016.html I have loose plans to take the family back in 2018 for a week in Tokyo then send them back home and I'll spend an additional week with someone fishing in the mountains somewhere. I like it around Takayama and farther northeast towards Tadami. I've caught the three indigenous trout there, Amago, Yamame and Iwana (a couple of types) on a single pattern. The last trip I only caught Iwana, I went hiking up a headwater stream and camped with some pretty cool people.

    Oh, you would not believe the equipment I took with me. I have this insane little rod, it's tiny, like a toy, actually the kit is three rods, a 2.7m, 3.6m and 4.5m rods that fold up to 9" long. The 3.6m rod has 20 sections. Twenty telescoping tube pieces and it is super light and strong. The tip section is like a mechanical pencil lead. The whole kit, my fly box bag and rods will fit in a water bottle pocket of a backpack with room for the water bottle. I just carry those three lengths of rod and I'm set for tight to wide open. Fly selection is minimal so I carry about what, 2 to 3 dozen total of about 3 or 4 patterns in a couple of different sizes, (when I am in Japan) done like dinner. I carry about a dozen flys at home.

    Now I throw this kit in my bag where ever I go, I've caught so many opportunity fish now, it's crazy. http://www.tenkara-fisher.com/2017/0...ective-to.html

    Japan is a cultural trip first, fishing second.

    Tenkara, fly fishing, what ever, it doesn't matter. I interviewed some big name authors about it and they dig it and do it too. I just wanted to get good at it so I did what I do with anything (like bamboo rod making) and just dove in head first and figured it out all the way back to the Japanese and some of the people that have made it their life.

    It's fishing, fly fishing, no less, know more.
    Last edited by adam; 03-04-2017 at 01:50 AM.
    Japan: Tsuttenkai, Jolly Fishers, member since 2010

  8. #8
    Nice to see you here, Adam. I still wear the Rapala lanyard when travelling light... figured you'd get a kick outta that. Thanks again.
    Mike B

  9. #9
    Adam,

    Thanks for the info!

    Hokkaido has been on my list for a long time. I know there are some native fish there and the one time I visited Japan, I thought it an amazing place.

    My son is into Tenkara and loves it. Here in the Intermountain West, it is a technique that is effective and simple on most of the waters we fish.

    Mike Matheson

  10. #10
    Mike B, I remember that. Really cool.

    Its fun to remember the old times.

    smallstreams is 20 years old now
    Japan: Tsuttenkai, Jolly Fishers, member since 2010

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