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.