So, You Bought a Tenkara Rod, Eh?

So, You Bought a Tenkara Rod, Eh?

Tenkara is breathtakingly simple, a delight in terms of minimalist gear and ease of use, and an easy piece of kit to pack along in the car or on a hike. Most people purchase a tenkara rod because they are already anglers, but a good number of people get them because they were always intrigued by fly fishing but never wanted to go all out in learning about knots, rods, and all the ephemera that surrounds the fly fishing world. However you ended up purchasing a tenkara rod, and however much experience you have on the water, there are a few things that every tenkara rod owner should think about. Check out these tips and maybe you can avoid some rookie mistakes with your gear. Continue reading “So, You Bought a Tenkara Rod, Eh?”

Unorthodox Approach Pays Off

Unorthodox Approach Pays Off

This is a tale of Tenkara, adaptability, and success. In early February, a couple of my fishing buddies and I embarked on an exploratory journey of a section of the Lower Yuba River we’d never fished. Located in western Nevada County, California, the Lower Yuba flows from Englebright Dam to the Feather River, but most fly fishing occurs on the 4-ish miles between the Highway 20 bridge crossing and Sycamore Grove, the take out point for watercraft. So, for our expedition, Sycamore Grove was our starting point and we hiked and waded downstream from there. Continue reading “Unorthodox Approach Pays Off”

1st Time Out With My Tenkara

1st Time Out With My Tenkara

In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that I had bought my son an awesome new fly rod for his birthday, a Tenkara rod. While it is his rod and he loves it, here’s the truth. Part of the reason that I bought it for him is because I thought it looked awesome. For me, one of the places that I thought it would be great was out on a belly boat in the middle of a lake. For quite a while now, I’ve tired to take two rods with me when I go out to a lake. I’ve got a reel that has some sinking fly line on it, and with the right streamer on there, it’s sometimes hard to make a cast without catching a fish! Continue reading “1st Time Out With My Tenkara”

Tenkara Fly Fishing With My Son

Tenkara Fly Fishing With My Son

Sometime last summer, my son and I were standing on the edge of a river – something we do often. It was a pretty warm day, and instead of his waders, he wanted to stand in the river with just his shorts on. We stood there for a quite a while as I was trying to teach him a little bit more about how to cast with a fly rod. At the time, he was only 6, and despite my best efforts, he wasn’t that interested. He loved being out on the river, and anytime I hooked into a fish, he would rush over, reel it in, and then give it a kiss (I know it’s weird, but he loves to do that) before we put it back in the water. But, he just didn’t want to stand there and figure out how to cast. Continue reading “Tenkara Fly Fishing With My Son”

Four Nights Four Rivers

Four Nights Four Rivers

Day 1

Four nights and four rivers. That was the plan. My Dad and I were going to head out on our Harleys, with all our fishing gear, and take a tour of Colorado rivers. Since it was the middle of July, we knew we’d hit a little a rain, but we ended up riding through a lot more than we bargained for. The first day was going to be the longest day of riding. We left Denver at a decent time, and the plan was to try and outrun the rain, making it over Wolf Creek Pass while it was still dry.

Half the fun for the trip though, started long before we ever left. After we had decided where and when we were going, there was still the pretty big task of trying to figure out how to fit everything for a trip like that on a motorcycle. There were a few fishing things that were a must; waders, boots, 7 piece rod to fit in the saddlebags (and a Tenkara rod for good measure since they don’t take up any space), and my new Patagonia Stealth Atom Sling Pack. Of course, there were also some motorcycle things that were a must; a cover, helmet, jacket, gloves, chaps, and enough clothes that I wouldn’t be able to smell myself too much on the last day while heading down the road at 80 mph. Continue reading “Four Nights Four Rivers”

Adventures at AvidMax: Learning to Fish Without Snoopy, Part 1

Adventures at AvidMax: Learning to Fish Without Snoopy, Part 1

Entry the Second
(and far overdue)

Let me begin this post with an apology: I promised our readership regular content in my first blog post, and have certainly not delivered! I may have an adventurous spirit, but I act hesitantly and constantly find excuses for myself that hold me back more often than not.

I should also add, here at the beginning, that this story spans over July-October, and thus, takes longer to tell than should or would have. Such is the consequence of my inaction!

I hope you enjoy my (mis)adventures!


Continue reading “Adventures at AvidMax: Learning to Fish Without Snoopy, Part 1”