Tankara "fly fishing"

Tenkara fly fishing (Japanese: テンカラ, literally: "from heaven", or "from the skies") is a traditional type of fishing practiced in Japan that should not be confused with fly fishing. 

 

Who knew? I did the same thing as a Kid just trying to catch food for the table in the good 'ol USA. I never knew it had an artsie fartsy name like "Tenkara".

Primarily used for mountain stream trout fishing, tenkara is one of the most popular methods of angling among fresh-water mountain anglers in Japan.

The appeal of tenkara is its elegant simplicity;

Rod: A very long and flexible rod (usually telescopic) is used in tenkara fishing. The rods normally range from 3.3 to 4.5 meters (11 to 15 ft) long. These rods were originally made of bamboo, but are nowadays made with carbon and/or fiber glass. They also have a handle similar to fly-fishing rods that can be made of wood (the more prized rods) or cork.

Line: As in fly-fishing, it is the tenkara line that propels the weightless fly forward. In tenkara, the traditional and most commonly used line is a tapered furled line (twisted monofilament), of the same length or slightly shorter than the rod. The main advantage of furled lines is the delicate presentation and ease of casting. Alternatively, a tenkara "level" line can be used. Level lines are specially formulated fluorocarbon adjusted to the desired length. They are easier to cast against the wind.

The traditional tenkara line has a loop of braided line at its thicker end. This braided line is used to tie the tenkara line directly to the tip of the rod by using a cow hitch (aka: girth hitch) knot. The line at the rod's tip needs to have a stopper knot, which will hold the cow hitch in place. It is a very secure method to attach the line.

Tippet: This is the same as a regular fly-fishing tippet, and is used to connect the fly to the line (which is too thick to tie directly to the fly). Usually between 30 cm to 1 meter of tippet is added to the end of the line. This is typically referred to in Japanese as "hea" (for hair).

Fly: Artificial flies are used in tenkara fly-fishing. These are tied with thread, feathers and sometimes fur as in western fly-fishing. Traditionally a special reverse hackle wet-fly is used. In Japan it is known as "kebari". These traditional Japanese flies differ from most Western flies, in that the hackle is tied facing forward.