Mixed species caught with my custom tied flies on my new Amago Tenkara rod!...):}+{:(

[The Fishing Queen]

Fly tying:


5/26, Friday afternoon, I came to my mountain home and it was cold and windy, so I've been forced to stay inside. After I watching a few fly tying videos, my hands got itchy. I had some fly tie materials in the house and as I just learned from the videos, I tried tying a dozen tan colored, size 16 Hare's Ear flies - some with bead heads, some with lead wire bodies. I worked all night till 1am. I love it and am totally hooked!

My custom tied size 16 Hare's Ear flies:

The bead head

http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/Fly2.png

The lead wire body

http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/Fly-1.png


************************************************** ************************************


Fishing report


5/29, Tuesday morning at 8:20. Met with two fly fishermen Mike and Robert at the east shore of Puddingstone Lake. A perfect day with a nice temperature around 80', but the water was somehow dirty and murky. I was very excited to try some of the new flies that I tied over the weekend with my new 13'6" Tenkara Amago rod that I just bought.

We started fishing at the left side of the middle pier. After a couple of casts, I already broke in my new rod. The three of us were catching mostly small crappies, Robert was the only one who had caught some bluegills in the same area. I was testing a Hare's Ear fly with lead wire body, it worked great and rewarded me with a good catch. I also gave two Hare's Ear flies to Mike - one with a bead head, one with the lead wire body. He used them both and also got some fish on. We fished the same area for an hour, I had about 14 crappies, then I moved along towards to the high pier.

http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/Fish2-1.png

I found a big tree on the left side of the pier with a lot of panfish hiding under the shade. I did side casting with my super long Tenkara rod and caught about 18 small mixed panfish ( bass, bluegills and crappies).

http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/Fish1-1.png

Robert and Mike came and joined me round 11am, we walked and fished along the shore toward the swimming beach. I fished for an hour, had close to a dozen mixed gills and crappies. I saw the Nile Monitor swim by near a big shady tree a while before the noon.

http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/Fish3-1.png

We all left the lake a little after noon, and I think we all had fun with catching and releasing those panfish. My personal fish count I would estimate at between 40-45 mixed species. What made me very happy and proud was that all the fish were caught on the files I tied.

************************************************** ************************************


Experience with my new Amago 13'6" rod (made by Tenkara USA):

The rod is 13'6" long, I have a 15' high viz. Level Line, plus a 3' 5x tippet. One good point is the longer rod gives me more casting distance. If I cast right, it should give me total of 25'-30' distance. A couple down sides of a longer rod is the overhead tree branches - you get snagged a lot before you learn to use to it. You can't raise up your rod, you have to pull a fish in sideways and make sure there are no bushes close by, so it has enough room on either side of you. I'm still getting used to it, I lost a bunch of fish half way in due to trying to land it sideways and dragging it ( in water) to the open side area. All of them were crappies, they have big mouths and they can easily wiggle off the hook.....

[Sublime-Steve]

Nice report! nice fish... how do you like the tenkara compared to fly fishing? and did you say nile monitor? or was that a joke?

[white belt]

Awesome stuff FQ! You are mastering the fly :)

[teejay]

The hare's ear is not the easiest fly for beginners –good job!

[Natural Lefty]

I am impressed that you are advancing so quickly, Fishing Queen -- tying your own flies and using your own specialized fly rod. Are Tenkara rods fly rods without a reel? What is their advantage?

I guess you only caught smaller fish yesterday, but a lot of them for sure. Puddingstone has a massive panfish population. I think it's because of a combination of good panfish habitat, and the limited bass population because a lot of them end up being kept by fisherpeople there. This allows the panfish to breed at high rates there, but the fishing pressure on the panfish keeps them from all becoming stunted.

[Nessie Hunter]

Good job, the reports just keep getting better and better!!!

For those tight situations with a lot of trees & overhang, you might want to practice the Roll Cast...
Google has a ton of Vids on it... This one is 3 sec long and shows (in a flash) how well it can be used..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydAa-qe9wv8&feature=fvwrel





.

[seal]

While I respect any fishing I think it needs to be made clear that Tenkara is not the same as traditional fly fishing and while some may refer to video's showing larger fish being caught it really is tailored to small panfish. With no reel there are obvious limitations, this is kind of like cane pole fishing but modernized and imrproved.

Please don't take this the wrong way but it is limited and I think it best that this is realized by any that are looking to get into it.

[The Fishing Queen]

Nice report! nice fish... how do you like the tenkara compared to fly fishing? and did you say nile monitor? or was that a joke?

Thanks! I like them both, but they are very different methods. Western style fly rods allow you to cast much longer distances, you can use it in much larger water and catch much bigger fish with it. Tenkara fly rod is perfect for panfish, stream fishing or small lake fishing. It has limited distance. At certain times of the year the sunfish, bass and trout are feeding close to the shore, so is easy to use Tenkara rod to catch them. I don't have to roll cast or strip the fly line like in western fly fishing. But I don't know ( since I just started Tenkara fishing) that i would use it in fall and winter time when the fish stay and feed in the deep water. Then I have to switch back to western fly fishing again......

I wasn't joking about Nile Monitor, we don't know why it is there, might be someone released their pet in that lake, but quite a few people saw it. Check out the latest fishing report by VIVD_FLY, he posted a couple pictures of it in there.

[The Fishing Queen]

Awesome stuff FQ! You are mastering the fly :)

Thanks, white belt! Still in the learning stage, there is a lot more that I have to learn. By the way, saw your baby's picture as your avatar, she is so cute!!



The hare's ear is not the easiest fly for beginners –good job!

Thanks you, teejay! It might not be the easiest one , but it is my favorite fly. I watched the video you recommended and that guy was good at fly tying. He got me started on this fly.



Good job, the reports just keep getting better and better!!!

For those tight situations with a lot of trees & overhang, you might want to practice the Roll Cast...
Google has a ton of Vids on it... This one is 3 sec long and shows (in a flash) how well it can be used..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydAa-qe9wv8&feature=fvwrel



.

Thank you 'Nessie Hunter' for your kind words and your reply! The video is very interesting.

[Troutcz swimbait]

Nice report again,hows the sailboat cove doing have you been there?

[The Fishing Queen]

Nice report again,hows the sailboat cove doing have you been there?

Hi John, how's going? I don't fish at Sailboat Cove these days. But Robert and Mike were there this morning. Mike said they did ok in the early morning. Not after 9:30 though. The entire park is going to be closed on Friday due to some filming at the swimming beach, it has been for two days now. But I don't know what it's for.

[white belt]

Thanks for the baby compliment! Hopefully I have a little future fishing princess here haha

[Fishnfun]

Nice report again,hows the sailboat cove doing have you been there?

Hey John, big jamie reporting in. Since you are away from the Pudd for awhile, I've tried to uphold your trout magnet tradition. I didn't have the black ones, but I did really well today on the panfish and LMB using the clear/gold glitter color. My twist is that I was fishing it on my tenkara rod. I first tried it with the 1/64 oz jig head but it was too heavy for my tenkara rod tip. So, I went with just a plain size 12 hook with the magnet. Those magnets work well on everything. I even used the magnet as a bottom jig in tandem with a midge fly tied 12" up the line. Got a double hook up today. I followed Alice for part of the morning hitting her favorite hot spots. Lots of fun! Charlie

[The Fishing Queen]

I am impressed that you are advancing so quickly, Fishing Queen -- tying your own flies and using your own specialized fly rod. Are Tenkara rods fly rods without a reel? What is their advantage?

Thanks, Lefty! I've done a lot of art work with my hands, not just sculpture. I've also done a lot of silversmithing and wire wrapped jewelry as part of my art projects. I do have good hand and eye coordination. Maybe that's why I can learn fly tying quickly. About the Tenkara rod, it's more fun to catch fish in a simple way. Just a rod with a fly on the line. You have to train yourself to be like a fish hunter, with eye, hand and feeling coordination. Your eyes can see the fish jump up to take your fly, or your hand can feel the fish gently bite the fly under the water. I land the fish by raising my rod up slowly and pulling the line with my other hand. It's more of a direct connection between the fish and the fisherman.

[The Fishing Queen]

While I respect any fishing I think it needs to be made clear that Tenkara is not the same as traditional fly fishing and while some may refer to video's showing larger fish being caught it really is tailored to small panfish. With no reel there are obvious limitations, this is kind of like cane pole fishing but modernized and imrproved.

Please don't take this the wrong way but it is limited and I think it best that this is realized by any that are looking to get into it.


I agree with you 'seal' on some points that Tenkara fly-fishing and western fly fishing are different methods. In one of the replies that I made above, I mentioned that western fly fishing can go longer distances and fish in larger waters and catch larger fish. Tenkara fly fishing has limited distance and is mostly for steams, small rivers and lakes. There are different action Tenkara rods out there. Some Tenkara rods are only good for catching panfish. But a couple of them are designed for catching good sized trout and bass. The Amago rod is one of the stiffest and toughest rods Tenkara USA ever made. I had two reports about Tenkara fishing where I got two decent sized fish on. In one of the reports I caught a bass, in the other report I caught a 12"-13" trout. I landed them without any problems. I believe that the rod can handle a trout or bass more than twice of the size than what I caught those times. It does have a strong backbone and this was when I was using my 11' Chinese Tenkara rod that's not as well made as the Amago rod I have now. This Amago rod I have is better quality and looks stronger than my Chinese rod. I do believe that I can land a 3lb fish without any doubt. It can catch a large fish, but it also depends on the angler's experience and skills - like how the person plays and handles the fish during the fight. Honestly, I was fishing (with my Chinese Tenkara rod) at Lake Gregory last week for some panfish by the shore, I saw a group of carp hanging out near the shore. I cast out my fly over and over towards them, one carp (about 4 -5 lbs) took a bite and I hooded it for a few seconds. I heard my line screaming (that happens a lot when a nice sized fish fights). I watched the tip of my rod and it was bending between the top 3-4 sections, but it still held up strong. Too bad that carp got off the hook (size 16 fly) and I lost a chance to get a big fish..... Also, you mentioned that Tenkara fishing is just like cane pole fishing with a line and that with no reel there are obvious limitations, but don't forget the type of poles people use for fishing for carp, they can land a big carp with just a cane pole too.

I'm not taking you the wrong way, but as you guys have read my reports and posts here, you all should know that I always do my best to give very detailed information to everyone, and I am always very patient and spend more time answering everyone's questions. As for people who want to get into Tenkara fly fishing, it's their job to Google and do the research themselves, what I 'm doing here is just posting my reports and sharing my experiences with others.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghvODaiffN0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[seal]

I agree with you 'seal' on some points that Tenkara fly-fishing and western fly fishing are different methods. In one of the replies that I made above, I mentioned that western fly fishing can go longer distances and fish in larger waters and catch larger fish. Tenkara fly fishing has limited distance and is mostly for steams, small rivers and lakes. There are different action Tenkara rods out there. Some Tenkara rods are only good for catching panfish. But a couple of them are designed for catching good sized trout and bass. The Amago rod is one of the stiffest and toughest rods Tenkara USA ever made. I had two reports about Tenkara fishing where I got two decent sized fish on. In one of the reports I caught a bass, in the other report I caught a 12"-13" trout. I landed them without any problems. I believe that the rod can handle a trout or bass more than twice of the size than what I caught those times. It does have a strong backbone and this was when I was using my 11' Chinese Tenkara rod that's not as well made as the Amago rod I have now. This Amago rod I have is better quality and looks stronger than my Chinese rod. I do believe that I can land a 3lb fish without any doubt. It can catch a large fish, but it also depends on the angler's experience and skills - like how the person plays and handles the fish during the fight. Honestly, I was fishing (with my Chinese Tenkara rod) at Lake Gregory last week for some panfish by the shore, I saw a group of carp hanging out near the shore. I cast out my fly over and over towards them, one carp (about 4 -5 lbs) took a bite and I hooded it for a few seconds. I heard my line screaming (that happens a lot when a nice sized fish fights). I watched the tip of my rod and it was bending between the top 3-4 sections, but it still held up strong. Too bad that carp got off the hook (size 16 fly) and I lost a chance to get a big fish..... Also, you mentioned that Tenkara fishing is just like cane pole fishing with a line and that with no reel there are obvious limitations, but don't forget the type of poles people use for fishing for carp, they can land a big carp with just a cane pole too.

I'm not taking you the wrong way, but as you guys have read my reports and posts here, you all should know that I always do my best to give very detailed information to everyone, and I am always very patient and spend more time answering everyone's questions. As for people who want to get into Tenkara fly fishing, it's their job to Google and do the research themselves, what I 'm doing here is just posting my reports and sharing my experiences with others.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghvODaiffN0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Thanks for understanding! I have seen for many years a group using tenkara at Hesperia Lake, not on the fly but bait, they were very productive and caught all types of fish including trout. But I did a little research and noticed the big fish video's using this method and right away saw the challenges involved with landing a larger fish, although those videos tried to minimize this challenge by editing the video, kinda sneaky I think.

Your posts are excellent and I read all of them, thanks.

I did review your video and saw the same concerns that I had with another video of a 20" brown trout being landed. The need to land the fish by grabbing the line with your hand is where it gets tricky. Trout fishing usually demands a lighter line, you try to "hand line" a larger fish in and you are likely to break off, also having to overplay the fish leads to fish being over-stressed and mortality then is a factor if you are attempting to C&R. Just kind of obvious stuff I've noticed, I was very interested and am still because this really would be fantastic for hiking where packing in of a lot of crap is the last thing you want to do and also most fish being caught would be pan sized.

Lot's of different ways to catch a fish! Oh by the way your hare's ear blows away my first attempt at tying fly's, I still suck thank God I have a good friend that likes to tie, I consider myself a product tester, hee hee.

[Natural Lefty]

Fishing Queen, that looks like my boy cat Smurfull. Well, the grey tabby cat appearance is quite common among domestic felines.

I suck at stuff like fly tying. I think I am barely adequate at simple stuff like tying knots. Maybe that is why I have broken lines pretty regularly. I am sure you are much better at fly tying than I am due to your art training. I have a cousin who is a jeweler. He grew up mostly in California, but he moved to Alaska and he loves fishing too. I sometimes envy him, but not during the winter.

Honestly, I had never heard of Tenkara rods until people started talking about fishing at Puddingstone with them on this site. I think I would be well suited for that type of fishing. I have seen people using rods without reels, but with heavier lines while fishing for Carp, not as fly rods. I did see a television show from Japan in which people were catching Ayu fish (Sweetfish) using what were probably Tenkara rods in a river. It looked like something I would like to do.

[The Fishing Queen]

Thanks for understanding! I have seen for many years a group using tenkara at Hesperia Lake, not on the fly but bait, they were very productive and caught all types of fish including trout. But I did a little research and noticed the big fish video's using this method and right away saw the challenges involved with landing a larger fish, although those videos tried to minimize this challenge by editing the video, kinda sneaky I think.

Your posts are excellent and I read all of them, thanks.

I did review your video and saw the same concerns that I had with another video of a 20" brown trout being landed. The need to land the fish by grabbing the line with your hand is where it gets tricky. Trout fishing usually demands a lighter line, you try to "hand line" a larger fish in and you are likely to break off, also having to overplay the fish leads to fish being over-stressed and mortality then is a factor if you are attempting to C&R. Just kind of obvious stuff I've noticed, I was very interested and am still because this really would be fantastic for hiking where packing in of a lot of crap is the last thing you want to do and also most fish being caught would be pan sized.

Lot's of different ways to catch a fish! Oh by the way your hare's ear blows away my first attempt at tying fly's, I still suck thank God I have a good friend that likes to tie, I consider myself a product tester, hee hee.

As you know, Tenkara fishing is just a pole and a line. Most of the lines are about 15' to 18' long, some people might use over 20' of line, but those are very skilled Tenkara fishermen who are able to handle the longer line on a short rod. Because of the limited line and the limited distance there won't be too much time and chance to over play the fish. The spinning rod and western fly fishing will put more pressure and stress on the trout. Because these two kinds of fishing cast a longer distance, it takes much more time to get the trout in and it can easily over play the fish. Each crank you make to reel in the line, or strip the fly line, will jerk the trout at the end of your line..... I've done all kinds of fishing - with a spinning rod, western fly fishing, then Tenkara fly fishing. I know that Tenkara fly fishing is more challenging than other kinds of fishing, mostly because of its style and limitations, which means it does take a person with skill to handle a large sized fish. That's why I said this style of fishing has more personal connection between the fisherman and fish than with a spinning rod or western fly rod. No reel, right? So your rod is just acting like part of your hand, and you can feel the fish at the other end of your line much better. That's how close you are with the fish. The angler has to be very careful and gentle with the fish, if we are too rough and anxious to pull the fish in, it definitely will put pressure on the fish and the fish will fight harder and cause the line to break off. Also when we pull the line, we don't pull the tippet, we pull very slowly and gently on the fly line below the rod, so the fish won't panic and snap the line.....

Thanks for the nice comment on my first fly tying and on my report! Even though we might have different views on some points here, I want you to know that what I said here is not an argument. It's just an experience that we are sharing here together. Just like last time I had a few questions about your BBL report and you shared the info with me, about what line, size of fly, tippet and rod you were using to catch a 8.5lbs trout on your fly rod. I do respect that you are a good fisherman. As you said that you thought Tenkara fishing was interesting, all I can say is the best way to really experience the feeling of Tenkara fly fishing, is to get a pole and try it out. Sometimes the only way to satisfy curiosity is to experience it in person. And you never know that you might get hooked at the end! :Wink:

[seal]

As you know, Tenkara fishing is just a pole and a line. Most of the lines are about 15' to 18' long, some people might use over 20' of line, but those are very skilled Tenkara fishermen who are able to handle the longer line on a short rod. Because of the limited line and the limited distance there won't be too much time and chance to over play the fish. The spinning rod and western fly fishing will put more pressure and stress on the trout. Because these two kinds of fishing cast a longer distance, it takes much more time to get the trout in and it can easily over play the fish. Each crank you make to reel in the line, or strip the fly line, will jerk the trout at the end of your line..... I've done all kinds of fishing - with a spinning rod, western fly fishing, then Tenkara fly fishing. I know that Tenkara fly fishing is more challenging than other kinds of fishing, mostly because of its style and limitations, which means it does take a person with skill to handle a large sized fish. That's why I said this style of fishing has more personal connection between the fisherman and fish than with a spinning rod or western fly rod. No reel, right? So your rod is just acting like part of your hand, and you can feel the fish at the other end of your line much better. That's how close you are with the fish. The angler has to be very careful and gentle with the fish, if we are too rough and anxious to pull the fish in, it definitely will put pressure on the fish and the fish will fight harder and cause the line to break off. Also when we pull the line, we don't pull the tippet, we pull very slowly and gently on the fly line below the rod, so the fish won't panic and snap the line.....

Thanks for the nice comment on my first fly tying and on my report! Even though we might have different views on some points here, I want you to know that what I said here is not an argument. It's just an experience that we are sharing here together. Just like last time I had a few questions about your BBL report and you shared the info with me, about what line, size of fly, tippet and rod you were using to catch a 8.5lbs trout on your fly rod. I do respect that you are a good fisherman. As you said that you thought Tenkara fishing was interesting, all I can say is the best way to really experience the feeling of Tenkara fly fishing, is to get a pole and try it out. Sometimes the only way to satisfy curiosity is to experience it in person. And you never know that you might get hooked at the end! :Wink:

Don't think I'll be jumping in, I've got too many types of fishing already that = tons of gear in my truck, no more room even for a telescoping rod!

All I know is getting bit on the fly (especially a dry) is cool no matter how it's done, but I still enjoy the art of fly fishing.

Got one question for you though, why do you keep using the name "Western" to define what most of us call just fly fishing? Once again just curious?

[The Fishing Queen]

Don't think I'll be jumping in, I've got too many types of fishing already that = tons of gear in my truck, no more room even for a telescoping rod!

All I know is getting bit on the fly (especially a dry) is cool no matter how it's done, but I still enjoy the art of fly fishing.

Got one question for you though, why do you keep using the name "Western" to define what most of us call just fly fishing? Once again just curious?

Tenkara fly fishing has a long history, and it also is one part of art of fly fishing. As we know, 'Tenkara is the traditional Japanese method of fly-fishing, which uses only a rod, line and fly. Simple'. I'm using the name "Western" to define 'what most of us call just fly fishing' (with a reel) to help separate the two different methods, that's all! Just simple words about facts and no harsh feelings. And the fact is that fly fishing with the reel was started in the west.

Here is something interesting that I copied from the Wikipedia about the history of fly fishing, this can help to explain why I said that Tenkara fly fishing is one part of art of fly fishing, and why I was using 'Tenkara' fly fishing and 'western' fly fishing to separate the two methods.

History


Japan

The traditional Japanese method of fly-fishing is known as "Tenkara" (Japanese: テンカラ, literally: "from heaven"). The first reference to tenkara fly-fishing was in 1878 in a book called "Diary of climbing Mt. Tateyama".

Tenkara is the only fly-fishing method in Japan that is defined by using a fly and casting technique where the line is what is actually being cast. Tenkara originated in the mountains of Japan as a way for professional fishermen and inn-keepers to harvest the local fish, Ayu, trout, char for selling and providing a meal to their guests. Primarily a small-stream fishing method that was preferred for being highly efficient, where the long rod allowed the fisherman to place the fly where the fish would be.

Another style of fishing in Japan is Ayu fishing. As written by historian Andrew Herd, in the book "The Fly", "Fly fishing became popular with Japanese peasants from the twelfth century onward...fishing was promoted to a pastime worthy of Bushi (warriors), as part of an official policy to train the Bushi's mind during peacetime." This refers primarily to Ayu fishing, which commonly uses a fly as lure, uses longer rods, but there is no casting technique required, it's more similar to dapping. Ayu was practiced in the lowlands (foothills), where the Bushi resided, tenkara practiced in the mountains. Fishing flies are thought to have first originated in Japan for Ayu fishing over 430 years ago. These flies were made with needles that were bent into shape and used as fishing hooks, then dressed as a fly. The rods along with fishing flies, are considered to be a traditional local craft of the Kaga region.

In the West, fly-fishing rods were primarily made of wood, which is heavy, so having long rods to reach spots where fish may be was tricky. Anglers started devising running line systems, where they could use shorter rods and longer lines. Eventually this led to the development of reels and the widespread use of shorter rods and reels. In Japan, bamboo, a very light material, was readily available, so anglers could make very long rods without much concern for weight. Fly-fishing remained more pure, as it was in its origins, anglers in Japan could continue using the long rods and did not feel the need to invent running line systems and reels.

North America

In the United States, fly anglers are thought to be the first anglers to have used artificial lures for bass fishing. After pressing into service the fly patterns and tackle designed for trout and salmon to catch largemouth and smallmouth bass, they began to adapt these patterns into specific bass flies. Fly anglers seeking bass developed the spinner/fly lure and bass popper fly, which are still used today.

In the late 19th century, American anglers, such as Theodore Gordon, in the Catskill Mountains of New York began using fly tackle to fish the region’s many brook trout-rich streams such as the Beaverkill and Willowemoc Creek. Many of these early American fly anglers also developed new fly patterns and wrote extensively about their sport, increasing the popularity of fly fishing in the region and in the United States as a whole. One such man was Charles F. Orvis, who through his actions helped to popularize fly fishing by designing and distributing novel reel and fly designs. His 1874 fly reel was described by reel historian Jim Brown as the "benchmark of American reel design," the first fully modern fly reel. The founding of The Orvis Company helped institutionalize fly fishing within America and supplied angling equipment and accessories to the homes of millions of Americans. His tackle catalogs, distributed to a small but devoted customer list in the late 1800s, are now highly collectible as early forerunners of today's enormous direct-mail outdoor products industry

Participation in fly fishing peaked in the early 1920s in the eastern states of Maine and Vermont and in the Midwest in the spring creeks of Wisconsin. Along with deep sea fishing, Ernest Hemingway did much to popularize fly fishing through his works of fiction, including The Sun Also Rises. It was the development of inexpensive fiberglass rods, synthetic fly lines, and monofilament leaders, however, in the early 1950s, that revived the popularity of fly fishing, especially in the United States.

In recent years, interest in fly fishing has surged as baby boomers have discovered the sport. Movies such as Robert Redford's film ‘A River Runs Through It’, starring Craig Sheffer and Brad Pitt, cable fishing shows, and the emergence of a competitive fly casting circuit have also added to the sport's visibility.

[The Fishing Queen]

Honestly, I had never heard of Tenkara rods until people started talking about fishing at Puddingstone with them on this site. I think I would be well suited for that type of fishing. I have seen people using rods without reels, but with heavier lines while fishing for Carp, not as fly rods. I did see a television show from Japan in which people were catching Ayu fish (Sweetfish) using what were probably Tenkara rods in a river. It looked like something I would like to do.


Lefty,Tenkara is one of the traditional Japanese method of fly-fishing, the other style of traditional Japanese method of fly fishing is like what you said here, called Ayu fishing. Ayu fishing also has a long history and it has been around in Japan more than 400 years. There is no casting technique required on this type of fishing. The hooks of the flies were made from the needles.

I think that you might like to fish with a Tenkara rod, it is really fun to catch the fish in a simple, natural way. Yes, it is a modified telescopic kind of rod, that's just to make it more easy to carry when we fish in the mountains and are hiking through the woods. Like the spinning rod, or the fly rod with the reel, these all have been improved and modified through the years. Nothing was like long ago, just like we are driving cars instead of riding on horses or carriages now a days. But I think that the Tenkara style of fishing is still the one most closely connected to the simple life. No fancy reel, just a stick pole , a line and a fly. I think if all our modern stuff were to be taken away, I can still go to the woods, find a long stick, tie a line, tie a fly from the weeds, grass or birds feather, and bend some sharp metal into a hook, and I can still catch fish on this simple set up...... All you have to do is*to be open minded and willing to accept a different method of fly fishing. I accept and respect all other cultures, it's always fun to learn things in a different way and to try something new and exciting! To me, the life that I dreamed of is always filled with adventures, excitement, surprises and challenges.

[Natural Lefty]

Fishing Queen, I still don't know the difference between Ayu fishing and Tenkara fishing. Fishing with long poles and no reels for Ayu looked like what I expect Tenkara fishing to be like. I think they were using flies too, but after catching an Ayu, they also attached it to the line and put a hook through its tail, then other Ayu would attack the tail of the hooked one because of a terrritorial instinct, and they would catch them that way too. I am sure that would not be legal here, though.

I also saw 2 or 3 shows in which Japanese people were catching what appeared to be a speicies related to SoCal's Opaleyes (a saltwater species I like to catch locally), using long poles with no reels, from rocks. I don't think they were using flies, though. They appeared to be using some type of natural bait. Anyway, I sort of envied their catches and it looked like great fishing. I would like to try all types of fishing techniques as long as they aren't too unfair to the fish, like dynamite, literally. LOL

In fact, I think I saw these shows last August while I was in Taiwan. I went fishing several times in Taiwan and did some reports from there. I even went shrimp fishing (literally fishing with a short rod with no reel and a short piece of line for tiger shrimp) twice when I was there. The second time, I was getting too good at catching them, so the employee of the shrimp fishing place shortened my line. I guess my life would qualify as being full of adventures, excitements, surprises and challenges.

[phishin phool]

Queen I have been reading your posts for awhile now(sorry for not replying) and have gotta say you are truly becoming royalty here, from your early pudd/gregory reports to tying your own flies......Sheeeeesh, you rock!! Congrats on catching fish on your own flies!! Nice report as always "Your Highness":Big Smile:

[The Fishing Queen]

Fishing Queen, I still don't know the difference between Ayu fishing and Tenkara fishing. Fishing with long poles and no reels for Ayu looked like what I expect Tenkara fishing to be like.

The simple way to tell the differen between Tenkara fishing and Ayu fishing is: Tenkara pole uses a longer line and you have to cast the line out when you fish with the fly. Ayu fishing doesn't cast the fly, this long pole does have a line ( shorter than Tenkara's line), you just drop the line with the fly in the water to catch the fish.

[The Fishing Queen]

Queen I have been reading your posts for awhile now(sorry for not replying) and have gotta say you are truly becoming royalty here, from your early pudd/gregory reports to tying your own flies......Sheeeeesh, you rock!! Congrats on catching fish on your own flies!! Nice report as always "Your Highness":Big Smile:

'phishin phool', thank you so much for your kind words and nice comments on my report! I don't blame you for not replying to my posts in the past. I've just joinded FNN for little more than 3 months, since mid of Feb. At first, I bet a lot of people were wondering who is this crazy woman? Well, from my reports that you can see that I'm no different than any of you on this website - I'm just another person who is passionate about fishing!

I'm grateful to you and and all the others who read my reports, support me with good info and encourage me to learn new things. Because of nice, classic folks like all of you, you've made me become 'royalty' here! LOL....

[phishin phool]

The passion for this sport(addiction) we share dosen't discriminate between sexes:Smile: And yep, there are some good people on here. Keep the great reports coming.
'phishin phool', thank you so much for your kind words and nice comments on my report! I don't blame you for not replying to my posts in the past. I've just joinded FNN for little more than 3 months, since mid of Feb. At first, I bet a lot of people were wondering who is this crazy woman? Well, from my reports that you can see that I'm no different than any of you on this website - I'm just another person who is passionate about fishing!

I'm grateful to you and and all the others who read my reports, support me with good info and encourage me to learn new things. Because of nice, classic folks like all of you, you've made me become 'royalty' here! LOL....

[tracker16]

I was at the fish hatchery at Isabella and there was a pole on the wall it had to be 18" long and colapsed like yours it had a devise at the large end that looked like a boat cleet but thin metal to rap line on, this was real old I did not see any name.