A Glimpse of Tenkara Culture In The United States
Written by Martin Montejano
It has been about 17 years since Daniel Galhardo created Tenkara USA, and introduced many American anglers to the simple form of fishing that we know as “Tenkara.” Since 2009 the community around tenkara has grown. Anyone who has been practicing tenkara since that time has seen the changes that have occurred. While I haven’t been in it since the beginning, I’ve seen waves of interest that have brought anglers into the fold, some of them new to fishing, and others coming from different fishing backgrounds. New tenkara companies have been founded, and a few have changed hands over the years. There’s no doubt that tenkara seems to have its own place in the modern angling scene here in the United States.
Even though more and more people have taken up tenkara, there’s still the fact that the community is still largely connected through the internet. This may be due to the fact that tenkara here in the states remains a niche form of fly fishing, much like in Japan. As tenkara anglers, we don’t often get the same sense of community that you may experience if you were to walk into a fly shop, or even a tackle store. While large-scale, nation-wide corporations like Bass Pro Shop or Sportsman’s Warehouse don’t seem to show much interest in tenkara, it’s also rare to walk into a fly shop and find much tenkara gear outside of maybe a small display tucked away in a corner.
Even though there are more and more in-person tenkara events happening, it seems like we don’t quite get the benefit of connecting with other tenkara anglers more than a few times a year. Because of this, I started to wonder what does “tenkara culture” in the U.S. look like?
To better understand what might constitute “tenkara culture,” I did a bit of research as to what exactly defines a culture. There seem to be a few definitions that could be applied to the word, but the first one Merriam-Webster lists states “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular social group, place, or time.” Further reading into what defines a culture suggests that it can be a cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, and values.
Without being able to have in-person conversations with anglers in a community that is dispersed all over the country, I decided to reach out to some friends first to ask some questions that ultimately led me to refining a short questionnaire that was then shared on social media, and in tenkara-related groups on Facebook and Reddit.
In the questionnaire I asked participants to share when they first got into tenkara, as well as what region of the country they’re in. I asked them to share a bit about values that they prioritize, as well as current angling practices. I encouraged participants to share their thoughts regarding the community, and whether it has changed much over the time they’ve been a part of it. I also asked them to share what values they see being passed on to anglers getting into tenkara. Of course, I wanted to know what “heroes” or role-models related to tenkara the community had. Lastly, I wanted to know what sorts of “rituals” anglers related to their fishing.
After talking with over 40 tenkara anglers, I compiled the responses and put together what seems to be the most common overlap related to each question to get a picture that shares a glimpse of what tenkara culture in the U.S. may look like at this time.
Before I share the responses, I think It’s important to say that we (Heritage Tenkara Project) are not the authority on what defines the tenkara culture we see today. The shared perspective is based on statements from a small group of anglers. It’s also worth mentioning that the overlapping responses are from anglers all over the United States, and I acknowledge that there may be some patterns or practices that are more common to certain regions within the U.S.
Values, Priorities, and Practices
From the responses I got, it seems most anglers in the tenkara community have some fishing background - whether it’s fly fishing, or conventional tackle. Based on the amount of times the term was mentioned in the responses, “simplicity” was the biggest draw that brought participants to tenkara.
Aside from that, the values that anglers seem to hold next to or even higher than simplicity were “conservation” and “stewardship.”. Our friend Ben Colonnesse expanded on his response by saying, “Conservation, to me, goes beyond simply releasing a fish. It means protecting habitats, cleaning up streams, respecting the surrounding landscape, and paying attention to the entire ecosystem—not just the species we consider desirable.”
As I see it, the high value placed on conservation and stewardship is reflected in how many anglers stated they primarily practice catch and release, and by how many emphasized the importance of good fish handling. While almost every angler stated they primarily practice catch and release, a quarter of participants mentioned they would occasionally keep trout to eat. With that said, many of those who brought up occasionally taking home trout did have extra comments about more conscious harvesting practices. Nate Camp made the statement, “When fishing to eat what I catch, I do that responsibly. To me that means I lean to the side of specifically targeting introduced and invasive species above native fish. Having caught and cooked many kinds of fish, I prefer drawing from populations that are healthy and self-sustaining, or from the populations that threaten that balance.”
Expanding on the fish that anglers chase, the majority of participants focus their efforts on trout. Just under ten percent of participants mentioned native trout being a big focus in their angling, while thirty percent mentioned that they enjoy catching panfish and other warm water species using a tenkara rod as well. A few anglers who responded did state that their primary focus is on fixed-line fishing for panfish using tenkara rods.
Continuing on with the subject of common practices among participants, I also recorded mentions of other hobbies that are often paired with time out in nature and on the water while fishing. A little over a third of participants listed hiking or backpacking as a hobby that is often tied in with their tenkara fishing, while camping was the second-most talked about hobby, followed by photography. A few other notable remarks were foraging, and one mention of field recordings using audio equipment when the fishing is slow.
While on the subject of practices, I think it’s appropriate to share the responses to the question about “rituals.” Granted that rituals of a culture probably pertain more to rites of passage, or celebrating different aspects of life in the community, seasons, or traditions, I wanted to have a little more fun with this one and gain an understanding of the little habits anglers have related to their time on the water.
In the responses, many anglers mention preparing for fishing as their ritual. Whether it was researching the waters they want to fish and forming a plan, or staying up late tying flies and rigging their gear for the following day, it seems many tenkara anglers want to be ready to get a fly in the water.
Skipping ahead, the third-most mentioned “ritual” was taking time to stop and appreciate nature. The comments detailing practices surrounding this included taking a moment to observe by looking and listening before making the first cast or during their time fishing. Some even practice this by taking time to reflect after releasing a fish. I imagine some of these practices also tie in with the second-most mentioned practice in regards to the “ritual” question - food.
Many anglers mentioned food or snacks in their responses. Depending on the angler, this may mean stopping by the gas station to pick up some snacks and some caffeine in the form of coffee or a yerba mate, or grabbing an Egg McMuffin on the way out. A few people also talked about streamside lunches consisting of onigiri or ramen, and even a more regional tradition of packing “Nabs” for a snack. It seems many anglers - about a third of participants - mix in food with their fishing experience. I saved this one for last partly because I fall into the food ritual group, but I also see this tying in with the ritual of slowing down and taking time to observe. A break from fishing to enjoy a meal or a snack gives anglers time to relax and observe nature.
Community
Moving away from the practices, I want to share a bit about participants' thoughts regarding the tenkara community. The vast majority of comments and opinions shared were very positive, with a couple of criticisms sprinkled in. Most participants felt that the tenkara community is very welcoming, expressing that those in the community are often willing to share their knowledge to those learning tenkara. Many participants found others in the community to be polite and supportive, leading me to share a quote from MJ Russell, “The tenkara community feels very generous and rooted in humility and attention, a culture that encourages new anglers to slow down and listen.” Kyle Rowe expressed his appreciation for the people he’s met through tenkara by saying, “I love our community as a whole. Most of the people I have met through this hobby are amazing human beings. As far as new individuals learning what we do, I think it's very important we take an understanding of the learning curve so we don't shy them away from what we have come to love.”
Another observation that many anglers stated in their responses is that the tenkara community continues to grow, and with that many feel it has become more accepted in the greater fishing community. Along with the growth of the community, many participants expressed that the mindset seems to be moving away from “elitism,” and has welcomed in a younger, more diverse crowd that is both “passionate” and “refreshing.”
I mentioned earlier in this post that heroes are a part of a culture, and the list of people related to tenkara that participants draw inspiration or influence from is the largest and most diverse of all the different questions. With that said, I figure it would be right to share the most mentioned names of anglers that live here in the states, as well as those who live in Japan.
Starting with the Japanese anglers, it should come as no surprise that the “masters” of tenkara are the most mentioned in participants’ responses. Masami “Tenkara no Oni” Sakakibara had the most mentions, often followed by an appreciation for his casting skills. Dr. Hisao Ishigaki made the list as well, followed by Yuzo Sebata.
As far as anglers in the U.S. and who most participants look up to, Daniel Galhardo was mentioned just as many times as “Oni,” with many responses acknowledging him as a catalyst for tenkara here in the states. Aside from Daniel, Dr. Rob Worthing was also highly regarded among participants along with Chris Stewart of Tenkara Bum.
Before I move on to sharing the last topic, I did want to mention a couple others whose names often came up. Paul Gaskell and John Pearson of Discover Tenkara were mentioned several times with appreciation for their work. Also, our own Amanda Hoffner received high praise for her passion toward tenkara.
Looking To The Future
I have a little bit of commentary to share regarding the information gathered from the responses, but before I get there I think it’s important to wrap up the main part of this post by sharing which value participants felt were most important for tenkara anglers to pass on to those getting into tenkara and finding their way into our community.
Of the responses, “simplicity” was one of the most mentioned values that participants felt should be expressed as others are introduced to the style of fishing. The terms “Conservation” and “Stewardship” came up quite often as well, and being that these two ideas seem to go hand-in-hand I would say this is the most important value participants felt should be passed on. The third-most mentioned value is the willingness to teach and share skills and knowledge to those familiarizing themselves with tenkara.
One response from Casey and Kevin Canfield of Rocky MTN Tenkara sums this all up quite nicely - “The simplicity of tenkara is something we hope we continue to pass along. In a time of so much excess, there is something meaningful about realizing you don’t need a ton of expensive gear to enjoy the outdoors. Sometimes the simplest things can bring us the most joy. We also hope we pass along the willingness to teach; to put a rod in someone’s hands, share what we’ve learned, and teach future generations not only how to fish, but how to care for the land and waters that make it possible. Someday, they may fish the same streams and stand in the same places we once did. What we leave behind isn’t really the gear we owned, but the places we protected, the experiences we shared, and the knowledge we passed on. That's the legacy I'd want tenkara anglers to leave, not just more people who know how to fish, but more people who understand why the places we fish are worth protecting.”
After talking to some of the anglers I know, and reading through responses from those who participated, it’s nice to see that so many people in the community agree on so many of the same things and share many of the same values. I acknowledge that the number of participants is a very small portion of the tenkara community, but I imagine that if we were to reach more anglers, many of the responses would express the same sentiments.
I want to thank everyone who contributed to this article by sharing their thoughts and opinions! I had the opportunity to have brief conversations with 45 anglers in this amazing community. Within that group I found a diversity of fishing backgrounds, experience, and perspectives. Along with all the different perspectives and personalities, a passion and appreciation for tenkara and the environment in which we get to immerse ourselves as we connect with nature through fishing.
Commentary
Over the time it took me to talk to anglers and read through responses, I made note of a few things that weren’t quite stated, but are my own interpretations of the responses. I wanted to add a little extra to this post to share more about those observations, and even touch on a few things that influenced the information I shared - as well as some information that I may not have shared in the main bulk of this article.
Regions
One bit of data that I didn’t share was the regions that participants currently reside in. My goal with this post wasn’t to focus too much on the numbers, but I think it’s worth sharing a little bit about where these responses are coming from. The majority of participants live in the “West,” with 28% of participants living in California. I bring this up because I acknowledge that this may be skewed a bit by my own friends and connections being more open and willing to share their thoughts.
Outside of California, I see that quite a few anglers from Idaho, Utah, and Colorado chimed in. Moving further away from the west, there are some other regions with a high amount of participants. In my mind, some of these regions are known tenkara hotspots. The Driftless is an example of this, with a chunk of responses coming from Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
The Northeast also seems to have quite a few tenkara anglers, as well as the region around the Appalachian Mountains.
Conservation and Stewardship
Early on as I began talking to anglers my wife shared her observations regarding tenkara anglers. She mentioned that it seems many tenkara anglers “have more of an appreciation for nature and the environment.” I didn’t disagree with her by any means, but I got a chuckle when one of the first people I talked to responded to the question of which values they prioritize by saying “Above all else, appreciation of and respect for the beauty of nature.”
As I compiled responses, this was a common theme. Many anglers also placed high value on the connection to nature that we get through tenkara. To me, this is reflected in the high priority of conservation and stewardship that was expressed by participants. I think it becomes more apparent the more time you spend in the community as well. Someone who I consider a friend that I made through tenkara said this in my conversation with her, “Fly fishing has C&R and conservation values, but tenkara seems to have stronger values around that.”
I imagine a big part of this is due to the simplicity of tenkara. Many anglers mentioned they got into tenkara through backpacking or hiking, and wanting to have a more portable fishing setup while on the trail. Considering that, it seems many tenkara anglers are willing to put in the legwork to get to water sources that are a little more secluded. The fact that many anglers seem to enjoy smaller streams means that we often see a different side of a watershed that those who want to chase fish on the main river don’t see as often.
Much of the same has been said on an episode of the Tenkara Angler Level LIne Podcast featuring Bob Mallard of Native Fish Coalition.
Community, Heroes, and the Future of Tenkara
There’s no doubt that the community is changing as it grows. In this post, I mentioned that one thing that came up frequently in responses from those who have been in the community for some time (prior to 2013 or so) is that they felt there was a shift away from the more “elitist” attitude. Some shared that they think this may be due to some of the voices who expressed more "elitist" perspective being a little more quiet within the community these days. This brings up something that I think the community faces as we enter a period of transition where we see some prominent figures in tenkara aging and taking a step back from their work. Masami “Tenkara no Oni” Sakakibara is no longer traveling to the states for the Oni School, and in August of 2024 Yuzo Sebata passed on. In his book, “50 Years of Tenkara,” Dr. Hisao Ishigaki addresses his own aging as he reflects on his time fishing with a tenkara rod.
While Rob Worthing has taken up teaching the Oni-style of tenkara fishing here in the states, we are at a point where we may start to see others become more influential within the community. This leads me to address the mention of Amanda Hoffner in regards to who participants look up to. There is no doubt that Amanda exudes a passion for the sport, and she is on my own list of “heroes” for that very reason. In fact, she was mentioned just as many times as Rob in the responses. I do realize that this may be an instance where the results were possibly skewed due to the fact that we advertised the questionnaire through the Heritage Tenkara Project’s website and social media accounts. Regardless, I still believe that Amanda deserves the recognition, and I believe anyone who has had the opportunity to meet and talk to her in person would agree.
One last observation that I want to share about the community stems from an increase of in-person events. With the opportunity for many like-minded anglers to meet up and enjoy conversation and fishing together through camp-outs and organized fishing days, I see something that wasn’t mentioned in the responses - most likely due to the fact that there was no opportunity to relate it to any of the questions. Tenkara anglers seem very willing to travel. This past summer I attended the Oregon Tenkara Bug-Out, and had the opportunity to talk with people from all over the west coast, but what stuck out is a few people who traveled from outside of the region to attend, one of those people coming from the state of Florida.
This isn’t something unique to the Bug-Out, as Amanda has shared the same observation from almost every event she attended this year. Someone at the event in New Mexico traveled from Mississippi. An attendee at the Women’s Tenkara Gathering in North Carolina traveled from New Hampshire, and another at the Wyoming Camp Out was visiting from Brooklyn.
I see this as something that comes about when you have such a niche hobby where maybe tenkara anglers don’t often have the opportunity to meet and interact with others who share the same interest. These in-person events bring an opportunity to travel to a new area and fish new water. With that, a certain security that comes from being around a group of like-minded individuals who are willing to engage in a conversation and exchange knowledge and experiences. I think these opportunities will help the tenkara community to become better connected as it grows.
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