Colors of Tenkara: An Angler's Style

Heritage Team
28 minutes ago
16 min read

The man who is largely credited for introducing tenkara to the States, Daniel Galhardo, once wrote, “Ask 10 tenkara anglers to show them the fly they use and they will show you ten different tenkara flies. Thus, in a play of words, it is often joked that ‘tenkara has ten colors’.” The phrase “ten colors” is often suspected to be one of the potential origins of the word “tenkara,” and has its own place in tenkara culture. There’s even a website inspired by the phrase!

While the tenkara community is connected largely through the internet and the likes of social media, Facebook groups, and forums, there are some things that we don’t really get to experience when messaging with other anglers that maybe we would when spending time on the stream and trading knowledge with one another. One of those things is our individual fishing styles.

As individual anglers, we all have our own style of fishing - our own color. The way we approach the water, the tactics we use, and how we work our way through a day of fishing will vary from one angler to the next. We all have different places where we have drawn inspiration, and mentors who we’ve learned from.

Exploring the topic inspired by a question on a Facebook Group, we wanted to reach out to some of our friends to ask about their approach to fishing and to get a sense for how different anglers have developed their current style over time. With a set of questions collaboratively curated, we got some great answers that show many similarities, as well as plenty of differences.

The questions we asked pertained to what brings one joy when fishing tenkara, what waters they fish most often, and what species inhabit those waters. We also wanted to know a little about the gear that fits their angling style. Which rod, line, and flies do they use to employ their favorite presentations and what are their tactics when playing and landing a fish? Along with that, we wanted to know where they’ve drawn inspiration from.

In the responses we got back, we see a variety of styles, but also something that we’ve mentioned several times throughout our posts - our individual styles are often formed by the waters we fish.

It’s worth saying that we have whittled the responses down to be a little more concise, by no means does this mean that our friends only fish in the specified way. There is more to their angling styles, but to keep things relatively short, we wanted to focus on the few questions at hand.

Amanda Hoffner

Appalachia / Pacific Northwest

We’re starting this off with Amanda’s response, but keep in mind she has recently relocated to a different part of the country. As it is, she developed her tenkara fishing style in the Appalachian Mountains. With that said, there are some things that remain consistent as she adjusts to fishing in a new region. One of those is the enjoyment she gets out of the places her pursuit of wild trout takes her. Being used to fishing small mountain streams back east, Amanda tends to look for something similar now in the Pacific Northwest. “For the most part, I do find myself gravitating towards streams with foliage surrounding the water and boulders to hop over or around.” she says, adding “The water moves faster over here on the left coast and has a much more open feel, but I do feel nostalgic when I come across a river with obstacles to cast around.”

Chasing wild trout in mountain streams usually means smaller fish. “I mean they are usually the size of my hand.” says Amanda, going on to mention "If I do catch one in the 12”+ range, then I consider that a trophy on the tight streams I tend to fish and gravitate towards.” One of her favorite ways to entice the fish in these small streams is often with kebari, and one of Amanda’s favorites is a simple, black sakasa kebari tied with brown soft hackle. It’s one that she has used for some time now. As far as the gear she uses to get that fly to the fish, she mentions a tapered nylon line in combination with either a 240cm or 350cm rod. She says that a dead drift is often the presentation that gets a fish on the end of the line.

This approach is just the simplified, and often primary method Amanda uses on the water, but she is also prepared to switch over to a weighted fly when the conditions call for it. Related to that, she does say that she likes her tenkara rods to allow for her to switch between weighted and unweighted flies without much compromise to her casting stroke.

Having fished in so many areas (30 states, and a few European countries) she is confident in her tactics and skills, but mentions that she tries to keep an open mind while exploring the waters in an area new to her. While she finds her style is always evolving, she does say “I have a feeling I will always be drawn to the tight streams of the Appalachia.”

Dre Fornasiero (New School Tenkara)

Iowa - Driftless

Fishing the spring creeks of the Driftless region in Iowa, Dre targets wild browns and brookies, as well as stocked rainbow trout. Dre mentions two main tactics, but the primary (or at least first one he mentioned) is a long-line presentation with flies that he ties. He also specifically mentioned the use of aerial mending "when it is appropriate."

To deliver the fly to the fish, Dre chooses either the Oni Type-1 (400cm) or Oni Itoshiro (340cm) to cast a 16 to 22 foot length of casting line with 3 to 6 feet of either 5x or 6x tippet at the end.

When playing a fish, Dre says he utilizes steering and hand-lining the fish (to be expected with longer lines) to bring the fish to the net.

As far as where Dre has found inspiration, we think it’s best to quote his exact response…

“I’m heavily influenced by three main Tenkara practitioners/masters; Masami Sakakibara, Dr. Rob Worthing and Dr. Paul Gaskill. Observing video of Oni’s sessions coupled with discussions with Rob and his writings have definitely heavily influenced my equipment and casting techniques. Paul’s book and videos and his competition angling perspective have also been highly influential. Though mainly, I am for the most part taught and influenced by nature, the fish and the stream ahead. For me there’s a silent conversation happening between myself and the environment I find myself in… and I’m ever optimistic that we find some common ground."

"Experimentation can lead to very happy accidents…”

It’s worth mentioning that a big factor in his choice for how he approaches fishing the streams in the Driftless depends on weather. He did elaborate on his confidence in using weighted flies and nymphing techniques when the conditions call for it. With that, a change in gear, depending on the situation and its demands.

Jared Willadsen (Tenkara Genki)

Wisconsin - Driftless

Moving toward the Great Lakes, Jared finds his enjoyment of tenkara in “being on a stream all by myself or with a friend, just being in nature and seeing happy fish and hopefully catching one, at least.”

Among the sandy and rocky bottoms of the spring creeks where Jared fishes, he is generally on the hunt for brown trout in the 12” range. Another species Jared likes to chase are the brook trout that reside in the headwaters near him.

Jared also mentions weather being a factor in his choice of gear citing the high winds and rain storms that are common in the spring time, leading him to choose a 11-13 foot tenkara rod with a stiffer action (6:4 or stiffer) because, as he says, “I find it to be more responsive than a slower action for quick hook sets.” There seems to be a singular influence on the choice of gear in the driftless region as Jared echoes much of the same commentary that Dre had. “Tactics and gear is out of necessity of the bad or unpredictable weather we have in the spring time of Wisconsin. A kebari won’t cast that well in 20 mph gusts of wind, therefore I use the tungsten bead head kebari or a wooly bugger” says Jared, adding “Though some people may think it taboo to use a wooly bugger, I do not, and adapt to what works for me on any given tenkara session.”

He also mentions using either 3.5 or 3.0 Level Line in conjunction with the other components in his setup to target both slack water and riffle sections for either brook or brown trout. When he does have a fish on the line, Jared says his primary goal is to land them as fast as he can to release them back in a quick, timely manner.

As far as inspiration, Jared mentions Mike Lutes and Matt Sment of what was formerly known as Badger Tenkara, adding “Yes there was a tenkara company here in Madison, Wisconsin!” He goes on to say “I fish some of the very same streams that they did developing their tenkara rods! They are great tenkara ambassadors” Jared also gave praise to our own Amanda Hoffner, and exclaimed “That woman can cast!”

At the end of his response to our questions, Jared left us with a bit of his perspective, saying “I always say to tenkara beginners, you can keep tenkara as simple as you want or you can make it as complicated as you want, but as long as you have something in the water for the fish to bite you have a chance!”

Jonathan Antunez

Colorado - Rocky Mountains

We’re excited to have Jonathan Antunez chime in on this topic, as he is someone who tackles some notoriously tough fisheries of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Among these faster, medium to small rivers, Jonathan chases browns, cutthroats, rainbows, and brookies - “in that order.”

Something that is worth mentioning is that Jonathan’s style involves fishing active fly manipulations down and across the water. To accomplish this he is often using a stiff hackled wet fly, or sometimes North County Softhackle flies, adding “I will switch to dries when the prevailing conditions call for it.” To work the active manipulations of the flies, Jonathan cites fluorocarbon level line as his “bread and butter,” mentioning his favorite “old moss green” Valcan line, which is no longer in production. Generally speaking, he uses a 3.5 level line, at least 3 feet longer than the rod. As far as the rod goes, Jonathan chooses the Nissin Zerosum Oni Honryu 395 for his local water.

When it comes to fighting fish, Jonathan says “Excellent handlining skills are a must and it never pays to rush a fish to the net.” As mentioned before, handlining is to be expected when fishing a line that is considerably longer in length than the rod.

Once again, regarding inspiration, we have a response from Jonathan that is best quoted.

“I don't really have any role models and I think that's probably how a person can develop their own style. Learn the basic rules of the game as well as you can and then start asking why those rules are and aren't important. Test every theory as often as possible. Cross pollinate ideas from all the fixed line schools, not just the Japanese School. Did you know there is an Italian School, a Spanish School, an English School? What flies and methods did they use? What can you borrow from them for your own style? If you are a fly tyer, start thinking of patterns more as extensions of purpose. Ask what you want to do with the pattern you are developing. Small tweaks on existing patterns should not be overlooked.”

Jonathan also elaborated on the cultivation and refinement of his angling style, saying “I started to trust my own technique when I started consistently catching fish in the most pressured waters of the state. Small victories and successful experiments lead to overall confidence in yourself. That being said, look for ways to challenge yourself. Go to a piece of water unfamiliar to you and without any prior knowledge of it. Learn to cast when it's windy. If you don't ever fish downstream, go fish downstream until it feels just as natural to you as going upstream.”

Related to confidence, Jonathan did share that he will use futsu kebari when he focuses his efforts into fishing upstream, and confidence in dries when the conditions are right for it. While he rarely uses bead-head flies, he does go on to say that he isn’t shy when it comes to experimenting with all styles. “Failure is the price you pay for mastery.” he says, before referencing the Chinese proverb “Must taste bitter before sweet.”

Kaz Okada

California - Southern and Eastern Sierra Nevadas

Before we get into the details about the fish Kaz chases in the foothills of the southern Sierra Nevadas, we have to share his response to what brings him joy in fishing with a tenkara rod. “Everything really. All experiences even, when I find no fish. It is a part of me being in nature in a very integral fashion. The fishing part of it is very cerebral for me. Learning about every level of systems, not only the fishing gear and how to use it, but also riparian and hydraulic systems, plus all the flows of seasons, is an integral and intimate part of my style. One of the most joyous moments in tenkara comes when imagining how fish are in these hidden water ways and how my offering would appear to them, then executing exactly as I envisioned in my mind and finding a fish in just the way I imagined. Most learning would come, on the other hand, when I find a fish in an unexpected manner. I pay attention to that and learn from it. That learning itself is joyful.”

Kaz finds himself most often chasing wild coastal rainbow trout in the headwaters near where he lives. As far as tactics he uses to find fish among the waterways, he cites “pin-point casting of wet-type flies with natural drifts in flow seams, fishing upstream.” Kaz generally uses large sakasa kebari in combination with a 2.0 level line, and 5x tippet, all connected to his trusty Nissin Zerosum 360 6:4. Kaz goes on to describe his strategy when playing a fish in these headstreams, explaining that his tactics change depending on the situation and size of fish. Oftentimes this means moving to a spot that has enough space for him to land the fish if he’s not already in one. “I do not like playing with hooked fish unnecessarily.” he says, adding “I’d spend my time when I have a large and strong one on the other side of my line though.”

As far as influences in his style, Kaz mentions trial and error as his first and foremost teacher, adding that his description of his style is one of his favorite ways to fish based on what his local environment offers him. He also mentions learning much from Japanese literature regarding tenkara. “I enjoyed my advantage of being a Japanese reader and collected a lot of books on tenkara/keiryu fishing from Japan when I started to seriously learn about this art. They were so informative especially when literature on tenkara in English was non-existent then.” Last, but not least, Kaz mentions his “contemporary angler friends,” expanding on the idea by saying “Tenkara is ever evolving. Dr. Ishigaki who started to promote the fluorocarbon level-line tenkara is now preaching tenkara with floats using nylon lines. I have the fortune to hang with my contemporaries in Japan as well as in Southern California. We share our times together in streams and exchange our ideas. They are invaluable and definitely contribute to shape my style of tenkara whatever it is and will be.”

Tying it back to the literature mentioned in the previous paragraph, Kaz mentions a character that has inspired him and his fishing since he was young. “Growing up in Japan, there was this very popular manga called, Tsurikichi Sanpei, in my youth. This mountain boy called Sanpei goes around doing amazing fishing adventures. Sanpei is honest and full of curiosity and creativity. He thinks like fish and finds ways to get to those difficult sly kings of the pools. Many, many anglers in Japan and elsewhere grew up reading/watching it. I was one of them. He was who comes to my mind when I think of any role models. While the series covers all sorts of fishing adventures, there were a few episodes with freshwater trout. One of them was on tenkara with 'Kebari Sennin' or 'Kebari Master.'”

Between the immersion in nature, and learning from books, Kaz finds confidence in his style when on home waters, but this has also helped him to adapt when faced with new challenges. He shares a few comments about his experiences fishing in Japan, stating “I met my Japanese tenkara anglers long after I managed to develop my own style here in the US by myself. I was quite confident then. Those experienced Japanese tenkara anglers were surprised to learn that I developed my skills by myself without teachers. But, it was a very humbling moment for me because my style that worked perfectly in the US did not work at all in those Japanese streams! Being able to adjust myself with what I learned from them was another decisive moment of my angling journey where I found trust in myself beyond my style.”

Bringing the conversation back to his statement of trial and error, Kaz wrapped up his thoughts with some of his personal philosophy regarding the subject. “I think that is what fishing is all about. You get some piece of advice from a buddy or book, or you get some random idea in your head. You try them in the field for the heck of it. Some work and some don’t. If you are patient enough to handle frustration when they don’t work, you’d get to enjoy when the others worked. You’d continue doing this more if the joy is strong in you. That’s how I see it.“

Martin Montejano

California - Northern Sierra Nevadas

When it comes to finding joy through tenkara, Martin mentions two things. The immersion and connection to nature, and the constant refinement of skill and knowledge. Among the rivers in the northern Sierra Nevadas, he finds both while chasing native coastal rainbow trout.

The rivers he often fishes are filled with boulders, creating turbulent water to pick apart. “Because I’m generally fishing pockets, I most often use a dead drift, or Pon Pon for the more shallow sections” he says, adding that he usually chooses a futsu kebari due to it holding its profile a little better in the current, and that it anchors better as well. “I like to use the tapered nylon line from Fujino in a length close to that of the rod” Martin says, mentioning that he finds it to be a good combination of weight and ease of casting, allowing him to accurately place the fly where he wants. To round out the setup, he generally goes with his Tanuki 375, citing its versatility.

When it comes to playing fish, he says “I often fish slightly angled upstream or cross-stream. When I hook a fish, I tend to lean the rod upstream to keep the fish from getting directly downstream of me and sort of guide the trout across the current and into a slower patch of water where I can net it.”

As far as how this became the preferred setup, Martin talks about how he finds it to be both simple, and versatile - as mentioned, but also that it feels like an easy rig to cast when the fast, turbulent currents don’t leave room for a long drift.

Much of Martin’s style has been shaped by his curiosity in the roots of tenkara, and the shokuryoshi in Japan. He cites learning quite a bit from the Discover Tenkara courses, and mentions the one with Hisanobu Hirata as being a sort of catalyst for what formed this interest in the history of tenkara.

As he started learning more about the shokuryoshi, Martin challenged himself to try to catch more fish and be more efficient with his time on the water over a two year period, which led him to become more aware of patterns and observations while fishing. In doing this, he feels he has solidified his style in a way that gives him confidence in the waters he fishes.

In addition, he also believes that in being observant to changes in conditions while on the water, he feels more able to adapt to what the environment and the situation calls for, leading him to be open to creativity in finding ways to catch fish when new challenges present themselves. This often means stepping away from the traditional setup and moving to either weighted flies, different riggings, or any combination of the two.

Payton Skidmore (Skiddy Fishing)

Utah - Rocky Mountains

Bouncing back to the Rocky Mountain region, Payton shares some insight into his tenkara style. Starting off, he says “Tenkara is just simple. It gives me more uptime with nature and the water. My mind can stay clear on my objective, which is to ‘tactfully’ fish streams (preferably for native trout).“ Payton (aka “Skiddy”) loves chasing the four subspecies of Utah’s cutthroats in a mixture of small spring-fed and freestone streams where “vegetation can be shy to severe.”

When asked about his style, Payton responds by saying “For lack of a better term, I am a tactical tenkara angler. Casting is important but more or less the least of my worries. In tight unexpected conditions, I almost always keep my fly either to the butt of the rod handle or just short of it. In many cases, a bow and arrow cast or a roll cast is my luxury to tactfully chase these wild fish in riparian environments.” With advantageous fish and tight quarters, Payton often just goes for a natural drift in the short time following his cast. As far as the fly at the end of the line, Payton mentions the cutthroat’s love for dry flies, and firstly names the Purple Haze in his go-to patterns, but also brings up a few nymphs such as the Copper John and Brent’s Warbird. “I am strictly a level line guy for line backbone. Typically 3.0 fluorocarbon but occasionally 3.5 for the faster action tenkara rods. 5x tippet 99% of the time.” says Payton, before he goes on to mention his choice of tenkara rod characteristics. With having fished a plethora of different models from different brands, he shares his praise for DRAGONtail, and says he tends to gravitate toward a 6:4 or 7:3 rod for its versatility when it comes to fishing either dry flies or weighted nymphs.

As far as strategy when it comes to landing fish, he says “I don't get to lift my rod straight up often due to overhanging riparian environments. My rod sometimes has to stay at an acute angle and having the fly (line) shorter than my tenkara rod can make for some awkward landings of the fish. It's less about playing them for me and more hand-eye coordination as that fish is dropping downstream. If I miss, it's a downstream pullback to get the trout back to me and I really dislike that circumstance but it's the risk with that style.”

Payton’s quest for native trout species limited to headwaters was what seemed to introduce him to tenkara, and as he became more familiar he worked through problems, some of them we all know too well - getting flies stuck in branches. As he spent more time chasing cutthroat, he refined his setup and style.

Of course, there were some influences along the way, and Payton specifically mentions “My discovery was self taught but I really appreciate Drew and Tuna from Tenkara Rod Co for helping me connect the dots with tenkara and native trout. They advocate more for native trout than any tenkara company I know.”

In closing, Payton wrapped up the conversation addressing when he started to gain confidence in his style by saying, “I measure my success by simply landing fish. It's the singular most important objective. Sure I would assess if a tenkara rods action was suitable or should be adjusted for future scenarios but as long as I have more trout landed in the net, than breaking them off with light or bad tippet, indecisive hooksets due to rod action, I know I am in the right place with my objectives. I keep simple....simple.”

As we mentioned in the beginning of this post, there are some similarities shared between anglers. Sometimes it is the weather conditions of a region, the angling pressure, or even the environment surrounding the streams and rivers we fish. Even with similar challenges that anglers face, everyone comes up with their own individual style and solutions to chase the trout that inhabit their local waters, and to enjoy time out in nature.

Throughout the responses from our friends, there has been some great advice shared in the writing. Whether you’re new to tenkara, or an experienced angler, there is always something that can be learned from others.

A Special Thanks To Our Guest Contributors:

Last, but not least, we want to thank Chad Grossman for asking the question that was the catalyst for these conversations and this post!