The Time Is Now

 It has been more than 15 years since tenkara rods were first introduced to the retail market in the United States. Since that introduction tenkara has grown exponentially and truly spawned an industry of western tenkara anglers.

   With the growth and adoption of western tenkara we owe it to the Japanese [and ourselves], to treat their ancient methods and early survivalist fishing techniques as valuable information worthy of being shared, taught, and passed on to future generations of tenkara angler's here in the United States.

    It’s with this nearly twenty year adoption that I believe the time is now [that we] begin to teach (on a larger scale) “traditional” tenkara here in the United States. It's also my belief that we should start using more Japanese terms when we speak about tenkara as a fishing method. Tenkara was created out of necessity. The techniques were used because they worked. They caught fish when fish needed to be caught - for survival! Let's take pride in these ancient survivalist techniques and begin to teach a modern version of 'traditional' tenkara here in the United States. ​​​Of course we should give thanks to those Japanese anglers who honed-the-craft and welcomed a new generation of world-wide angler to the method, but the time has come to translate those introductory ideas into our own western teaching practices.

    Tenkara should be taught by those who understand and appreciate the effectiveness of the method, not just the Japanese people [at this point anyway]. I ask western tenkara anglers this: "Where will western tenkara be in another 10 or15 years if [WE] Westerners don’t start teaching tenkara's traditions, tactics, and complexities?​ 

    It is my belief that WE can teach these traditionalist ideas while also contributing our own new ideas and practices to the masterfulness that is the tenkara method. This does not mean we shouldn’t respect the Japanese teachings, this simply means taking western tenkara practices into the next phase of development by teaching more advanced level techniques.

    You don’t have to be Japanese to teach tenkara! YES, we needed those “introductory” years’ to learn from the Master's, but it's now time to shift from introductory learning, to [now] years' of teaching and more advanced study. It is up to us to build a strong ‘western culture’ of dedicated educator’s committed to preserving the rich history of the techniques. The Japanese [at this point] have done their part. You can be sure they'll be watching as we show gratitude and respect to their original techniques and methods moving forward.

     Tenkara’s “acceptance” problem within western fly fishing cliques, doesn’t have to be its’ future if we BEGIN to embrace the traditions of the techniques. Tenkara is NOT a solution to better or more simplified fishing, but a method of catching fish that shows great complexities and effectiveness on certain types of water.

     Much like euro-nymphing had to JOURNEY IT ALONE, tenkara has reached its' critical point within the western fly fishing community. The more journeyed tenkara angler is far from a beginner fly fisher. While the gear may be simple, the techniques are complex and uniquely their own. For far too long euro-nymphing has been criticized for its' "lack of finesse," making it an easy target for fly fishing circles to bash on the method. Tenkara is no different, only filling that need for those same circles to criticize its' simplified-style as being overly finessed or "too simplified of an approach."

     Tenkara is only ONE approach, NOT an ONLY APPROACH. I strongly encourage every tenkara angler to understand and learn the advantages of rod and reel fly fishing and to incorporate a multitude of styles and methods into their own on-water experiences.

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So where will western tenkara be in 15 years if we don't BEGIN to JOURNEY IT ALONE?

 

The Japanese Master’s of today, won’t be around forever. Sure, there’s always a new Japanese Master coming up, but we have a community of world-wide tenkara anglers ready to become their own student-teachers. 

    Tenkara, can be shared and taught by all who respect its’ origins, efficiencies, and complexities. Yes, we have been guided up to this point. The Japanese Master’s have showed us the way; “brought us to the first waterfall,” so-to-speak. But the headwaters’ are still further up, and the journey is now in its’ second phase. If we are to reach the peak and fish the high alpine streams we must begin to journey alone. The old ways will still be taught - but new ways will also be sought. The Japanese Master's are ready for us to find our own way. They have prepared us for this moment, where the water crashes at the base of the first waterfall - to go it alone. This DOES NOT MEAN that we don’t have a friend waiting for us at the top of the mountain. In fact, it is my guess that when we get where we’re going there will be a Japanese Master extending his arm to lift us to the top. It will be there, in some high alpine meadow, where we’ll stand together and fish the clear riffled pocket-water that is tenkara’s future.