
And exactly this happened to me when all of a sudden I got an email from a Russian called Oleg, asking me if I would like to try tenkara in Bohemia and write about my experience. I knew a little about tenkara and because my fly-fishing journey leads me more and more towards lightness and simplicity, I did not hesitate. Tenkara represents something of a return to the past, when fly-fishing was simple and light. It doesn't require hundreds of different kinds of flies, dozens of different rods, all sorts of gadgets, jackets loaded with half the offerings of a fly-fishing shop, equipment so expensive that leaving it in your car overnight will make you lose sleep.

And exactly this happened to me when all of a sudden I got an email from a Russian called Oleg, asking me if I would like to try tenkara in Bohemia and write about my experience. I knew a little about tenkara and because my fly-fishing journey leads me more and more towards lightness and simplicity, I did not hesitate. Tenkara represents something of a return to the past, when fly-fishing was simple and light. It doesn't require hundreds of different kinds of flies, dozens of different rods, all sorts of gadgets, jackets loaded with half the offerings of a fly-fishing shop, equipment so expensive that leaving it in your car overnight will make you lose sleep.
What is tenkara? It is fly-fishing with a light telescopic fishing rod inspired by a traditional Japanese fly-fishing technique. With tenkara, there is no need for a fly-fishing reel because the line is attached to the tip of the fishing rod with the so-called lilian (a short braided line which is attached to the tip of the rod). The fly line (usually also braided) is tied to the lilian with a simple knot. There is a tippet at the end of the line just as in the "Western" style of fly-fishing.
Oleg may have been the first fly-fisher to try out tenkara in the Czech Republic and I may be one of the first Czech pioneers who, with tenkara, will venture out onto other Czech rivers. I have tried tenkara on Litavka, Lužnice and Mže, and that is just the beginning of my journey. I will be happy to share the lightness of tenkara with you as I gather more experience. Either way, I am in love with tenkara already...
My comments: Pavel Adamovsky also writes for www.muskareni.cz and www.flyfishingpoint.net.