![]() | Efficient and simple, the traditional tenkara fly fishing system consists of rod, line, and single fly.The Rod. Anatomy: Tenkara rods range between 10-15′ (3-4.5m) in length. They have no reel. Moving tip to butt, here is the basic anatomy of a modern Tenkara rod:
Action Index: Developed by Daniel Gallhardo, founder of Tenkara USA, the action index is a useful measurement of rod flexion. Simply put, it is the ratio of rigid to flexible sections. For example, a 6:4 rod will be relatively rigid in the first 6 sections, and relatively flexible in the last 4 sections. The majority of its flexion will be toward the tip. Note that, despite the use of the terms “stiffer” and “softer” in Tenkara USA’s graphic, the action index should be thought of as separate from a rod’s stiffness. A 5:5 rod, for example, can be made very stiff. A 7:3 rod can be made very soft. This is especially evident when comparing rods from different manufacturers. In general, we’ve found the following to be true when interpreting action index:
The Line.Tenkara uses a fixed length of line attached to the tip section of the rod. The line is equivalent to a leader in Western fly fishing. There is no true fly line in Tenkara.
Furled or level, here are a few basic recommendations when picking a line:
Hopelessly confused? The manufacturers’ recommendations for line and rod pairing are always a good place to start. Tippet.Tippet is a thin, clear polymer monofilament for attaching the fly to the line. Tippet comes in different diameters or gauges, where the larger number indicates a smaller diameter/gauge. The range useful for Tenkara is 7X-4X. We recommend 5X as an all-purpose tippet diameter. Note that a 5lb breaking strength (about 5X), is the strongest tippet currently recommended by Tenkara USA for use on their rods. There are two types of tippet commonly available. The first is nylon/copolymer (commonly referred to as “mono“). The second is fluorocarbon (commonly referred to as “fluoro“). Here is a comparison of the two:
You may hear some more ecologically minded anglers say they avoid fluoro due to its environmental impact. Bottom line is that, while fluoro sticks around a little longer, both mono and fluoro don’t degrade for thousands of years. At Tenkara Guides, our rule is simple. No matter what you use, never leave anything on the water. The Fly.The Tenkara fly is known as the kebari. The most recognized style of kebari is a forward hackled fly with a simple thread body. However, this is not the most common style of kebari in Japan. In fact, there are likely an infinite variety of kebari. Individual prefectures, regions, or villages frequently adopted a particular style. Each individual Tenkara angler also adopts a specific style. Following the One Fly Philosophy, traditional Tenkara anglers carry one kebari pattern in their fly box, allowing for small variances in size and color only. The Tenkara angler also fishes one fly at a time. Putting It All Together.The fundamentals of rigging are covered in detail under Tenkara USA’s About Tenkara tab, including graphics of all knots required. In addition, Daniel Gallhardo, founder of Tenkara USA, has recently published an excellent video tutorial to illustrate some basic knots and rigging on Tenkara USA’s YouTube channel. YouTube VideoIn addition to these fundamentals, here are a few basic tips and tricks we’ve found particularly useful:
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