Here’s a great new blog post by @A_Naples. It’s definitely a good reminder for me for the upcoming season beginning.
It also reinforced my belief that tenkara is what we each make it and that it’s okay to define tenkara for ourselves. It may not be “authentic” or original and that’s okay. That doesn’t diminish what tenkara has been and doesn’t mean that definitions don’t change over time. For better or worse, they evolve just as we do.
Thanks Anthony.
Peder - glad you liked the post and found some additional layers in it. I have been very lacking in the blogging for a while - other pressing things have kept me busy.
And I often get trapped in this thing where I want to make each post “mean” something - not just be a trip report or something (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
And maybe other writers can relate to this thing that happens - I sometimes go over and over in my head what I’d like to write about - so much so that the idea gets to feel played out in my mind and then I don’t write anything…
So, getting feedback from you really helps to kick my butt in gear - and generate some more content.
Thanks!
PS that reminds me that I need to update my links and get your blog and forum added
I completely understand all of those points Anthony. I too, have been way busier recently than anticipated. Not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just pulled me away from things like doing blog posts. What you say completely hits home with me. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing trip reports or writing about fly/kebari tying; sometimes that’s exactly what is fun to write (and read). But, I understand getting in the trap of wanting what I write to “mean something” too. Then it sits as I mull it over and eventually weeks pass and I feel either that it’s irrelevant now or completely misses what I wanted to say and I start over again.
Part of what I enjoyed about the post was that you were just honest (not to imply that other writerss aren’t) about where you are at right now. Maybe that hit home for me because I feel similarly about myself to what you say for yourself.
Thanks again and I look forward to reading more.
Great blog post. Manipulating the fly works so well and is extremely fun. But I also love dry flies and mini hoppers on Tenkara rods. They are meant for each other.
Anthony covered his enthusiasm for dry flies almost two years ago.
Maybe an accurate assessment of their virtues.
Or maybe a dad’s view from their usual vantage point, wrapped round their daughter’s pinkie finger. 
( OK, just kidding) maybe.
http://castingaround.anthonynaples.com/2015/06/give-a-dry-a-try-for-fun-and-profit
Really I think he is correct, dry flies are fun, and fishing with them will teach you about surface currents, and remind you to think about them if you have fallen out of the habit of so doing.
Both great articles.
I love (LOVE!) fishing dries. It’s so much more fun for me than fishing subsurface.
Dry flies are a blast - they make missed strikes just about as much fun as landed fish. And very often I feel like the brookies are “looking up” and I seem to do better with dry flies in the prime season. But who knows if that’s really true or just confirmation bias. I will say that if the fish are willing to come up to dry flies it is a great way to teach new anglers for so many reasons.
After dry flies - the near surface “traditional” style tenkara presentation can be just about as exciting when you’re fishing near the top and you can see the fish striking - and revealing themselves. Pretty good fun.
The deep nymphing - though often very effective - is definitely the hardest way to introduce a new angler in my experience. Not only is it so much more difficult to detect strikes - depending on water depth and clarity you miss the excitement of when the fish moves to a fly but doesn’t take it (you never see it). Seeing those missed strikes and fish moving - is a great way to learn to read streams that you may miss out on with nymphing.
I’ve seen over and over that deep nymphing is not as paramount as I once believed - and more active tenkara presentations are often very effective in situations where I may have once only considered dead-drift nymphing as an option. And as I discuss I need to remind myself of this.
However, that said - sometimes I love the nymphing - it was my method of choice for so many years as western angler - and the there’s something to be said for developing the skill set to do it as another tool in the toolbox. When you get in “the zone” and that nymphing sixth sense kicks in it really can feel magical when you start detecting strikes and landing fish and cannot even explain why you set the hook - you just “knew”… that can be rewarding too
Love the 6th sense strikes!! I always keep flies handy for every part of the water column. I don’t change my flies often, but I always have options.
Jay,
I like to have an assortment of flies too for up/down/and in between … especially if I’m hitting a limestone creek - or a big river - though I have found that I don’t need the deep flies as often as I used to think - but better safe than sorry!
If i’ve driven 3 hrs one way to fish a stream - I want keep my options open.
I’ll admit I can still have moments of “anxiety” if I’ve traveled to fish and I’m not getting fish right away - I can revert to “kebari nomad” style.
but after I catch a few and get more relaxed again… it’s often then that I re-learn things …