I know that Daniel sold TUSA but it seems he has fallen off the map. I thought he might help TUSA
in some small part but it seems he has disappeared. Does anyone know anything? Just curious because he was such a big force behind tenkara.
3 Likes
My understanding is weak and largely based on rumor, gossip, and speculation. So, it has trash value.
Last I heard, he was more into rock climbing.
The speculation based on rumor:
He brought tenkara and his love for it to the world. Provided a ton of content and equipment via his business. There was a bit of drama and criticism in how he was running his business. Lets just call it generalizing tenkara and making accessible to all fishing applications. Some call it American tenkara…etc.
I suspect the core grass roots community that was there from the start was critical of his path. A few years back there was some shit-canning of TUSA as being a sell out. I am sure that must have hurt, and is not fair. A business needs to make choices if it is to thrive. Not sure if that factored into his departure, but probably did not help.
In short, making what you love into a business can really ruin the activity for a person. Spend long days focused on a subject, the last thing anyone would want to do, is that activity in their personal time. That probably creates a slow drain of passion to the point one might ask the question. Why am I doing this again?
Just a shame all round. We owe Daniel so much. I know I do. We would not be enjoying this sport without him. I still primarily use TUSA rods. They are workhorses and are dependable.
5 Likes
I haven’t heard a word and have no idea where he is. I know that he did like rock climbing, but I don’t know if that’s what he is doing.
I would disagree with you a bit on the core grass roots community, though. I think the core grass roots community was solidly behind him. There was a very vocal minority who felt, and still feel, that tenkara everywhere and forever should be practiced as it was in Japan before Americans first learned of it. For a while it did get pretty ugly. I have never spoken to him about it so I don’t know, but I would not be at all surprised if rather than being hurt, he was saddened by it, feeling that tenkara is such a wonderful way to fish so why fight about it. Fish the way you want to fish and let others fish the way they want to fish. I have no idea whether he started looking for a buyer or if the company that bought Tenkara USA came to him, but it would have been a good way leave the petty bickering behind and go off to do what he wanted to do. I know he was a fan of Yvon Chouinard’s book “Let my People Go Surfing” and Tim Ferriss’s book “The Four Hour Work Week.” Daniel worked to live, not lived to work. When he had the chance to just live rather than work, he took it. I can’t blame him a bit, I wish him well and I offer a heartfelt “Thank you for all you did!”
12 Likes
Thanks Chris For your insight. I suspect you must have spoken with him several times. I have really never met him…so like I said my info has trash value.
I really feel the big three that we owe so much are Daniel Galhardo, you (Chris Stewart), and Tom Davis.
Following it all up the big three are the DT folk who provided so much great material direct from Japan.
We owe all of you so much. I definitely would not be fishing tenkara nor flyfishing.
Thank you all.
-Gressak
6 Likes
This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.