Tenkara, now everybody will want one

[joseywales]

For Orvis, it could be a Godfather thing. Keep your enemies closer. By offering the Tenkera, they are telling Orvis customers, "Hey, we don't compete with the Tenkera rod and it will never replace our Western rods. It's just a neat diversion from time to time, so here you go." The functionality of the Tenkara aside, Westerners are gadget gurus and there just isn't enough bling, or money to spend on the Tenkera, so it will never replace a Western fishing outfit. Plus, for many, it's not just about catching fish, it's the journey. Balancing the rod, reel, and line, tying the right fly, etc. that's all part of the journey.

I think Smike wrote that he wants to catch fish and how he gets there doesn't matter much. Well then grab a pole and a worm and have it. He doesn't just want to catch fish, he wants to catch fish on his terms, as we all do, whatever those terms are (and they change at times). Lots of guys fly fish for trout, but spin for bass. They could fly for bass, but they choose not to. It's about choices and I think the gun industry has shown us that. The 30-06 is more than capable of taking every game in North America, as is the 6.5x55 Swede for that matter. So what the heck are all the other calibers for????

 

[afishinado]

Me thinks yous guys think too much.

Just another (simpler) way to fish.

Zen, trend, schmend. East, west, schmest.....Kielbasa flies?:-?

Like when you were a kid - cut off a nice branch from a tree, tie on a line and try it out.

:roll:

 

[KeithS]

I'm gonna get mine now, cause I know this is gonna be the hot thing in a week or so!!
https://www.ronco.com/products/pocket-fisherman.html

I still have one my Dad was given as a joke. He received it in the early 70's. Go Popeil!

 

[gfen]

afishinado wrote:
Like when you were a kid - cut off a nice branch from a tree, tie on a line and try it out.

Afish-san,

You are correct. The humble and simple child sees the matrix of the universe with an uncluttered eye and grasps the sublime simplicity of the one fly approach we embrace in Tenkahda.

The switch and string is not unlike our Tentkara rods, a child's wooden sword to our katanas, but with the wide eyed grasp of all of life's inner mysteries for one to explore.

If only more people had your open mind instead of their closed Western minds, and their hobbling fly reels.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I don't get the fad myself but I don't understand the hate for it either.

Big deal.

 

[pete41]

No hate,just boys ginning each other.
No different than Beagles and stealers fans.

 

[gfen]

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
I don't get the fad myself but I don't understand the hate for it either.

Big deal.

i hate the player, not the game. go troll through a tenkara forum or watch one of their videos. when you're done, you will want to claw their zen monk simplicity eyes out too.

 

[pete41]

Some what ironic that the first practitioners of the"Art" would be the least likely to preach C & R.

 

[Smike]

joseywales wrote:
Well then grab a pole and a worm and have it. He doesn't just want to catch fish, he wants to catch fish on his terms, as we all do, whatever those terms are (and they change at times). Lots of guys fly fish for trout, but spin for bass. They could fly for bass, but they choose not to. It's about choices and I think the gun industry has shown us that.

Correct, we all do just about 99.99% of the things we do for our own reasons and always wanting to do them on our own terms. (even when we say we are doing it for someone else) This isn't any 3rd rate country here.

My terms have changed from stick, line and worm when I was 6. They have been become pretty strict based on C+R premise. (i.e leave things the way they were when you got there, and still swimming.) Tenkara fits that, so it’s another tool in the shed. It’s entertaining in arguing this vs. that when it comes to it, unless you want to toss around a worm on the end, but that’s entirely different debate and each to their own.

I can’t tell anyone how there life is gonna change if they just pop some sakasa and wash it down with some kebari. I’m sure thou, that it can’t be as entertaining as throwing down a hand full of stumble biscuts…

 

[Smike]

gfen wrote:

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
I don't get the fad myself but I don't understand the hate for it either.

Big deal.

i hate the player, not the game. go troll through a tenkara forum or watch one of their videos. when you're done, you will want to claw their zen monk simplicity eyes out too.

Yup and if I were allow all the righteous fly rod sh!$heads get under my skin, I would have gone postal 20 yrs ago, and never have fished.

 

[joseywales]

Look. It's no different than Ping golf clubs, H&K handguns, Glock vs Colt, etc. I don't know why so many folks spend their time worrying about what the guy next to him uses. Just get out and have fun.

My brother has a Tenkara. Mostly because he has (or had) every size/weight western rod combo you could think of. The Tenkara is neat and at some point I'll probably own one, just for the simplicity sake of it. Looks like fun. I am a bit a survivalist as well and anytime I can accomplish the same task, with less weight to carry, or space taken up in a backpack, I'll adopt it.

 

[FrequentTyer]

gfen wrote:

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
I don't get the fad myself but I don't understand the hate for it either.

Big deal.

i hate the player, not the game. go troll through a tenkara forum or watch one of their videos. when you're done, you will want to claw their zen monk simplicity eyes out too.

Yikes! I agree with Gfen.
I think they made a huge mistake promoting it as some sort of mystical approach, and this has created an annoying and polarizing religious-like fervor around what is really just another way to fish.
It is not Jehova's favorite rod, but it is also not a cane pole or an 11 ft 3 weight. The rods are very thin and flex quite deep allowing you to cast a mono line with a fair amount of accuracy albeit at a fixed distance. Actually, I think the best comaprison is to the pocket fisherman. I caught fish with a pocket fisherman. They were sunnies, and I was 6, but it was a good day. It's not like anything else, or a replacement for anything else. Just another way to fish.
Pat, if you still have that broken rod you should look into fixing it. they sell replacement sections that you just have to slip in. It would at least allow you to sell the thing and make a few bucks.
Mike.

 

[Smike]

FrequentTyer wrote:

Yikes! I agree with Gfen.
I think they made a huge mistake promoting it as some sort of mystical approach, and this has created an annoying and polarizing religious-like fervor around what is really just another way to fish.

God lord. Its all... Wait for it.....

Marketing. (as silly or stupid as it is)

You pissed at Calgon for saying to all the women that their soap will put them in a zen like place while the men are stuck with the screaming kids, and the iron burning a hole in their shirts? Cuz its 'just another soap" ya know..

So bottom line is I should start a Tenkara rod company, leave out all the fluff, and just sell it for what it is, another way to fish. Oh wait screw it, the field is too crowded now with TFO coming along. Back to fishing and my dismal job.

 

[FrequentTyer]

Smike wrote:
God lord. Its all... Wait for it.....

Marketing. (as silly or stupid as it is)

You pissed at Calgon for saying to all the women that their soap will put them in a zen like place while the men are stuck with the screaming kids, and the iron burning a hole in their shirts? Cuz its 'just another soap" ya know..

No, but if there was a group of people that saw that commercial and started to model a whole silly philosophy of life around it, I bet other soap users would find them annoying.
Tenkara is to fly fishing as macintosh is to computing.

 

[thebassman]

Tenkara is to fly fishing as macintosh is to computing.

Then I am sold!

 

[pete41]

Yeah,nice jackets.

 

[Smike]

FrequentTyer wrote:
.
Tenkara is to fly fishing as macintosh is to computing.

*sigh* I wish Tenkara was that good and useful.

 

[csoult]

Ha!

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I have a Tenkara rod and it is fun to fish with but it will not replace my other flyrods. It is just another method to fish. I use mine from time to time just because it is different.

 

[BelAirSteve]

WildTigerTrout wrote:
I have a Tenkara rod and it is fun to fish with but it will not replace my other flyrods. It is just another method to fish. I use mine from time to time just because it is different.

I think you nailed it - it is not something that interests me, but I can thing of a couple of areas on the Gunpowder where it would fit the circumstances.

I don't get all of the bashing - whatever makes your boat float, right?