I Came, I Saw, I Tenkaraed, Then it Stopped!- The Conclusion

Today's post is the conclusion of a post that started yesterday.  If you need to read yesterday's post, just click here.

So there I was, in my boat with a tenkara rod, and slowly learning how to work this thing.  After I got used to the casting nuances, I started getting bites.  The bluegill and small bass were in the shallows and specifically, in the shadows.  I missed my first few bites probably because I was used to holding fly line with my left hand and the rod in my right.  After a while I learned that all it took was a flick of the wrist and didn't require as much force as a fly rod.  My first fish was a small bluegill but felt like a monumental success.  It was my first fish on a tenkara rod and I started to see the allure of this fishing method.  I missed a few more but then hooked into a bigger bluegill.  As the morning went on, my casting hook sets, and confidence improved.  I also learned A LOT in a short amount of time.

I learned that I was pretty good at bow and arrow casting (not sure one is supposed to do that) and that you can present a fly really delicately with a gentle swing.  What amazed me the most was how quickly fish get wore out on a tenkara rod.  Unlike a fly rod, the harder they pull, the more resistance there is.  While that can be achieved with a fly rod undoubtedly, when a fish wants to run I can feed them line.  With a tenkara rod they just wear themselves out super fast because the rod pulls back as hard as the fish pulls!  Another observation was that I was extremely nervous about losing fish when I hooked them.  I was constantly concerned that the fish was going to break me off but again, my confidence grew over the course of the morning and I never had one snap my line.  I also kept a little trick in the back of my mind. 

I once read a short story in a John Gierach book about a guy that hooked a big trout on a tenkara rod.  While playing the fish, it became apparent that the fish might break the line and get away.  At this point, the gentlemen just chucked his rod in the water.  Because the rod is so light (the cork handle doesn't hurt either), the rod simply moved around the stream with the fish still attached.  The fella ended up landing the fish by letting the fish tire and letting the rod wash up on stream!  I will never forget that story and I had that tool available if the situation presented itself.  It did not.

Towards the end of the morning, I was landing fish at a higher percentage and really enjoying the simplicity of the system even if I did keep reaching for fly line and/or a reel.  I caught a few bluegill that went 8 inches and some 12 inch bass.  I wanted to hit one more cove before I called it quits.  There were the last remnants of shade in there and I hoped to find a concentration of fish.  I caught a nice bluegill on what I called my last cast.  Then I got greedy.  Did you know that greed is a sin?  It is!  It is also punishable because on my second last cast, the rod snapped when I set the hook.  My tenkara rod that had collected dust for years and was not finally being used and enjoyed was now in two pieces.  I did land the fish when I retrieved the tip section out of the water because it floated so I guess I did use that fella's trick just not in the way I desired.

So here are my final thoughts on tenkara rods.  They are fun and simple!  Why not try one, especially if you can find a cheap one to play around with at first!  On the other hand, casting isn't a lot of fun and distances are limited.  It's applications are limited but would be great for newbies and kids.  It might be a good intro to fly fishing for someone before all of the intricacies are revealed and would be less overwhelming.  Final grade from me: B.  Good, not great but you will always learn more if you expose yourself to new methods and ideas!  If you are considering tenkara, go for it!  If it is not for you right now, I get that too because I'm done with it...until I find a used one for a low price!

• Bow and arrow casts are effective
• You can swing a fly to your spot
• Can cast it like a fly rod still.
• Fights are short and intense
• The rod is incredibly flexible with a taper
• Has certain application and not to be used all the time- need the right place and right time
• I kept reaching for a reel or fly line when I hook a fish
• Site fishing is fun with this but the conditions of clear water in ponds and lakes which in Missouri is rare
• If you find an inexpensive one, buy it!  It's fun!
• Really lightweight
• Caught 3 species of fish- bluegill, bass, green sunfish
• Popper and dropper setup next time?
• Was always scared that the fish was going to break the line because of no drag system

This little guy drank my sweat for about 15 minutes that morning.  I had to include that due to the oddity.

This green sunfish found this wiffle ball to be very important!  I'm guessing there were eggs in it or nearby?

I was able to put my tenkara rod in tight places like this one!

The payment of my hubris.