The Discover Tenkara Syndicate Streams were set up in partnership with Ladybower Fisheries after an idea hatched in 2012.
In the heart of Derbyshire, well known for its premium fly fishing, a small club of enthusiasts created a completely wild trout fishery where people could learn and practice traditional, fixed-line fly fishing tactics from Japan.
The two founders of the club (Paul Gaskell and John Pearson) have, to date, made 7 trips to Japan to benefit from the generous insights, tuition and teaching from dozens of amazing tenkara anglers.
Bringing back those teachings on techniques, fly patterns, tackle and long-established culture of mountain stream and river fishing has allowed the club to share and promote some incredibly valuable, effective and enjoyable methods and philosophies.
Despite being almost entirely a word-of-mouth membership - and in the face of many doubters - the club has been a successful addition to the many and varied opportunities for angling experiences in England.
Because the rivers and streams of Japan targeted by tenkara anglers also allow fly fishing (and often lure and bait fishing too), it is believed that when the Discover Tenkara Syndicate streams were set up they were the only rivers in the world where ONLY tenkara fishing was allowed. In recent years, the legendary angler and "mountain man" Yuzo Sebata has also been involved in promoting a "tenkara reserve" stream area in Japan.
At least in terms of the UK (where at the time many fly fishing clubs made new rules to ban the use of tenkara tackle on their club's waters) a large part of the motivation to create a tenkara-dedicated wild trout river fishery was in an effort to add positively to the available angling experiences and knowledge.
The hope is that, over time, by providing access to good information from the long-established and continually refined techniques practiced in Japan, that tenkara would gain a wider acceptance through a proper appreciation of what it involves.
As well as visits from Makino-san and Ishigaki-sensei, we even hosted the founder of Tenkara USA, Daniel Galhardo on a chilly spring visit at the beginning of one of our early seasons as a club.
If you want more information on this video I try to respond to as many enquiries as possible on paulgaskellflyfishing@gmail.com
I hope you enjoy my short trip video diary and some of the context to why it was meaningful and enjoyable.
Paul