Joe, thanks for all the videos! I have fly fished for over 30 years and switched to tenkara a couple years ago. Suddenly, I became a better fisherman. The fly presentation is hard to duplicate with the western style of fly fishing. I am fortunate to live near Pisgah Forest. Awesome backpacking and trout streams! Another point, I never miss all the line carried on a fly reel. I can always reach any spot on the stream with my tenkara rod. Simple things truly are the most enjoyable!!
Thanks for making this video! I've gotten interested in Tenkara and fly fishing in general since first hearing about it during your thru hike. I look forward to seeing more Tenkara videos in the future.
Thanks for this introduction. I do a lot of mountain stream fishing (Appalachians) and have been an avid fly fisherman for over 40 years. I have been entertaining the idea of trying out a Tenkara and might give it a go. Congratulations on you CDT achievement! Looking forward to your future vids on Tenkara.
Thanks for the info. Answered a lot of questions. Looking forward to more updates. Another video idea would be on trekking poles please. pitching tarp with them, etc...
As I've gotten older (66) I've done less and less on trail fishing because I got tired of the weight and the bulk. This Tenkara rod seems to be just what I need. Hopefully they sell them at Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop.
Very cool. I am another (one of many of your followers it seems) long time fly fisherman/backpacker. I'm going to investigate Tenkara, and then hope it rains and snows in California this winter. :-)
Looking forward to the series... especially if it's a useful method in lakes and creeks... not many babbling brooks or trout streams where I back pack. I sometimes take a pen fishing rod spinning setup but would always like to go lighter.
+FlashGeiger It is! I fished many ponds along the trail. For lakes, you'll need to use a longer level line to get out to ideal locations, but that's no issue really. It's perfect for creeks too.
if you are staying near a water source for the night or evening i like to just use yoyos. they are far more efficient and just as light. you can have 6-12 lines in the water while you sleep or rest and leave them completely unattended. on the go they are no good though
Great video! I'm a novice taking a TenkaraUSA rod on the John Muir Trail. Would you suggest I bring the protective tube, or give up the extra weight and just be careful with it?
Now that sounds fun. I don't ever bring my tube, it's just too heavy in my opinion. On the CDT I only had the little fabric sleeve and never had any issues. You do want to make sure it's not in a place where the pack could fall on top of it if it tipped over though. I ran it up out of my bottle pocket and under a compression strap.
was wondering how often you used that pole, noticed it on your pack but didn't hear much about it. Did you have any problems regarding licenses? I know in Maine even having that pole near streams could provoke a less than friendly encounter with wardens if you had no license. great video! well, except the part about leaving a Snickers bar behind.
+don orcutt I used it a lot through Wyoming and northern Colorado. After that, I tended to be in a sort of rush to the border. I never had any license issues, though Wyoming's prices were ridiculously overpriced. Most people don't even recognize that this is a pole when it's on my pack. Looks too small to be a rod.
How did you deal with fishing licenses when traveling through so many states? Also, if you're way out in the middle of no where, are there rangers checking for licenses? I was thinking about bring a Tenkara on the JMT.
I've never ran into a ranger when fishing in the backcountry along the CDT. I bought a license in the states as I went through them. There are a few great fishing spots on the JMT. The golden trout wilderness is pretty spectacular.
I went fly fishing for the first time last weekend and really liked it. It seemed like you really had to work the bigger fish. How do you do that without the reel or do you just fish a heavier line and man handle them in?
These Tenkara videos inspired me to buy a Tenkara rod. I'm a fly fisherman but new to Tenkara. So much fun! Here is the very first fish I caught using a Tenkara rod: ua-cam.com/video/guguKBcOlZ8/v-deo.html
+Michael Quire Well, thru hikes are much cheaper than normal living in the long run. But I have typically worked some sort of job between hikes. In addition to that, youtube brings in a tiny (very tiny) amount of revenue for me.
+Jim Mobley I would! The places to fish are a little more sparse, but there are definitely some spots worth fishing. I'd stick with the Sato. I have a shorter pole similar to the Rhodo and to be honest I never use it in it's shortest length. I did, however, wish that it could have gone longer sometimes, even in tight streams. And the weight difference between them is so minimal.
I missed my fishing rod on the trail this year. I passed so rivers, lakes and streams but not a lot of trout in them. What happens if you catch a fighting fish like a bass or northern pike?
+Solo Over 50 Pull harder! Actually, the best option is to maintain a tight line and lead the fish around for a bit in order to tire it out to a point where you can recover it by hand. Then when releasing it, it's important to let the fish recover oxygen in your hand as long as is necessary. In other words you don't want to just throw the fish back in after tiring it out, let it rest a bit in your hand in the stream.
+Tom Spane I typically catch and release when I'm hiking. Although I did cook a few. The lazy and quick way is to boil them in your pot. But I like to gut them and flay them out on a couple of sticks and just roast them on an open fire. Maybe I'll do a video on this process one day. To reel in a fish you just lift the pole up, then arc it backwards over your shoulder. This tends to pull the line back over your shoulder and pulls the fish in close enough to grab. With small fish and a long enough pole, you can just lift them out of the water. I suppose I should make a video on this as well soon. :) I've got a lot of videos I need to do.
+Joe Brewer Awesome! Looking forward to it. Yes please keep the videos coming! My backpacking season doesn't start until late June so your vids help keep me from going insane! :)
This is my first time hearing of a Tenkara rod. I've been looking to get into fly fishing. Would you recommend learning on Tenkara vs. get a rod and reel set? Is it harder to bring fish in?
It's really not any harder to bring fish in, it is a different process though. Hmm.... I think Tenkara would actually be a perfect system to learn on as it simplifies things immensely. Once you've gotten the Tenkara form down, it's just a simple step to go from that to regular fly fishing form. The motions are all very similar.
Less moving parts lead to a simpler setup/takedown and a really efficient/accurate cast. The minimal size/weight is also a huge plus for mobility and travel. While I still enjoy my fly rod for developing better technique, I find that I use and catch more fish on my tenkara.
It can be, though it is typically a little longer than the rod itself. The tippet can be a fluorocarbon, but the actual fly line is a more dense line called a level line (or you can use a braided line), both of which are specific to Tenkara.
Fucking awesome! im so glad you are making a video on tenkara.. the best way to incorporate fishing into backpacking.. i used to fly fish an backpack in oregon..most of my backpacking trips included fishing and some sort of lake or river that i would hike and fish.. as light as fly rods are they were never to much of a bother to carry in a 4 piece type model..but after seeing tenkara its my new backpacking method for many fishing hikes.. check out Ruta locura they make carbon hiking poles that you can buy the tenkara kit and turn your hiking pole into part of your tenkara .. anyway..awesome video man im so glad you are getting into tenkara ..I bet you wished you ha one in the sierras.. you could have been eating fresh trout every night..
+David Austin It's a Tenkara USA Sato Pole. (And not to spoil the upcoming review, but I'd highly recommend it. It is very versatile and one of the lighter models available.) I've updated the description of the video with links to all of the gear I normally use if you'd like to check them out.
Thanks Joe for the video. I've been wantng to switch over to Tenkra. Also, you mentioned that you were back in the real world. Sitting on a dock next to a river or lake seems a little removed from the real world to me. Ha Ha.
I'd have to disagree on part of that. I've fished with a tenkara USA iwana for 4 years now. I bought my wife a tenkara rod co for her birthday in May and after the third cast the swivel end came off. We were in Yellowstone so I put it back on and crimped it so she could continue to fish. I used hers several times and I could definitely tell a difference. Both hers and mine are the same length and action, 6:4. I thought they'd be pretty close but I could tell mine casts much smother than hers. The tenkara rod co is less expensive but not near the quality of tenkara USA.
I want one of these so badly because the small mountains and streams of the mountains of New England would be perfect with these
Very cool. I would never imagined it would be that light! Thanks for sharing.
Joe, thanks for all the videos! I have fly fished for over 30 years and switched to tenkara a couple years ago. Suddenly, I became a better fisherman. The fly presentation is hard to duplicate with the western style of fly fishing. I am fortunate to live near Pisgah Forest. Awesome backpacking and trout streams! Another point, I never miss all the line carried on a fly reel. I can always reach any spot on the stream with my tenkara rod. Simple things truly are the most enjoyable!!
+bein outside It's true!
Thanks Joe... I'm really excited about Tenkara style fishing. I have everything. Just need to go use it now.
+mobiltec Update me with some pics when you do! I really enjoy fishing this way, it has worked so well for me.
Joe Brewer You'll be the first to know Joe. After all you and your mother got me interested in Tenkara in the first place.
Thanks for making this video! I've gotten interested in Tenkara and fly fishing in general since first hearing about it during your thru hike. I look forward to seeing more Tenkara videos in the future.
Thanks for this introduction. I do a lot of mountain stream fishing (Appalachians) and have been an avid fly fisherman for over 40 years. I have been entertaining the idea of trying out a Tenkara and might give it a go. Congratulations on you CDT achievement! Looking forward to your future vids on Tenkara.
+MrWinger1951 Thanks!
Thanks for the info. Answered a lot of questions. Looking forward to more updates. Another video idea would be on trekking poles please. pitching tarp with them, etc...
I can't wait for this series of videos!
thank you for the video, very informative! i'd love to add some fishing to my backpacking experience in future.
Very cool. Now we just need to figure out a good way to attach the line to a trekking pole...
Very cool. I look forward to your follow-ups
As I've gotten older (66) I've done less and less on trail fishing because I got tired of the weight and the bulk. This Tenkara rod seems to be just what I need. Hopefully they sell them at Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop.
Very cool. I am another (one of many of your followers it seems) long time fly fisherman/backpacker. I'm going to investigate Tenkara, and then hope it rains and snows in California this winter. :-)
Looking forward to the series... especially if it's a useful method in lakes and creeks... not many babbling brooks or trout streams where I back pack. I sometimes take a pen fishing rod spinning setup but would always like to go lighter.
+FlashGeiger It is! I fished many ponds along the trail. For lakes, you'll need to use a longer level line to get out to ideal locations, but that's no issue really. It's perfect for creeks too.
Thanks for introducing me to this. TenkaraUSA has a sale on it's poles right now. I got the IWANA for $100.
Thanks, answered a lot of questions. More please.
if you are staying near a water source for the night or evening i like to just use yoyos. they are far more efficient and just as light. you can have 6-12 lines in the water while you sleep or rest and leave them completely unattended. on the go they are no good though
I just got one for Christmas and I have really been struggling with the casting
Nice, looks interesting. I really like snickers though, hhmmmm....
Great video! I'm a novice taking a TenkaraUSA rod on the John Muir Trail. Would you suggest I bring the protective tube, or give up the extra weight and just be careful with it?
Now that sounds fun. I don't ever bring my tube, it's just too heavy in my opinion. On the CDT I only had the little fabric sleeve and never had any issues. You do want to make sure it's not in a place where the pack could fall on top of it if it tipped over though. I ran it up out of my bottle pocket and under a compression strap.
i think these are like a 1.5 ounce penalty to carry also..with flys line and rod..they are so light..
was wondering how often you used that pole, noticed it on your pack but didn't hear much about it. Did you have any problems regarding licenses? I know in Maine even having that pole near streams could provoke a less than friendly encounter with wardens if you had no license. great video! well, except the part about leaving a Snickers bar behind.
+don orcutt I used it a lot through Wyoming and northern Colorado. After that, I tended to be in a sort of rush to the border. I never had any license issues, though Wyoming's prices were ridiculously overpriced. Most people don't even recognize that this is a pole when it's on my pack. Looks too small to be a rod.
Looks very interesting way of fishing. I just subscribe to your channel as always happy fishing and tight lines.
How did you deal with fishing licenses when traveling through so many states? Also, if you're way out in the middle of no where, are there rangers checking for licenses? I was thinking about bring a Tenkara on the JMT.
I've never ran into a ranger when fishing in the backcountry along the CDT. I bought a license in the states as I went through them. There are a few great fishing spots on the JMT. The golden trout wilderness is pretty spectacular.
I went fly fishing for the first time last weekend and really liked it. It seemed like you really had to work the bigger fish. How do you do that without the reel or do you just fish a heavier line and man handle them in?
+mrjt1223 You just have to lead them around a bit to tire them out. If you'd like to get them in fast, a little net would help to speed things up.
What got you into Tenkara? Fingers crossed it was Ole Hankers at Gswartz :) he'd be proud
These Tenkara videos inspired me to buy a Tenkara rod. I'm a fly fisherman but new to Tenkara. So much fun! Here is the very first fish I caught using a Tenkara rod: ua-cam.com/video/guguKBcOlZ8/v-deo.html
I don't know if you have addressed this before, but how do you fund your adventures? It always seems like you are hiking or doing something outdoors
+Michael Quire Well, thru hikes are much cheaper than normal living in the long run. But I have typically worked some sort of job between hikes. In addition to that, youtube brings in a tiny (very tiny) amount of revenue for me.
Would you take a Tenkara rod on the AT? If so, would you stick with the Soto or go with the shorter Rhodo?
+Jim Mobley I would! The places to fish are a little more sparse, but there are definitely some spots worth fishing. I'd stick with the Sato. I have a shorter pole similar to the Rhodo and to be honest I never use it in it's shortest length. I did, however, wish that it could have gone longer sometimes, even in tight streams. And the weight difference between them is so minimal.
I missed my fishing rod on the trail this year. I passed so rivers, lakes and streams but not a lot of trout in them. What happens if you catch a fighting fish like a bass or northern pike?
+Solo Over 50 Pull harder! Actually, the best option is to maintain a tight line and lead the fish around for a bit in order to tire it out to a point where you can recover it by hand. Then when releasing it, it's important to let the fish recover oxygen in your hand as long as is necessary. In other words you don't want to just throw the fish back in after tiring it out, let it rest a bit in your hand in the stream.
+Joe Brewer I will do that! Thanks Joe.
You should hike the te araroa, the full length of New Zealand
+Dry Waters I want to badly, I just have to earn a little dough first.
dude..that sounds amazing!..newzealand has steelhead! i love steelhead fishing..imagine 20 lb steelhead on a tenkara..lol
Right on. Looks awesome! I wanna try this now.
So how do you "reel" the fish in?
How are you cooking your trout up on trail?
+Tom Spane I typically catch and release when I'm hiking. Although I did cook a few. The lazy and quick way is to boil them in your pot. But I like to gut them and flay them out on a couple of sticks and just roast them on an open fire. Maybe I'll do a video on this process one day.
To reel in a fish you just lift the pole up, then arc it backwards over your shoulder. This tends to pull the line back over your shoulder and pulls the fish in close enough to grab. With small fish and a long enough pole, you can just lift them out of the water. I suppose I should make a video on this as well soon. :) I've got a lot of videos I need to do.
+Joe Brewer Awesome! Looking forward to it. Yes please keep the videos coming!
My backpacking season doesn't start until late June so your vids help keep me from going insane! :)
This is my first time hearing of a Tenkara rod. I've been looking to get into fly fishing. Would you recommend learning on Tenkara vs. get a rod and reel set? Is it harder to bring fish in?
It's really not any harder to bring fish in, it is a different process though. Hmm.... I think Tenkara would actually be a perfect system to learn on as it simplifies things immensely. Once you've gotten the Tenkara form down, it's just a simple step to go from that to regular fly fishing form. The motions are all very similar.
Plus it is much cheaper to get into fly fishing through Tenkara!
Awesome! I'm looking forward to days in the river and evenings of trout dinner. Thanks!
I'm a flyfisher but have been checking out several tenkara videos. Is the benefit of tenkara just in the weight/bulk of the equipment?
Less moving parts lead to a simpler setup/takedown and a really efficient/accurate cast. The minimal size/weight is also a huge plus for mobility and travel. While I still enjoy my fly rod for developing better technique, I find that I use and catch more fish on my tenkara.
Is the length of the line equal to the length of the tenkara rod being used, and is it fluorocarbon line that is used?
It can be, though it is typically a little longer than the rod itself. The tippet can be a fluorocarbon, but the actual fly line is a more dense line called a level line (or you can use a braided line), both of which are specific to Tenkara.
dude i dont get why a guy like you only has 20000 subs.hope you keep up your Trekking.peace
Fucking awesome! im so glad you are making a video on tenkara.. the best way to incorporate fishing into backpacking.. i used to fly fish an backpack in oregon..most of my backpacking trips included fishing and some sort of lake or river that i would hike and fish.. as light as fly rods are they were never to much of a bother to carry in a 4 piece type model..but after seeing tenkara its my new backpacking method for many fishing hikes.. check out Ruta locura they make carbon hiking poles that you can buy the tenkara kit and turn your hiking pole into part of your tenkara .. anyway..awesome video man im so glad you are getting into tenkara ..I bet you wished you ha one in the sierras.. you could have been eating fresh trout every night..
i didnt know you were a big fisherman.. you got even more cool points now!..lol you got a place to stay and free guide if you ever come fish AK
+matanuska high Awesome, thanks!
Hey Joe, which Tenkara model are you using?
+David Austin It's a Tenkara USA Sato Pole. (And not to spoil the upcoming review, but I'd highly recommend it. It is very versatile and one of the lighter models available.) I've updated the description of the video with links to all of the gear I normally use if you'd like to check them out.
Thanks Joe for the video. I've been wantng to switch over to Tenkra. Also, you mentioned that you were back in the real world. Sitting on a dock next to a river or lake seems a little removed from the real world to me. Ha Ha.
+Brian Carlson Hah yeah, that's true. Not my place, but I'll be here for another month or so. It is certainly better than being in a big city.
Hello
"Hyper-light"
check out tenkara rod co alot cheaper start up cost better product if you ask me
I'd have to disagree on part of that. I've fished with a tenkara USA iwana for 4 years now. I bought my wife a tenkara rod co for her birthday in May and after the third cast the swivel end came off. We were in Yellowstone so I put it back on and crimped it so she could continue to fish. I used hers several times and I could definitely tell a difference. Both hers and mine are the same length and action, 6:4. I thought they'd be pretty close but I could tell mine casts much smother than hers. The tenkara rod co is less expensive but not near the quality of tenkara USA.