Like a Hummingbird: Some Musings on Life and Tenkara

Lately I've been sitting on the back deck in the coolness of the morning before the heat and humidity envelope the day like a damp, hot blanket of misery. Each morning I'm visited by at least two hummingbirds. Though it's hard to say for sure. All I can really say is that I've only ever seen two at a time. They come to our hummingbird feeder as well as the flowering plants. I watch them come and go. They're so busy. I can't help but to be amazed by these tiny creatures.

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Wyoming Tenkara Campout 2026

Brent Auger of DRAGONtail Tenkara put on a spectacular three-night tenkara community campout event in Alpine, Wyoming at the end of August. Now in its second year, with the first taking place just east of Boise, Idaho in 2025, Brent reflected on the experience: "I felt like it turned out quite well and even though quite a few people had to sleep somewhere other than in the campground, we still had great gatherings in the evenings and a decent amount of people pairing up to go out and fish together and had great experiences fishing together."

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Sunday Morning Riffles – 9/13/2026

Happy Sunday! I'm writing this one still fighting off a little Nikko jet lag, so bear with me if it reads slightly more erratic than usual. Anthony and Matt are still adventuring in Japan, but I'm back after a week fishing the Nikko headwaters with our friends Hiro and Takashi. Meanwhile Amanda, Bill, and Tom were off representing the crew at DRAGONtail's Wyoming Campout. Between the two trips we basically emptied the office for two weeks, which explains why things got a little quiet here on the site. But that just means there's a genuinely great backlog of tenkara stuff (especially from MostlyTenkara) to catch you up on.

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A Day and a Fish in Sardinia

photo by Federico Di Gennaro "But it still reminds me of Malta: lost between Europe and Africa and belonging to nowhere. Belonging to nowhere, never having belonged to anywhere. To Spain and the Arabs and the Phoenicians most. But as if it had never really had a fate. No fate. Left outside of time and history.” - Sea and Sardinia, D.H. Lawrence In June I flew to Sardinia, the large island west of the Italian mainland, for a gathering with my older sister Anne and her family, most of whom live in Italy.

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Setting our “Out of Office”

This is a big week of travel for the Tenkara Angler crew, so we're setting the our "out of office" notification here at the website! Wyoming First off, we've got Amanda, Bill, & Tom traveling to the DRAGONtail Wyoming Tenkara Campout 2026 to hopefully meet and hang out with a bunch of Tenkara Angler readers. If last year's version in Idaho is any indicator, this should be an epic weekend of fixed line fly fishing! We hope everyone that goes has a wonderful time and says "hello" to the crew that's attending.

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Dyeing Fly Tying Materials with Natural Dyes

Article by Steve Allen I was directed down this rabbit hole by Dr. Paul Gaskell via his article published in the Spring 2025 issue of Fly Tyer Magazine. He documented the 19th century British fly tyer and fisher, H.C. Cutcliffe. Dr. Gaskell detailed how he followed Cutcliffe’s methods of sourcing tying materials and dyeing them. H.C. Cutcliffe lived during the mid-1800s at which time you collected your tying materials from the sources at hand; barnyard animals, game birds, silk, and yarn. As most feathers and fur were of naturally occurring coloration the art of fabric dying was employed in the dying of fly-tying materials.

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Sunday Morning Riffles – 8/22/2026

Happy Sunday! We're deep in that weird late-August stretch where many people are looking ahead to fall, but the summer just hasn't let go quite yet. My daughter went back to Ohio to for her junior year of college this week, which means it's getting darker earlier and earlier by the day, and before I know it, I'm not going to be able to sneak any neighborhood pond fishing time in after work anymore. Ouch! However, that's a problem for another day, so let's wade into those Riffles… A Master Class, Properly Credentialed…

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Troubleshooting Common Tenkara Casting Problems

We recently received an email from a reader who had invested a lot of time and energy into learning tenkara, sitting through videos, digging into articles, working through books, but he still couldn't figure out casting. His line was collapsing, tangling, and landing in a pile instead of rolling out cleanly across the water. If that sounds familiar, read on. You're not alone, and you're not hopeless. Tenkara is frequently described as the most accessible form of fly fishing, and that reputation is well earned. The casting stroke is intuitive once it settles in, but getting there requires some experimentation and practice.

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The Seiyu Therapy 33 V2 is Available for Pre-Order

You may remember that back in the summer of 2025, we asked the tenkara community to get behind Tony Parmenter's Kickstarter campaign for the Seiyu Therapy 33 V2. The campaign, which aimed to fund both an updated version of the rod and a feature-length documentary about tenkara's role in trauma therapy, didn't reach its funding goal. Tony, being Tony, didn't let that stop him. He's now taking direct pre-orders on the Seiyu Therapy 33 2.0, and this time the window is very small. A Quick Refresher Tony Parmenter is a licensed psychotherapist, trauma therapy consultant, and military veteran who developed the Seiyu Therapy 33 as the primary fishing tool for his…

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ESZ Ultra-Portable LED Fly Tying Lamp – Initial Thoughts

ESZ Fishing is a tenkara brand you're likely not aware of unless you pay really close attention. Known for making quality, yet under the radar rods and accessories, I've been given the opportunity to try and change that perception, and their fly tying lamp is one of the latest items to land on my desk. Full disclosure: Ethan at ESZ sent this lamp for evaluation purposes. With an upcoming fishing trip requiring some serious vise time to get prepared, the timing was good and I've had a few solid sessions to form some early impressions.

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Pink Squirrel Meets the Balkans

In 2022 I had the chance to visit Croatia, and fish for trout in two areas of the country. I wrote about one of the areas, the Curak River, for Tenkara Angler, but also had a fine time with some guides and new friends in the second area. Recently, my guide to the waters in that area, Antonio, reminiscing about the good times and adventures we had, sent me a photo collage from that trip, and I'll share it here - a tenkara video 'postcard' from Croatia (call it 'Pink Squirrel Meets the Balkans'). 

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The 12 Foot Tenkara Rod

Why All-Purpose, Single Length Rods Are Worth a Look There's a quiet trend happening in the tenkara rod market, and honestly, I feel it's worth pushing back on a little bit. Zoom rods with their adjustable lengths have dominated the conversation for the past several years, and ultrashort and pocket rods have more recently become all the rage. All have merit, but I wonder if anglers have been ignoring a whole category of excellent rods, otherwise known as the single length, all-around 12-foot tenkara rod. These rods have fun marketing stories behind them.

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Sunday Morning Riffles – 8/9/2026

Happy Sunday! Personally, it's been a slow week on the tenkara front. My (real) job has been keeping me cooped up during the day and up late at night and I haven't spent much time creating or consuming much tenkara content, much less fishing. So this week's edition of the Riffles are just as much for me, as they are for you. I need my tenkara fix bad! I hope your first full week of August was substantially more fishy than mine. Anyway, let's wade into those Riffles… An Iowa Legend, Immortalized…

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How to Refresh Your Tired Flies with Steam

It's common to have your flies become tired and careworn after a long day of fishing. The hackles become limp and lose their shape, especially after that final fish. But here is an easy way to rehabilitate the hackle and refresh them back to an almost new appearance. Just boil some water. The process is easy. Take a pot, or better yet, a teapot and put some water in it. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Select the fly in question and hold it with some forceps or needle nose pliers.

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Sunday Morning Riffles – 8/2/2026

Happy Sunday! Well, that's July in the books. My own rod has mostly stayed in the corner this stretch, but between the backpacking trips, the New Mexico campout, and everybody's streamside photo dumps, I've been getting my fix vicariously through all of you. Honestly, that's most of the fun of putting this thing together each week. Anyway, let's wade into those Riffles… High Desert Campout, In the Books Rocky MTN Tenkara hosted their first-ever High Desert Tenkara Camp Out July 24th-27th up in Amole Canyon outside Taos, New Mexico, and by the looks of…

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Piscifun Waterproof Fishing Jacket Gear Review

Reading my email back in April of this year, I was excited to learn that Tenkara Angler had been invited by Piscifun to try out a new waterproof fishing jacket. I had recently lost or misplaced mine during my cross-country move from the Carolinas to Oregon, so the timing couldn't have been better. I was expecting a lot more rain than what I was used to in the Southeast, and I was happy for the opportunity to put this jacket through its paces. In the past, I wasn't particularly keen on fishing in the rain, but some recent trips on blue lines during wet weather have consistently brought fish to hand, and my perspective has shifted.

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What Makes Tenkara Kebari Worth Their Weight?

Article by Devin McPhillips What defines the boundary between weighted and unweighted kebari? They may share a prominent hackle, but they are usually fished with different techniques. Weighted kebari support some version of tight-line nymphing, and unweighted kebari reward more traditional tenkara presentations. As I work to improve my technique, this boundary seems more important but less clear. The simplest definition of an unweighted kebari might be the lack of a tungsten bead head. Another simple definition might be the lack of the telltale “clunk” marking the beginning and end of a normal cast.

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Fixed Line Fishing From a Kayak

Article by Fred Church Kayak fishing has become a revolution. Everywhere you look are people fishing from basic big-box store kayaks to tricked out multi-thousand-dollar kayaks. It is easy to understand why. The stealth they enable alone explains the rage. But in addition, even if tricked out, the expense to kayak fish is much less than the traditional bass boat or drift boat. Trailers are optional as throwing a kayak in the back of a pickup or (with help) on top of an SUV is all it takes. Launching is also easy, a ramp is nice, but often not required.

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NETrekk Introduces the Flex System – Product Spotlight

Tenkara Angler was first introduced to NETrekk, the Las Cruces, New Mexico-based net and wading staff maker last year. Anthony Naples purchased one of their nets, which he highlighted on our "Don't Fish Without This Gear!" podcast. Since then, we've been following along as owner Jerry Hicks has been evolving the product line, recently announing something we think is pretty cool. A Fully Modular Net, Handle, and Wading Staff Anyone who fishes more than one type of water knows how gear can accumulate: a shorter handle net for backpacking into small streams, a longer handle net for floating or larger rivers, and a sepearate collapsible or telescopic wading staff, none of them quite covering every situation on their own.

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From the Land of Enchantment

Completing the New Mexico Trout Challenge on Tenkara Article by Payton Skidmore When the rabbit hole of state-sponsored wild trout challenges consumed me and my obsession with fixed-line angling, New Mexico was never at the top of my destination list. After binge-watching countless episodes of Breaking Bad, I had fallen victim to the idea that New Mexico was just a barren desert with nothing but cactus, heat, and scorpions. But upon further examination, and through the philosophy that trout truly live in the prettiest places, I've come to understand that New Mexico is indeed a Land of Enchantment.

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Note from Flagstaff

By Jon Carver Note from Flagstaff. Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado. Real America. Mountain, desert, Mormons, the city without limitation or possibility. Land of mirage, phantom, dream, psychosis. What I thought was a ghost was merely trash bags on barbed wire. Golden hour at sunset. Golden hour at noon, wildfire. Ronald McDonald. Ozymandias. Road closed. Snow falls straight and ash is random. No fire in the canyon but close. For fish and people reprieve comes after disaster. Here It Is. The campaign against reality. F-150s, 250s, 350s, 450s and 666s of the southern army amassed on all sides like tanks at Fallujah.

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North Woods Natives: A Tenkara Saga

It was Bill that got things rolling. "What was the fishery up north you mentioned? Something about brookies on a bigger river, and maybe some blue lines to check out? I've got a thing nearby coming up, we could meet there and fish." I'd been exploring this region during passing visits for a few years and had discovered a stretch of mainstream that looked like prime tenkara fishing. It's deep within a remote swath of isolated public forests in Northern Wisconsin. The river section itself; heavily wooded, lightly visited, sometimes tough to get signal even with satellite.

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Simple Rods, Big Adventure: Exploring Tenkara in Patagonia

Article by Darío Martini The Tenkara Ethos: Slowing Down for the South I’ve been exploring tenkara fishing for the past ten years. I grew up in Neuquén, a city in Argentina’s northern Patagonian Comahue region. This background has given me the opportunity to fish on both the Chilean and Argentine sides of Patagonia. My best advice? Forget the old myths about Patagonia. Put aside the outdated, romanticized notions of a barren and inaccessible wilderness (and maybe skip reading Bruce Chatwin’s “In Patagonia”). This tenkara adventure is real, achievable, and right within your reach.

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Tenkara for Panfish

Gear Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Tenkara Time Article by Ivan Zoot Panfishing is also a great way to expand your tenkara time when a hike up to a cold water trout stream is not an option for reasons of geography, time, or season. The following are my top five tips for proper gear to get the most out of your warm water panfishing with tenkara. Never go anywhere without your gear bag and travel rod – Be prepared to fish on the spot. Ponds in housing developments and industrial parks are loaded with fish and see little to no fishing pressure.

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More than a Puncher’s Chance

Sometimes fishing can feel so random. One day you feel like you're on top of the world. The next day you can't buy a fish. Don't get me wrong, it's often "nice to just get out", though I still want to catch fish and I measure my success based on that catching. I do grade myself on a curve however and I adjust expectations and "success" based on conditions as I see them. I'm not going to let a tough day of fishing ruin my week, but I admit to feeling a bit defeated some days on the water and I start to calculate how much guitar money I could get if I sold all my fishing and fly tying gear.

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Sunday Morning Riffles – 7/5/2026

Happy Sunday! Hope you're enjoying the long weekend if it applies. Did you survive the 4th of July? My neighborhood was lit up with fireworks last night to properly celebrate America's 250th birthday. Honestly, I spent most of the day on the couch eating and watching more soccer (football?) than I have in my life. Hopefully our US national team makes us proud tomorrow night. Anyway, let's wade into those Riffles... Hellbender Bass Fishin' We've been getting a lot of inquiries about using tenkara rods to target warmwater species lately. 'Tis the season I suppose.

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One Day in the Mountains

I recently took a trip to western North Carolina in search of something. Fish, sure... but perhaps something a little bit more. It's not uncommon that when I make these quasi-spiritual journeys, they're extremely last minute. I'm sure you know the type. You're at work on a Wednesday, growing tired of corporate-speak and meeting after spreadsheet after PowerPoint. Thursday comes around and you've tuned almost everyone and everything out. Might as well be Charlie Brown's teacher on the other end of that Zoom call. By Friday morning you're like, "F*ck it, I gotta get away." Zero planning, no time to make arrangements to meet up with friends.

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Women’s Tenkara Camp Out – Looking For Your Feedback

OVERVIEW:When: September 10-13th (Thursday - Sunday)Where: Camping - Kuykendall Group Campsite, Brevard, North Carolina On-Stream Education - Tuxedo Falls in collaboration with Hendersonville Outfitters Social Hour - TBD in Brevard, NC Cost: We are currently targeting a registration fee somewhere around $45. Our goal is to keep this as affordable as possible based on turnout! Educators: Callie Freeman, an Entomologist from South Carolina, Rob Worthing of Tenkara Guides LLC and Oni school instructor, Amanda Hoffner of Heritage Tenkara Project Based on the Above, Let us Know:

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Stirring the Tenkara Pot – Episode 36 Level Line Podcast

We released our latest podcast a week early! Figured with all the upcoming 4th of July travels and long weekends, it may bring some entertainment to a road trip or a lazy afternoon... In Episode 36 of the Level Line Podcast, Tenkara Angler editors Mike Agneta, Matt Sment, and Anthony Naples kick things off with summer updates before Anthony decides to stir the pot, and from there, the panel dives headfirst into some of tenkara's most debated topics. Is tenkara simplicity overrated? What actually counts as "real" tenkara? What are your biggest tenkara pet peeves?

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Grand Slam!

Every so often, I fish a stream that has all four species of "trout" that can be caught on the same outing. In my part of Wydaho, this would mean that you catch a cutthroat, rainbow, brown and brook trout all during the same session on the water. It's been a while since my last one, but recently it happened again. The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) has numerous Grand Slam categories and what they call "Clubs". There are the IGFA Trout Grand Slam Club (three species in the same day); the IGFA Trout Super Grand Slam Club (four species in the same day); and the IGFA Trout Fantasy Slam Club (five species in the same day).

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