Highlights & Hijinks! | Episode 11: Tenkara Angler Level Line Podcast 

I wanted to add something that was amazing to me. Watching 3 Japanese Tenkara anglers fish my homewater of the South Platte is something I won't soon forget. I loved every minute of that trip. Was so much fun to connect with them, tie them flies, and get them into fish. I had a blast. Thanks again Mike and Matt for including me in that.

Anthony, about wet wading, Orvis Pro Approach wet wading shoes are awesome. Been using mine for 3 seasons. Love them. I use a simms neoprene sock with them. Easy.

You probably fished Big Cottonwood. It’s such a beautiful canyon but it’s crazy busy all year including winter. I tenkara fish most of the Wasatch Front Rivers. Great listen, I laughed out loud in my car on the “celery” debate. A potential meet in the middle solution is carrots 😂.

Joking aside, while I was crunching some celery, I was mostly thinking about the “simplicity” question. I agree with the answers for the way you are interpreting the question. I do think there is a tactic change ethos in tenkara vs a gear change. By that I mean when fishing is tough instead of changing a tackle or gear item the angler cycles through tactics. Of course this does not mean we don’t buy tons of gear and carry it but we rely more on changing the presentation/tactic/approach rather than a different rod, line or fly. We may in the end change the fly. As for flies, I too dont think many Tenkara anglers carry flies the way some western anglers do with a box for PMD’s in multiple sizes and shades…for example.

I think a great subject to cover in a future episode (if it isn't already) would be different types of lines and also why companies like T-USA and Tenkara Rod Co call their furled lines "level lines". How many people use just a regular spool of mono berkley 2lb line, etc etc. That could be an interesting topic.

Anthony, on the wading gear. I have chased this for a few years now because I just hate having to drag on chest wader and hiking in them. What I have finally landed on for all year in east Tennessee area is this. My shoes are Altra trail shoes, I use them backpacking and trail running so they are proven too me and dry fast. Then when i get in the water i use Chota Cloaks that are basically neoprene booties that go over the shoes and have a felt sole so I don't slip (buy them one size bigger than shoe size). In the colder months i just add a pair of SealSkinz winter knee high waterproof socks. If i need to stand in deeper water I use a pair of Chota hippies. These are the best things because they are multi position, hips, down to calves or down to ankles. All of this is very lightweight and packs really small. I am interested in trying the new Korkers All Axis shoes with the interchangeable soles. I do love my korker boots when not hiking in more than a mile.

I wet wade in Columbia PFG pants and Astral Loyaks. They are very grippy, lightweight, and dry fast. No socks needed.

I like celery. Keeps big foot away.

I can't remember which episode it was but you guys may have mentioned on "over rated or under rated" something about zoom rods. A comment was made about how the extra 12" of a zoom is the equivalent to swinging your arm out. I never though about it but it made sense when I listened. I have been doing a local pond challenge with six of my Tenkara rods. I was only interested in fishing the longest zoom possible since it was still water. I started with the WTR T-Hunter and worked my way down to the WTR Middle Fork. I only fished 12' rods or longer. Since I am a river guy and love dry flies, most of my longer rods have a heavy swing weight and I do not enjoy fishing them as much. An example was the Hydra. It loves unweighted flies on the 11.5 but I can't get myself to love the 13' zoom. However with this challenge, I am fishing exclusively some nymphs and it really redeemed the heavy weights of the Hydra, Middle Fork, etc. I came out of that challenge thinking I would use those shorter zooms on these rods for my river days but anytime a bigger nymph can be used, it's almost like you NEED to use the longer length to get any kind of roll cast or false cast. I lost some desire for zoom rods listening to that Tenkara Angler podcast but some redemption for them dawned on me from this experiment. Still though....I think Zooms are mostly redundant. I just wanted to share that thought to you guys. :)

Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but my wet wading solution is fairly simple: an old pair of Teva sandals, a pair of polypropolene socks and some quick drying hiking pants. I used to go without socks, but socks keep away the leeches and cuts down on cuts and scrapes. I like this system for speed/simplicity. I also enjoy the feeling of the water flowing over my feet because it connects me to the joy of playing in a creek when I was a kid.

Furled lines, underrated. Slower action rods, overrated. Short tenkara rods, overrated.

Upcoming topic: Is tenkara reaching the next generation of anglers? The outings I've been to are most populated by a Gen-X and a few boomers. I don't see many millennials/Gen Z involved in the sport.