Basic knots for Tenkara Fishing
Setting up your new Tenkara Fishing Rod
Attaching
your line to your new Tenkara Fishing rod is easy and only takes a
few seconds. Simply fold the end loop back over the line
forming a loop, place that loop over the lilian (braided end on
the tip of the rod), and snug it down tight. Be sure to keep
the tip section of the rod inside while you attach and detach lines
to protect it from being bent side to side (the easiest way to damage
the rod.)
Extending and collapsing your rod
To
extend your rod simply grip the first section between your index
finger and thumb. While holding the tip near the body section, allow
your grip hand’s
thumb and index finger to put some pressure on the rod sections as
you extend each section in sequence from smallest to largest. Be
careful to pull each section out straight and do not pull side to
side. Do not flick the rod to telescope the sections out. To collapse
the rod, work in reverse and repeat the process of sliding each
section down starting at the grip and finishing with the tip
section. Be sure to grip the thickest section of each section
and do not apply any side to side pressure. Do not bend the rod
sections when collapsing. Sections should be pulled only until they
are snug and no more. Should a section be difficult to
collapse, use downward pressure with a gentle twisting motion to help
free the section
Connecting Tippet to Line and Fly
Knowing
just one or two knots will help you to rig your tippet to both the
line and the fly. The easiest to learn and use for both is the
clinch knot. With the tippet ring built into all of our furled
lines it works perfect for both ends. We recommend checking
out AnimatedKnots.com for a
great step by step slide show of how to tie the clinch knot.
Holding your Tenkara Fishing Rod.
Tenkara
Fishing Rods are very light weight and are only a few ounces. Holding
them may feel a little different than other fishing poles at first
but in no time, it becomes very natural. The basic rod grip
uses your index finger extended down the length of the grip to help
with balance and precision in your cast.
Basic Casting
The
basic motion for casting your Tenkara fishing rod is very easy to
learn. More than anything, in Tenkara your casting is dependent
on you relaxing and finding a slow steady rhythm. Your Tenkara
fishing rod will do nearly all of the work for you. All you have to
do is slowly bring the rod up and back then slowly forward. If
you are familiar with the 10-2 o’clock method in western fly
fishing, think more 12-2 o’clock for Tenkara. Just a little
bit of wrist motion is often all that is needed to move your fly
ahead in the stream. The biggest part of getting a good and delicate
cast is to relax and let the rod do the work. It is very easy to
overpower the rod and not have your line extend the fly cleanly.
Slow is smooth and smooth catches fish.
Ready to learn more?
There are some great books available to go further into the history, technique and style of Tenkara Fishing than the scope of our site. Checkout Tenkara - Radically Simple, Ultalight Fly Fishing available in our accessories section in a limited number of signed copies. And the newest book on Tenkara in English, Tenkara Fly Fishing: Insights & Strategies available on Amazon both in paperback and for Kindle.
|
Why yes that is a Tenkara-Fishing.com rod on the cover.
|
