What Resources Have You Used to Learn Tenkara?

I got this comment on one of my Instagram (@tenkaraaddict) photos:

I wonder if you could do a video of the resources you have used to learn tenkara.

That would be a very short video. I learned tenkara by convincing a friend (who had been tenkara fishing for a couple of years) to teach me. We went out together maybe 6 or 8 times early on, and we still get together to fish when I’m in the area. If you don’t have someone who can teach you, going out with a guide a time or two will be well worth it.

Apart from that, I fished a ton on my own and learned a lot that way about things like where fish are in a creek.

I didn’t read any books about tenkara until later, but I’ve found the one by Tenkara USA’s Daniel Galhardo to be the best.

Tenkara USA also has this great video for teaching the basics: The Complete Video Guide to Tenkara: 17 minutes covering everything you need to know to tenkara.

What resources would you recommend to people looking to get into tenkara?

7 thoughts on “What Resources Have You Used to Learn Tenkara?”

  1. Learned Tenkara by watching all the videos I could find on YouTube , no one I knew fished with a Tenkara rod…

  2. Daniel’s book and videos taught me how. And a lot of practice with my Sato rod on water and dry casting. As a child of tenkara I am still learning and having fun.

  3. Perfect answer, i have learned alot from tenkaraddict, I love all the colors of yarn I received from your website, I find them Perfect, THANKS VERY VERY MUCH For Teaching us Tenkara

  4. On my 3rd trip to fish Ireland’s small rivers i talked to a salesman who traveled with and fished with a collapsible rood and a set line. . Of course, all the small streams were perfect Tenkara streams. After this I began web searches and discovered Tenkara US A . . Lots of basics besides stuff to purchase. . Most of our fly fishing here in Oregon have been in lakes. . So decided to buy the tusa Amago and try it. . At 13.5 ft and built for 20″ plus fish I went big. . Since its purchase and initial use, I haven’t touched any of my western fly rods. . I only tie tenkara flies, bought 2 more tenkara rods for stream fishing and haven’t looked back. . I love your videos on tenkara addict and subscribe to several tenkara newsletters and have a few favorite authors I check in on regularly. . Finally I have not fished with any other tenkara folks but am totally self taught and definitely well hooked on Tenkara. It can be done. Finally really recommend the book tTennkara,the book sold on tusa’s website…it is all you need . .

  5. After fly fishing primarily streams and saltwater beaches for 40 years I got interested in Tenkara through a friend. I spent the winter learning all I could from articles and videos: Rods, lines, and rigging from Dr Tom Davis and Chris Stewart, casting from videos featuring Masami Sakakibara and Dr Ishigaki, and many subtle techniques from the Discover Tenkara – seasons 1 & 2 Tenkara in Focus on YT and some of their paid tutorials. In the spring-summer it all paid off with some personal bests for size and numbers of fish landed from places I’d been fishing for years. I think the book Tenkara: Radically Simple, Ultralight Fly Fishing by Kevin Kelleher & Misako Ishimura is excellent. Dave Hughes also has a good and fairly lengthy Tenkara chapter in his book Trout from Small Streams. However fixed line rods (with long lines for the extra reach) have not been as efficient, effective, and versatile for me as western fly rods and reels to fish saltwater estuaries or lakes.

  6. Similar to others: you tube, discover tenkara website, TUSA videos/book, DT Simple Flies book, Tenkara Today book, Tenkara Sasoi book by DT, Tenkarabum website. And most importantly, getting out there and fishing a lot.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.