A number of high-profile international competition anglers in the UK and abroad – when given the choice of how to fish for pure enjoyment – have increasingly been choosing a tenkara rod for pocket-water streams in beautiful surroundings.
Why?
What is it that draws expert, competitive (as well as purely recreational) anglers to the skillset of tenkara? Well, some of the explanation could be in the rich cultural history – and “convergent” development of similar solutions to similar challenges as found in the European and British soft-hackle wet-fly traditions.
In fact, I recently enjoyed creating an article on that very subject for “The Yorkshire Gent” website (Click here to check it out if you missed it). But when I had the honour of speaking in depth to Italian Gold-medal-winning angler Uberto Calligarich last year…he explained so much more perfectly than I could have hoped some of the true addictive fascination of high-level Japanese tenkara…
So, if you watch no other fly fishing or tenkara-themed video this month; please make yourself a snack and a drink and settle in for a half-hour treat where Ubi reveals some of the simple, powerful approaches to life and fishing that will inspire you and enrich your time on-stream.
I think it is good to remember that Simplicity is an extremely Hard-won asset – somebody, somewhere will have needed to go through (and then beyond) incredible complexity to finally “boil down” and arrive at the simple, fundamental principles that apply (almost) universally…
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Paul