I've seen a little about Japanese Tenkara style flyfishing on tv (I think it was on The Accidental Angler, fishing for Ayu) and have seen the odd mention of it on here, but I stumbled across a nice explanation of it on the website of a tackle dealer in the US that I've bought stuff from, and having read it thoroughly, I can see how it could be potentially highly effective on our small streams! Here's the article itself:

Tenkara Rods at BEARSDEN.COM

I'd like to give it a try some time, and I just wondered whether anyone here had ever actually tried it? Some of the traditional Tenkara flies are beautiful!

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Fish are like sex; tons around but I never seem to get any.

Not tried it but I would like to some day. Don't think there's a Tenkara dealer in the UK though.

What's It All About? TENKARA!

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Coolest Radio

There has been people on the Welsh Dee Thread lately who are very into it
Never tried myself although came close recently when my line got wrapped round the Tip Eye Czech nymphing and got a nasty shock when a fish grabbed the fly

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Allan
Only dead fish go with the flow.

Polite,

Check here

Pete's Piscatorial Exploits

and/or

UK Tenkara Forum - Home

The Alyn (N Wales) has a few of us using them...

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Don't care what your name is. No-one walks on the water where I'm fishing!
http://pedrosonthefly.blogspot.com/

That's really interesting, thanks!

I'm intrigued to see how it would perform on my local small river (not far off a stream) which I fish weekly with a 6ft 2wt.

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Fish are like sex; tons around but I never seem to get any.

I have lookes at these rods and as far as i can see they're just telescopic roach poles for small stream fishing!!!!! can't see it myself, specially if you're on a tiddler of a brook with little room, if some people think this is fly fishing, then i and thousands of others have been doing it wrong for Centuries

Hate to be the one to tell you this, but this is perhaps the oldest and purist form of fly fishing. that exists.

Telescopic rods have been around for years, all though 'out of favor' for the most part here in the US. But after looking at the photo in the link noted above the one thing that crossed my mind was: 'where's the reel seat and line guides?'

How do you rig these things?

fae

fae,

A short (2") braided cord is epoxied to the rod tip. At the end of the cord you tie an overhand or figure 8 knot. The tenkara line is tied to that cord and the figure 8 knot keeps it from slipping off.

The line plus tippet is anywhere from a foot to perhaps 5 feet longer than the rod. Actually the "line" is no more than a long furled leader or length of roughly 15# test fluorocarbon spinning line. Surprisingly, the rods are so light that the fluorocarbon spinning line has more than enough weight to propel the fly, just as in regular fly casting.

Videos here: Tenkara USA

I agree it's the oldist form of fishing but i think we've moved on and if this became popular, just think of all the job losses if we all switched, and now i think of all the money i've waisted on lines/reels/rods when all i needed was one of these!
it will be a flash in the pan and i've already got a roach pole thanks..