Tenkara Technique 1-Normal Drift

 I am sure frequent bloggers have heard of and even might know quite a bit about Tenkara but for those new comers to the Tenkara style, this week I decided to start a little series on illustrating a few techniques for fishing with a Tenkara rod.  This first technique I call - The Normal Drift.
I am always a big advocate of  the KISS Theory.  Keep It Simple Stupid.  This first technique embodies this theory better than any other.
Basically the Normal Drift is done the same as one would drift a fly with the standard fly fishing system but doing it with a Tenkara rod will dramatically increase the realistic drift a bug would make while floating down stream.  The reason why a Tenkara setup is better than a standard fly fishing setup for fishing this technique is simple.  You dramatically reduce the drag of excess fly line being pulled by variant currents on the surface of the stream and so the fly is able to drift in a more normal pattern.
1- First cast your fly up stream, letting it fall on the surface of the water as gently as possible.  Keep as much of the line off the water in order to avoid veering currents from catching the excess line and dragging the fly through the water.
2- Next, as you let the fly drift down stream in its natural coarse you want to follow the fly with the rod, all the while slowly raising the the tip of the rod in order to take up the slack in the fly line.  This action will allow you to avoid excess line from being dragged by the currents and thus effecting the drift of the fly.
3- Finally as the fly begins to pass you, you will have to slowly lower the rod tip in order to allow the fly to continue its natural drift.
4- Wait for that killer hookup.

This technique can be used for dries as well as wet flies and nymphs.  Depending on what depth you desire, you will have to lower the rod tip accordingly.  The key to using this technique successfully is controlling the amount of line on the water in order not to control how the fly drifts with the current.  I have even used this technique successfully for a small streamer pattern like a #14 Black Nose Dace or small Woolly Bugger.  For a small streamer I have added a bit of a twitch to the rod tip during the drift to imitate a struggling bait fish or bug.
If you have a Tenkara rod then you have probably used the Normal Drift but I you are looking at trying this type of fishing, check out TenkaraUSA.com or TenkaraBum.com for some killer gear and more great advice.  In a few days I will post another Technique for Tenkara.