Tenkara Technique 4-The Waterfall Plunge

The fourth and final edition of the Tenkara techniques posts is the Waterfall Plunge.  Is this the last and final technique for fishing Tenkara?  Of course not.  There are many more techniques you can use while fishing with the Tenkara rod and line but I have chosen the four I tend to use the most often.  For me the Waterfall Plunge Technique is one of the most exciting as well as challenging ways of fishing a Tenkara setup.  This technique is tough not only because you loose sight of the fly in the plunge or the possibility to loose the fly on underwater snags but also because of the natural beauty and rocky structure you have to go through to use this technique.
Fishing this technique is actually not that difficult but the judgement used while fishing the Waterfall Plunge needs to be honed before you cast the perfectly tied fly into an obvious underwater snag.  So how do you fish a waterfall successfully?
1 - Take a good look at the structure surrounding the waterfall.  If there are log jams, loose branches, or obvious snags blocking the waterfall then you might want to choose another technique to fish that hole.
2 - If no obvious snags look to be blocking your drop into the hole then cast your wet fly or nymph above the waterfall and let it flow with the current.
3 - Track the course of you fly in as natural a way as you can over the fall.
4 - As the fly plunges into the hole, lower you rod tip to track the progress of the fly and allow a more free movement as it tumbles through the white water and into the deeper water of the hole beyond the waterfall.
5 - As the fly exits the white water into the smoother waters beyond, begin to lift the rod tip and smoothly draw the fly to the surface.  This simulates the natural buoyancy and activity of a fly or nymph as they tumble through the broil of a waterfall and emerge in the pool below.

It probably will also go without saying but I will mention it anyway. The use of a dry fly with this technique is somewhat pointless. I have used the standard Japanese style wet flies and American nymphs with varying success. Some work well in the immediate plunge and others work well in the tailing pool but I really like the Sawyar's Killer Bug. I not only find this bug highly visible in active water but quite in-tune with the natural entomology of a small mountain stream.

 As a warning I feel I must tell you that I have lost more flies with this technique than with any other yet I continue to come back to it time and time again.  The reason I love this technique is simply because it is fun and it is effective.  All fly fishermen know that trout love the highly oxygenated water of a waterfall pool and generally hold deep in these pools sucking up fly after fly.  This technique produces fish.

I hope that these techniques have been helpful to you in your tenkara fishing and if not then I suggest that you visit TenkaraUSA.com , TenkaraBum.com , TenkaraOnTheFly.net , LearnTenkara.com or many other helpful sites or bloggers out there.  I believe that the Internet is a great tool for us anglers and if it wasn't for the bloggers out there I would have never started fishing with a Tenkara rod.

Tenkara Technique 3-Pull Up Stream

Number three in my series of Tenkara Techniques is the Pull Up Stream.  This is probably going to be the most used of the techniques because is can be accomplished in conjunction with a majority of the techniques I will cover.  I normally do not cast my fly with the intention of using this Pull Up Stream technique but I find myself using it more and more at the tail end of a Pull and Pause or Normal (Dead) Drift cast.  I have also found that once again, this technique is best utilized with a deep drifted wet fly or nymph.  Using this with a dry fly pattern will normally only succeed in drowning your fly and soaking the hackles making your next presentation fall a little flat. So how do you incorporate this into your drift?
1 - While nearing the end of you drift, before the fly has reached the end of the line, begin to gently pull you rod up stream while slightly raising the tip of your Tenkara rod bringing you fly to the surface.
2 - If you wait to long to use this technique you fly will have already begun its rise to the surface due to the tension on the fly line and the Pull Up Stream will be shortened.  To fully utilize this technique it is important to begin this retrieve early enough to control the rise effectively.
3 - Once the fly has reached the surface you can pause a moment and allow the fly to drift slightly down stream once again and give the fish one last shot at it or simply retrieve it for another cast.

 I have received a fair amount of strikes while utilizing this technique at the tail end of a drift and every time it surprises me.  Usually I do not see the fish taking the fly or see where they come from but when they hit it is unmistakable.  The tension on the line is already there and if a fish is going to take a fly on the Pull Up Stream, they are going to hit it fast and hard.  I suppose this is due to their perception that the fly is on the way up and will soon disappear so it is a 'now or never' type of take.  Besides the leap one sees of a fish breaking the surface for a freshly presented dry fly, this kind of take is one of my favorite.
Being a fan of small streamers like the Black Nose Dace, I have also found that this technique works extremely well with heavier weighted patterns.  The extra weight allows for an extended time beneath the surface and longer pull time as well as a natural swimming up stream type of behavior one might see from a small bait fish.
The only other comment I have on this type of technique is that success largely depends on the current speed.  Obviously in faster moving water your fly is going to rise quickly and thus shortening the effective time this technique can be used.  I find that using this method in gentle streams or at the tail end of a gentle bend is the most effective.
Visit TenkarUSA.com or TenkaraBum.com for more info on equipment, flies, and more Tenkara Advice.

Tenkara Technique 2 - Pull & Pause

Continuing with the techniques used in fishing with a Tenkara rod, the subtle change from the Normal Drift of a fly is to add a little life and hopefully provoke a strike.  I call this the Pull and Pause Technique and is most effective with a wet or emerger fly pattern. 
The theory is that if you see that the fish are lazily ignoring your fly with a normal dead drift technique, then with the addition of something lively in the water you might evoke a hunter prey response and get them to chase your fly.  I briefly touched on something like this in my Normal Drift post a few days ago when talking about fishing a small streamer pattern and adding a bit of a twitch to imitate a struggling bait fish.  The thought here is much the same only now you are trying to simulate the rise of an emerging bug to the surface or a mayfly struggling to get free of the surface tension.
1 - To utilize this technique, first cast up stream letting the fly fall gently on the surface and wait or pause for a few seconds to allow any fish to investigate the new addition to the environment. If you are fishing a wet fly of nymph allow enough time for the fly to sink to the desired depth.
2 - After a few seconds gently pull the fly down stream for 6in up to a few feet.  the length of the pull can very with the conditions.  The speed of the current or fly choice will effect how long you make your pull.  If a long pull does not work for you try shortening it up till you find something that works.
3 - After you have executed your pull, let the fly rest.  The pause in action will do two things for you.  It will allow any wary fish to come up and investigate the little fly that is so active in their stream and it will the fly to drift (or sink if nymph fishing) in the natural way a struggling bug would normally act in the water. 
4 - After a brief pause simply repeat steps 2 and 3 again and again until the fly has drifted down stream.  At a minimum you should get between 5 to 10 pulls out of a cast but this my very depending on the speed of the current.

I have used this technique with a moderate amount of success on gently flowing streams where fish have been holding deep.  I find that it is most effective with the wet flies, emergers, or very small streamer pattens.  As you can guess, the use of this technique with a dry pattern will not evoke as much of a response from the fish because it does not simulate the natural behavior of a true dry fly.  I have however had good results from fishing with emergers and wet flies since the gentle pull the angler gives the fly has the desired response of rising the fly to the surface in much the same way a fly will natural rise.
With fishing a wet, or particularly an emerger pattern, you might find that the majority of stikes are going to occur at the tail end of the drift (i.e. once the fly has past you on the stream).  The reason for this is the natural way a fly will rise to the surface.  Fish might find this rising motion against the current more natural and thus more appealing.
Again, if you find that a Normal Dead Drift is not producing any strikes, this Pull And Pause technique will be an easy way for you to alter you cast and hopefully produce a fish.  For more information of Tenkara rods, flies, or advise check out TenkaraUSA.com or TenkaraBum.com and have fun fishing.

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.

A Newbie Fly Fishing RMNP

No this is not me holding this wonderful looking trout but I sure wish it was.  This is in fact a fellow coworker of mine who has recently took up the addicting behavior of casting flies at eager trout and then fighting them for all their worth.  I like to believe I had a hand in steering this virgin of feathered angling into the world of fly fishing but I suspect that he would have found his way there sooner or later.  Regardless, Adam and I have been exchanging emails after I told him to keep me up to date with his progress and now I must say I am a bit jealous of his success.

Adam tells me that he started the hike from Bear Lake trail head and crossed waterfalls and streams to get to the more secluded section along the trail.  First hitting The Lock for a few fish then bounding up a waterfall to the Lake Of Glass, Adam went to town.  Hooking into some beautifull cutthroat and soaking in the natural wonder that is the world around him, I believe Adam has discovered what draws us anglers to this sport. 

The last time he emailed me I believe it was his first trip out and I think he plum forgot to take some picture.  I believe I reminded him that a fish story without pictures is just that.... a story.  This time he delivered the goods.  Below you will see just a fraction of the picture taken over the hike.

Adam also tells me that he has now taken up tying his own flies.  This is how I know he is now an angling addict and in a place like Colorado how could you not continue flipping flies to eager Cuts in those high mountain lakes.  Someday I hope to make the journey out there and fish with you mountain anglers.  Maybe when I do I can tie on one of Adams flies and be as successful as he is on the pristine mountain lakes and streams.

Fishing The Chattooga

I took a chance the other day and headed up the Chattooga river despite the dingy, high waters.  It was not a banner day but my buddy Kevin and I did manage to hook into a few fish.

After about two hours of searching holes I knew once held nice sized brown and rainbow trout I managed to hook into the first fish of the day.  It was the largest bass I had ever hooked in the river and I began to fear the worst.  I had expected the waters to be warm due to a hot summer but I would have never expected to hook a good sized bass in the holes that once held trout.  I am not sure what is happening to my favorite waters but it seems like I am catching less and less trout in them.  This big bass might be a sign of colder waters becoming more scarce.  Or it might just be a hearty bass enjoying a cool mountain river. 

I knew this was not a good sign for the brookies I was hoping to catch.  A few minutes later Kevin hooked into a chub, or horny head, or junk fish and I began see my hopes for trout disappearing in this stretch of river.

We tried to hike up river in hopes of finding a deep hole a few trout might have held out.  Giving it our best effort we tried to keep our hopes up but after searching hole after hole, ripple after ripple, and every promising looking stretch of water for about a mile up stream, we finally cut our losses and hiked back to the car.  We figured that if we wanted trout, then we would have to drive further north and find the cold water beyond our hiking limit.

It was a nice day for fishing with a cool overcast layer and a bit of clouds still hugging the mountain tops.  We only saw the sun a few times and got wet more often with an occasional passing drizzle.  After our drive and a bit of lunch, we unloaded and went looking for trout.  We didn't have to look very hard.

None of them were very big but they were fun to catch.

All together we hooking into about a dozen or so small rainbows, browns, and even a small brookie.

After a few of our tough little trout had been caught a released, we found that we had an audience.  This copperhead, who had been eyeing out progress from the far bank, decided that he had enough of watching us fish and came over to our side for a closer look.

I have seen snakes nearly every time I've been out fishing.  I have even had two snakes take fish right from me.  I've nearly been bitten by a copperhead and a rattler while hiking the river bank and I have learned to try and keep my distance from these unpredictable little guys.  Me and Kevin hung around for a few more casts and then decided that it was enough for the day.  All in all it was a nice day spent with fish and a good friend.

I also thought that I would add a bit of a sketch to today's post since this is a art/fishing blog.  I hope you all have a good weekend.

Barbel Sketch & Dean Brody CD Winner

First off, Congrats to the winner of the free Dean Brody cd.  Robert Dares of the Cottage Chronicles ( WWW.thecottagechronicles.com ).  It was not overly hard for the random number generator to select from the entries but non the less Robert will be receiving this great album in the next week.

As for the fish pictured above, it is a Barbel. I know it looks like an American carp but apparently there is a few species of this fish in Europe that are a blast to hook o a fly rod. I'm sure they are in the same family as our carp but it will take bit more research to determine the specifics.  In the mean time check out WWW.barbosconmosca.com , hit the translate option and do a bit or reading. It's always good to expand ones knowledge beyond your own world and see what makes those Spanish anglers tick.
'Barbel 9-1'. - 7in x 6in. ink on paper.  Email me for purchasing information.

Drawing Trout & Random Stuff

Just doing a bit of sketching and watching the weather.  It will be interesting to see how it develops over the weekend.  It should prove interesting for those in the north east.

If this little guy looks somewhat familiar, it is.  I took the inspiration for it from my new header.  It was a solid holdover brown I hooked late this spring on a stretch of South Carolina water.  It really is just an excuse to have something to post since work and other stuff has been keeping me off the water.
This sketch is a 7"x 5" ink on 130lb paper and in available for purchase (Cheap) by email.
One other thing I got for today is a shot I took on a recent trip from the small window of a jet.  Sun setting over the western horizon and a few buildups bring up some amazing shadows and bright colors.  You really cant beat some of the views you get at 30,000 feet.

It is truly amazing the quality of today's small cameras.

I also wanted to give you another opportunity to win free music.  Just go to my Dean Brody post and leave a comment and you will be entered to win a FREE Dean Brody CD.  Who doesn't love FREE!  Contest ends on the 30th.

Bluegill And A Popper

For some time I have been wanting to do a watercolor of a bluegill but have always abandoned the idea for a brown or rainbow trout.  Maybe it is the panfish's low status among anglers or the fact that it often seems that when they are biting it nearly impossible to keep them off your hook, but these little guys are often overlooked or in the extreme case, seen almost as a nuisance fish.  I sometimes fall for this line of thinking but the other day as I caught one of these beautiful fish after another I took some time to appreciate the staggering array of colors and uniqueness each individual fish.  

I have never gone so far as to call them a 'trash' fish and I'm not totally convinced that title belongs to any fish (although a few nasty fish might come close) but I have found myself being aggravated when I was hunting bass to have to clean my line of those persistent panfish.

I recently received a comment from a follower on one of my posts commenting on the stunning colors of the river caught sunfish.  I believe this particular follower hailed from Europe if I recall and said that he had never seen one of these before.  He went on to say that this fish would look more at home swimming around the corral reefs of the big blue than some river.  This small comment made me stop and re-evaluate my take on the common bluegill and sunfish.  They are a perfect target for the fly angler.  They attack on the surface with gusto, often fight hard on light tackle, and are nearly always there for the taking.  They are never as finicky as bass or trout, the are in nearly warm water pond, river, or stream, and they display some of the brightest variety of colors of any species of fresh water fish.  I know a lot of anglers that follow blog do go out and target these fish and swear by them as nearly as fun as small stream trout, but an equal number of anglers regard them at best as an annoyance and at worst as a pest.  Well today I celebrate the panfish.  If not an equal then at least as a worthy fish to hook on a fly rod.  If it is something you have never done, I encourage you to take that prized 3 weight and head on down to the local drainage pond or slow water river and hook into a few gills.  Then take a moment to just admire the beauty God has given these fish.  Each and every one will be different from the last and each individual hookup will make you smile.

This watercolor is on acid free archival quality paper.  It measures @ 11.5in x 8in and is available for purchase via email.  It will come already mounted in an acid free mat and ready to be framed.  I was planning on doing a progressive photo record of this work but totally forgot about the photos until the work was nearly finished.

Green Wing Classic & A Side Dish

I have always loved the art of these big flies.  The colors and arrangement of them are a skill to any that tie them up and they look to good to fish.  Most deserve a frame and a small place in some gallery. 

when I started it I wanted to just have the fly on a white background.  Since it was just a 'messing around' type painting I wanted to keep it simple stupid, but as I finished it and took a step back I felt it needed something a bit extra so I dropped in a bit of color around the fly to liven the painting up.  If nothing else I feel it gives the work a bit of that watery feel.                    (Wantercolor and Ink on 130lb paper.)

I thought I'd also share with you a bit of my mother-inlaws cooking ideas.  Okay, I know she probably is not the first to come up with it but I'm giving her credit anyway.

My wife and I have tomatoes coming out of ears from our garden so in order to get rid of them we have been eating them with nearly every meal.  My mother-inlaws idea was to slice them in half, dress them in olive oil and seasonings and top with two types of cheese and place in an oven.  I took it one step further and tossed them on the grill with some burgers and dogs.  Heated up just enough to melt the cheese and these babies are one sweet side dish.  The burgers weren't to bad either.

More Quick Trout Sketching

Between business, messing around in the garage, playing with the kids, and brewing a few gallons of mead (more about that in the future) I filled a few more pages with sketchings. Since this is an art and fish blog I figured I would post another sketch of the Japanese trout that has been in my mind lately.
It isn't much to look at now but little sketches like this are the  building blocks for future works.  They help me get a feel for the colors and flow of water that will aid me in creating a frame worthy piece. 
(watercolor and ink on heavyweight, ph neutral paper)

Tenkara Shirts Are In

I picked up the new Tenkara shirts today and they turned out SWEET!  For those of you that have ordered them already I will be shipping them out early tomorrow.  For those Tenkara anglers that have not ordered your shirt you had better hurry.  I have printed off a few extras but you had better hurry, supplies are limited.  You can order your shirt HERE.

I have added a special feature for these shirts as well.  I thought the front needed a little something so I added a bit of the Japanese Tenkara as well as a little lined trout.  I think it really makes the shirt!
All the extra shirts I ordered are the Hanes preshrunk shirts in the Pebble color.
Order Shirts HERE.

Music Giveaway (Dean Brody)

Who Is Dean Brody?  This is what I asked myself when I got an email from Deans music promoter asking me to do a plug for her singer.  Well thanks to the technology available in today's world I was able to answer this question with little effort.  After downloading a few of his hits from the site http://deanbrody.com I discovered an up and coming country artist with down home roots.  Long story cut short, This guy is now on my playlist and I am giving you the opportunity for him to be on yours as well.
As my wife and friends can attest too, my music interest are all over the map.  From an Irish punk folk mix to Classical composers, classic rock to Jimmy Buffett, and quite often Country my library of music fits my personality.  As a guy that shies away from city life for the simplicity of rural life and the values one finds in the small towns of my youth, a Country artists like Dean Brody sing the songs that I can relate to.

In a world of singers who seem to lack truth in the songs that they sing (mainly from the fact that they don't write their own tracks) Dean Brody has a connection to every song he sings.  Hemingway once was heard to tell an aspiring writer "write what you know" and Dean seams to have done just that. His life seems to be in every line and every cord.   That truth will resonate with anyone that hears his music and likes solid country music.

So what do you need to do win his new album "Trail In Life"?   The answer is simple.
1.  You must be a follower of this blog
2.  You must leave a comment telling us what you look for in a good song.  What is it that makes that special song a constant on your play list or makes you get into a grove while tying up flies or driving to that secluded stream.

(The winner will be randomly selected from all the comments at the end on the month and Deans new album will be mailed out that first week of September.  This post will be re-posted periodically through the rest of the month.)

The Dun

Utilizing my new sketch pad today I penned a small Dun fly I had recently seen on a fellow bloggers site, then lightly colored it in.  See if you can match it to the original.  It shouldn't be to hard, this other Blogger loves the small flies and is a master at tying the most technically correct and beautifully created small dries you'll ever see.
("Small Dun" 3"x4" watercolor and ink on paper.) 

The Trout and The Spider

I got a new sketch book today.  I filled a few others and needed a new one for the days I spend on the road.  The moment I got home I planned on mowing the yard but instead I did not wait a second to sit down at the kitchen table and doodle out a trout on the first page.  There is just something about a blank pad of paper that is.... well it intimidating and I feel its necessary to get something in it so the rest of the book will be easier to fill.  This young Japanese trout seemed like just the starter to fill the first five inches.  Only 49 pages left to fill.  This doodle is a 6.5in x 3.5in ink archival ink on 130lb heavy weight, PH neutral artist paper.

As for the spider.  I got home last night from a long road trip to find my garden filled with neglected fruit, my grass longer than the wheat fields of Nebraska, and this big boy clinging to the side of my shed.  Part of the fun of the out doors is finding new things to go back research.  I thought I would solicit you help in my entomology research.  I suspect TexWisGirl or Jay might know what it is.  Whatever it is I doubt a trout would have any part of it.  A bass maybe but a finicky trout, not a chance.  I myself let it be and hoped it enjoyed feasting on the wasps that had taken up residence next to my mower.  ( I am not looking forward to doing battle with them today).