Simplicity … tradition … beauty …

These words express the meaning of Tenkara for many of us. Tenkara anglers know simplicity and beauty are core concepts of the Tenkara experience, rooted in centuries-old traditions.

As far as we know, the first Tenkara anglers were practical people making their living by fishing, taking advantage of the gentle descent of hand-tied flies crafted from simple indigenous materials. They skillfully propelled these Kebari through the sky on the end of an elegantly tied line joined to the tip of a slender shaft of ubiquitous bamboo. The Tenkara angler’s experience of the landscape, the stream, and fellow anglers must have been a source of inspiration for the creative as well as practical experience of Tenkara.

As contemporary Tenkara anglers following the stream-side path of those who came before us so many years ago, we can take a moment from time to time to reflect on the simplicity and beauty inherent in this rich history and tradition, manifested in such an essential activity ... the Way of Tenkara.