Tenkara Tuesday - 2016 Tenkara Jam

After last week's post that really wasn't a true recap of the 2016 Tenkara Jam, I thought it probably right to do a complete recap for those that are interested, but weren't able to attend. And for those who don't care about the Jam, well, this will be my last post about it, I promise. :)

The Tenkara Jam was held on the 15th & 16th of October, in Cherokee, North Carolina. Cherokee is a pretty interesting mountain town, one that borrows from it's Native American heritage, but mixes in quite a bit of tourist kitsch. It's also a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which means excellent outdoor adventure opportunities, including fly fishing.

Attendance of the Tenkara Jam was pretty impressive, particularly on Saturday. I believe organizer Jason Sparks posted on Facebook in the following days that over 170 people attended the event. That's a lot of people! And while many were already experienced in the dark art of tenkara, there were probably just as many newcomers, interested in learning what the fuss was all about.

The Jam Crowd

I was at the Jam not only as "fanboy," but because I wanted to promote my other endeavor, Tenkara Angler magazine. To say that it was well received is an understatement. It was really cool to meet several of the magazine's contributors that I had only communicated with via email or social media. It was even cooler when somebody came up to the table and said, "wow, I didn't know there was a tenkara-only magazine, how do I subscribe?" By the amount of business cards and stickers I handed out, I'm pretty sure it was a mission accomplished.

Tenkara Angler magazine table

However, I wasn't the only vendor at the Jam. There were many purveyors of tenkara goodies in attendance. I'll run you through a few highlights below:

Tenkara USA

Daniel Galhardo, Tenkara USA

Badger Tenkara

Some prototypes (left) and current models (right) from Badger Tenkara

Three Rivers Tenkara

Anthony Naples of Three Rivers making a sale

TenkaraBum

TenkaraBum's booth was amazing

Tenkara Tanuki

The extremely personable Luong Tam of Tanuki

Riverworks Tenkara

Riverworks Tenkara's new product line - available for pre-sale now

Tenkara Rod Co.

Was happy to see Drew and Lars from Tenkara Rod Co. at the event

Zimmerbuilt

Chris Zimmer and his packs - a crowd favorite

Streamside Leaders

Streamside's Mike Moline

Oh, and I can't forget fly shops Rivers Edge Outfitters & Trekka Outfitters as well as the main Jam table, where Jason Sparks' beautiful family was selling jars of tenkara jam, Boone Barrs, fly tying vise stands, and David Taylor's fantastic antler carvings.

But no, that's not all...the presentations were all top notch as well...

As you may be able to see from the flyer above, there was quite a bit on the agenda, and I have to say despite having mountain streams a stone's throw from the event hall, each presenter kept the room's attention with extremely entertaining content.

Jason Sparks kicked off the first day with opening remarks and an "intro to tenkara" of sorts that got everybody up to speed on the basics. Jason's energy is amazing to witness. I often refer to him as a tenkara evangelist, but not in an over the top way.

Jason Sparks

He was followed that morning by the Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association (and more importantly, tenkara guide) Tom Sadler, Anthony Naples of Three Rivers Tenkara, Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA, and Rob Worthing of Tenkara Guides, LLC.

Each brought a little different perspective to the table. Tom's presentation was a mixed bag about everything, borrowing from his experience as a tenkara guide, as well as his encounters with other tenkara anglers and fishing personalities over the years. Tom is a fantastic and relatable speaker, should you have the opportunity to listen to him speak, take it.

Tom Sadler

Anthony focused on creating and defining your own tenkara, blurring the boundaries of what you might think to be acceptable and blazing your own trail through experimentation and self-discovery. It's one of those things that really appeals to me as an angler. There is no right or no wrong, there's only what works for you. 

Daniel's presentation featured a humorous video showing how it only takes one "crazy person" and a few early followers to start a movement. He also gave a few tips on simplifying your fishing in the name of reducing frustration and finally, presented Jason Sparks with an Ambassador award on behalf of Tenkara USA, a very nice touch.

Daniel congratulating Jason

Rob's "Advanced Casting" talk was perhaps the highlight of the first day. Borrowing from well-established sports training techniques combined with motion capture software, Rob broke down not only the motions required to become a more skillful caster, but showed us how in real-time through the use of video.  It was kind of like watching a football analyst diagram a play on TV using the "telestrator."

Rob Worthing

Day two was much of the same, simply with different presentations.

Chris Stewart of TenkaraBum opened up the day's schedule with a walk through all of the species one can pursue with fixed-line fly fishing rods. He started with examples of tiny fish such as shiners, slowly building up to some serious fish like carp, catfish, and musky. Tenkara may have originated in the mountains of Japan in pursuit of trout, but Chris showed how the same general set of tools can be evolved to attack much different angling situations around the world.

Chris Stewart

Luong Tam's (Tanuki) presentation about tenkara rod design and manufacturing was pretty interesting. He recently visited the factory in China that produces his rods. He was able to take many pictures, some video footage, and even passed around samples of raw carbon fiber. It's amazing how much of tenkara rods are actually still made by hand, with machine assistance (of course).

Dan Dutton

Finally, Dan Dutton spoke to ways to minimize fish mortality while catching (and releasing) your quarry. Some of the statistics he threw around were quite astonishing. Tips on improving fish handling were discussed, we were all introduced to the phrase "caudal peduncle," and I think left the Jam all a little more aware of and educated on this subject.

After that, the formal portion of the Jam concluded and we were free to mingle, or simply go fish!

I know I wrote a lot above, and truthfully, could have written a ton more, but in the interest of keeping this blog post somewhat readable, I'll just stop here. In retrospect, the 2016 Tenkara Jam was a fantastic weekend of tenkara camaraderie, chock full of new friends, gear, and educational experiences. I really can't wait until next year, wherever the venue.

Plus, the fishing and surroundings weren't too shabby either.

Tenkara Tuesday - The Upcoming 2016 Tenkara Jam

I'm fairly certain that everybody that reads my blog and has an interest in tenkara is well aware of what's going on this October 15 & 16 in Cherokee, NC; but in case you aren't, it's time do my part and spread the word.

In short, there have been Summits, Fests, Series, and Schools in the past, and not to diminish them in any way, but I don't think there's ever been quite as much tenkara under one roof as there will be at the 2016 Tenkara Jam.

First off, the lineup of speakers is ridiculously deep: Tom Sadler, Chris Stewart, Rob Worthing, Jason Sparks, Anthony Naples, Dan Dutton, Luong Tam, ERiK Ostrander, Jason Klass, and Daniel Galhardo. Wow, talk about a "who's-who" of the American Tenkaraverse.

Next, if you're interested in doing a little gear testing or shopping, I don't think you'll find more tenkara gear anywhere (including Japan). Tenkara USA, Tenkara Bum, Badger Tenkara, Tenkara Tanuki, Three Rivers Tenkara, Tenkara Rod Co., Riverworks Tenkara, Zen Tenkara, Streamside Furled Leaders, Zimmerbuilt, and Hunter Banks Fly Fishing will all be in the house. Ever want to wiggle that rod you've seen online before buying it, this is your chance!

And last but not least, representatives from many tenkara-friendly companies, organizations, and media outlets will also be in attendance. Boone Bar, Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Trout Unlimited, Project Healing Waters, Casting for Recovery, NCWRC, Southern Trout magazine, Fly Life Magazine, and even I'll be there promoting & reporting for my other online project, Tenkara Angler magazine. 

Phew...got all that?

I'm sure I've forgotten a few (and for that I do apologize), but man, there's a lot that's going on. The schedule is so jam-packed (see what I did there...) I don't even know when we're all going to find time to fish all of the nearby waters of the Smokies! 

Fished this water in the rain in 2012, would love to go back again this year...

In any event, if you like tenkara, you gotta be at the 2016 Tenkara Jam. You've got a month to figure it out. If you're curious about tenkara, this is the perfect thing to learn a little bit more. Heck, even if you hate the idea of tenkara, swing on by, maybe we'll change your mind. Probably not, but at least you'll see we're not just cane pole fishin'...not that there's anything wrong with that. Kudos to Jason Sparks and everyone else involved with pulling this event together.

For more details on the 2016 Tenkara Jam, including a full schedule, list of presenters, and online registration, visit the official website HERE. While you're at it, also check out the Appalachian Tenkara Anglers Facebook page more more real-time info in the days between now and the event.

Tenkara Tuesday - Best of the Blue Ridge

So like...I don't ask you, my wonderful readers for a lot...do I?

How about you do me one favor...and if you're really good, you could do that same favor once a day until the end of October? Maybe I'm stretching it, but you'll see why in a second.

Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine is holding their annual "Best of the Blue Ridge" competition. For those with fishing interests (like you), there is a category for "Best Fly Fishing Event"...and the Tenkara Jam is one of the five nominated finalists.

So go HERE and vote.

But you're saying, "Dude, I didn't go to the Tenkara Jam, and would you shut up about it already?" It doesn't matter, you know tenkara is rad, and we want the fairly large Blue Ridge Outdoors subscriber base to know it too. There's no doubt if when the Jam wins, their readers are going to ask themselves, "what the heck is a Tenkara Jam," and look it up on the internet. Cue the curiosity...and the next thing you know they've got a new rod in their hand and they're just as rad as the rest of us.

So go vote...
HERE.

Really...I wasn't kidding...
HERE.

(and do it again tomorrow)

Tenkara Jam Update

A notable update for those considering attending the Tenkara Jam in Boone, NC at the end of the month, per the organizer, Jason Sparks:


"IMMEDIATE ANNOUNCEMENT

Tenkara Jam has been changed to a single day expo event this year. Changes are heading to the website now to reflect this change. Vendors and Presenters are aware. There will be a FULL SATURDAY of schedule speakers and plenty of time with your favorite company. On Sunday, we will gather for outings around the fine waters of Boone. This will still be a fantastic gathering.  Now we hope it is easier for many more to attend for a serious day of tenkara fun.

The registration fee has been greatly reduced and is still as lean as ever. I will process refund differentials this weekend to those already registered. I am working on refreshing website content now for the .com"


End of day, I'm really looking forward to the Jam. It was phenomenal last year, and I actually like this format change to allow more time for fishing! It's a win-win. So if you're thinking about making the trip... go register, you won't regret it.

Hope to see you there on September 30th!

The 2015 Midwest Tenkara Fest

The first Midwest Tenkara Fest (MWTF) was held in Wisconsin last weekend. Forever seeking a good excuse to fish "The Driftless," the combination of trout, tenkara, and new-to-me fishing waters, proved just too tempting to pass up.

After a long day of travel on Friday...Jacksonville to Charlotte...Charlotte to Chicago...and finally Chicago to La Crosse, Wisconsin, the doors of the Midwest Tenkara Fest opened shortly before 11AM on Saturday. Saturday also happened to be the Wisconsin Trout Opener, so fishing was on everyone's mind.

Bojangles in Charlotte, Cubbies in Chicago, and a "FOR SALE" Baggage Claim in La Crosse

The MWTF itself was held in a VFW Hall in Coon Valley, Wisconsin.  Coon Valley is a really small town, basically a main street with all of the necessities; a church, a market, a pizza place, and of course, the ubiquitous Kwik Trip.

Kwik Trip, not a Wawa

The VFW hall sits right next to Coon Valley Veterans Memorial Park, a beautifully maintained public use facility that just so happens to have a trout stream (Coon Creek) run right through it! So the MWTF was no more than 100 yards from the water, making for convenient on stream demos as well as providing constant temptation during the various indoor presentations.

Now this is where I failed you, the readers of this blog. I'll be totally honest, I didn't take a lot of pictures of the MWTF...which is a shame, because if you're a gear nut, this was the perfect place to ogle many different tenkara wares. So in lieu of pictures, here's a quick rundown of the vendors...with some links to what I thought were the notable goodies...

Badger Tenkara - MWTF Hosts, there was also a table with their full line, including prototypes of two new rods, the UNC & Wisco. (Having cast the Wisco, I can tell you it was sweet, I'm going to pick one up to fool around with Florida Largemouth). 

Tenkara USA - Manned by Mark Bolson, a nice spread of TUSA rods, accesssories, and literature was present. Mark also was tying flies...and boy is he a talented tyer. Being very familiar with the TUSA product line, I think I spent more time chatting up Mark than fondling the merchandise. 

DRAGONtail Tenkara / Moonlit Fly Fishing - Rick Munday was overseeing this offering of rods & lines. I have to say, the DRAGONtail rods might have some of the sharpest cosmetics out there if that matters to you.

TenkaraBum - What's a tenkara event without Chris Stewart? There were far too many rods on his THREE tables of gear to even try and recap all of what Chris brought along. All of the goodies from all of the Japanese brands were present. The Nissin rods were especially nice to browse in person. I mean who doesn't want a Pocket Mini? It was all almost overwhelming...but impressive none the less! 

Craig's Keiryu Carnival - OK, Craig Thoreson wasn't selling anything, but he had all of his keiryu gear laid out on a table in the back, and he was eager to talk whomever asked through each piece of equipment. You've never seen a bait box like Craig's bait box. 

Streamside Leaders - Michael Moline (& wife Kathy) were also in attendance, with a rainbow of colored leaders, flies for sale, and of course two models of tenkara rod. The 9 foot Streamside rod is definitely a winner. Did you know Streamside has been making tenkara lines longer than tenkara rods have been sold in the United States? I didn't either, until last weekend. 

Zimmerbuilt - The bags and packs handmade by Chris Zimmer are ultralight, functional works of art. Having owned a "Guide Sling" for a few years, you really can't gain an appreciation for the quality construction and attention to detail without handling one (or many) in person. Chris was also selling MWTF patches, which I just had to scoop up. Plus he totally hooked me up...just try not to be jealous. 

Coulee Region Adventures - Ever think of fishing tenkara from a NuCanoe?  Anthony Larson did, and does, and as a guide and NuCanoe dealer, he was eager to tell you all about this awesome fishing platform.

The MWTF content spanned two days with Saturday and Sunday both filled with a lot of great presentations (and food). Matt Sment of Badger Tenkara sort of served as emcee walking the attendees through the basics of tenkara, both in the classroom and out on the lawn (& creek).

Other presentations were either in person, via Skype, or recorded video.

While all of the presenters (Mike Lutes, Anthony Larson, John Vetterli, Erik Ostrander, etc...) were great, a handful really stood out to me.

Craig Thoreson's keiryu gear & zero tension line overview - While I'm not giving up tenkara any time soon, it was really interesting to see all of the keiyru gear up close. The lines Craig makes were amazing. Imagine using spiderwebs for fishing line...yes, those zero tension lines are that fine. 

Rob Worthing (Tenkara Guides) Landing Big Fish - This was a recorded video / power point, but it was extremely thorough, informative, and Rob's delivery as narrator was very entertaining. Don't know the secrets to riding the power curve of your tenkara rod? Rob and the Tenkara Guides can fill you in on that, among many other big fish techniques.

Chris Stewart's Keiryu Tactics for Tenkara - Yeah, I know, more keiryu...but this presentation was more about applying some strategies from one form of fixed line fishing to another. Long rods, short lines, and yes... you can use split shot or weighted flies. It was simply a refreshing counterpoint to many of the tenkara taboos out there today. 

Anthony Naples' Small Stream Tenkara Movie - Yep, I called it a movie. At maybe 50 minutes long, it was a very, very, very comprehensive overview on how to fish small, tight water effectively. Plus a little birdy told me that bits and pieces may make it online, so keep an eye out, it's well worth it! 

(Oh, and Anthony, if you're reading this, Craig & I predicted successfully that at least some portion would be filmed in black & white...but we were both disappointed by no linocut animations). 

And I can't forget the fly tying!!!  - Dale Hewitt, Mark Bolson, and Matt Shipp each spent some time at the vise. I was most interested in Dale's presentation on local Wisconsin fly patterns such as the Pink Squirrel (and pink squirrel kebari variant), it was also really neat watching Matt tie kebari in-hand. As a guy who personally struggles with a vise, I admire his dexterity.

Dale Hewitt tying a Pink Squirrel

While the schedule was jam-packed with presentations, there was a lot of time provided to fish the Coon Creek as well as meet & chit-chat with other attendees, which quite honestly is my favorite part of these events. Whether it's simply first time introductions, or renewing friendships made at prior events, getting to better know people you've become acquainted through tenkara on social media is a great opportunity that I look forward to each year.

Sunday's MWTF Group Photo
(Unceremoniously lifted from Badger Tenkara)

Looking back on the experience, I thought the Midwest Tenkara Fest was a very informative and enjoyable event. It was extremely well run by the folks at Badger Tenkara (Matt, Mike, and Nicole) and I'd recommend considering attending next year's event to anyone that is ten-curious, lives in the midwest, or like me, simply needs an excuse to get out and fish the beautiful spring-fed streams of the Driftless.

And speaking of fishing...oh, I did some of that too. More on that, and this guy, tomorrow...

Troutrageous 2016 Year In Review

2016 was kind of an interesting year. Probably not one I will put on a pedestal, but not a horrible one either. Yeah, some things didn't work out the way they were supposed to, (draw your own conclusions with that statement), but in keeping with my "glass half full" outlook on life, there were a lot of super rad things that happened too.

The blog published 112 posts and went through a few identity changes, (probably not done with that yet). I don't think that's too shabby in terms of conjuring inspiration coming from a guy that is probably doing less and less fishing each year. But it's all about quality over quantity, and there was a ton of quality in 2016. Below are a handful of my favorite posts, those that summarize the year at a glance.

2016 started out well with the annual trip to chase shad on the St. John's River with Captain Rich Santos. Not only did we get into some shad, but I also caught my first "Sunshine Bass" hybrid. Rich is an excellent guide, and an equally capable photographer. I was happy he took so many photos to document the outing.

For More: Florida Shad, Bream, & A Bonus Fish On The Fly

As a family, we did our fair share of exploring Florida. We're still relative newcomers, so there are plenty of things to see and do right in our own backyard. We visited a ravine, a lighthouse, went to Bass Pro, a wax museum, and even hopped on an airboat! Florida's beaches are great, but there's just so much more to see and do.

For More: Exploring Florida

May was a fairly busy month, and believe it or not, I actually got a lot of trout fishing in! The month started off with a weekend in north Georgia chasing down some small stream rainbow trout. I really like that part of the Southeast, I need to make a point to get back more often. The end of May was just as good with a flight out to Wisconsin for the Midwest Tenkara Fest. The camaraderie was superb and the fishing was even better! Absolutely love the Driftless.

For More: Decompression In A Trout Stream & 

Wandering Back To The Driftless Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3

As I mentioned earlier, we adventured in Florida a little bit in 2016 as a family, however, we didn't stay in-state for our July summer vacation. Instead, we headed West, and did a nice multi-day bus tour of several of our National Parks. Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, & Grand Teton were the highlights, with several fun and interesting stops in between. The sights were absolutely unbelievable!

For More: Wednesday Nibbles - Summer Vacation Edition

Not all of the year was spent traveling. Two of the more popular posts I wrote for the blog had nothing to do with fishing trips, vacations, or anything like that. In the first, (which I'll admit is a bit of self-pity post), I lamented the lack of trout in my Southern locale. The second simply highlighted the tenkara rods that I own/fish, because everybody likes a gear post.

For More: Without Trout & My Fab Five Tenkara Rods

Finally, October brought the Tenkara Jam in Cherokee, North Carolina. It was quite possibly my favorite fishing trip of the year because I not only got to pursue the wild trout of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park while it was in its beautiful fall colors, but I got to represent Tenkara Angler magazine at the Jam, really the first time the magazine went "on the road" to an organized event. I caught fish, saw old friends, made new ones... It was just awesome.

For More: The 2016 Tenkara Jam & Fishing Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Now there were plenty of other things that took place on the blog in 2016, but in the interest of time, (I feel I've already overstayed my welcome), I'll leave it at that. I hope all of you are able to look back at your 2016s and pick out all of the fun, happy, and awesome moments too. Even if you didn't catch all the Pokemon fish, I know you had fun trying.

Happy New Year!

Tenkara Tuesday: Looking Back & Ahead At The Tenkara Summit

Bug Outs and Summits and Jams, oh my!

While the 2017 Tenkara Jam was mentioned in the prior post, it would be negligent of me to not also mention the upcoming Tenkara Summit hosted by Tenkara USA.

This year's Summit will be held in Colorado over the weekend of September 16 & 17 at the Estes Park Events Center. Having attended several different tenkara gatherings over the years, I hold the Summit in the highest regard; the content is phenomenal, the turnout is solid, and it's an absolute blast to attend. This year will be my fourth Summit (of the six total) and it can't get here soon enough.

While daydreaming about fishing in Colorado again, I took the time over the past weekend to look back at some photos and memories from prior Summits. If you've never attended one, the 3 videos below should give you a little flavor for the event.

2012: Salt Lake City, Utah. After missing the first Summit in 2011, this was my first adventure in traveling for fly fishing. The Tenkara Guides of Utah played a huge role in hosting this very well run gathering. I even got some one-on-one time with Dr. Ishigaki on stream - not only observing the fly manipulation techniques of a Master, but also noticing that we both had the same orange waterproof cameras!

2013: Harrisonburg, Virginia - the Summit comes East! Japanese fly fishing meets Moonshine and Bluegrass... literally. Looking back, this was the precursor of the Tenkara Jam we can now enjoy annually. My only regret regarding this event was opting to go on my own on Sunday rather than fishing Mossy Creek with the many of the attendees. From what I heard, Mossy was pretty epic!

2014: Boulder, Colorado. This is when I learned everything they say about outdoor recreation in the Rockies is 100% true. I also had the pleasure of fishing (or grabbing some beers) with so many of the different tenkara-folks I had met online over the years - far too many to list them all. And the bugling elk in Rocky Mountain National Park... it was so cool.

Unfortunately, I missed 2015, also in Estes Park... and there was no Summit 2016...

All of that being said, if this piques your interest, it's definitely not too late to register for the 2017 Summit should your schedule allow for it. Tenkara USA's official website is located HERE, with a ton more details including a list of speakers and a general overview of activities. Hope to see you there!

For more details and info on prior Summits, click HERE to view all prior "Tenkara Summit" tagged posts.

Who's Ready For The 2017 Tenkara Jam?

It's back...

Yep, the website's been updated and registration is now open for the 2017 Tenkara Jam in Boone, North Carolina. If it's anything like last year's Jam, it's a "must attend" if you can make arrangements to be in the area on Saturday, September 30th and/or Sunday, October 1st.

Not only does the preliminary line up of speakers and vendors look fantastic, but the facilities appear to be a huge step up over last year's event as well. Plus, registration not only gets you admission to the event, but food too! With the Jam a little over a month away, it seems like everything is coming together very quickly.

Personally, I'm going to try my darndest to get there, just working out some last minute details to make sure my schedule can accommodate it. I attended "representing" Tenkara Angler magazine last year and would really enjoy doing that again.

Would be nice to fish in North Carolina again too!

The 2014 Appalachian Tenkara Jam

Can't make it out to Boulder the last weekend of September?  Is Colorado just too far away?  Perhaps you're just allergic to hippies and stoners...  If that's the case, this alternative tenkara event might be for you.

Not meant to compete with the Tenkara Summit, but rather compliment on the East Coast, the Appalachian Tenkara Jam is being held on October 11th & 12th in Foscoe, North Carolina.

Here is some of the agenda for those interested:

Saturday October 11th 11:00AM - 8:00PM
Day One: Big screen presentations and live demonstrations inside

Sunday October 12th 9:00AM - 6:00PM
Day Two: Casting Clinics, Technique Tutorials, Stream-side Classroom, Small Group Guides

There will be presentations on the tenkara style of fly fishing covering topics such as:

• Overview: Rods, Lines, Flies
• Kebari History and current patterns
• Big Fish Wrangling
• Small Stream Techniques

And more...

While the official registration is not open yet, there are plenty of details available at the event page located within Facebook...with more details to come.

8/31 EDIT: A webpage has been set up HERE supporting details and registration of this event!

Just something to bookmark and keep on your radar for the time being.  If you've never attended a tenkara (or any fly fishing) get together, they are great fun, and an awesome way to learn a little bit and connect with like-minded anglers.

Cool Stuff: Art of Jeremy Shellhorn

There are so many creative types out in the fly fishing community. Whether it is fly tyers, rod designers, photographers, videographers, authors, you name it, it seems as if those who enjoy pursuing fish with feathers also love to flex their creative brain muscles.

One of the favorite items I left with from the recent Tenkara Jam in Boone, North Carolina (full post upcoming) was a mini "zine" created by Jeremy Shellhorn. You may know Jeremy as the designer of most of Tenkara USA's artwork and graphic treatments, as he is mentioned frequently on their blog and social media. Jeremy also happens to be an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at my wife's alma mater, the University of Kansas - so Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Jeremy (right), manning the Tenkara USA table at the Tenkara Jam

I thought I'd share a few photos of the Tenkara zine. The magazine itself is only a few pages, so I don't want to photograph the whole thing cover to cover.

I've always enjoyed the aesthetic of Jeremy's work, and if you do too, you can see more examples of it over at Tenkara USA, or his tumblr site Getting the Drift.

5 People That Instagram Tenkara Right

Over the past two years, I've really had fun tooling around Instagram looking at photos of the topics I enjoy. While my contributions to the social media platform have been less than stellar, digging into fly fishing, Star Wars, roller derby, and Florida lifestyle hashtags have opened my eyes to a ton of different people that I don't typically interact with via the blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

As I've immersed myself in the tenkara content via the Tenkaragram project, I've noticed there are a handful of folks that really cover the subject well. Here are five of my favorites; some may be familiar, others new, but either way I think they're worthy of your "follow."

In no particular order...

tenkararodco

The official Instagram account of Tenkara Rod Co., these guys absolutely slay it on Instagram. I'm not sure if they do this themselves, or have an ad agency or what, but lots of great photos, a nice amount of videos mixed in, and a huge follower base...seems like their posts receive about 400-500 likes on average, a staggering number.

tenkaraholic

The user types descriptions in Japanese, but the pictures speak for themselves. Tons of beautiful fish and landscape photos...you can't go wrong with any of posts this account pushes out to the world.

5ive3hree

This Instagram account posts wonderful photos with fishing, camping, and handmade goods
as the subject. Sort of a hipster aesthetic, but I still dig it a lot.
A Japanese user, but the posts are in English.

jasonsparks25

Yes, you probably know Jason Sparks as the tenkara evangelist and have encountered him first elsewhere - Facebook, the Appalachian Tenkara Jam, or perhaps one of the clinics he puts on locally in the North Carolina area.  And yes, these photos usually get cross-posted to Facebook...so you can view them there too...but I have to give credit where it's due. Jason has a great eye for photography, especially macro shots, and he's consistently one of the top creators of tenkara content on Instagram.

tenkarautah

I've been a big fan of Dave Blackhurst's tenkarautah account for a while. All of the pictures of fish, scenery, or the random tenkara doo-dad are all bright, colorful, and full of life. If you've been following him for a while, you may have once known his account as 10karafish, this is the current destination.
Photos like his make me want to get out and fish Utah again.

Honorable Mentions that are also worth a follow:

apnaples, mikeadamstattoo, creeksidekebari, tenkarachick, tenkarausa, & johnjmcmullen.

Have a favorite Tenkara Instagram account? 

Feel free to share in the comments below...