It’s March and temperatures are slowly warming up. January and February were a whirl wind of expos. Wintertime is fly fishing show season and each year for the past twelve, Zen Tenkara has been exhibiting at many of them around the country. This year was different. Attendance was noticiably down. It felt like the first year after the world opened up after the Covid Pandemic. Aisles were often near empty and at times, it seemed like the only conversations happening were between vendors. There was only one exception, the Denver Fly Fishing Show. The vibe and energy at this event was through the ..read more

This article was written by Steve Hudson and published in FlyLifeMagazine.com. He and his wife have been exploring tenkara and landed some incredibly impressive fish. His wife Trish Hudson just might be the Fish Whisperer. We thought we’d share their fun here. Read on: Little fish, big fish – tenkara style! By Steve Hudson / November 20, 2023 Steve Hudson, former field editor for Fly Life Magazine.com, at a local North Georgia fly shop – promoting fly tying. A Trent Sizemore image. We are standing ankle-deep in a small stream in northern Georgia, or maybe it was western North Carolina, and ..read more

As the leaves change colors and the air turns crisp, fall fishing in 6 Mile Canyon offers a unique opportunity to hone your skills and target brown trout like never before. Let’s delve into effective tenkara fishing techniques, essential American Tenkara tips, and fall fly fishing strategies designed to help you land those elusive brown trout in this picturesque location. We’ll also cover fly patterns and how to maximize your 6 Mile Canyon adventure. So grab your waders, gather up your gear, and read on to learn the secrets of fall fly fishing success in one of America’s most captivating cany ..read more

I’m home from Alaska. It was amazing and never seems to stop offering up glory, wonder and awh. Once again, Rapids Camp Lodge took incredible care of us and Mother Nature was in full cooperation mode as tempuratures were mild and pleasant. The only rain we had was on the morning we left to return home. Talk about luck! Five out of the six days we fished were remote destinations where hiking several miles was a requirement. This is something that I enjoy and appreciate. It ensures we’ll run into no other anglers (even fly-out programs), the fish are wild and the river pristine. Those are all r ..read more

With less than a day to go before I leave, I’ve pulled my rods, flies and all the terminal tackle I need for these two trips. In Alaska at Rapids Camp Lodge, this gear is provided for you, unless you prefer to bring your own. This makes packing easy, light and indulgent. In Part 1, I talked about rods and leader/tippet size. A 6wt fly rod and the Suimenka tenkara rod cover most everything in Alaska. So what about clothing and any other gear? Lets take a look at what else you might need if traveling to these two location. If you are staying at a lodge like RCL, as I just mentioned, they usually ..read more

On July 21st Zen heads for the seventh consecutive year, back to Rapids Camp Lodge in Alaska. This home-away-from home lodge is a place of pure indulgence. They own both a Beaver and an Otter float place plus a jet that picks you up in Anchorage and is part of their full-service and daily fly-out package. I’ve written about RCL several times over the years so I won’t get into it here. But trust me, this place is heaven on earth. In July the weather in King Salmon, AK can be varied. Some days it might reach the mid-70’s, be bright and sunny. Other days might only reach 45 degrees and be wet and ..read more

This past week I headed to Montana after the Memorial Day crowds had packed up and headed home. Our destination was Forth Smith, Montana to be exact. A group of 6 of us were heading up to fly fish with Big Horn Anglers. We rented a three bedroom cabin that slept 6+. We were 3 couples so it worked out perfectly. It was a mixed group of anglers with varying levels of skill and expereince. We had two days of fishing the Big Horn river by float with intermitten opportunities to get out and wade, something I usually preferred over sitting in boat. I have used tenkara on other floats and it typical ..read more

…because everyone keeps asking. We get contacted quite often by customers shopping for big fish rods who are trying to decide between purchasing the Taka or the Kyojin. We get asked, “Which rod should I choose? How do the two rods compare?” So let’s take a moment to talk about the differences between the Zen Taka and the Zen Kyojin and how and when those differences come into play. The Zen Taka Tenkara rod is an extremely versatile zoom rod. It is long at 13’/15′ with a slender taper and a 15.25″ fighting handle. The rod is designed with a 7:3 flex profile. The Taka&n ..read more

Tenkara, the traditional Japanese method of fixed line fly fishing for small fish in high mountain streams is slowly but surely becoming Americanized. Whether we like it or not. These days, the hottest tenkara topic on social media venues is around, “big fish”. Some might say it diminishes the method’s origin. Others will profess it’s part of the natural, evolutionary progression of any sport. Whatever your opinion on the subject, many anglers are interested and want to understand how to land bigger fish, powerful fish, without a reel. That’s what I aim to cover in this article. I started down ..read more

While tenkara is most commonly used for trout fishing in small rivers and creeks, since its incepsion, Zen has always enjoyed pushing the boundaries of the method. We feel that doing this helps us to design better rods as well as improve our understanding of the fixed line method and general fish management. We explore the globe seeking different species in a variety of environments. Some situations work better than others. But it is always a test of skill and tool. Recently I received a wonderful video of my dear friend Maxie Fox, owner of Urban Dorado Anglers landing a beautiful Golden Dorad ..read more