TENKARA FLY-FISHING: Strategies, Tactics & Flies
THE ORIGINS OF TENKARA “It is very liberating … to not have to rely on anything but the essential.” Daniel Galhardo
Like the ancient art of tenkara fly-fishing, Daniel Galhardo might not be a household name in fishing circles, but that’s changing fast. Few would dispute that Galhardo has almost single-handedly introduced many of us to tenkara. And fewer still have invested as much time and effort into understanding the tenkara art than Galhardo. I first heard of Galhardo when he visited the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum a few years back with his mentor and one of the most renowned tenkara masters, Dr. Hisao Ishigaki. In the summer of 2010, Galhardo, who had already launched his Tenkara USA business, spent a few months in Japan fishing with Dr. Ishigaki and meeting other tenkara masters along the way. Galhardo has probably spent more time researching the ancient origins of tenkara both in and out of Japan. So it made all the sense to interview him and get his insights on the history and background of Japanese tenkara fly-fishing. Galhardo: The early origins of tenkara were not documented, and most tackle used a long time ago – bamboo rods, silk lines and flies – has since disintegrated. So, it is difficult to know for certain everything about the origins of tenkara. But, it is generally accepted that tenkara originated independently in the mountain streams of Japan and was the domain of people trying to catch trout for a living. Tenkara was the practice of commercial anglers. Seventy percent of Japan is mountain terrain. That landscape translates into an abundance of mountain streams, but perhaps a shortage of arable land or pastures. The main protein source for the folks who settled in the mountains was the fish that lived in the streams and rivers
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