my first kotuzake sebata san fishing report
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sasoi the beauty of tamo a tenkara comic
the official zine of tenkara usa
JEREMY SHELLHORN
MAY — 20 18
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. H ENRY DAV ID TH OR EAU
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My 1st Kotsuzake. I have been waiting 4.5 years for this. It ended up being a solo adventure and that was probably how it was meant to be. words by TJ Ferreira In almost 5 years since becoming a tenkara fisherman, I had never taken the life of a trout for edible enjoyment. I happily released each trout go to be caught another day. But… my tick-tock clock been ticking for a while now and I knew soon, even after all these years, I would do the deed.
So off I went figuring I would be fishing again around 2:30PM and could get in at least 2+ hours of solid fishing. I went prepared with the normal goods…. Sato, Rhodo, 3.5 Orange Level Line, Salt & Pepper Sakasa Kebari, some snacks and drinks. When I arrived out came the Rhodo and I went to work.
This morning I decided to explore new places to fish along with hopes of finding a nice mountain lake where I could take my wife for some Fall kayaking fun. I was a bit all over the place, driving around a lot, but with little fishing…. but I still did fish and caught a nice Brownie right off highway 49 in Northern California. I did eventually find a cool mountain lake to take my wife to this coming weekend. So my efforts were being rewarded…but I still needed to get some serious fishing in as most the day I had been putzing around in the FJ Cruiser.
Fishing today though would be a little different. You see, I brought along with me a gallon-size ziplock bag. Never to date did this special tool travel with me on tenkara trips. Yet, this morning when I was packing my gear I decided to bring one along, thinking that if a decent size brookie takes on my S&P Sakasa Kebari, that I may finally bring a trout home for some appetizing enjoyment.
Around 1:30PM I decided it was time to head to my secret Mountain Meadow, which I have written about before, in hopes to catch a few brookies.
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Now most of the brookies in this meadow are rather small. 4” to 6” is the norm…. but I had caught a nice 8” to 10” before. Today I sensed a decent size brook would be hungry for some spices my kebari could offer. I caught a handful of smaller brookies and saw the action of a few larger. Then, then heading around a nice bend, I saw my shot….
the official zine of tenkara usa
2018
a little ripple on the water indicated a brookie hungry for some grub. I laid my kebari right where it needed to be and wham! The quick fight was on. With the Rhodo being as stout as it is, I just lifted the brookie onto the bank and lay it on some soft grass. Quickly I knew this was the trout for me to take, and right at 10”, knew this was it. A quick thanks to nature and this trout, then out came a priest that my NorCal buddy Trevor Tsegelke made for me and I did the deed. Must admit my face felt flush and I could feel emotions rushing to my head and face. It should never be fun to take a life of something. In the end, I was doing this to bring home some food and was ever so thankful I experienced this. Had been since the 1970s since I took the life of a trout I had caught so it had to all be re-experienced as an adult now. I hope the taking of even a fish never becomes easy for me. I always want to be thankful and careful with what Mother Nature offers me. I soon packed up my catch in a ziplock and in it went into my rod bag. I fished a little while longer when I stumbled upon a brookie being really active near an undercut bank. I made a few casts over its way but soon saw this brookie had a friend next to it, under the undercut bank. I then knew it was time to call it a day. You see, I saw that these two trout were trying to mate…. and I knew then and there it was time to call it a day. So glad I have instilled in myself to know when to call it a day. I had so much to be thankful for today so knew I could head home with my head held high. I sat and watched these two trout for a while and while watching I thought to myself…. today I took the life of a fish…. and now here I see two trying to create life. The circle of life was meant to go forward and today I was the steward to let this happen.
So I closed down my Rhodo and headed back to the FJ. What a great fishing day! I now had a 2 hour drive to get home and during the drive decide how to do my 1st Kotsuzake. I planned as I drove home and had many things swirling through my head.
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Ultimately I would arrive home and gut and clean my 1st trout since the 1970s. It was slippery, interesting, and all that I remembered. Butterflies in my stomach… the norm when I do something new to me or that it has been so long I forgot. I saved the brookie for the next day as it was too late and I wanted to sleep. Preparing and cooking this trout has been building up for almost 5 years, so the next day at close of work I quickly went to the kitchen to do it. I decided to pan fry this one trout as a snack. Dredged in flour & spice mixture, then egg bath, then flour again…. stuffed with butter squares and more spices…. in the sizzling oily bath it went. Man did it smell so good. 10 minutes later, on a plate on the counter, rested this 10” buttery trout, ready to be enjoyed with some sake. I poured myself some sake, did a quick silent toast and prayer being thankful for what just happened in the last 24 hours, and I dove in. I shared what I had with the dogs, cats, and wife. I figured this was a family affair so made sure everyone had a taste. Later that evening I heated some sake with the bones of the trout and did one last thank you for this experience. I kept saying loudly….. Kotsuzake! Kotsuzake!! Had the cats, dogs, and wife all thinking I was some crazy trout bum….If you haven’t heard of kotsuzake, it’s a traditional Japanese drink where the bones (and occasionally a whole fish) are added to warm sake; it goes with the idea of not wasting anything. Here are a few stories that talk about kotsuzake.
my first kotsuzake
So thankful I am now. Must say…. this was the best trout I have ever had. I guess nothing is as good as our firsts in life. I will remember this forever! Kotsuzake! Kotsuzake! Kotsuzake!
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the official zine of tenkara usa
2018
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Getting to know a true mountain man & tenkara guru, Mr. Yuzo Sebata. interview by Adam Trahan
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I heard about Yuzo Sebata from the information stream at Tenkara USA. I was intrigued by the iconic images of Mr. Sebata fishing Tenkara in the mountain streams of Japan.
I had to find a way to contact Mr. Sebata and talk to him myself. I want other people in America to know more about Japanese Tenkara and how the Japanese look at mountain life.
The other Tenkara Masters that travel to the USA are much more reported on in the various subject outlets, but it was Yuzo. Sebata that conveyed an different image of Tenkara that is so interesting…
Through Keiichi Okushi’s translation of the interview, we will know more about this great mountain guide.
My own search for Tenkara brought me to Japan and a visit with other Japanese fly fishers. In their presence, Yuzo Sebata was talked about and the Japanese media reflected on his mountain ethos. Fishing the valleys, seeing my friends live the mountain lifestyle, picking mountain plants to eat on the trail, pointing out and identifying plants and animals, I realized that there was more to fishing than what I understood of the typical American view. In the Japanese fishing lodge, relaxing after a long day of climbing steep headwater streams, it was there that I knew I wanted to know more about Yuzo Sebata. Returning home to America and reflecting on the experience, time faded the details but that was not the case of Yuzo Sebata.
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Can you please tell us how you started with Tenkara? Yuzo Sebata: It is about 50 years ago. I got to know “Nikko Tenkara Fishing”, which has been developed around Nikko region (In Tochigi prefecture), by chance. At that time, I was doing course fishing for Yamame. One day I visited Nikko region for Yamame fishing and stayed one night at local friend’s house. That night, I heard the many interesting stories from the patriarch of the village. He told me about fishing as well and said “There are so many types of fishing but the most enjoyable fishing is Tenkara, no doubt.” He also said “You never be able to quit Tenkara fishing if you catch 5 trout with Tenkara fishing”. I was completely fascinated by his so interesting stories, and soon after I tried to take up Tenkara fishing with just interest.
the official zine of tenkara usa
2018
I made furled taper lines and flies by myself remembering the ones the patriarch had shown me. Thus I made the first step to the unknown fishing. I knocked the door of Tenkara fishing with my mind that just want to try. This was the debut of my Tenkara fishing as a beginner. Do you like what Tenkara has become for others? How you feel about what you see of American Tenkara on the Internet?” Yuzo Sebata: Frankly, I feel very happy from the bottom of my heart. I have been giving myself up to Tenkara fishing since I was about 20 years old. I feel as if I am standing in the front stage and my feeling is uplifting to know that simplicity and fun of Tenkara fishing has been accepted and recognized by many people regardless of Japanese or foreigners. So I am very much pleased that Tenkara fishing is getting popular in USA, which is the country of fly-fishing. I think Tenkara fishing has charm of something special that has been admitted by American people. Daniel-san told me it has been about 4 years that Tenkara fishing was exported to USA. I did Tenkara fishing with him in the Southern Alps of Japan. His Tenkara fishing was superb. I thought it was like Tenkara fishing had been re-imported. Please tell us about your connection with the mountains. How do you see yourself in relation to the mountain environment?” Yuzo Sebata: I think the connection of the mountains with me is based on longing for nature I loved since I was a kid. It is also an extension of play in the fields and rivers when I was a boy. I think my connection with the mountains started doing fishing and it has captured the heart of curious boy and grow him. Climbing too. Climbing, a sport done in the midst of the mountains, caught my curiosity brilliantly, and meeting with Iwana and Yamame living in the mountains gave me definitive im-
pression. I clearly remember that I was so much impressed with the beautiful figure of Iwana and Yamame when I caught them for the first time. Let me talk about little bit Tenkara fishing. It is not so long time ago that Tenkara fishing became flourished in Japan. Certainly Tenkara fishing has a history over several hundred years, and we can not miss its history that has been nurtured by the lore and tradition, but actually the history was handed down by just handful people. When I was a beginner of Tenaka fishing, I never saw other Tenkara fishers. I think the popularity of Tenkara fishing began to come out about last 20 years, and it is a fact that Tenkara fishing was broadcast for the first time in the TV program “The Fishing” and it became the trigger of the boom. It was 23 years ago; I was appeared on the program as a representative of the Eastern Japan with Mr. Etsuji Katayama as a representative of the Western Japan. Can you tell us what is important for you in the equipment that you carry? Do you like equipment that is specialized or able to do many things? Yuzo Sebata: I think it is a rod. When I started Tenkara fishing, 3.3 to 3.5m length banboo rods made of Hotei bamboo were common rods. Afterwards fiberglass rods became popular with its toughness, but week point of fiberglass rod was its too heavy weight. Then revolutionary carbon fiber Tenkara rods were developed and got in place for fiberglass rods. At that time I was involved in the development of new products at the request from the manufacturer and we developed 3.3, 3.6, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0m Tenkara rods. I think those specifications of the rods have become a base of product manufacturing still now. Since the summer of 2013, I have been using “Ito” made by TenkaraUSA. I like this excellent Tenkara rod because of its noteworthy advantage that we can use both level line and taper line and very convenient for both types of lines.
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Can you tell us how you learned what to pick and eat in the mountains?” Yuzo Sebata: Concerning sansaies (mountain plants) and kinokos (Mushrooms), I studied diligently from local people or books during my fishing trips. I have become familiar with those sansaies and kinokos remembering them one by one and taking many years. This knowledge about sansaies and kinokos has been very useful for my mountain life when I am on a fishing trip in the head of the streams. These sansaies and kinokos have become very important foods, which I cannot miss for my mountain life. Sansaies and Kinokos are natural foods that are so simple but very tasteful foods. Actually those wild foods are the unusual and very valuable foods, if we order them at luxury Japanese restaurants in the cities. It is the excellent foods we can only get in the mountains. So we have great advantage to get and taste those sansaies and kinokos. By the way, I never take gas or fuel stoves to the mountains with me. I even do not have that equipment. I only use bonfire on my solo trips. 100%. Sebata-san, can you tell me why you like the mountains so much? Yuzo Sebata: Fishing has been my most favorite hobby since I was a kid, but it was just after taking up Keiryu (Mountain stream) fishing, I noticed and got interested in wildflowers or alpine plants by the trail. May be I got interested in sansaies and kinokos in the same way. I think I got interested in many things in this way. So this might be because of my DNA wanted.
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Anyway I have contact with all things related to mountain in the same way. Then, even small things, but new discoveries are born from one minute to the next, it lead me to mountains more and more. I was just like a prisoner of mountains. I thought mountains answered to me. It was trees in the forests and it was nature and environment itself. Mountains were like a treasure box for me. At that time I was in love with the nature, loved and loved. I was just crazy about the nature. I grew up in country, so my teacher was mountains. The nature around me was a teacher and what I was affected was the nature itself. I am the person who goes to bed early, get up early in the morning. It is same in the mountain, and it is same if I am alone or in a group. I wake up in the very early morning when it is still dark. I build a fire and wait for the light watching the fire. In the evening I enjoy cooking dinner sitting by the fire. I often make “Iwana Sashimi” or “Iwana Shioyaki”. I also enjoy cooking using ingredients of the grace of mountain such as sansaies or kinokos depending on the season. Those foods are so nice with “Sake.” I spend the luxury downright time after dinner. I enjoy gazing on the sceneries of mountain and valley changed time to time. I love watching the stars in the sky at night. I indulge in thought. I do kind of mediation. I put myself in this world of nothingness.
the official zine of tenkara usa
2018
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black pantyhose self-adhesive tape
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Sebata san’s fly tying kit (click here for a video)
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the official zine of tenkara usa
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08 – 27 — 2017 ten
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Mary and I were going to fish the Taylor’s Fork, but the Gallatin was dirty even down here in Belgrade. We decided to go ahead and drive up the canyon and see if it was just a plug. I didn’t get much coffee this morning as I was playing with the aeropress I got for my birthday for the first time, so we stopped at the Conoco in Big Sky for coffee. It’s better than it used to be. Trip Report by John Geer
The Gallatin stayed dirty, and when we got to the T Fork, it was dirty too. I’m not confident on the upper Gallatin, be it in MT or YNP, but it was that or go to the Madison and we didn’t feel like driving another hour. I tried to get the one spot I have confidence in, but there was a truck and two anglers there. We found another pull out that looks like all the others in the Park stretch and walked down to the river. As always, there were no fish to be seen. We worked a lot of water and not only didn’t catch or hook anything, but walked through a ton of gorgeous water that was devoid of trout. Finally Mary worked up a small side channel with a nice undercut bank. She was able to cast upstream and let her fly get carried under the undercut.
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I was behind her trying not to scare fish when she lifted her rod up and said “Fish!” I really thought she was hung up, until I walked up and bent down to grab the tippet when I felt the fish on the line. It shot out from under the bank and looked to be a very nice fish, maybe 18 or 20 inches. It went right back under the bank. I had to lay on my stomach to grab the tippet. Felt the fish but had no idea what to do. It was in a root wad. If I were thinking, I would have just jumped in the water and shoved the net under the bank, but I just slowly pulled on the tippet. The hook slipped out and the fish was gone. I felt horrible for Mary, she did nothing wrong. We tried another fly, but figured the fish was done eating for the day. We fished up a bit, but decided to walk back down to the undercut, which was fruitless.
the official zine of tenkara usa
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We drove around a bit looking for a shady spot to pee and eat lunch, and after eating some elk sticks from Chalet Market, we got to my favorite bend. Walking down a giant longhorn beetle ended up on Mary’s shirt. I took that as a sign and tied on a big black sakasa fly, which the fish showed no interest in.
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We did end up trying a few different terrestrials, which fish did rise to but were all missed. I finally got desperate and asked Mary for a big Copper John I had seen in her fly box, and quickly hooked a white fish. I’m guessing that’s why they were so hard to hook. Even the white fish got off. Again, fished up a bit and saw no fish, and decided to head home and finish the movie with the talking raccoon with the machine gun. - - JG
For an interview with John visit: tenkarausa.com/interview-with-john-lawrence-geer/
JOHN GEER T E N K AR A USA CUSTO ME R SE RVICE
Belgrade, Montana john.l.geer johnmtfish
fish report
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As the host, I usually let him take the first casts. Plus, it was a relatively short visit for him and I could fish these waters anytime. At one point we came across a very slow-moving pool of water. The sun shone down on it to reveal a small hover of rainbow trout. We approached them very carefully, as stealthily as we could to not spook them. Dr. Ishigaki cast the fly with minimal amount of rod movement also not to spook the fish. I anticipated a strike as soon as the fly landed “from heaven,” but the strike didn’t happen. march
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We spent a few days fishing different places around the Sierras. We went after golden trout in rocky canyons, large fish in big rivers, and then the scenic waters around Yosemite National Park.
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In 2010 Dr. Ishigaki came to fish with me in California. I had fished with him in Japan a few months earlier and was eager to show him some of my favorite waters. I was also very curious to see how easily the techniques he used to fish Japanese streams would translate to North American waters.
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He let the fly drift. No fish. He tried a few more casts and manipulated the fly in a few different ways, skating the fly on the surface of the water or pausing and letting it drift. Nothing. He was ready to give up and move to the next area. While I was a bit hesitant to second-guess my teacher, I asked if I could give it a try. I could see the fish were moving a bit, and possibly feeding, indicating they were not spooked by something and should be willing to take a fly. Plus, I had an idea, a combination of the drift and pulsing techniques that I had successfully used before. I cast my sakasa kebari and let it sink. The water was shallow and the current very slow. In about 10 seconds the fly reached the bottom. I noticed a couple of the trout circling the fly the way sharks will circle their prey. I then twitched the fly, making it pulse just enough to say, “I’m alive.” The trout circled it again, a bit more frenzied this time. With one more twitch the fly became irresistible. I saw one of the trout opening its mouth and my fly disappearing. I set the hook, brought a trout to hand and we all got to see its brilliant colors.
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I have absolutely fallen in love with tenkara nets (tamo in Japanese). As I got to see many examples up close, and learn about how they are made, and about their design, I realized tenkara nets are just masterpieces of simple organic, yet functional design.
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Each net is a work of art and I’m surprised I haven’t run across one at a museum somewhere. True, I haven’t been this excited about something since I discovered tenkara rods. One of the main reasons for their appeal is the fact that tenkara nets are made out of a single branch of a tree. How much simpler can it get? No carving, no manufacturing, a simple, organic, tree branch selected and used to make a strong, and functional net frame. Of course, simplicity doesn’t always mean easy, and in this case it definitely does not. A good tenkara net is very hard to make, and it takes a long time to finish.
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The process of making a real tenkara net starts with the selection of the wood; this is the most important step, and the defining one in the process.
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A tenkara net craftsman will spend days walking in the woods in search of the branches that will work well for making a net. He’ll look for just the right branch with the right angles and diameters. After I learned how these nets are made, I have spent a lot of time looking up to trees, trying to identify those branches that may offer the right angles for a net, and they are really not easy to come by, at least not to the untrained eye. As a result, every single net will be a completely unique piece, with lots of effort put into each one. Traditionally tenkara nets are made with branches from the kaya tree (Torreya nucifera), a relatively rare type of conifer tree found in southern Japan and an island in South Korea. The trees are a protected species; they are slow growing trees, confined to a small area; thus, any branches that are found are even more highly prized.
the official zine of tenkara usa
2018
While I believe many other trees may work, the kaya seems to be ideal for these nets, it’s durable and hard yet lightweight, the wood has interesting patterns and a uniform grain. One of the nets I purchased, a slightly “large” one with a longer handle weighs a mere 3.5 oz. Occasionally bamboo is also used, though bamboo is not as durable for this application, and more difficult to work with, so makers tend to prefer wood branches.
The round shape of the net comes from the way the nets are made. Essentially one gets a branch that is Y-shaped (normally a trident shape, where the middle branch is cut off), and through a process of drying and steaming the wood, as well as forcing it into shape, bends the net frame into a circle. The reason for a circle shape is simple, a circle is the strongest shape that can be made to receive pressure or hold weight. Thus, a good circle is also a good indicator of the quality of the net.
In Gujo, Gifu prefecture, we visited a shop that specializes in tenkara nets. The store is run by the artisan and his wife and almost all nets are made by him. It is one of the few places in all of Japan that makes and carries thems. It’s a wonderful display of unique and authentic tenkara nets, some simple and functional, some with unique wood features, and some featuring ornamental deer antlers, which are said to protect anglers in the water. Yes, I did feel like a “kid in a candy store”. Tenkara nets are just perfectly designed, even though no one ever really designed one, and even though I’ll suspect no tenkara net is never really “perfect”. As a matter of fact, imperfections are more than welcome on the nets, there is no need for the frame to be perfectly leveled or for the wood to be free of “flaws”. This may actually be their allure. The natural aspect of each branch is fully embraced by the maker, and by the angler. I think the concept of wabi-sabi applies well here. I have always been a big fan of Japanese design, and with so much inspiration from all aspects of life, even fishing, it’s no wonder Japanese design tends to be so clean, and functional.
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The circular frame is the best shape to uniformly distribute the pressure a fish puts on the frame, as well as on the net mesh. The angle between the net frame, and the handle, is also an important functional attribute. As I experienced, this angle is supposed to help in a few ways. When wearing a wading belt (or a regular belt for that matter) the angle keeps the mesh and frame off one’s back, thus allowing the angler to move freely as he walks or climbs over a rock. Further, the longer handle usually found on a tenkara net along with that angle allows for the handle to be held behind the knee as one is kneeling on the water, while having the net and fish facing slightly forward. This allows for the tenkara angler to have both hands free as manages the fish, removes the fly, and yes, takes a picture. If one is wading a bit deeper, the same may be done by having the net held by the wading belt, or even under the arm pit as he manages the fish at a comfortable angle and with both hands. Yes, ingenious design! - - DG
tamo
the word tenkara
comic number 1