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First Year Tenkara: 2018 Year in Review
First Year Tenkara: 2018 Year in Review
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By Mike Hepner
January, February and March were spent behind a vice, tying fly after fly with thoughts of how it would work once the snow melted and the temperatures rose above freezing. The occasional trip to the headwaters that may hold a native or two that are hungry enough to break out of the winter slump and grab a passing bead head kebari, while Belgians and high percentage Porters fill the Zimmerbuilt hiking bags with for each trip. Cabin fever begins to set in.
April, May, and June start to see less time on the vice. The fly-tying gettogethers come to an end and we increase trips to the mountains and can fish productively. Hatches begin, and water temperatures hit the money spots. Come May the beads are off, and the top water kebari begin. This is what we all have waited all winter for. Pilsners and strong IPAs are carried and consumed throughout the trips.
July, August, and September, temperatures rise to the point of keeping us from fishing. We wait for the cooler mornings and go out with large, bright colored kebari and anything else we can float on the top of the water. Dry fly season makes it hard to watch the gradual color change in the leaves giving us warning that the cold winter is approaching. During these sweat filled hikes, we turn to the Session IPAs, and fruit flavored beers to stay hydrated.
October, November, and December and nothing is a more beautiful backdrop for fishing pictures than the months where the leaves are seemingly on fire with color. We work our way into streamer season and see a decrease in the number of fish we are pulling in per adventure. Increasingly cold temperatures take over and we once again start to envision fly-tying get- togethers to plan for 2019 adventures. Trips during this time begin with pumpkin beers and end in Christmas ales.
My inaugural year of tenkara now complete, I can see that this is a yearly agenda that will continue for years to come without change… other than the adventure that each year contains.
Long live the Ratskincanoe!!!
