Bowhunting the Backcountry with Tenkara

Originally published in Dec/Jan 2019 Traditional Bowhunter Magazine

The elk were nearby, I could sense it.  I had raced up in the dark to the high North facing slope and was now creeping slowly through the dark timber.  I was letting the cool musty smells of an early September morning awaken my inner predator, when my olfactory senses detected that barnyard odor indicating elk were imminent, and I had the correct thermals.  I picked out some nearby cover and took a knee.  Immediately, I heard the snapping of twigs as large forms approached through the din.  I felt some tension on the string as I readied my mind, scrutinizing the lead cow for a potential shot.  Suddenly, I was startled by a sharp bark as a previously unseen cow to my right caught my wind.  Elk exploded, seemingly in every direction, as the panicked herd crashed away leaving my heart pounding loudly.  The forest gradually returned to peaceful silence.  I sat there re-living what had just happened and I realized a large smile was plastered across my face.  Failure to connect, but a supreme success at having such an opportunity. 

Gradually, the cool of the morning began to melt away by the rising midday sun into hot, dry, and dusty conditions.  My brother and I had set up a bivy camp about 5 miles back in a South Colorado wilderness area, and I was dreading the 1-mile trip back to camp.  My belly was grumbling, and all I had waiting there was yet another round of freeze dried package meals. Unfolding my topo map, I decided on a route back to camp that would take me through a new drainage to scout for potential elk sign along the way.  The draw had a grassy meadow that contained a small stream running through the center, entering from a high, dark, wooded basin.  

I eased closer to the two-foot-wide trench and could see swirls, from what turned out to be cutthroat trout, darting from the undercut banks.  I was prepared.  Backing off a few feet and taking a knee, I took off my back quiver and extracted a 15-inch telescoping flyrod.  In a under a minute, I had the elegant rod extended and was flipping a cast into the center of the cool high meadow stream.  A surprisingly large form immediately torpedoed from the murky depths. The stillness of the water erupted into an explosive froth of white splashes.  In short order, I had a decent sized trout landed.  I would eat what felt like the lunch of a king that day.  Catching three other nice sized fish in about 20 more minutes, I had more than enough food for both my brother and me. We returned to this stream a few more times over the week of hunting, and we both caught several more meals. I now look back fondly upon the fishing as a highlight to the hunting trip.  The gear I used, which was superbly suited for the ultra -light backpacker hunter, was called Tenkara. 

Tenkara is a Japanese method of fly fishing that originated at least 200 years ago.  Much like the bamboo longbow, Tenkara is an extremely simple method of casting a fly and catching a fish.  The method was designed to catch Japanese trout in cold high mountain streams.  Tenkara’s popularity is expanding in fly fishing circles.  Much akin to traditional bowhunting, the technique historically emphasizes simplicity and the skill of the angler’s presentation, over gear or complex fly patterns. 

The rods were historically very long simple bamboo poles, complete with a whippy soft tip.  The long length allows precise presentation of flies in small pools on narrow mountain streams without complex casting techniques.  Modern day Tenkara rods are telescopic carbon fiber poles, from 11 - 15 feet long, with a short section of braided heavy line connected directly to the rod tip.  Here the tippet is connected above a stopper knot with a simple hitch that can be quickly untied.  There is no reel, reel seat, or eyelets which allow the system to telescope down to tiny lengths and diameters compared to other types of fishing gear.  The handle has a similar cork grip feel of a western fly rod, minus the reel seat.    

Traditional flies are tied in a simple reverse-hackle wet fly design, but any fly can be used by the non-purist. The traditional methods relied only on a few patterns or colors. The fly was used both as a dry or wet, fished upstream or down, depending on the need.  I typically carry a few extra of each style in a small plastic tube container taking up minuscule space.  I like to keep my tippet and fly tied to the rod during travel and I simply wrap the line around the cork handle after collapsing, but many keep a slim plastic disk loaded with the line and fly ready to hitch onto the braided tip line.

The following concept would ignite horror on the face of a fly fishing purist, but some have also been known to use the gear effectively drifting live bait.  Some may find that appealing when the main goal is to quickly catch fish and resume the hunting.  My experiences however, are that mountain trout are typically eager to take the fly.

The feather weight and long length of the system allows precision control.  The fly can be “noodled” by dropping the fly straight down into a pool on a narrow stream using the long length of the pole. If a longer tippet is used it can be cast easily to lengths of over 30 feet.  Though I find it very difficult to use much more line than the length of the rod.   

The casting technique for Tenkara is slightly different than that of Western flyrods.  Considered a major flaw in American casting form, the wrist is flexed while keeping the elbow close to the body.  The grip is such that the index finger rides extended atop the cork handle and allows the fisherman to simply “point” to the target. A sharp flip of the wrist brings the rods long length into play, and delivers the fly with surprising accuracy and gentleness. The overall design of the rod system enables this technique.  There are many fine videos available online demonstrating this simple, but hard to describe maneuver.  

Catching and landing a fish with Tenkara is fun - with a capital F-U-N!  The long and lightweight rod with flexible tip is a blast.  Even small fish put up quite a fight, and I have caught largemouth bass up to 3 pounds with my trout Tenkara.  Landing a fish when the line is longer than the rod can pose a challenge that can be overcome by walking the fish backward onto land, or by grasping the line and pulling the fish in carefully using hand over hand. 

The Tenkara system is light-weight and ready to fish in minutes.  Mine weighs in at only 3.5 Ounces, and is 15 inches long once collapsed.  I don’t even know I am carrying it.  A traditional flyrod with reel is heavy and bulky in comparison.   In my back quiver a Tenkara set-up rides much like a thick arrow and does not interfere with anything for me.  My brother doesn’t use a back quiver and carries his rod in his day pack.  

My rod came with a heavy duty protective screw top tube that was great to protect the rod during flights in my checked baggage.  I have seen new rods for sale on popular auction sites for under $50, and high-end rods can go for upwards of $300. A complete Tenkara kit including line and flies can be had for around $70. 

 

The benefits of Tenkara for the ultra-light backpacker are many.  Eating freeze dried meals for every course can get old quickly.  Supplementing meals with freshly cooked trout that is smoked over a crackling open hardwood fire, can boost the morale of the most downtrodden elk hunter. If fishable streams or lakes are in your hunting area, you may want to consider a fishing license and Tenkara.