Tenkara is the simple Japanese method of fly-fishing, which uses only a rod, line and fly. Tenkara rods are ultra-portable, telescoping down to as little as 15 inches, but extending out to over 10ft long. If you enjoy fly fishing mountain streams, you’ll enjoy the presentations provided by tenkara, where you can cast on the other side of multiple currents for a clean fly presentation where no fly line gets dragged by the currents. Tenkara USA gear is ideal for most tenkara anglers looking for an intuitive and fun way to fly-fish or something to take along on a hike or-fly-fishing trip without the complexities often present in fly-fishing and casting with a fly rod and reel setup. Keep browsing to learn all you may want to know about tenkara fly-fishing or to get your own tenkara gear.
So, what is tenkara? tenkara is the simplest way for you to connect with nature via fixed-line fly-fishing.
The advantages of tenkara can be clearly seen when watching tenkara videos: the pinpoint accurate casts, the ability to keep tenkara lines off the currents for drag-free fly presentations, and the intuitive landing of fish. In our video library, we share tenkara fishing tips and show you the benefits of tenkara and everything you need to know to teach yourself how to tenkara fly-fish!
The most complete library of tenkara videos, Tenkara USA has created over 100 videos over the years, covering everything you need to know to get fly-fishing with tenkara and to be inspired to connect with nature through tenkara.
Learn the most common and best tips we share for tenkara fishing in this video...
In this video, tenkara guide Allie Marriott will guide you through the process of how to choose a tenkara rod among our selection. From tight waters to big rivers, and...
Mr. Yuzo Sebata is one of the most well-known tenkara anglers in Japan. He keeps his fly-fishing simple and enjoys backpacking in the mountains of Japan catching trout...
In episode 4 of our series, the “2-minute Guides to Tenkara”, Daniel Galhardo talks about tenkara flies and focuses on the reverse-hackle style tenkara fly,...
In the first episode of our new series, the “2-minute Guides to Tenkara”, Daniel Galhardo introduces viewers to the basic concepts behind the simple Japanese...
In the second episode of our new series, the “2-minute Guides to Tenkara”, Daniel Galhardo shows viewers how to use a tenkara rod. This video will show you...
We like to think of ourselves as more than just a tenkara rod company. We're as interested in sharing tenkara fishing tips and tricks, information, instructions, stories and the philosophy of tenkara as making great products. Our blog is the richest resource on tenkara anywhere. Here are the latest posts.
Please ask any questions you may have about tenkara. It doesn’t matter if it’s been...
September Fishing in the Rockies: A Tenkara Guide to Master Clear Streams September presents a...
An old guide friend of mine used to say, “The hardest thing about fishing Montana in summer is...
Tenkara USA is pleased to extend our selection of tapered tenkara lines. We’re adding a...
Tenkara USA is proud to introduce a new, truly functional piece of apparel, the Fly-Weight Jacket....
In 2009, Tenkara USA® and its founder, Daniel Galhardo, introduced the tenkara method of catching fish outside of Japan for the first time. Tenkara USA is the leader in tenkara equipment and content worldwide, and is a fully independent company, based in Boulder, Colorado.
The vision for Tenkara USA has always been to open the doors to people who like the idea of fly-fishing but have always found western fly-fishing too complex. We wanted to share a method of fly-fishing so simple, someone could learn its basics in a matter of minutes.
In 2007, Daniel Galhardo discovered that a traditional fly-fishing method native to Japan existed. After visiting Japan, learning about traditional tenkara techniques and acquiring the tenkara gear needed he fell in love with the method’s uncomplicated nature and decided others needed to learn about it. In March of 2009, a month before Tenkara USA officially “opened doors”, Daniel left a successful career in international banking to dedicate himself full-time to creating Tenkara USA, the original tenkara rod company outside of Japan.
Through frequent visits to Japan, Daniel and Tenkara USA have developed strong relationships with tenkara masters, who have taught us most of what we share on our site. We rely heavily on their knowledge and feedback to ensure the products we make and the tenkara fly fishing tips and information we share are of highest quality and true to tenkara.
It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that our introduction of tenkara here has created a small revolution in the traditional fly-fishing industry. Tenkara USA products have acquired renown worldwide, applause from our teachers in Japan, and passionate devotion by our customers.
You can read more about our story here.
Tenkara in the Press
"Simplicity is a choice. It is easy to make many things in life complex, but these complexities don't usually add to our experience." Daniel Galhardo, excerpt from 'tenkara - the book'
Simplicity is liberating. It allows us to travel far without worrying about what traditional fly gear to carry, and it allows us to explore and enjoy tenkara with other activities because simplicity doesn’t take up much room.
We believe in respecting where tenkara comes from because we believe that’s the best way to keep things very simple. We are not inventing a method of regular fly-fishing, we are here to share the tenkara fly-fishing story with you. We believe in innovating and creating the best fly-fishing products possible, and if anything ever fails we will work to get it fixed quickly so you can be in the water sharing the tenkara story with friends.
Throughout our website you will find we are guided by what we view is the philosophy behind tenkara: keeping things simple, and relying more on knowledge than equipment. Join us on the tenkara journey.
For any tenkara questions you have, help with our Tenkara Care® guarantee and tenkara rod replacement parts, to place an order or figure out what is the best tenkara equipment for you, contact our responsive customer service team.
Highly regarded by the tenkara community as having the best and more responsive customer service out of any tenkara rod company, we are all tenkara anglers, happy and ready to help.
Enjoy our renowned customer support, exclusive Tenkara Care™ guarantee, and premium tenkara rods: Trade-in your broken rod from another tenkara rod company and get 30% off on a brand new Tenkara USA rod. Click here for more details.