Podcast

Over the weekend I created my longest video/podcast episode for the Tenkara Cast yet. This time I cover everything about tenkara nets (also known as tenkara “tamo”): where do they come from, how they are made, how to use a tenkara net, and how to make your own. I go into a lot of detail into every aspect of tenkara nets in this episode. The episode clocks in at over one hour and twenty minutes, so I also added timestamps of different sections if you’re interested in one area over another.

Watch now and get more information here or by clicking the image below

We are reviving the Tenkara Cast!
After a fairly long hiatus from recording the podcast, the recent circumstances we are all facing made me realize that our need to connect is bigger than ever. We are being asked to socially distance ourselves, but I think we should simply “Distance together” as I may have heard somewhere the other day.
Fly-fishing content will be a refuge that we can look to for to take a break from the anxiety producing news cycle of today. And, of course, there is getting outside and fishing too, although there may be some restrictions on where can, can’t, should or shouldn’t go at the moment.
There are two episodes that just came online. One a few days ago where I talk about socially distancing, and just a little bit of what kept me from recording over the last year. And, today I recorded this episode on finding and exploring new waters. You can click the images below to listen to each of the episodes right within our site, or you can use your favorite podcasting app to subscribe, just look up Tenkara Cast.
I hope you’ll enjoy these, and I’d love to hear from you about what strategies you use to find new waters and if this time of socially distancing is making you explore waters closer to home, whether you have fished a new place or for new species because of covid-19, or simply how you are using fly-fishing (indoors or outdoors) to cope.

How to Find and Explore New Fishing Waters:

Social Distancing, and the Relaunch of the Tenkara Cast:

We have been on the road for 11 days now. Margaret and I have been enjoying our time together (we actually celebrated our 10th anniversary on the road last Sunday!). Living the “Van Life” is not glamorous, but we have seen some beautiful country, fished some gorgeous waters and enjoyed a few experiences we wouldn’t have otherwise.

Time has been short, and it is going by fast. I have been working on some videos and photography but it’s been hard to find reliable data connection or wifi along the way, so almost no time for writing and sharing things. I have been good at keeping our Instagram posts going when I find a bar or two of service on my phone.

This morning I turned the tenkaravan into a makeshift studio to record a new podcast episode about living life off the tenkaravan and about our very cool experience fishing for smallmouth bass with the fly-fishing author Dave Hughes and his wife Masako. If you’re interested, below is the episode I just posted (more information referenced in the episode please visit the podcast page.

Got some news about the book: the files have been sent to the printer!!! YEAY! We are told about 2 to 3 weeks for delivery. The book will be printed in Denver, so I’ll be going to the press checks and keeping an eye on it as it comes out. I’ll be sending out a survey to ask for addresses from those who have pre-purchased it.

Meanwhile, as Jeremy worked on wrapping the files up yesterday I recorded a new podcast episode, in which I talk about my favorite rod, the Ito.

The Ito is The Ito is my favorite as well as that of many of the most experienced tenkara anglers. Yet, people are intimidated by its length. Listen to this episode to learn about what makes the Ito a favorite of so many anglers and why you should give it a try!

Referenced in this episode:

The Ito

Videos:

Landing a large brown on tenkara with the Ito

Facebook live video catching carp and bass with the Tenkara USA Ito

Unfortunately the Rip’Em & Lip’Em videos I mentioned are no longer available on Youtube, I’m trying to get the video files to share soon.

Images:

Mr. Sebata with the Ito

Shaun Lezotte with a large 29″ pike caught on tenkara

Me with a large size brown trout caught on the Ito (right after the header image for this podcast was taken)

This blog entry is a transcription from the Tenkara Cast podcast episode “Conversations: Japan with Adam Trahan and Adam Klags.” We have had many requests to have the podcasts in this format and are happy to present the first one here. The podcast episode may be found here

Continue reading

By Daniel Galhardo

This blog entry is a transcription from the Tenkara Cast podcast episode “Choosing a tenkara rod, tenkara line, and tenkara flies.” We have had many requests to have the podcasts transcribed and are happy to present the first one here. The podcast episode may be found here

Continue reading

You can subscribe to our podcast via iTunes or Soundcloud
Our podcast archive is also available here

Referenced in this episode:
Daniel brings up the newly published book by one of his climbing heroes, Hans Florine.
Giveaway campaign: (the Tenkara USA giveaway will be on the week of September 19th).
The Fly Fish Journal with Daniel’s current story on combining climbing and tenkara fly-fishing: The Flyfish Journal – issue 8.1

Today I sat down with long time tenkara angler and Tenkara USA supporter Graham Moran (aka Tenkara Grasshopper). Graham is an outdoor enthusiast who took on tenkara with a tremendous amount of enthusiasm, to the point where he now even guides with a tenkara rod. We chatted about…you guessed it, tenkara, as well as about Graham’s tenkara blogging, his experience guiding with tenkara, and learned some of his tips for tenkara fishing. For the items referenced in this episode, please visit the podcast page here.
Listen to the episode with the player below, or listen via iTunes

I’m so excited about this new episode of the Tenkara Cast that I’m releasing it ahead of schedule. I try to release new episodes on Wednesdays but couldn’t contain myself here. This is an interview I did with John Gierach last year. At the time the interview was destined to be put together as a short video and I posted that video below for you to see. But, we kept the video short. Since then, people have asked for the full interview and the podcast is the perfect medium for this interview. I hope you enjoy my conversation with renowned author John Gierach.

I’m so happy to be getting good feedback from listeners about our podcast series, the Tenkara Cast. I’m getting emails almost daily about how people are enjoying the episodes, and that gives me great enthusiasm to keep putting them out.

Long-time tenkara angler Ed Baldridge just sent me a kind email with his story about how the last podcast episode helped him catch more fish. He said,
“Daniel
Really enjoying your podcasts. Today I was fishing and things were real slow. I felt like I was casting for absolutely no reason. Water was cold and no fish seen anywhere. I took off my backpack and other gear and was about to pack it inand I remembered your recent technique podcasts. I figured I would cycle through the techniques and see if anything might do the trick. Went back to the stream with only a rod, line and a fly. Dead drift- nope. Pulsing the fly- nope and then I did the “drift and drag”. Letting the fly drift, pause and drag it back up stream. Next thing I knew fish were hitting the kebari and a bad day was turned into another fun day on the water.
Thanks
Ed Baldridge”

On our Facebook page, Glenn D. Grossman shared:
“Daniel, thank you very much for your podcast series. Your advice has helped me take my Tenkara game to a new level. The episode in which you discuss detecting a strike has been especially helpful. I honestly would not have landed a single fish today if I hadn’t followed your advice. Cheers, Friend! :)”

What do you say? Are you enjoying the episodes? What would you like to have me cover?
Share your thoughts with me here, via email, or PLEASE, as a review in iTunes here. Your comments really help me keep the podcast alive.

In today’s episode of the Tenkara Cast, I cover the 6 main tenkara techniques I have discussed in the past in an audio format. I also go a bit more in depth about how to improve each of the techniques. Tenkara is simple, but there is always more to learn.
This is a longer episode, 53 minutes…and I recognize I’m probably a bit monotone sometime. So, do me a favor and listen to it in sections if you’re driving as I don’t want to be blamed for anyone falling asleep while driving

To listen to all episodes of the Tenkara Cast visit our podcast page, or subscribe via iTunes.

Overview of the fly presentations with a tenkara rod
1) Dead-drift: allow the fly to naturally drift with the current
2) Pausing: move the rod tip upstream from the fly to pause the fly in place for a couple of seconds in spots where fish are likely to be, such as in front of rocks.
3) Pause-and-Drift: Put the rod tip upstream from the tenkara fly to pause it for a second or two, then let it drift, pause it again, let it drift.
4) Pulsing: with a rhythmic motion move your fly up and down, making the tenkara fly pulse with life. The tenkara fly will open its hackle when you pull it, but close a bit when you relax it.
5) Pulling: this is a bit like using your fly as a streamer, where you will impart a lot of action. Part of the tenkara line must be in the water to serve as an anchor as you pull the tenkara fly across or upstream about 1 1/2ft at a time. It is particularly useful in faster or higher water conditions.
6) Plunging: This is a technique that may be combined with any of the previous 5 techniques and is used to help sink your fly without using any weight, using currents instead. Cast upstream from a place where the water drops, plunges or gets channelled between rock, as the fly hits the part where the water is more turbulent, let some of the line into the turbulence to take it down. If you’re doing it correctly and hitting a good spot, your line will seem to stop for a couple of seconds, then it may move in circles a bit, and then it will move downstream, typically fairly deep.

Ever wanted to visit the land of pasta, wine and espresso? And, of course, fish a little when you’re there?
We recorded a good episode of the Tenkara Cast with Vito Rubino on travel and tenkara in Italy. Listen to it now, or via iTunes (just look up tenkara in the iTunes app).

Listen to our newest episode of the Tenkara Cast, a very fun conversation with Morgan Lyle, author of the book Simple Flies. I really enjoyed this conversation where we talk about his book project, as well as the philosophies of simple flies and simple fly-fishing.

Listen to our two newest episodes of the Tenkara Cast:

1) Traveling and tenkara fishing in Japan

Thinking of traveling to Japan and interested in fishing while you’re there? You may want to listen to this episode

2) Short Cast: my gear

Listen to learn about Daniel’s favorite gear (besides his Tenkara USA rod, line and flies!)

The Tenkara Cast is also available for subscription in iTunes and via other programs here.
Please leave us a review if you like what we are creating.

Today I released two new episodes of the Tenkara Cast.
The main episode for today is an interview with Nick “Takénobu” Ogawa. His music has been a major part of Tenkara USA’s videos. It is as if many of the songs had been composed while in the mountains, and they are made with tenkara in mind. The story of how I discovered Takénobu’s music may sound too serendipitous to be true. But only fate could dictate that one day I would be writing about tenkara just to have a song named “Fishin’ ” appear on the radio, and upon closer inspection he would discover the musician actually had ties to Japan.Listen to this conversation between Daniel Galhardo and Nick Takénobu Ogawa to learn more about Nick’s music and for some delightful notes.

The other episode is what I will call a “Short Cast”. It is a thought concept I’ve had for many years regarding accumulating of karma and then neutralizing it. Listen about the idea of “Karma Neutralizer”.