On January 2nd, the latest issue of Fly Fisherman magazine will hit the stands. A featured article will announce that Gary Horvath was named the magazine’s 2023 Conservationist of the Year for his work on the campaign to remove the Powell and Junction Falls dams located on the lower Kinnickinnic River. Gary continues to inform and educate the general public and the River Falls city council on the negative effects the dams have on the trout population and the habitat that supports it. He has assisted with scientific studies, written grants, and spearheaded fundraising efforts with the help of other chapter members and members of the KinniCC. Now the benefits of all this hard work are starting to appear. If a proposed feasibility study is initiated by the Army Corp of Engineers and proves favorable, both dams could be taken out much sooner than expected. Thank you Gary for being our chapter’s lead on this issue year, after year, and for keeping the faith in spite of all the ups and downs.
Be sure to get your tickets for the River Falls Film Festival on March 3rd at Tattersall. During the event, Gary will receive his award from Ross Purnell, editor of Fly Fishing Magazine and John Frazier, Simms marketing director, who will be presenting the chapter a check for $10,000, in Gary’s honor, to aid in dam removal/restoration efforts. Let’s have a huge chapter turn out and a standing ovation for Gary when he receives this much deserved award!!!
Now that you’ve got your rods inspected, your reels cleaned, and your lines cleaned and dressed, it’s time to move on to your terminal equipment, your flies and leaders. Compared to rods, reels and lines, this stuff is a pleasant evening’s work at your tying bench or kitchen table. Let’s take a look at your leaders first.
There are two kinds of leaders, those you used and those you didn’t. Your examination of the leaders you didn’t use consists of stretching sections of the leader in an attempt to straighten it. Because leaders are made of nylon, they can easily develop memory. A leader that’s been on the reel too long or coiled in its package too long will retain its coiled shape. If it doesn’t straighten out it can’t be fished. Throw it out. If it straightens easily put it back on the reel or coil it loosely and slip it back into its package.
Next, your examination of leaders you used has one extra step, checking for nicks and cuts. After straightening the leaders run your thumb and index finger (if you’ve got one) down its length. If you feel a nick, cut, abrasion or knot examine the area closely. This is where a magnifier comes in handy. If you find any of these weaknesses, you have two choices: cut the leader and retie it or throw it away.
On to your flies. Just like leaders, there are flies your fished and flies you didn’t. The only ones you need to be concerned with are the ones you fished, identified by their straggly appearance. Let’s start with the nymphs and wet flies. Isolate the used flies by tossing them in a shoe box or bowl. Take a close look at each one. Are the hooks rusty? Are the points broken or dulled beyond repair? Wastebasket. Are the thread heads coming apart? If you tie, put a few turns of 8/0 thread on the, trim the tags and lacquer the heads. You don’t tie? Wastebasket. Put the remaining flies back in their fly box, promise yourself you’ll reorganize the box, then make a list of what you need to replace.
You can repeat the same process with your dry flies and then there’s one extra step. Dry flies get more mangled than nymphs; the hackle gets smashed and the wing gets crushed. Take the salvageable flies to the kitchen. Start some water in the tea kettle and then go get your hemostat or needle nose pliers. Once the steam is rolling, pick up each fly individually and hold it in the column of steam for just a second. The steam will return the hackle and wing to their original shape and make the fly look like new. You’ll be amazed. Drop these flies in the shoe box or bowl until they’re dry. Put these flies back in their fly box – promise to reorganize the box and make a list of replacements. Now pour yourself a cup of tea and pat yourself on the back, Put your feet up.
One of my favorite all-time flies is the Lage Stop & Go Soft Hackle. This pattern was developed by one of the real treasures in our little corner of the fly fishing world, Randy Lage.
Several years ago, Randy was fishing some off-colored water on the South Branch of the Whitewater River. He was using a fly he called the Caution Fly. It was a soft hackle fly tied with a black body and gold wire. The fly was not working as well as he had hoped so off he went to his fly tying vise. Randy had just returned from a trip to Lake Taneycomo in Branson, so the materials for a local favorite fly from there, the Crackleback, were on the top of his tying kit. So he pulled out a spool of green tinsel. Now what to add to it? Red wire, some dubbing and a partridge feather. Voilà, the Stop & Go was born. Red and green, get it?
I was introduced to this pattern by Randy one evening at Laughing Trout. Never one to leave well enough alone (a recurring theme in these columns), I had to make some changes. So I switched to red tying thread and changed the thorax to Superbright Peacock Dubbing. Now I have the Lage Stop & Go Soft Hackle.
I fish this fly from early spring to late fall. Randy designed the fly to be fished using the typical soft hackle technique of casting down and across the stream. I like to fish it as the bottom fly of a two-fly rig under an indicator.
You should tie some of these flies up and give them a try. It just might become one of your favorite flies as well.
This fall, the City of River Falls agreed to engage the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) for their support of a dam removal project, via their Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program. TheCOE project would involve removal of both dams and restoration of a one-mile reach of the Kinni. n November 2022, the River Falls City Council voted to proceed with the initial COE feasibility study, at an estimated cost of $800,000. The COE will assume responsibility for the first $100,000 of the study, plus one-half of the remaining $700,000, leaving the City responsible for covering a $350,000 share.
To address some budgetary concerns that the City of River Falls communicated to stakeholders, Kinni Corridor Collaborative, Inc. (KinniCC), Trout Unlimited, and other community partners pledged a contribution of $175,000 (half of the City’s $350,000 share) to help fund the COE feasibility study. To date, stakeholders working with KinniCC has raised $90,000 toward this goal, leaving a gap of $85,000 to fill by early 2023.
If you do not already know, the KinniCC is a community-led, non-profit (501(c)3) organization working with the City of River Falls and other stakeholders to implement the Kinnickinnic River Corridor Plan (KRCP), while preserving the river’s ecology and beauty.
As everyone knows, the Kinnickinnic River is a recreational treasure for our area, and we really need your help at this time to ensure the feasibility study proceeds by considering a generous donation. The KinniCC has set up a donation sight at Mighty Cause for this purpose. Thanks for your consideration.
https://www.mightycause.com/story/Coe4kinni
Sponsors, Donors, and Partners
Platinum >$20K
Babcock RI Trust
Bye, Goff & Rohde Partners
Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter (WI)
Red Bottom Boat 2.0
Twin Cities TU Chapter (MN)
Wisconsin TU State Council
Gold >$5K-20K
Flygare, Tovah
Johnson, D. Kent
KinniCC Board of Directors
Mid-Missouri TU Chapter (MO)
Morrison, Sean
R4F Film Festival Team (2022)
River Sky Drones
TU Driftless Area Restoration
Silver >$1K – 5K
Benevity Fund
Blackhawk TU Chapter (WI)
Central WI TU Chapter (WI)
Coulee Region TU Chapter (WI)
D & C Brockway Charitable Fund
Elliott Donnelly TU Chapter (IL)
Frank Hornberg TU Chapter (WI)
Hanson, Amanda
Joyful Baseflow Fund
Lee Wulf TU Chapter (IL)
Marinette TU Chapter (WI)
Most, Betty
Peterson, Christina
Southeast WI TU Chapter (WI)
Southern WI TU Chapter (WI)
Vanden Bloomen, Dennis
Welter, John “Duke”
Wild River TU Chapter (WI)Wissota Hospitality/Country Inn
Kinni Friends < $1K
Amazon Foundation (Smile)
Bob Mitchell’s Fly Shop
Brilliant Impact
Chambers, Rob
Dahm, Peter & Linda
Falls Theatre
Fischbach, Lawrence & Candy
Garry, Clarke
Goff, Steve
Horvath, Gary
Hub 70
Network for Good
Ostrow, Winston
Potts, Jack
Prin, Tom
Ritzinger, Mark & Jean
River Falls School District
Topple, Ben
WIN-CRES Chapter TU (MN)
Collaboration Partners(These partners have provided a letter of support and/or technical assistance)
American Rivers
Ecological Restoration Institute / CAFEs– UWRF
Express Pro Employment Services
Feuerhelm, Langer & Nelson, CPA
First National Bank – River Falls
Friends of the Kinni
Friends of Willow River and Kinnickinnic State Parks
Freshwater Collaborative (UW System)
Grow To Share
Hope 4 Creation
Illinois State Council TU
Inter-Fluve
Kinni Conditions Facebook Group
Kinnickinnic River Land Trust
Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission
Meyers Creative
MGI Consulting
MightyCause
North Woods & Waters of the St Croix Heritage Area
“A rod, a line, and a fly, that’s all you need.” “Something is perfect not when you can add anything more to it, but when you can’t take anything away.” Yvon Chounaird, Founder of Patagonia
Back in January 2022, Rip Rap featured the article: Tenkara or Euro Nymphing – Worth A Try? For those that had their interest piqued from that article about fixed line fishing, here is a bit more in-depth look at Tenkara fishing.
A short history
Several years ago, I received a Patagonia catalogue featuring an article about traditional Japanese fishing methods that had been modernized and brought to the rest of the world. I recognized that Tenkara appealed to me for its apparent simplicity, apparent intuitiveness, and apparent effectiveness. “A rod, a line, and a fly, that’s all you need.”
Tenkara originated a number of centuries ago in the mountain streams of Japan for fisherman to catch fish for market. It is an effective method fishing that evolved through time not just for sport, but to feed the family. Interestingly, similar fixed line fishing evolved in a number of other regions in the world (for example Italy, Russia) for the same reasons.
The word “Tenkara” is short for “tenkara-tsuri” – a phrase that literally means “Fly Fishing” in the traditional mountain-dwelling communities of Japan. Tenkara can also be translated to “fishing from heaven”, “sky fishing”, or “empty sky fishing”. For me, the last definition is most accurate when I first started this method.
Original Tenkara equipment was made from material on hand; a long piece of bamboo that became the rod, a fixed line made of woven horsehair, and simple flies made from various feathers and thread of colored silk. Bamboo rod building became refined with rod made in multiple sections, which would fit inside of each other for portability. The flies consisted of 2-3 components, using hackle that would open facing forward, straight up, or backwards. The flies could either be fished on the water surface or below.
Modern Tenkara composite rods are long – typically 10.5 to 14.5 feet. They are supple and very light, ranging from under 2 ounces up to perhaps 4 ounces. They are also telescopic, and most collapse to between 15″ and 24″, depending on the model. The lines (either mono nylon or traditional braided) are usually about the length of the rod up to perhaps 1.5 times the length of the rod (to which anglers add from 3 to perhaps 5 feet of tippet), but they are very light – lighter than the lightest fly line.
I like Tenkara fishing because it is so simple for me to go fishing – everything needed goes in two containers. One tub has waders, boots, and net, and a small daypack has rod, line, flies and miscellaneous tackle. Throw them in the car and go.
Another benefit of the simplicity of Tenkara fishing – it makes winter fishing so much easier. No line guides to freeze, no reel components to freeze. Nice.
Another draw for me is the intuitiveness of Tenkara fishing. A lot of the challenge in fishing local water is avoiding brush and other hazards. Spending time learning to cast great distances is not as important to me as is effectively presenting the fly, allowing for an effective drift, and avoiding getting snagged. Tenkara more easily allow for precise fly placement in tight areas.
Even though one is not casting great distances as compared to rod and reel fishing, casting technique is important in Tenkara. For most people, learning the basic casting techniques for Tenkara is simple. However, as one becomes more experienced, a number of subtle advanced casting techniques can be learned to dramatically increase the number of fish caught. Tenkara fishing emphasizes the nuanced presentation of a fly over the selection of the fly.
Getting started with Tenkara
For those interested in getting started in Tenkara fishing, there are several providers that offer equipment and online videos teaching technique. The most well known of these providers is Tenkara USA, founded by Daniel Galhardo and based in Boulder, Colorado. Galhardo is credited with introducing modern Tenkara fishing to the US in 2009. Other well-known on-line Tenkara shops include Dragontail Tenkara and Tenkara Rods, both located in in Idaho, as well as Tenkara Bum (New York), and Zen Tenkara (Colorado). There are also several Japanese-based Tenkara equipment providers as well.
Not only does Tenkara USA offer a wide selection of rods, lines, and accessories, but it also an extensive instructional video library. When I first started Tenkara fishing, I used this instruction to teach myself how to rig my rod and cast. Now there are a number of on-line and in person instructional resources available to help one get started.
Cost
Tenkara Rod: $150 to $300
As with Western fly rods, Tenkara rods come in a variety of lengths, flex, and build quality. Most Tenkara rod manufacturers offer some sort of ‘standard’ or ‘starter’ rod.
Lines and Tippet: $15 to $20
Traditional line is a furled nylon. The more commonly used line is a nylon level or taped line.
Flies: $12 to $20
Just about any fly that is used in Western fly fishing can be used with a Tenkara rod. The most common type of traditional Japanese fly is called a sakasa kebari. This fly is usually tied as a reverse hackle onto a size 10-12 hook. It can be made in a variety of colors, but generally does not match any hatch. A kebari can be cast as a dry fly, and drifted as an emerger. The action of the hackle on and in the water serves as a very effective attractor. Depending upon conditions, a variety of nymphs can also be used.
From my experience Tenkara fishing in the Driftless region, I now only carry 5 or 6 different types of flies and nymphs. Warmer months, 95% of the time I only fish with kebari style flies. As the weather turns cold, I’ll switch to nymphs such as the famous pink squirrel. Leach patterns are also really effective with a fixed line.
Basic Technique
There is a fair amount of content available online that provides instruction on rigging and casting Tenkara equipment. The casting action has been described as a 12 and 2 motion as opposed to the 10 and 2 motion found with Western fly fishing. I’ve also heard Tenkara casting described as being similar to the action of pounding a nail into the wall to hang a picture. To get the job done, you don’t want to pound too hard or too soft – same as with your cast.
Chris Stewart of Tenkara Bum has on his site a great description of why Tenkara is so effective: “The long rod and light line allow you to keep almost all your line off the water, greatly reducing drag. Reduced drag yields better presentation, and better presentations yield more fish. And as good as the drifts are with the traditional wet flies, using a tenkara rod with a dry fly and relatively short line will give you better drifts than you have ever had.”
Years ago my cousin Jay (who, at the time, lived in Seattle and fished a lot for trout in lakes) gave me some tiny midge dry flies to try that he had tied up. He called them hackled Raccoons. I didn’t know much about the fly but they sure worked well for me during the winter fishing season in MN/WI. His flies had a Zelon shuck with segment marks he’d made with a fine black Sharpie.
Over time my small supply of hackled Raccoons ran low and I set out to tie up some replacements. I found some online articles that mentioned the Raccoon as a lake chironomid pattern created by Phil Rawly. I suppose the hackled part was a variation by Jay and his fishing friends.
Lady McConnell
While I continued my quest on the interwebs I came across another midge pattern, the Lady McConnell by Brian Chan, that looked a bit more like Jay’s hackled version but used a tiny grizzly hackle feather to imitate the segmentation of a trailing shuck. I thought the shuck and the fancy name were both pretty cool so that’s what I’m calling it now.
These flies get chewed up when the fish start feeding on them but it makes it all the more fun to fish with them. Just carry a few extra.
Hook: I use Daiichi 1110 (Orvis Big Eye 4641) ring eye hooks but use whatever you like. This one is an 18 so you can see it but tie them down to 22s.
Thread/Body: I like 70 denier thread but again use what you like. The thread will be the body color so pick a color (black, olive, tan, red, etc.) that might look like the midges you’re imitating. Red thread has me thinking about another old midge pattern, Herters Blood Midge, that would also be worth checking out.
Shuck Part 1: Super Secret Midge Flash from Lund’s. Length is the same as the hook gap.
Shuck Part 2: Tiny Grizzly hackle feather. Length is the same as the hook.
If you don’t have this stuff, use Zelon and a Sharpie.
Overbody: Deer hair. I clip the hair tips off and tie in tips first (starting at the hackle spot) so the overbody tapers from thin in the back to thicker in the front. I put a drop of Sally Hansen’s over this part for a little extra durability.
Collar: Grizzly hackle sized to 1.5 of the hook gap.
