One of the greatest advantages that fishing with a tenkara rod offers is the ability to suspend the fly in a seam or pocket of water while being able to keep the vast majority of the line off the water.
Early on, while learning about tenkara, I always read that there was no need for strike indicators. I am not trying to dispute this by any means. While I did incorporate a little bit of sighter material into my lines last year, I use it more for being able to track the range of my cast, as well as keep track of my level line in low-light conditions.
In my reading of the book “Shokuryoshi-den” by Hideo Tomon, one thing that I thought was interesting was one angler’s use of a cigarette filter as a sort of bobber. The author writes a bit about his experience watching Mr. Ebisawa fish, explaining that he mostly did bait-fishing, but also used a setup that was (from my understanding) a “half-kebari” with a live insect as bait put on the hook as well. He then suspended this setup in the current using the aforementioned cigarette filter, and watched for movement of the filter before setting the hook.
This isn’t the only instance I found where an angler utilized a technique that many modern tenkara anglers may not consider “tenkara,” but it got me thinking a bit…
There are plenty in the community who practice what they think of as “traditional” tenkara, and I have to admit that the way I practice tenkara falls in with that idea - that idea being: fishing for trout and char in high-gradient, mountain streams. Some of those who really value these defining characteristics of the style sometimes have very strong opinions of what is and isn’t “tenkara.”
Of course, we’re all entitled to our opinions. I recall a time where I had seen a tenkara video and wondered why someone was using a little yarn indicator in their setup. In my perception at the time, it seemed to be unnecessary. But, while reading this book, I started to realize how far tenkara has come. As modern-day, recreational anglers, we don’t have to worry about going home without any fish to eat for the evening. We fish in our free time, and return to our daily lives, and return to our normal schedules of work and home life. We can afford to practice tenkara in a way that we like.
For the shokuryoshi, this was their livelihood. They’re fishing wasn’t bound by an idea of what their style of fishing was or was not. It wasn’t dictated by rules or parameters that defined a style, but more so by the orders and requests they had to fill. They were knowledgeable, and resourceful in their craft… and some, on occasion, used bobbers… the “B-Word” in fly fishing.
If you’ve stuck with me through the long intro, we’re about to get into the main point of this article. Can we benefit from setting aside some of those rules and parameters that we don’t think of as “tenkara?”
Absolutely.
But there is a balance.
A tenkara rod is a tool, and can be a very effective tool on its own. That is to say, fishing it with just the rod, the line, and the fly. I do believe that this simple setup is the most effective way to utilize a tenkara rod, but that comes with picking the right water for it - those mountain streams. I do believe that learning a good cast, and “proper” drift, as well as some ways to present the fly really benefits an angler who fishes these streams with a tenkara rod. I also believe that experimentation can lead to better understanding of fishing, and even better tactics.
Playing With The Idea
I was unknowingly confined to a certain way of thinking. In reading this book, the wheels started turning a bit and I started to ponder the benefits of fishing with different approaches. So I picked up some of those extra small Oros “indicators” and started experimenting a bit in the off-season.
Immediately, I realized I could take advantage of being able to suspend a weighted fly at a certain depth under the surface. Along with that, I could suspend any fly (weighted or unweighted) in an eddy for even longer than I could without the indicator.
With the resistance caused by the shape of the bobber, a light line wouldn’t pull it back as fast as if it were just the fly being suspended in the swirling water.
I was starting to realize the potential of what benefits (and disadvantages) the bobber would offer.
Long Rod / Short Line
Something I had read about but hadn’t experimented with until this year was the idea of “Lantern Fishing.” Using a long rod and short line in certain areas opened up new opportunities that I wouldn’t have been able to fish with a shorter rod.
The idea was to be able to place the fly into small pockets that were likely to hold fish, without having to do any back casting.
Back in May, I tried this on the local creek. Using a 13 foot (405cm) rod and a line around 12 feet (370cm), I was able to place a bead-head nymph into tiny little pockets in a brushy section with overhanging trees on either bank. The lighting was low as the sun had already set behind the ridge and the last light was fading. I wasn’t able to see my line very well, so I attached a bobber to help aid in tracking where the fly was at.
The first pocket I picked up a fish immediately. I didn’t even rely on the bobber as a strike indicator, but more as a way to track the fly.
The next pool up had a submerged branch that cut across the current. I was able to place the fly near where the current was coming in and let the bobber hold the depth before lifting the line a bit and slipping contact from the bobber to the fly, then lowering again to let the bobber suspend the fly through the last bit of the drift.
The last little section I chose to roll cast the fly into the head of the pool because of some branches that reached over part of the creek. The roll cast allowed me to guide the line and the angle it moved forward without hitting the branches behind me. One drift in and the bobber dropped, adding a second fish to the tally in a section that I hadn’t been able to fish before.
Different Angles
Another situational advantage I have found in using a small bobber, is being able to drift a fly in an area where you wouldn’t be able to due to branches or structure. Of course, there may be ways you could cast the fly in above stream and animate it in a way that lets you present the fly close to the structure, but sometimes being able to suspend the fly under a bobber and adjust the angle of your line can help put the fly in front of a fish you wouldn’t be able to without it.
The Problems
So now that I’ve thrown out a few ideas, I want to state the issues I’ve found in my trials with the bobber - I have to keep it fair.
It is awkward as hell to cast them. Rarely do I choose to cast a line with a bobber in the same way I would with just a kebari.
When using a bobber, you diminish one of the advantages of tenkara - that is, contact with the fly. The foam bobbers will be the heaviest part of the rig in most instances, and will disrupt the connection you have with whatever fly you have on.
I mentioned earlier a time where I was slipping contact with the nymph and the bobber. This was only possible because of the close proximity I was fishing at, and being directly downstream of the fly. The weight of the bobber would have influenced the drift too much otherwise.
When I Used It
Now, in the same situation as above, the weight of the bobber helped me to swing the fly into the seam without fumbling with accuracy while trying to roll-cast or lob the rig into the right spot. This is due to the short stream width, small pockets, and lack of room for a back cast. That is the kind of setting I use this setup in the most.
There are times when the bite is good, and I’ve run through all the pools with room to cast, and this is the water I have left. If I think it’s worth my time to pick it apart, I will give it a go.
I start off by either putting on a shorter line, or just attaching the one I’m using in whatever length I think will fish best. I’ll attach the bobber to my tippet, estimating how far down the fly will need to go to get a strike,.and start swinging the rig if it’s a closer pocket or seam. If the target spot is further away, I will lob or roll-cast the rig.
Setting the hook can be a bit of a gamble when there is a lot of tree cover. I do my best to be aware of the surroundings and try to plan to set in the direction that offers the least chance of tangling up if the hook slips, or I mistime the set completely. With that said, I don’t really know if it’s better to fully commit to the set, or attempt a more gentle one. I’ve had both succeed, and backfire equally it seems.
As I had mentioned earlier in the post, I do think that using a bobber with a tenkara rod really takes away the advantages of that the style of fishing offers. I rarely attach a bobber to the line, but having experimented with the idea has opened up some opportunities, as well as added to my "bag of tricks." In reality, I don't know how much I will use it going forward, but it will always be something I can fall back on when the occasion calls for more creativity.