My perception of tenkara (and fishing in general) has changed a lot over the years. Even in the past two years, the way I approach things and how I tackle different situations is vastly different from when I started fishing with a tenkara rod. I feel like that’s an obvious thing to say, as I can’t imagine I would be fishing the same way as when I started. There has to be progress.
Having completed my “experiment,” I wanted to write a post that talks a little more about what has changed in the past couple years, and a little of what I see as the future of my own angling conquests. I figured that being close to the end of the year, this would be a good time to talk about it!
What Has Changed?
From the first fish I caught on tenkara, I was quick to set aside my spinning rod and direct all my focus to a style that seemed to almost guarantee a fish in the waters where I live. As I become more rooted in fixed-line fishing, I have to admit that I did fall into the “purist” mindset. I enjoyed fishing for trout in mountain streams.
My love for tenkara took me down a rabbit-hole in trying to discover more of the history around the style. You may already know, but this brought me to learning more about the Shokuryoshi. And, here I am today, writing about my experience that was inspired by the idea of having to catch fish for a living, and how one would go about refining their practices to more efficiently put fish in the net.
With all that said, I find tenkara to be a more effective tool than I had before starting the experiment. It almost seems weird to say that, because I touted how great I thought tenkara was prior to the experiment. Now, having pushed myself to try new approaches and do a little more problem-solving, there’s a new perspective on what one can do with a tenkara rod.
Although I may have new understandings in how to adjust my own tactics to catch fish using simple gear, I have also seen where tenkara does fall short. I don’t want that to come off as a negative remark, because it has been a good reminder of what fishing is all about - having fun, and spending time in nature.
This year I have been reminded to focus on water within my casting range. There was a time on the river where I found myself focusing on pockets that were out of my reach, and trying to find a way to cross the river in hopes to cast to those pockets. I had to remind myself that there’s no guarantee for a fish, and all that time and effort may not increase my catch rate. Of course, this was influenced by the goal of catching more fish in less time, but even then I think it serves a purpose outside of just metrics.
It brings me back to the philosophy that got me hooked on tenkara in the beginning. It brings me back to appreciating the time spent on the water, and making the most of what you have in front of you - being the gear, or the water.
Something else that I found to be a big change was the mindset I had when approaching the water. I wrote about it in a recent post, which you can find here…
In summary, instead of heading to the river with an idea of how “I’m going to catch a certain amount of fish,” or “I’m going to get great surface takes,” I started approaching it with the goal to problem solve. This, in turn, also changed how I viewed success. Working through tough fishing conditions and finally getting a bite became the big reward. Don’t get me wrong, putting fish in the net is also exciting, but I think it comes back to the appreciation of the experience, and and again, making the most of what you have.
What Comes Next?
Now that the experiment is done, I am looking forward to seeing what comes next in my own fishing. I have some ideas brewing, and I’m not quite sure which path I will take at this time. But, I guess I have the winter months to really think about it and see where the inspiration leads me.
One thing that I can say is that I’m looking forward to not feeling the sense of having to focus on the numbers. I will admit that one of my goals in doing this experiment was to see if focusing and learning how to catch more fish would passively lead to me becoming a better angler. I think it has, and I think it will. I do wonder which habits will stick and what will change going forward. Without having my catch rate as a metric though, I know my approach to fishing will change. I look forward to diversifying my fishing experiences.
Something else that has been on my mind is exploring more waters and spending more time fishing with friends. One downside to being driven by the numbers is that I felt a little relegated to focusing my time and efforts on certain stretches of water that I know would produce fish. Now, I feel I will have a little more freedom. Of course, that focus was on my own accord, but I would now like to explore and fish more waters that California (and beyond) has to offer.
One last thing that I know for certain will be changing is where I focus my writing. As the Heritage Tenkara Project has grown, I have become more inspired by the interactions we’ve had with anglers from all over. I hope to take more time to write articles and build up the website more.
This experiment has been a big focus in my life over the past few years. I am grateful to have had the time and resources to put into it. I know it has helped me to become a better angler, and I hope that it has or will help others. With all that being said, I am looking forward to being able to take a step away from the focus on the fish per hour metric, and enjoy fishing in different ways.
Here’s to the end of The Shokuryoshi Experiment, and to the future!