It’s great when new print material on tenkara becomes available… and I’ve been waiting for this one for quite some time.
Tenkara Today (by Morgan Lyle via Stackpole Books), is not your typical tenkara paperback. Yes, it’ll give you the basics of tenkara’s Japanese origins and pointers of how to use your tenkara equipment, but it also digs much deeper into the personalities that have molded tenkara’s introduction into the west. Some familiar names appear, such as Daniel Galhardo and Chris Stewart, but some others that may not be quite as well-known do as well. It’s much more of a biography of the last ten years of tenkara as it is an instructional manual. And as a history buff, it’s great that this has been documented.
Per the publisher’s website:
“Since tenkara was introduced to the United States in 2009, it has become a rapidly growing trend, and many anglers have adapted the traditional Japanese techniques for waters in the United States. This comprehensive book covers the current state of tenkara—the best flies, the equipment, and essential techniques. It also tells the stories of the people who brought tenkara to America, and examines this eastern method’s place in the western sport-fishing world. Non-anglers and experts alike will find it fascinating, informative, and fun.”
In any event, I’d highly recommend giving it a read. I was forwarded a preview copy a few months back and enjoyed it immensely. It’ll be nice to now be able to order a print copy to add to my tenkara & fly fishing book library.
Plus, if you do enjoy this book, be sure to check out Morgan Lyle’s Simple Flies: 52 Easy-to-Tie Patterns That Catch Fish, a book that not only has great application for fixed line fly anglers, but was also highlighted through an interview in the Winter 2015-16 issue of this magazine.
