Story by Tommaso Fedele
I know, it’s not so interesting to start a story with apologies, but let it be clear that there’s nothing in common between a fishing rod and a woman. However, for a fly fisherman, both can create emotions of desire, joy, and pain. This is my story.
As the knowledge of the world of tenkara crossed national and international boundaries, I began to hear more and more about this fantastic creature. Legends and enthusiastic faces followed its name, and nothing seemed to tarnish its beauty. She’s Japanese, desired by many who want to hold her… a perfect creature, she’s a demon.
My story begins in a shop in northern Italy, when it’s whispered to me in hushed tones that she’s there, within those four walls, capable of doing unthinkable things, capable of making any fisherman who meets its gaze crazy… she’s there, she’s a demon.
I touch her, I hold her, it’s a courtship dance (a sasoi) that conquers me in a few minutes. She’s willing to come home with me, I touch my back pocket… it’s there, the wallet is there… we fall in love, she’s a demon.
It’s July 24th (2023), I’m in Valsesia, high Mastallone valley. It’s our first trip together… soon, she becomes an extension of my arm and the tool of my will. She responds perfectly, she’s a demon.
Our story goes on, it feels like a lifetime together but it’s only the following week when a branch in the creek decides to steal the kebari and not let go. A few light tugs and CRACK… the demon breaks!! How? She’s been just lightly touched, I can hardly believe it. I immediately try to make up with her and order the replacement the same day… nothing must stop our story.
Two weeks pass, her strength now restored and we are ready to get back to the stream. It’s early morning, we’re having a blast. As we move up the stream, we see an interesting pool, it’s decided! There could be something big there. First round of drift, second round of drift… and down, hooked… CRACK!! No, can’t be! I used a level line twice its length but it can’t have stressed her till the break… she can’t, she can’t… yet she can actually!
I return to those four walls where I first met her and feel forced to buy her another gift.
But I start to feel that something was wrong in our relationship, my trust wavers… we are distant but I’m still so in love with her. I try to preserve her, and while she’s still in rehab and I have a some trips with an old friend… but the demon doesn’t know, she is at home.
However, the end of the season has come and I want to remember the early spring days. Now that she’s better, I decide to take her out for a walk again. It’s the last day of the season, we’re having a great time, the net kindly welcomes one, two, three, and many more trout… then another one decides to attack my kebari, hooked… CRACK! I watch her, she is 3 pieces now.
I look at her with… dismay, if the other times I had searched for every fault in me, now I turn to her differently… you can’t be such a captivating woman and continuously decide to leave the dance floor. I decide that our paths must separate.
Time passes and I fall for her again; but this time I make it clear, “I’ll fix you up, but nothing will be as it was before, I want to always have you there, but not along the streams anymore.”
But who am I kidding?!? I’m hopelessly in love, she’s a demon.
First day of the 2024 season, I choose her.
A few casts near home, it’s still very cold and I just want to savor the beauty of the casting dance with her. It’s all perfect, it’s like our first dance last July, I’m sure we’ve grown. She responds excellently to a river queen of considerable size.
Two weeks pass, second fishing trip of the season… it’s windy but we go anyway.
Boots in the water, cast, trout, lost. It could be a good day but the wind hampers the upstream cast. So I decide to try downstream… tick, tick, tick, the kebari skips on the surface and it’s irresistible. Hooked…CRACK!!
From now on, the woman of my life won’t be the most fascinating, but the one I can always count on.
Editor’s Note: We understand this article may upset some fans of a certain brand of rods. The rod referenced in this article is a magnificent, precision tool that does not have a record of being prone to breakage. Sometimes an angler’s fishing style is just mismatched with a specific rod, to no fault of the rod itself. We hope this does not take away from your enjoyment of the story.
Tommaso Fedele is a young tenkara angler and solo traveler whose happiness is found in the simplicity of life. Armed with nothing but a backpack, sturdy boots, and a tenkara rod he get excited in the art of fishing and exploration. Follow his adventures on Instagram at Mykebari
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There is something fishy about breaking four tenkara rods in a little over a season. How do you set the hook? I only ask because Tenkara rods do not respond well to a “bass set” where the rod is suddenly yanked from ground level to chest height as if attempting a hook set on a 10lb largemouth. Because the line is held off the water in Tenkara, trout almost instantly set the hook on themselves and you should only have to lightly lift your wrist to aid in thus effort. Good luck, nice article!
Breaking a tenkara rod is a painful experience. There are so many factors that can contribute and many are not perceived by the angler. Often, particularly when the breakage involves a small fish, we put blame on the rod itself. But I know from my own experience that even in this scenario it is often a combination of angler rod handling and rod design/material limitations. As far as this article, his experience is unfortunate; I feel for him. But not ever having broken one of my many Oni rods, I can’t corroborate his experience. Oni rods are outstanding, but they, like any tenkara rod, can break.
I find it sort of perplexing that an angler could have four breaks on a rod universally regarded as one of the best made and not think that maybe it could be “user error”. When I say maybe, I mean a situation like that is absolutely user error.
OK, first thing was broken was the 8-th section… Next picture looks like 4. Next is 5 or 6. Probably all different sections, and it is all original sections from the rod (not replacements)… No, I do not think it is user error during fishing. It is pretty much impossible to break lower sections on the hook set (usually 3 got broken). Carbon is a tough material, but it is brittle. Bead head fly hit would broke the section on impact, but author did not mention anything except kebari, and Ony type 1 is a strange choice for nymphing anyway. I think rod was dropped at collapsed state, either by some person handling it, or shipping package was dropped, or backpack with the rod was dropped… Rod can become fragile after it, but look totally OK (cracks can be not visible to naked eye). It can happen with any tenkara rod, no matter the brand/model… Very unfortunate experience, I’m sorry reading about it. I would just buy a new one…