As you’re probably aware, Tenkara USA is celebrating 15 years as a company in 2024. They’re releasing a limited edition 11′ Iwana rod today to commemorate the special occasion.
This is a really wonderful milestone for us to recognize the popularization of tenkara outside of Japan. Over the last decade and a half, we’ve seen a lot of different perspectives come and go as it relates to tenkara in the west. Certainly, some eccentric western anglers may have dabbled with tenkara rods pre-2009, but that was clearly the year tenkara arrived on the fly fishing scene.
The angling world went from confused, to interested, to critical, to accepting all in that relatively short period of time. A fishing style that was once considered “a fad” created an entire community that gave the opportunity for a new generation of anglers to find the joys of fishing.
All the popular domestic brands that you enjoy today, DRAGONtail, TAO, Tanuki, Tenkara Rod Co., Zen Tenkara, came from this movement. As did many others we fondly look back on that “gave it a go” but are no longer in the space.
Educators and purveyors such as Chris Stewart of TenkaraBum, Paul Gaskell & John Pearson at Discover Tenkara, and the Tenkara Guides broadened our horizons as to what tenkara is and could be. Books were written and videos made. Trips were scheduled to Japan, and the Japanese have visited the west. The information exchange was, and has been open and encouraging.
And the emergence of personalities, Jason Klass (Tenkara Talk), Tom Davis (Teton Tenkara), Adam Trahan (tenkara-fisher), that curated thoughts and kept us “in the know” as we all were learning how to best enjoy tenkara on our own terms was tremendous. A lot of tenkara’s popularity can be attributed to a grassroots movement. The full list of contributing names is simply far too long to mention everyone, but I know you have your favorites.
Tenkara’s growth has undoubtedly been helped by digital platforms, beginning on clunky websites, blogs and forums to slick shopping apps, Instagram and TikTok. And for those that prefer a more personal approach, there are established annual events and ad-hoc meetups across the country, with new anglers coming onto the scene daily. It’s incredible to see tenkara’s fire still burning so bright. Who knows where it will go next?
In closing, I’d like to thank Daniel Galhardo (wherever you are) and Tenkara USA for taking that initial leap to introduce tenkara outside of Japan. We’d also like to acknowledge the amazing contributions of longtime Tenkara USA employees John Geer & TJ Ferreira who through their tremendous customer service have set the bar for the rest of the industry. Congratulations on 15 years!
The team at Tenkara Angler are very happy to celebrate this milestone with you, and even more excited to see what the future holds. We want to thank everyone for building an amazing community. There is no tenkara community without the anglers.
What’s your favorite tenkara memory from the past 15 years?
We’d love it if you’d share it in the comments below, or perhaps consider using it as a writing prompt for a future Tenkara Angler article. To learn more, see our submission guidelines.
When you buy something using the retail links within our articles or Gear Shop, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Tenkara Angler does not accept money for editorial gear reviews. Read more about our policy.
I think for me it’s been the wonderful sense of community that has been sponsored by the different get togethers. The Tenkara Summit, Oni School, Tenkara Bugout, Wisconsin Tenkara Campout, and other get togethers. People like Chris Stewart, Jason Sparks, Matt Sment and Luong Tam and of course the gang at Tenkara Angler who have continued with what Daniel started. Thank you Daniel.
It has been a long fun trip Michael Agneta. For me both as a customer at 1st and then an employee. Just imagine we all were 15 (yes 15) years younger when all this started. Some of us have moved on, while some of us are still at it. I reckon I have another 8+ years left in me before the word RETIREMENT comes in the picture, so my dream is I can play play play tenkara until that day comes. Wow, I was only in my early 40s when I started tenkara and now nearly 60! Who knows what will come or change but for now, I will continue doing my small part trying to tell the story of tenkara how Daniel helped bring it over from Japan long ago.
Thankyou for this story. And a big Thankyou to tenkaraUSA who rescued a disheartened angler from the complexities emerging in competition euro and brought me back to simplicity in 2009 and reminded me what fly fishing should be – back to my mountain streams with an iwana and a spool of tippet and a small baggy of nymphs, no other gear – just like fishing as a youngster in the 60’s. The iwana was my mainstay for many many trips on mountain streams and mine i one of the original but still going strong – I’ve never kept records but it’s landed hundreds of trout. It helped me become a much better angler.
The iwana started a journey I am still on now retired and aging. Chris Stewart of tenkarabum hikacked me early on into his cordless range of seiryu and keiryu rods which I now use today exclusively for tenkara, so the story continues.
I even recently forayed back into comp euro and bought a T&T contact II but as quickly realised I didn’t like all the focus on tackle and big heavy nymphs (2.5mm Tu dropper plus 3-3.5mm Tu point just reminds me of fishing worms with split shot, only a lot more expensive and a lot more tackle based).
I can’t beat a seiryu-single dry or kebari-#1.5 line combo or keiryu-nymph-#2.5 line combination for pure pleasure.
I keep my original iwana on my desk, no longer a working tool, but a daily reminder to keep it simple. The worn cork handle reminds me of many days on remote mountain streams with the sun filtering through the ferns
Indeed, I owe my start in tenkara to two entities: Matt Sment, and Tenkara USA. Five or six years ago I was recently back home in Wisconsin from some years living in Southeast Asia, was starting to re-learn traditional fly casting (I still have my late father’s old fly reel), when an article on Matt and tenkara landed on the cover of a weekly newspaper in Madison. I’d never heard of tenkara, but after reading the piece, I trotted down to the local Orvis store in Madison (where in fact I’d recently taken a traditional fly casting refresher class), asked if they had any tenkara gear, and they had one rod in stock – a Tenkara USA Sato. I bought it, and that was it. My dad’s old reel continues to gather dust…
And I look forward next year to toasting Mike on the 10th anniversary of Tenkara Angler; TA has been another important part of the tenkara story and history.