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.
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