When I visited the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians in Bryson City, North Carolina a few years back it was like opening a time capsule. There were exhibits containing countless rods, reels, and fly tying materials, not to mention photos, names, and the stories behind the many notable people and personalities that influenced fly fishing in that corner of the world. It was a lot to take in, but as someone who enjoys history in general, a very enjoyable experience. I could have easily spent two days taking my time to comb through it all, rather than the two hours actually afforded.
As I walked through the building (which has since moved to a new location), tucked over on the side, I was surprised to find a small display of tenkara gear, with some cards giving a very brief overview of tenkara through the American, and thus Southern Appalachian lens. It was cool to see the infamous blue spool, a vial of kebari, an early Tenkara USA Yamame rod (now discontinued), and a white rod sleeve TUSA also tinkered around with for a short time. Considering I didn’t expect to find any tenkara in the museum, this glass case made me smile. It also suggests that tenkara is actually now accepted in the Appalachians, which just feels nice.
But it also got me wondering, what should be in a museum solely dedicated to tenkara?
While I don’t claim to have the funds nor real estate to create an actual, physical one, (unless there’s a wealthy benefactor out there willing to invest 😉) I’ve often daydreamed or chatted with other likeminded tenkara friends in the past, such as Jason Klass, about what something like this might look like in real life. Perhaps the visual history of tenkara rods – from bamboo, to early models from Shimano or Nissin, to the more recent Western explosion of brands. Profiles on historical luminaries such as the Matagi, Soseki Yamamoto and Yuzo Sebata. Surely, a display of kebari, like the specimens chronicled at Yoshikazu Fujioka’s My Best Streams would be in order.
I’d personally propose a section highlighting the various social gatherings, such as the once annual Tenkara Jams, perhaps with an actual jar of Tenkara Jam on display (IYKYK). Regardless, all is certainly food for thought.
So I’ll turn around and ask, what would you propose be on display in a Museum of Tenkara?
I’d love to discuss in the comments below.
Postscript: As my mind continued to meander a bit, I thought about how revered Theodore Gordon is in fly fishing circles, (particularly in the Catskills) for being the first to “import” dry fly fishing from Europe in the late 1800s and popularizing it in the United States through his writing and angling. Heck, there’s even fly fishing organizations named in his honor. I wonder if Daniel Galhardo (or perhaps even Chris Stewart) will be looked upon in the same way among tenkara anglers 100+ years from now? The “Daniel Galhardo Guild of Tenkara Anglers” has an interesting ring to it…
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